Which MH bulbs use in my ballast

[Tab28]

I need to replace my 250 watt bulbs and I am told the ballast is what makes the bulb. I would like to use 20k but I may not get a good blue if it does not match the ballast. I currently have Phoenix 14k in both and to me seem more white. I am looking for a nice blue, we are talking ty-d-bol blue. The tank is 24" deep with LPS on bed w/two maxima clams. SPS on the top 1/4. Any help since this really confuses me.

1 ballast is a M58, electric ballast for a 250watt DE MH, and they other ballast is a current sunpod 250watt DE. From what I gathered it is magnetic, maybe a M138. Some sites say it is not a HQI ballast but the instructions state it is a HQI ballast. There is nothing on the ballast itself.

Edit: After research it seems the M138 in SE is not HQI. But the M138 in DE is a M80 HQI. I am quessing compare to M80 or they would just state M80 and not M138 DE HQI.

 

[redtop03]

I also use Phoenix 14ks,I like 'em but they aren't as blue as a 20k bulb,I'd like to have more pop from my coral which the 20ks should do,from what I've read the xm20k bulb is as blue as you can get with the double ends and they should fire with your ballasts

 

[Tab28]

It seems that choosing a bulb should be cut and dry. I also thought the Phoenix 14k would not be as blue as a 20k but my LFS told me Phoenix 14k is more blue than XM & Hamilton 20k, but it depends not your ballast. If you place it on the wrong ballast even a great 20k or the Phoenix 14k will fire but will not be at peak color. From what I did see it says the Phoenix are recommened for Electric or pulse start ballast. My M58 is electric and the M135 is pulse start but to me they are not blue. To my eyes did not look any different than the stock current 14k that the sunpod can with or even cheap 20k ebay bulbs. My LFS said Ushio 20k are great on the right ballast. But the site states they should be on Magnetic M80 ballast. The M135 DE is basically a M80, from what I read, so maybe it would be fine on that ballast but will look bad in the electric M58 so I should stick with the phoenix for that ballast?

 

[tinkerman]

M80 is going to be the hqi ballast. I run these with radiums. There are 3 brands that make these yet they are hamaltin, reeflex cubes, and blue line ballasts. The m80 bulbs are phoenix, radium, and ushio, these should be run on m80's to power bulb to spec. If you run these bulbs on electronics they are going to be bluer in color cause they are being under driven. If the phoenix isn't blue enough then you will probably need to suplument with t5, vho, or led to go bluer. M58 is a probe start ballast, m138 is a pulse start ballast and seems to be what came with current fixtures. Both these ballasts are the old tar ballasts you may want to upgrade ballasts to electronic selectawatt ballasts or m80 to drive the phoenix to spec.

 

[redtop03]

I'm using Lumatek HQI electronic ballasts with my 14k Phoenix bulbs,they have a lot of blue but are more of a crisp white with a blue tint,I like the color of mine but they don't make the coral colors pop like the 20k bulbs that I've seen do....I've only used the Lumatek and the ballasts that came with my Odyssea fixtures,the Phoenix bulbs looked bluer on the Odyssea ballasts but weren't nearly as bright,they still didn't make the coral colors pop either....coral growth seems great with the Phoenix and I think I'll continue to use 'em at least until I want the growth to slow down a bit and start glowing more,hopefully before then I can afford to change to LEDs or at least add blue LED suppliment to enhance the colors

 

[Tab28]

I would like to upgrade my MH. Change the ballast as well as change to SE. DE have their drawbacks for me. I have broken the ceramic ends trying to install them. The biggest for me is removing the massive canopy to replace them. It takes 3 people to do that job. It wold be easy to just unscrew a bulb. LED would be an expensive upgrade. I am not really sold on, I now use LED for supplement to the Phoenix. One of my LFS has a high end LED on a display tank. It looks great but they told me they are not happy with the response in growth.

I have been doing some research on bulbs for my ballast. Not to much information. I love the growth I get with the Phoenix but the color is too bright. From what I have read I like the Ushio 20k and an odd duck one called EVC 20k. The EVC is suppose to be as good as Radium 20k. Which I would love but they do not come in DE for 250 watt.