Back Again - 315W ceramic MH

[PPBlimpy]

Looks like am finally able to pull the trigger.

Has anyone ran these MH fixtures with the 10000k vegelumax bulbs?

I know the bulb is not a traditional ceramic but a quartz similar to the older MH fixtures. Life span will be less then the more modern ceramic.

I am trying to pick up 6 of a similar fixture locally used. they are $30 each and will order the bulbs from amazon. Ballasts are adjustable apparently from 50% -110% power.

Going to replace my current 5 lights over my 7' 210, may just start with 3 and ad blue led bars to supplement.

I will be detaching the reflector from the ballast and remote mounting them to be a better position on my floating canopy.

I have searched and people have talked about trying these but no follow ups. I will be following up

 

[X-37B]

I looked at them awhile back. I went with 400 watt halides instead. Even 10K was quite yellow and I balanced it out with 2 14K edge bars.
I am now running 20K's with the edge bars and its nice and white with a hint of blue.
Try them out and report back as im interested in what they will do and more so of what they look like on their own.
The biggest effect you will get with halides is going to come from the fixture used.
Running a RB fixture par was around 300. With a old LB fixture par is 500. More par with the LB vs a standard grow reflector which is all the RB is.

 

[PPBlimpy]

I am not dropping a ton of money into a new fixture. I ran halides 20 years ago and know the ballast and fixture make huge differences with the same bulbs. i ran 10k back then with vho actinic

I prefer a whiter tank in general. If it doesn't work out they will go in the green house and I will replace with Noopsyches newest light, which was the original plan. These are going in place of my older v2/v3 noops as a test.

 

[X-37B]

I am not dropping a ton of money into a new fixture. I ran halides 20 years ago and know the ballast and fixture make huge differences with the same bulbs. i ran 10k back then with vho actinic

I prefer a whiter tank in general. If it doesn't work out they will go in the green house and I will replace with Noopsyches newest light, which was the original plan. These are going in place of my older v2/v3 noops as a test.

A ton of money funny. My halide fixtures were givin to me. Lfs said no one uses them. I picked up 2 lumen max reflectors and went back for the other 8 but the person sold the whole storage unit.
Take some pics when you get them up.
I prefer a white look also. The 20K hamilton looks whiter than the 20K radium. I have many >20 10k's and may run them later but they need more blue to offset the yellow look.
I just cant get the halide look with my led 150 which sits across from the 112. The halide gives a differnt look similat to bright daylight.
Anyway take some pics so we can see what those 10K's do.
The second pic is the RB fixture and you can see the difference between the 2 reflectors.

 

[PPBlimpy]

A ton of money funny. My halide fixtures were givin to me. Lfs said no one uses them. I picked up 2 lumen max reflectors and went back for the other 8 but the person sold the whole storage unit.
Take some pics when you get them up.
I prefer a white look also. The 20K hamilton looks whiter than the 20K radium. I have many >20 10k's and may run them later but they need more blue to offset the yellow look.
I just cant get the halide look with my led 150 which sits across from the 112. The halide gives a differnt look similat to bright daylight.
Anyway take some pics so we can see what those 10K's do.
The second pic is the RB fixture and you can see the difference between the 2 reflectors.

I am generally the one giving away stuff. I have looked around for tradition halide equipment but not much around.

I missed out on a bunch of reef bright fixtures 6 months ago. Was stupid to pass on them.

 

[PPBlimpy]

I ended up with 5 fixtures - Paid $120 they had 4100k bulbs and I am currently running 3 of them over my 210 @ 50% - approx 192W each according to my apex. They are plenty bright for now!! and even though it has drowned out the color of the corals they seem to be thriving, a goni that has been receded for months has decided to start extending and some zoas that I hadn't seen open since my crash in Oct are coming back. Torches are thriving along with the mushrooms.

10000k bulbs will be delivered Thursday and just place an order from 21ledusa for 8x 36" led bars. 4 are 2:1 ratio 12k/453nm actinic and 4 are solid 453nm actinic.

hoping with the 10ks and the led i can bring a lot of the color back and some pop without loosing to much of the natural white i like

 

[djf91]

I ended up with 5 fixtures - Paid $120 they had 4100k bulbs and I am currently running 3 of them over my 210 @ 50% - approx 192W each according to my apex. They are plenty bright for now!! and even though it has drowned out the color of the corals they seem to be thriving, a goni that has been receded for months has decided to start extending and some zoas that I hadn't seen open since my crash in Oct are coming back. Torches are thriving along with the mushrooms.

10000k bulbs will be delivered Thursday and just place an order from 21ledusa for 8x 36" led bars. 4 are 2:1 ratio 12k/453nm actinic and 4 are solid 453nm actinic.

hoping with the 10ks and the led i can bring a lot of the color back and some pop without loosing to much of the natural white i like

Yep, there’s something special about Halides that corals just love. Closest thing to the sun.

 

[reef’r]

I am generally the one giving away stuff. I have looked around for tradition halide equipment but not much around.

I missed out on a bunch of reef bright fixtures 6 months ago. Was stupid to pass on them.

I’ve got a RB fixture I’d be interested in selling

 

[PPBlimpy]

I would be neding 4. already picked up these other ones and running with them

 

[reef’r]

I would be neding 4. already picked up these other ones and running with them

Gotch, I have the 36” so it’s (2) 250watt fixtures. I’m wanting to switch to LED

 

[PPBlimpy]

Gotch, I have the 36” so it’s (2) 250watt fixtures. I’m wanting to switch to LED

The ones I was looking at were 16” RB. I need to cover a 7’ tank

 

[PPBlimpy]

Finally got my new bulbs installed. I have never been good with photographing my tanks, looks better in person.

These are Vegelumax 10000k. Description according to amazon listing. bought 4 bulbs for $215

• Good for Flowering: CRI 90+,The 315W 10000K Metal Halide Grow Light Bulb is used for the last 7-14 days of bloom to allow better ripening and finishing;Strong UV peaks for increased resin production.

First picture is the 10000k bulbs second is the 4100k that my fixtures came with. These fixtures have 4 power settings. 50,75,100 & 110% power rating. These photos are set at 50% setting drawing 195w each currently. I need to finish running a second circuit to this tank before i start cranking up the wattage.

I also have ordered 8x 36" LED bars from 21ledusa for supplemental lighting. 4 bars are 2:1 ratio of 12k / actinic 453nm and the other 4 are all 453nm actinic. All 8 combined are 216W- hopefully enough to give the pop I want but not wash everything in windex. Each pair of LED bars will have their own timer/controller and PS. so i should be able to fine tune everything.

Once the bars arrive I will modify my canopy, hide the ballasts, mount the reflectors and Led bars.
One day I may actually manage to hang the canopy like I originally wanted.

I am well on the way to get the look that I have been after.

If all works well I have an extra fixture and bulb and setting up a 54g corner tank as a bare bottom coral tank that will be sps / lps with only a few fish. and even though i just mounted halides above my 210 i may stick with just zoas, mushrooms, and ad an anemone back for a mixed reef tank again.

 

[PPBlimpy]

Picked up an apogee 420x par meter and will be mapping this tank out soon.

I have also been setting up a 54g corner tank and mounted my extra MH above it and took some open air measurements.

Bulb is the 4100k
Bulb is 8” above tank top and 16” from top of the highest rock
Sanded measurement is approx 32” from bulb.

Again no water - open air. Will be able to compare in a couple weeks once the tank is up and running.

Power%-top of rock/ floor
50% 240/90
75% 415/185
100% 585/254

Not sure wha an approx ratio is when comparing open air to submerged readings

 

[oreo54]

Picked up an apogee 420x par meter and will be mapping this tank out soon.

I have also been setting up a 54g corner tank and mounted my extra MH above it and took some open air measurements.

Bulb is the 4100k
Bulb is 8” above tank top and 16” from top of the highest rock
Sanded measurement is approx 32” from bulb.

Again no water - open air. Will be able to compare in a couple weeks once the tank is up and running.

Power%-top of rock/ floor
50% 240/90
75% 415/185
100% 585/254

Not sure wha an approx ratio is when comparing open air to submerged readings

You still have the glass reflection, in water or not so not sure how different it would be.
It's very different in truly free air, ie no tank.


Of course you'd have turbulence ect..

 

[PPBlimpy]

You still have the glass reflection, in water or not so not sure how different it would be.
It's very different in truly free air, ie no tank.


Of course you'd have turbulence ect..

I just found it interesting. I want to compare as soon as I can.

Even if they are +/- 40% I will have all the light intensity that I need!

This is a 4100k bulb, the 10000k will be lower. but also adding 2 noopsyche k7 v4 to each side of the halide as supplemental. Will run noops ramp up 9am until about noon, then run the halide and noops for peak, maybe 4-6 hours, then pull the halide back out and start ramp down about 8pm -9:30.

 

[X-37B]

With my parwise meter I can put it in air mode. When I got water in the system I used water mode. Par was within 10% of the air measurement

 

[PPBlimpy]

The apogee has something similar. It was in air more when i took these reading.

I clicked on the Immersion setting really quick and par jumped. Excited to compare once water is in the tank

 

[oreo54]

I just found it interesting. I want to compare as soon as I can.

Even if they are +/- 40% I will have all the light intensity that I need!

This is a 4100k bulb, the 10000k will be lower. but also adding 2 noopsyche k7 v4 to each side of the halide as supplemental. Will run noops ramp up 9am until about noon, then run the halide and noops for peak, maybe 4-6 hours, then pull the halide back out and start ramp down about 8pm -9:30.

Hmm I did forget about the immersion factor.

Can I fake it and say I assumed you set it to the right media?
.
The correction factor is 1.15 sooo not horribly critical .

 

[PPBlimpy]

The numbers above were without the immersion setting clicked.

Once I get water in it I will do it again and compare. 1.15 is not throwing things off a whole lot. Some pretty serious numbers out of this little halide

 

[Rocks reef]

The numbers above were without the immersion setting clicked.

Once I get water in it I will do it again and compare. 1.15 is not throwing things off a whole lot. Some pretty serious numbers out of this little halide

Are you able to remove the ballast to mount the ballast remotely rather than it sticking out the back of the reflector?