Best MH bulb besides radium? HELP!

[reefrider777]

Do you have any pics of your tank?

14K w/ VHO actinics

14K straight up no actinic

 

[cplatts32]

14K w/ VHO actinics

14K straight up no actinic

Very nice!

 

[mcarroll]

LED

Budget forced the inevitable switch...I got into building GU10 bulb-based fixtures first due to the high utility and extreme economy.

• 300 watts of halide turned into around 80 watts of LEDs through 30º lenses (a bit like a 3x multiplier for intensity), so power usage and tank-heating almost disappeared.
• I eventually removed the fan from my sump, freeing up a port on my Reef Keeper. Two extra bonuses of switching.
• At $60-$100, I could literally build a new GU10 fixture for less than what I was paying for each bulb replacement*
• I was paying between $70 and $90 per bulb twice a year. (They go quicker at higher wattage.)
• GU10's* cost start at about ($3.50/bulb and socket) * ([tank length/2]-1). You add wire, wire nuts and a structure...maybe a recycled T5 or halide fixture, or something hand built.

LED's were obviously great on paper, but it wasn't an ideal transition. The tanks were packed literally to the surface with huge, grown out colonies of SPS. At that time I hadn't figured out a lot of things about lighting that I've figured out since...and I essentially cooked everything that was living in the top 6" of the tank. It was massively un-pretty. :( Freed up a lot of space for new growth in the longer run tho. (I have about 15-20 gallons of SPS skeletons in buckets.) What's that about a lux meter? o_O:D

BTW, I still have the halide fixture in case I decide to go back for some reason. ;)

It's a Coralife Aqualight, dual-150w fixture. It was the first piece of equipment I bought brand-new. It priced pretty very competitively, and is supposedly built "european" style with only the necessary parts sealed in the ballast box. Supposedly there's a part (name is failing me..inverter?) that's normally sealed in the ballast box of most fixtures, but is accessible in the hood of this one. I guess it's supposed to be replaced along with the bulb for ideal, consistent performance. Never had to, but it was interesting to learn. Those ballasts got me about 170-180w per bulb. :) I kinda forget what lux I got....measured it only after the fixture was already off the tank.

For whatever all that is worth! :D

* The standard design covers a 12" wide tank - an 18" with different lenses. Two sets of bulbs for 24" wide tanks. For my 36" long x 12" wide tank it could cost as little as $60....even with custom bulbs it'd only be $100 plus whatever I mount the sockets to. (Doesn't have to be a heat sink since the bulbs are integrated with the heatsink and transformer inside the bulb.)

 

[Battlecorals Verified Sponsor]

Have you considered just getting m80s? The reeflux 10k is a gret bulb but I'm not 100% sure it would fire properly on your Hamiltons You say they are not magnetics? The reefLux 12k isn't bad either but it's not a high par bulb at all less than radium on an electronic. Not sure if that's a probe or pulse ballast but the old xm10k is a par horse on the probe m-57 I believe it is which may be what you've got.

If it were me though for a display and not propagation, I'd call Hamilton and order a few m80s while you still can lol. You'll get a solid yearly more out of a radium on them no problem.

 

[cplatts32]

Have you considered just getting m80s? The reeflux 10k is a gret bulb but I'm not 100% sure it would fire properly on your Hamiltons You say they are not magnetics? The reefLux 12k isn't bad either but it's not a high par bulb at all less than radium on an electronic. Not sure if that's a probe or pulse ballast but the old xm10k is a par horse on the probe m-57 I believe it is which may be what you've got.

If it were me though for a display and not propagation, I'd call Hamilton and order a few m80s while you still can lol. You'll get a solid yearly more out of a radium on them no problem.

I think I eventually will. Unfortunately I don't have $280 to drop on ballast and another $160 for bulbs.

And I have heard about the XM 10k, pretty impressive but I just cant get over the yellow. Even with actinic supplementation, I don't like the look. I know, I know.. It's hard to make me happy. Already ordered the radiums, we'll see how this goes.

 

[Battlecorals Verified Sponsor]

cant really go wrong with radiums.


if you haven't seen this yet you can compare all type of combinations for par and such there.

http://www.manhattanreefs.com/lighting

 

[cplatts32]

Just giving you all who gave input an update! Got the Radiums on the tank and I am very pleased with the look!

(Sorry for the crappy iPhone pic)

Pictures really don't do them justice!

 

[cplatts32]

Just giving you all who gave input an update! Got the Radiums on the tank and I am very pleased with the look!

(Sorry for the crappy iPhone pic)

Pictures really don't do them justice!

 

[jackson6745]

Awesome! looks great.

 

[B22]

+1 for Phoenix

 

[cplatts32]

+1 for Phoenix

I have heard great things as well, however, they have discontinued the mogul base bulbs and only make them in the DE. If you can find Phoenix SE 250w, let me know, I have had any luck.

 

[mcarroll]

Unless you'd want to switch due to the Radium's price, there wouldn't be much point in switching. Radium is pretty much top of the line so you'd be downgrading in the process.

BTW, how much power is your ballast pulling from the wall now?

 

[hybridazn]

Mmmmmmm radiums

 

[cplatts32]

Unless you'd want to switch due to the Radium's price, there wouldn't be much point in switching. Radium is pretty much top of the line so you'd be downgrading in the process.

BTW, how much power is your ballast pulling from the wall now?

I'm not sure? How do I measure this?

 

[Black Pearl]

That looks awesome

 

[reefjerk]

Sure does!