Am I crazy for thinking MH + t5 ?

[mcarroll]

...maybe especially for a seasoned reefer!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

...maybe especially for a seasoned reefer!

Hahahaha.

 

[BoomCorals]

Ok guys I need help. This new cebu sun is NOT working right. That's the only way I can explain the numbers. I'm using the seneye for par/lux measurements, and 7" below the light in open air, I am lucky to find spots under the light that give me 400 PAR / 15,000 LUX. I have the fixture 17" above the water, and 5" below the water, every spot in the frag tank barely gets 100 PAR. The fixture has two 250W 14k bulbs and four 54w T5s. The bulbs I'm using are the stock bulbs that come with the Cebu Sun fixture. In addition, the tank looks DARK, so even with my naked eye this does not look like any halide I've ever used before. Thoughts? Ideas? The fixture is pulling 6A, about 700Watts, which is pretty much dead on for what it should be. But the fact that 7" below the fixture in open air I barely get 400 PAR makes me think there is something wrong.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Ok guys I need help. This new cebu sun is NOT working right. That's the only way I can explain the numbers. I'm using the seneye for par/lux measurements, and 7" below the light in open air, I am lucky to find spots under the light that give me 400 PAR / 15,000 LUX. I have the fixture 17" above the water, and 5" below the water, every spot in the frag tank barely gets 100 PAR. The fixture has two 250W 14k bulbs and four 54w T5s. The bulbs I'm using are the stock bulbs that come with the Cebu Sun fixture. In addition, the tank looks DARK, so even with my naked eye this does not look like any halide I've ever used before. Thoughts? Ideas? The fixture is pulling 6A, about 700Watts, which is pretty much dead on for what it should be. But the fact that 7" below the fixture in open air I barely get 400 PAR makes me think there is something wrong.

The lux measurement is incorrect on the seney. It is reading the light directly read by the sensor like a camera does(because it is a camera) unlike a standard lux /foot candle meter with a ball.
So it is readind direct/ reflected light rather than ambient.

Check it out.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/pros-cons-of-seneye-par-pur-kelvin-sensor.330056/#post-4109607

And yes, a poor ballast will do that. @mcarrol had one with crazy low mh readings.

I have a 150w Cora life that puts out a lot more than that.

It is also possible that you're not far enough away at 7" to for the sensor to "see" all the light.

 

[BoomCorals]

The lux measurement is incorrect on the seney. It is reading the light directly read by the sensor like a camera does(because it is a camera) unlike a standard lux /foot candle meter with a ball.
So it is readind direct/ reflected light rather than ambient.

Check it out.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/pros-cons-of-seneye-par-pur-kelvin-sensor.330056/#post-4109607

And yes, a poor ballast will do that. @mcarrol had one with crazy low mh readings.

I have a 150w Cora life that puts out a lot more than that.

It is also possible that you're not far enough away at 7" to for the sensor to "see" all the light.

I've tried at all heights. And I'd have to have two bad ballasts. 2" below light is 1000 par. And it just drops and drops the farther you get from the light. Just above the surface of the water, which is 16" below the light, I get 200 PAR. And like I said the tank is DARK. My friend stopped by to pick up his pumps, and he made the same comment. He has halide over at least one of his frag tanks and I've seen it. I'd say his is easily twice as bright. Do I have two bad ballasts or two bad bulbs? Or do the stock ballasts and bulbs just suck that much? Lol. This light couldn't light an 18" deep tank even if it was 3" above the water.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I've tried at all heights. And I'd have to have two bad ballasts. 2" below light is 1000 par. And it just drops and drops the farther you get from the light. Just above the surface of the water, which is 16" below the light, I get 200 PAR. And like I said the tank is DARK. My friend stopped by to pick up his pumps, and he made the same comment. He has halide over at least one of his frag tanks and I've seen it. I'd say his is easily twice as bright. Do I have two bad ballasts or two bad bulbs? Or do the stock ballasts and bulbs just suck that much? Lol. This light couldn't light an 18" deep tank even if it was 3" above the water.

And this is brand new!?!
Uhh. Two bad bulbs would be a surprise to me. So....

 

[BoomCorals]

And this is brand new!?!
Uhh. Two bad bulbs would be a surprise to me. So....

Brand new from bulk reef supply. This is incredibly disappointing given how many great reviews there are of this light. Now I'm feeling like I need to upgrade to m80 ballasts and radiums.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Brand new from bulk reef supply. This is incredibly disappointing given how many great reviews there are of this light. Now I'm feeling like I need to upgrade to m80 ballasts and radiums.

I would def look into who else has one and see if/where the issue is.

Does BRS have a bid?

 

[BoomCorals]

I was expecting this thing to blow the ap700 kessil out of the water. At 100 par, and a very dark looking tank, it's the opposite.

Not sure what you mean by bid?

I would def look into who else has one and see if/where the issue is.

Does BRS have a bid?

 

[BoomCorals]

I think @d2mini has the same light? Any ideas?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I was expecting this thing to blow the ap700 kessil out of the water. At 100 par, and a very dark looking tank, it's the opposite.

Not sure what you mean by bid?

A bid is like a Vid. But with salty fingers and auto correct. Lol.

An app have me 35,000 lux at 12 in. My 150w gave me 35000 at 14in.(14 phoneix and radium)
So yea , something is up.

 

[3mm3]

I'm thinking stock bulbs are garbage plus the reflector is not ideal design.

Maybe an issue with wires?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I'm thinking stock bulbs are garbage plus the reflector is not ideal design.

Could be.
My second fixture with the same 150 has a hot spot that will melt a meter.

 

[BoomCorals]

I'm thinking stock bulbs are garbage plus the reflector is not ideal design.

Maybe an issue with wires?

I'd gladly upgrade to m80 ballasts and radiums if I knew that would fix the problem. It was something I had planned to do anyways at some point. Or do I go with an electric selectable luxcore ballast with 250w radium and overdrive them using the 250w super lumen setting.

I'm just concerned that it could be some other issue. Not sure what issue could occur in the wiring?? I'd think wire issue would be an all or nothing kind of deal. But I could be wrong.

I'm also thinking I should upgrade to ATI actinic and blue plus or coral plus on the T5. The stock T5 bulbs also feel underwhelming.

I have a lux meter coming from Amazon tomorrow to verify the seneye findings.

 

[3mm3]

I'd gladly upgrade to m80 ballasts and radiums if I knew that would fix the problem. It was something I had planned to do anyways at some point. Or do I go with an electric selectable luxcore ballast with 250w radium and overdrive them using the 250w super lumen setting.

I'm just concerned that it could be some other issue. Not sure what issue could occur in the wiring?? I'd think wire issue would be an all or nothing kind of deal. But I could be wrong.

I'm also thinking I should upgrade to ATI actinic and blue plus or coral plus on the T5. The stock T5 bulbs also feel underwhelming.

I have a lux meter coming from Amazon tomorrow to verify the seneye findings.

With my wire issue though I was thinking maybe a loose wire connection but that was just a shot in the dark.
The T5 bulbs you mentioned are great choice. I used both on my old halide setup.
As for the ballast I use the luxcore ballasts to push my Hamilton pendants.

 

[BoomCorals]

Yea to me this feels like the stock bulbs and ballasts simply, well.... suck. I think the light is working fine. So I'm going to upgrade to luxcore ballasts and radiums, I just need to decide whether to go 250w or 400w. I want at least some areas of my tank, even if just the middle, or spots in the middle, to have 400+ PAR as I have some corals that only color up well under 400-500 PAR minimum.

 

[DSC reef]

Yea to me this feels like the stock bulbs and ballasts simply, well.... suck. I think the light is working fine. So I'm going to upgrade to luxcore ballasts and radiums, I just need to decide whether to go 250w or 400w. I want at least some areas of my tank, even if just the middle, or spots in the middle, to have 400+ PAR as I have some corals that only color up well under 400-500 PAR minimum.

I'd email dave at Hamilton technologies. He would be able to help you for sure, especially if there bad bulbs or ballasts. I'm using Hamilton's 150 watt 20k bulbs and there really bright.

 

[DSC reef]

I'm thinking stock bulbs are garbage plus the reflector is not ideal design.

Maybe an issue with wires?

What's wrong with the reflector? I was under the impression the reflector and fixture is of high quality?

 

[rtparty]

My bet is low end bulbs. I only ran Hamilton halide bulbs for a week before I had to make a change back in the day. They weren't anywhere near the Phoenix 14k in looks. Mine was a 150w Hamilton Bimini fixture running the magnetic ballast. I loved that little fixture!

My personal opinion (and bias at this point) is Hamilton bulbs just aren't any good. Years ago I saw numbers from Grim Reefer (Reef Central peeps will know him very well) and Hamilton T5s didn't hold a candle to the good brands. ATI has consistently been the best T5 bulbs for almost a decade now IMO. KZ is close (both are made by the same company) but KZ is too expensive when ATI performs just as good if not better.

Giesemann T5 bulbs are also good bulbs but not up to ATI PAR levels.

 

[DSC reef]

Since years ago there bulbs have gotten better. I'm running there halides and T5 that they gave me to try and I'm blown away. Visually the T5 bulbs look no different than ATI and the halides are amazing. They are way better than XM which I was running since radiums were no longer available. Hamilton stepped up IMO from years ago. The coral hasn't changed a bit from switching bulbs. 3 months for the T5 bulbs and 8 months for the halide.