Anybody have pictures of their reef under different metal halide bulbs?

[Coling]

Hi Reefers!

It's about time to replace my 250 watt Radium bulbs and I'm considering switching bulbs to Reef Brite twin-arc or Hamilton, either 14k or 20k. I love the crisp, bright look of my Radiums and am nervous to switch. Only reason I'm considering switching is the other bulbs are cheaper and more energy efficient. Figured I would switch if I can get the same look for less, but I will pay the extra and stick with Radium if the others aren't as bright and aesthetically pleasing. Please describe your experience using the different bulbs, and ideally, provide photos of your tank under the different bulbs. Thanks!

FYI: The ballasts are Sunlight Supply Galaxy selectable watt, currently running the Radiums on the 250 watt HQI setting in Lumen Max Elite reflectors. I'm also supplementing the 2 halides with 2 x 54 watt T-5 bulbs (tropic 6500K and ATI Blue Plus) and 4 x 48" Orphek OR3 LED strips (Blue Plus, Sky Blue, UV/Violet and Reef Day Plus).

Cheers,

Colin

 

[Big Smelly fish]

Hamilton 10k 250 w and 4 actinic t5

 

[Bpb]

I’ll participate in a bit. I always tried to take true to white balance images. I’ll have to dig some up. I’ve got radium, xm10k, hammy 14 and 20k images

 

[Coling]

Thanks guys! I've seen spectral graphs and PAR mappings comparing bulbs, but I'm mainly just interested in what looks best to my eye. Pictures like this are just what I need, keep em coming please!

 

[X-37B]

2 250 watt phoenix 14 k de bulbs.
2 orphek, 1 bule sky 1 blue plus, light bars.

 

[Big Smelly fish]

2 250 watt phoenix 14 k de bulbs.
2 orphek, 1 bule sky 1 blue plus, light bars.

Very nice tank.

 

[dantdodge]

3 250 radium 4 t5 Blue plus

 

[Bpb]

Ok dug up the best representation I can of these bulbs I’ve run. White balance is as accurate as I could get them.

2x250 watt Radiums on m80 ballasts - mind you, these photos are old. This is from early 2014. Cell phone cameras and software weren’t as good as they are now, The resolution leaves a little to be desired. Radiums are nice, but I seemed to only run them when my tank was majorly struggling so I never got the full effect from them. I don’t imagine I ever will

2x250 watt XM 10,000K on m80 ballasts. Tank was also kind of waiting to hit its stride when I ran these. Literally everything loved them though from leathers, to lps, to acros. Probably the most dramatic growth I’ve experienced in a short period of time when using these versus any other light. They wouldn’t ignite reliably though and id often come home with one or both lamps having been off all day. Also old images circa 2014/2015

Fast forward several years. 2x250 watt Hamilton 14,000k on M58 ballasts. Probably my favorite looking stand alone bulb I’ve used.

2x250 watt Hamilton 20,000k on Lumatek electronic ballasts. My last run with halides. These bulbs were ok. A little blue for my taste. They looked remarkably similar to radiums, but they lack that certain sizzle radiums have which those who have used them can visualize what that means

Hope this helps

 

[Coling]

Thanks so much, this is very helpful! I think I'm leaning towards the XM 10 k or Hamilton 14k. The Phoenix is really nice too, but I gotta go w a SE bulb. Really want it as white and bright as possible without having that yellow tint.

Would love to see the newer Reef Brite bulbs but doesn't seem like there are a lot of reefers out there running them.

 

[Bpb]

Thanks so much, this is very helpful! I think I'm leaning towards the XM 10 k or Hamilton 14k. The Phoenix is really nice too, but I gotta go w a SE bulb. Really want it as white and bright as possible without having that yellow tint.

Would love to see the newer Reef Brite bulbs but doesn't seem like there are a lot of reefers out there running them.

XM10k is out. Those are long discontinued. The Hamilton 14k really is a beautiful looking bulb. I like it
More than the radiums

 

[Turd Ferguson]

XM10k is out. Those are long discontinued. The Hamilton 14k really is a beautiful looking bulb. I like it
More than the radiums

Have you compared Hamilton 14k vs. Phoenix 14k ? Curious to know how they differ...if at all, much

 

[Syntax1235]

250 Watt 20k twin arc with xho

 

[KJAhp098]

Giesemann 14k 400w + 4 T5 actinic

 

[KJAhp098]

Radium 20k 400w + 4 T5 actinic

Much more difficult to get a pic that isn't washed out with the Radiums. I like em both a lot. Corals pop more with Radiums, but the entire tank pops more overall with the 14k Giesemanns.

 

[Bpb]

Have you compared Hamilton 14k vs. Phoenix 14k ? Curious to know how they differ...if at all, much

I haven’t, I only ever used Mogul bulbs

 

[MichaelP]

phoenix 250w 14k vs coralvue 10k

 

[njreefkeeper]

Thanks so much, this is very helpful! I think I'm leaning towards the XM 10 k or Hamilton 14k. The Phoenix is really nice too, but I gotta go w a SE bulb. Really want it as white and bright as possible without having that yellow tint.

Would love to see the newer Reef Brite bulbs but doesn't seem like there are a lot of reefers out there running them.

Where are you going to get XM 10k? I thought they stopped making bulbs years ago. If I was switching from my radiums I’d most likely go to Ushio 14k.

 

[Genetics]

Overdriving 400w 20k radiums was always beautiful. There were so many good combos (pheonix, hamiltons, etc). This is my first foray into LEDs and I have debated going back.

 

[xabo]

Where are you going to get XM 10k? I thought they stopped making bulbs years ago. If I was switching from my radiums I’d most likely go to Ushio 14k.

Store Lighting Supplies Metal Halide Bulbs

Buy online XM 400 Watt 10,000K Mogul Base MH Bulb.

www.customaquatic.com

 

[njreefkeeper]

Overdriving 400w 20k radiums was always beautiful. There were so many good combos (pheonix, hamiltons, etc). This is my first foray into LEDs and I have debated going back.

Yeah, they don’t make the Son Agro 400 watt HQI magnetic ballast anymore unfortunately. That ballast used to drive the 400 watt radium at 470 watts. That was just brute horsepower. Also unfortunate was that you had to swap out bulbs at 6 months.

As for LEDs, I lean more toward the panel type designs like the Phillips Coral Care, Reefbreefers Photon and the Neptune Sky (which I have over a display tank.) I like the Sky. Midday I run it at 100% on every channel to get that full spectrum look. It has a pleasing aesthetic at that setting. Many think it’s too white since everything these days is heavy on blue. People who see that tank in person think it’s really white. Then they see the Radium 250’s on m80 ballasts and all the sudden the sky looks more blue even with all channels at 100%. The Sky is definitely growing corals. I just don’t see it happening at the same rate of my halides. There’s also something that happens in many led tanks that I don’t see in halide or t5 tanks; a velvety type of blackish, dark maroon algae. Many have observed this but you won’t really take note if you’re running your tank mostly blue. Many theorize it’s because there’s no UV output emitted into the water from LEDs like there is from halide and t5. I tend to agree. I may flank the Sky fixtures with a blue plus t5 on either side to see if that helps at all.