Help selecting MH ballast

[delandreefer]

I just picked up 72" geissman Spectra and need to purchase ballast for the metal halide. I am thinking about either the luxcore or reefbrite 400w selectable ballasts. I have never run metal halide and am looking for recommendations on which ballast would be best.
The only thing I know I want is to be able to run 250w or 400w bulbs, which I think means I need electronic ones.

 

[JoshH]

@Bpb @jda any help here? I agree, I'm pretty sure if you want to have the option of running the two different wattages, you do have to go with an electronic ballasts...

 

[Bpb]

Hop on eBay and pick up some 250-400 watt selectable electronic ballasts. Galaxy, luxcore, lumatek, ect. Any of those would work. Get them as new as possible. It’s just hard to find them from retailers anymore since even horticultural places are weening out metal halide gear. I like my purple lumatek switchable. Just stay away from dimmable ballasts or ones with fans. A 400 watt dimmable balllast should not be used to run a 250 watt bulb. At least I was advised against it by a manufacturer.

 

[X-37B]

Hop on eBay and pick up some 250-400 watt selectable electronic ballasts. Galaxy, luxcore, lumatek, ect. Any of those would work. Get them as new as possible. It’s just hard to find them from retailers anymore since even horticultural places are weening out metal halide gear. I like my purple lumatek switchable. Just stay away from dimmable ballasts or ones with fans. A 400 watt dimmable balllast should not be used to run a 250 watt bulb. At least I was advised against it by a manufacturer.

Agreed! Get a select a watt 250 -400.
Plenty out there.

 

[delandreefer]

Thanks for the heads-up and tips! I'm excited to get them set up.

 

[RCS82]

250 to 400 selectable ballast will be great for Phoenix and other HQI bulbs as well as 250 and 400w SE bulbs. From what I gather the 400watt Radium looks pretty good on the Super Lumen setting too but I've never seen it first hand. What ballast to run a 250 Radium best is above my M/H experience but is easy to find with a little research.
Edit, you have a Spectra so not too focused on HQI bulbs lol.

 

[Bpb]

I’d strongly recommend against running a 400 watt radium on super lumens. Years ago it was done but the manufacturer has changed the bulb and you run a high risk of it exploding if overdriven now. It’s a different bulb than it was 10-20 years ago

 

[delandreefer]

Would this be an ok ballast?

VIVOSUN 400W Dimmable Digital Ballast for Grow Light - Space Gray for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for VIVOSUN 400W Dimmable Digital Ballast for Grow Light - Space Gray at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

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[Bpb]

Would this be an ok ballast?

VIVOSUN 400W Dimmable Digital Ballast for Grow Light - Space Gray for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for VIVOSUN 400W Dimmable Digital Ballast for Grow Light - Space Gray at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

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Price is great on those. My only concern is the fans will fill the ballast with dust over time and eventually fail. I tend to prefer them without fans. They really don’t get very hot.

 

[jda]

How big of an area are you covering? This will matter a lot. Also, what are you going to keep.

Spectra is single ended, so unless you want to run Radium 20k, then you do not need m80 ballasts and electronic select-a-watt are good.

If you are lighting something like a standard 180g or somewhere around a 24x24x24 area with each bulb, then get 250w 14k or 20k from Hamilton and run them with those electronic ballasts. If you have a larger area, then 400w might be what you need. Hard to know without dimensions.

Also, what are you going to keep. If you are doing a softie and LPS tank with a few acropora scattered in, then 175 Halides are cool, low wattage and work excellently for this. If you are going to rock out high light acropora and clams, then 250w are a good place to start.

I almost never run 400w MH... just no need for me. Even covering some 30x30 areas, I just run 250s and keep the higher light stuff in the middle. I do have a new tank where I will need to do 36x36x36 and I will use 400w for this. I am a huge fan of 150w (double ended) and 175w (single ended) for mixed reefs since they will use about as much power as a similar LED, the heat is no issue for me in Colorado and I love the coverage, color and growth. 150/175w MH for mixed reef lighting on larger tanks is too often overlooked, IMO.

 

[delandreefer]

How big of an area are you covering? This will matter a lot. Also, what are you going to keep.

Spectra is single ended, so unless you want to run Radium 20k, then you do not need m80 ballasts and electronic select-a-watt are good.

If you are lighting something like a standard 180g or somewhere around a 24x24x24 area with each bulb, then get 250w 14k or 20k from Hamilton and run them with those electronic ballasts. If you have a larger area, then 400w might be what you need. Hard to know without dimensions.

Also, what are you going to keep. If you are doing a softie and LPS tank with a few acropora scattered in, then 175 Halides are cool, low wattage and work excellently for this. If you are going to rock out high light acropora and clams, then 250w are a good place to start.

I almost never run 400w MH... just no need for me. Even covering some 30x30 areas, I just run 250s and keep the higher light stuff in the middle. I do have a new tank where I will need to do 36x36x36 and I will use 400w for this. I am a huge fan of 150w (double ended) and 175w (single ended) for mixed reefs since they will use about as much power as a similar LED, the heat is no issue for me in Colorado and I love the coverage, color and growth. 150/175w MH for mixed reef lighting on larger tanks is too often overlooked, IMO.

As far as area it's an aqueon 210 72x24x29 deep if I remember correctly. The depth is why I was thinking 400s would be necessary.

I want to keep an sps dominated tank.

 

[Bpb]

I think you’d be fine wife 3-250 watt bulbs. I’d personally recommend Hamilton 14000k and run electronic ballasts over radiums on M80’s mainly for cost reasons. Your ballast cost and bulb replacement cost with radiums would be just shy of twice the cost of Hamilton’s. If it were MY tank I’d be using Hamilton 10000k and 2 ati blue+ and 2 ati true actinics for morning and evening viewing. I like bright white daylight look.

 

[jda]

I keep acros on the bottom of a 27 inch deep tank with 250s and no issues. IMO, good reflectors for your implementation is more important than going to 400w.

 

[YankeeTankee]

Don't forget many electronic 250w ballasts offer both 250w and 275 HQI settings. That gives you a little room to play with if your finding cheaper 250w eballasts.