Considering Hamilton Cebu Sun MH/T5 combo.Please share your thoughts/experiences.

[Ocelaris]

One thing to mention about metal halide, there may not be that many bulbs produced in the future for aquariums, so I'd place a high emphasis on a company that will have a vested interest, so Hamilton bulbs with a standard ballast might be a good choice. Either way you can't go wrong. If I had cooling in the basement, I'd be looking at some mh t5 combo, but that's not in the stars for the time being.

 

[BoomCorals]

My understanding was that the Radium bulbs were meant to be driven at a higher wattage, around 330w with the M80 "HQI" ballast. The electronic ballast met somewhere in the middle, as the "HQI" setting on a Lumatek or Luxcore select-a-watt ballast will drive an additional 10%. 250w x 1.10 = 275w. I think the Premium Aquatics article on the Radium bulb was incorrect when they said that the electronic ballast push 300w, I'm pretty sure it is only 275w.

Anyway, great to see that the Hamilton bulb is a great option, thanks for the tip! I really didn't want to source an m80 ballast just for the Radium. Do you get the same aesthetics/color from the Hamilton on an electronic ballast as you do the Radium on the m80? Is it recommended to overdrive the Hamilton or run it on the normal 250w setting?

Also, I just did some digging and that spectral graph you provided was the Radium bulb being run on a no-name electronic ballast, presumably @ only 250w. Not sure that is a fair comparison between the two bulbs?

Correct that’s why I said it was under driven. But the spectrum is identical. I’d expect the radium on m80 to be nearly identical to the Hamilton.

When I put a hamilton 20k on electronic next to radium on m80 I see no visual difference with my eyes, and apogee 510 shows identical PAR.

 

[Mark SF]

Correct that’s why I said it was under driven. But the spectrum is identical. I’d expect the radium on m80 to be nearly identical to the Hamilton.

When I put a hamilton 20k on electronic next to radium on m80 I see no visual difference with my eyes, and apogee 510 shows identical PAR.

Very encouraging info! Do you run the Hamilton @ 250w?

 

[Tft12]

One thing to mention about metal halide, there may not be that many bulbs produced in the future for aquariums, so I'd place a high emphasis on a company that will have a vested interest, so Hamilton bulbs with a standard ballast might be a good choice

Good point. This was something that I was a little concerned about.

 

[Tft12]

@Livinlocal, what are you considering the switch to MH from, and why?

 

[Tft12]

Thanks a lot @BoomCorals and everyone else for the input. I haven't run MH for about 15 years so all this info about ballast and bulb selection has been helpful.

 

[Genomecop]

So funny. I've been looking at the same fixture today. So if I go with the 20.000K what T5 bulbs are you choosing? I'm getting the 4 foot model. Also, on the Hamilton site did you find a suspension system listed? I don't see one. Thanks

 

[BoomCorals]

Very encouraging info! Do you run the Hamilton @ 250w?

Yes

One thing to mention about metal halide, there may not be that many bulbs produced in the future for aquariums, so I'd place a high emphasis on a company that will have a vested interest, so Hamilton bulbs with a standard ballast might be a good choice. Either way you can't go wrong. If I had cooling in the basement, I'd be looking at some mh t5 combo, but that's not in the stars for the time being.

Spoke with a few distributors recently who indicated sales of MH is back on the rise, so that’s promising. You make a salient point.

 

[Tft12]

I started this thread only thinking about the Cebu Sun MH/T5 combo. Since it seems people have really like the Hamilton 20K MH bulbs, what do think about using MH only, going with just those Hamilton 20k bulbs and no T5?

 

[Ocelaris]

Although this doesn't have the two bulbs in question, Sanjay did some measurements with both m80 and an electronic icecap ballast. It appears the spectrum is roughly linear in regards to power. So not exactly sure how that effects the color temperature, but as a blue biased bulb, my assumption is that the cct would go up (bluer)... But that's just my best guess.

https://www.advancedaquarist.com/2004/10/review2

 

[BoomCorals]

I started this thread only thinking about the Cebu Sun MH/T5 combo. Since it seems people have really like the Hamilton 20K MH bulbs, what do think about using MH only, going with just those Hamilton 20k bulbs and no T5?

I use that and love it. My local customers enjoy it too. Lumen bright reflectors with 20k hamilton bulbs and ballasts.

 

[Breadman03]

I started this thread only thinking about the Cebu Sun MH/T5 combo. Since it seems people have really like the Hamilton 20K MH bulbs, what do think about using MH only, going with just those Hamilton 20k bulbs and no T5?

I liked the look of my 400 watt Hamilton 20k DE alone a lot. My wife didn't like the heat in the living room and we're down a window A/C this year so my daughter can keep her new apartment cool. Radions with diffusers are close enough, I mean, happy wife, happy life...

I don't think I'd be happy with just halide, though. I like some moonlighting so that I can see the tank when I get home from work. Maybe the LSM that Neptune offers.

 

[Genomecop]

If Im choosing the 20k as my MH bulb what should I choose for the T5's?

 

[jda]

You might not want any T5s. That bulb looks good all by it's self.

 

[Genomecop]

You might not want any T5s. That bulb looks good all by it's self.

True, but the fixture comes with the sockets.

 

[zach_discus]

I loved my 60” Sebu Sun fixture. I ran 20k Hamilton’s and 18k Ushiro 400watt bulbs. Both looked awesome with my T5 combo. 2 Ati Blue+, 1 Ati coral +, and 1 Ati purple plus. I used Nanolux 400watt electronic ballest, they are outstanding ballest that run cool and are very efficient.

If we had Ac I’d run halides again, but lighting my new tank would take at least 4.

 

[dz6t]

That article is a bit dated. Radium 250w on an electronic ballast, you’ll be replacing bulbs every 6-8 months.

I am not sure why you said that. I used run many Radium bulbs on several electronic ballasts including Icecap, coralvue, and generic ballasts. They all run the Radium 250w, slightly bluer than magnetic ballasts.
I checked them with PAR meters over the years, I don’t see why you need to replace bulbs that frequently on electronic ballast?

 

[dz6t]

Hamilton 20k vs Radium. (The radium is a bit over driven as it’s on an electronic ballast)

I am pretty sure many electronic ballasts under drive Radium 250w bulb compares to HQI magnetic ballasts.
For example, I tested a Radium 250w with M80 ballast and the system drew 345w.

The same bulb with IceCap electronic ballast drew 260w.

 

[BoomCorals]

I am pretty sure many electronic ballasts under drive Radium 250w bulb compares to HQI magnetic ballasts.
For example, I tested a Radium 250w with M80 ballast and the system drew 345w.

The same bulb with IceCap electronic ballast drew 260w.

Correct that should say under driven.

 

[BoomCorals]

I am not sure why you said that. I used run many Radium bulbs on several electronic ballasts including Icecap, coralvue, and generic ballasts. They all run the Radium 250w, slightly bluer than magnetic ballasts.
I checked them with PAR meters over the years, I don’t see why you need to replace bulbs that frequently on electronic ballast?

Spectrum changes. Not PAR.