400 watt Radium 20K and ballast

[Rickyrooz]

What is the best ballast to run a 400 watt Radium 20K? IceCap electronic ballast, PFO Magnetic Pulse Start or PFO Magnetic HQI? On Marine Depot it says the Radium burns more white on the HQI than it does on the Pulse Start. Also how often do the Radium bulbs need to be replaced?

 

[143gadgets]

Electronic ballasts run them bluer. The HQI ballasts will run them whiter. They overdrive the bulb. That's why you get more par a whiter color and more heat. If you run them on electronics you can change them out every 10-12 months. If you run HQI every 6 months.

 

[mbunaman]

The Radium IMO looks best on an Electronic. The color shifts quickly when overdriven on HQI's. Look into the 400W Helios color is very similar and lasts alot longer.

 

[143gadgets]

The Radium IMO looks best on an Electronic. The color shifts quickly when overdriven on HQI's.

I agree. I love them on electronics.

 

[Rickyrooz]

I currently have a 120g 48"x24"x24" tank with two 250 watt Phoenix 14K DE metal halides and four 65 watt actinic power compacts. If I switch to two 400 watt Radium 20K MH's will this be too much light for my tank and bleach my corals? I plan to use two Lumenarc III mogul reflectors. I plan to acclimate my corals to the new light if I go with 400 watt. Also where can I buy the Helios 400w bulbs? Which electronic ballast do you recommend? IceCap and CoralVue are the two I know of.

 

[143gadgets]

I like the Icecaps. You shouldn't have to worry about bleaching the corals as long as u acclimate them. Premium aquatics has the helios bulbs.

 

[Rickyrooz]

Thanks.

 

[mbunaman]

Icecaps are good and I like the Sunlight Supply Galaxy (comes in a nice green anodized aluminum case). They are almost identical to the Icecaps and are cheaper. Coralvue I just dont trust. I have heard of some issues on RC about their ballasts. They are made in China and quality control is not the greatest. With the sunlight supply you have to buy the male end connectors to use with your reflectors. My friends uses this setup Mini Lumenarcs with the Galaxy Ballast and the Helios 400W. It looks really nice. You dont even need to supplement actinics. I was a phoneix bulb fan before but now I am a Helios fan.

 

[gastone]

What ballast are you using with you current DE setup? Reason I ask is that the manufacturer spec'd ballast for the radium 250 is the M80 (magenetic HQI ballast). I just switched over from 250 xm10k on an M58 and the color is awesome. Nice and bright too unlike many 20ks which look dim. I do supplement with 4x24w of T5, 2 superactinic and 2 blueplus. Couldn't be happier. I expect to get 10-12 months on my radium lamp as the HQI is the spec'd ballast for it.

Look here: http://www.radium.de/e/produkte_overview.html?pe_id=181&pcon_list=1854,1855,2498,2569

Notice the specs for the 400w lamp is actually 360, so an HQI ballast will zap them... fast.

Try here: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-03/sj/index.php

says the standard is a euro-pulse start ballast. We ain't got those here in the good ole USA. I'll let you take a gander.

Garrett.

 

[Rickyrooz]

I have a no name ballast. I know it's magnetic but it doesn't say whether it is pulse start or HQI. It is made by Catalina Aquarium. Is the PFO pulse start better than a IceCap electronic ballast? I like that the electonic ballasts save energy, create less heat, and run the bulbs at less watts so they last longer.

 

[gastone]

Here's a good read: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1259898

Pulse start=HQI. If you can get ahold of a used radium, maybe you could try it on your current setup before you completely invest in new 400w lighting.

 

[Rickyrooz]

They don't make a 250 watt DE Radium.

 

[gastone]

They don't make a 250 watt DE Radium.

nor 400. You would have to purchase new mogul sockets.


Here is the post I was thinking of: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=11282296#post11282296

questions the use of electronic ballasts with radiums.

 

[surfn]

be warned, 400w Radium's aren't really rated for 400w. they are rated at something like 330w or 360w.

i.e. this is VERY different from the 250w SE radium bulbs.

you need to run them on HQI ballasts to get a decent amount of PAR out of them. but the bulbs will only last about 4 months, 6 if you reaaaaaally stretch it out. the different b/w a new bulb and a 5 month old bulb is pretty dramatic, huge loss in light output.

running on an electronic ballast will cause them to be more blue, and may give you an extra month of life. but for how much PAR you get out on an electronic ballast.....you may as well go with another bulb that lasts longer with the same PAR.

 

[Rickyrooz]

Here are my options.

250 watt
2- Phoenix 14K DE metal halide bulbs = $59.95 ($119.90)
2 – Lumenarc III mini stealth reflectors = $139.95 ($279.90)
2 – IceCap 250 watt ballasts = $129.99 ($259.98 )
$659.78

with Actinics

TEK II T-5 retrofit 2x54 watt = $94.98
Giesemann Pure Actinic 54 watt T-5 bulb = $22.64 ($45.28 )
$140.26

Total: $800.04


400 watt
2 – Lumenarc III mini reflectors = $109.95 ($219.90)
2 – IceCap 400 Watt ballasts = $174.95 ($349.90)
2 – Helios 20K mogul bulbs = $69.95 ($139.90)
$709.70

or

400 watt
2 – Lumenarc III mini reflectors = $109.95 ($219.90)
2 – CoralVue 400 Watt ballasts = $144.95 ($289.90)
2 – Helios 20K mogul bulbs = $69.95 ($139.90)
$649.70


Will I really see much more growth or coloration with 400 watt bulbs over my current 250 watt set up?

 

[surfn]

unless you have an all sps tank, 400w is overkill IMO.

if you want something stronger than your current DE phoenix setup, i'd strongly recomend getting the 250w SE radiums, and run them on PFO HQI ballasts. they are BRIGHT!

bulbs should last ~8-10months depending on how many hours/day you run them.

 

[smcooler]

I used to run the 400 watters on HQI ballast had great color and growth, one of the best lamps out there. The drawback was the massive amount of heat the ballast pruduced, heated my whole basement nicely, ard the need to replace them every 5 months.

stan