CoralVue ballast!!

[ohridmkd]

Are CoralVue ballast any good? Is anyone using them or has any experience with them?

 

[Blackhawk Fan]

I use the 400w dimmables and I love them. Pretty much everyone in the local reef club uses them that runs halides.

 

[ohridmkd]

I was going to buy the 250W but 400W are not that much more, which one would you recommend?

 

[Blackhawk Fan]

I run the 400 because I like the 20k Reeflux dimmed down. I like the way it looks running it around 300w.

depending on your setup, 250's are probably fine.

 

[ohridmkd]

I've done some research and i think i'll need 3x250 or 3x400 on a 125gal 6ft tank

 

[Blackhawk Fan]

I'd do the 250's on your tank with radiums. Your tank is 21" tall right?

 

[ohridmkd]

yes it is, and i was thinking getting the Lumex reflectors with it what can of reflectors are you using?

 

[Blackhawk Fan]

I'm using the large finished Lumenbright. I like them better then the Lumenmax. But both are great reflectors.

 

[ohridmkd]

any idea where i can get a good price on them?

by the way Hawk rock and they are killing the Min right now

 

[Blackhawk Fan]

Yes the Hawks are.

 

[Blackhawk Fan]

I'm sure some of our sponsors carry them.

 

[ohridmkd]

oh no hawks r giving up on this game

 

[Blackhawk Fan]

We jinxed them....

 

[ohridmkd]

no way they'll win this one, good teams always find a way to hold on or win it

have you ever tried to calculate the cost of running your lights?

 

[Blackhawk Fan]

I've never bothered. I only run one light. When I went from a 240 with three lights down to a 93 with one light my bill didn't drop all that much.

 

[ohridmkd]

o wow u went down by a lot, i'm going from 75 to 125 and but i readywant 210

 

[xrayrider]

I have a 125 gallon, 6 foot long tank, with 3 x 250 watt halide Radiums on Coralvue ballasts and an Icecap 660 that pushes 2 x 6 foot and 1 x 4 foot Super Actenic VHO tubes. I started with ARO ballasts, and tried a lot of dofferent bulbs. I after trying 10K and 14K Reeflux, 20K Coralvue, 14K SPS (South Pacific Seas), and 14K XM I finally discovered Radiums. I loved these. My ARO ballasts didn't always light the Radiums on the first try, so I replaced them with Coralvues. I love them. I have never had these ballasts not light or malfunction in any way . I went to 400 watt Radiums on Coralvue ballasts, and noticed a mild increase in light that was not really needed, but a huge increase in heat into the tank, and power consumption. I have a 1/3 horse chiller that was struggling to keep up with the 3 400 watt Radiums and 3 VHO Actenics. I wasted a lot of money trying to find what I wanted, but I couldn't be happier now. Go with 3 times 250 watt Radiums with some actenic suplimentation, and you will be happy.

 

[Reef Pets]

Thats all I use are CoralVue ballast and I I really like them. Once you need them let me know and Ill set you up with a fair price.

 

[luke33]

3x250w is the way to go on that tank. Thats what i run with great growth. Lots of good reflectors. Lumen max elite's, lumen arc's...etc. All work well. I run the elite's and really like them.

 

[ohridmkd]

Lumen elite, Lumen Bright, Lumenarc how different are these?