Radium or phoneix ?????????
- Thread starter Troylee
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OP
OP
Troylee
all about the diy!!!!!
Single ended????
yellojello
Active Member
I've been using the SE 250W Phoenix 14k's with Coralvue Ballast. I really love the color, compared to my 10k Reeflux before. I have never tried the Radium bulbs yet, since I didn't want to jump up to 20k yet.
Everything is healthy and growing, but I can't really compare growth rates yet since I'm still new to reefing.
I bought a pair of bulbs, and one of them was defective, firing really blue, while the other was a crisp white with hint of blue. I got it exchanged and the replacement fired up crisp with with a hint of blue. When brand new, they are really bright white, but after break-in, its a nice crisp white with hint of blue.
Everything is healthy and growing, but I can't really compare growth rates yet since I'm still new to reefing.
I bought a pair of bulbs, and one of them was defective, firing really blue, while the other was a crisp white with hint of blue. I got it exchanged and the replacement fired up crisp with with a hint of blue. When brand new, they are really bright white, but after break-in, its a nice crisp white with hint of blue.
fab1971
Valuable Member
Oops, sorry about that. No, I used double ended. No experience with the single ended so my input into the thread isn't very good
customcolor
The coRal nuT
all i run is radiums...no atinic to make the corals pop....they do just that with the radiums....
see spending more on the bulbs saves on the electric bill here!!
see spending more on the bulbs saves on the electric bill here!!
cjtabares
Active Member
I am going with tuis setup: Lumatek DIMMABLE 250W / 400W Metal Halide Electronic Ballast, a LumenMax ELITE, with a 250w Radium. I am setting up a 150gal lps and am hopeing the this will make the colors pop. I have seen the bulb but not with this ballast so I hope I like it. I was told they would look good with this ballast. It comes in today
OP
OP
Troylee
all about the diy!!!!!
Wow I barely hit those numbers with xm10k and there par beasts...
I will prolly order them next week...
just placed a big coral order so it took my bulb money lol.....
I will prolly order them next week...
just placed a big coral order so it took my bulb money lol.....
antdizzle
Community Member
radium is the only way to go. from what i understand the radium 20k and the pheonix 14k and dead nuts as far as color is involved, I love not need actanics for "coral pop" i have excellent color with just my 250s. My cost on them is about 66 ea, so Im mos def a radium fan for life. I also have a 150 20k DE on my 60 gallon and i love the color and coral color that I get with it as well, they are the best as far as Im concerned.
my 250's are in lumenbright reflectors, and coralvue electronic ballasts.
my 250's are in lumenbright reflectors, and coralvue electronic ballasts.
SaraB
2500 Club Member
I know I should be using my par meter, but I run my Halides 6 hours a day and replace yearly. I run mine on the Bluewave ballasts.
That's what I was looking for. I just don't want to have to change out bulbs every 6 to 9 months. For me it's not worth it.
OP
OP
Troylee
all about the diy!!!!!
i will be running them at there full potential with a pfo hqi m80 ballast..... i can tell you it about cut the life in half on my xm bulbs.... i dont think there meant to be over driven thou lol....
250 Radiums last much longer when driven on the m-80 ballasts they were designed to run on. Not sure on the new Galaxy/Lumateks, but on the 2 I have it makes no difference whether they are on the 250 setting or the superlumen setting, almost exactly the same par and electricity draw. On my m-80 Bluewaves, my 250 Radiums lose about 7% of their par in the first few months and then nothing up to about 10 months, the longest I've run them without a bulb change. I'd bet you could run them well over a year, they'd still look/perform good. That said, my xm 20k lost about 40% of it's output in the first 5 months, junk........
