Changing back to MH

[justinm]

Hi,

I am dropping my radions and making the move back to halide. I am picking up a 4’ Hamilton Cebu Sun tomorrow. It has the electronic ballast which was an upgrade. I believe the magnetic ballast option was not an M80.

I am running a radium with a galaxy select a watt at the moment on my 40 breeder. I know not the right ballast but color and growth is good enough for me.

I was just wondering if there was a better bulb to run with the electronic ballast that comes with the Hamilton without sacrificing too much color or par.

Thanks in adavance for any help!

Justin

 

[EW_Fish]

Following

 

[jda]

Look at the new 20k Hamilton... it is made for that ballast and is very similar to a 20k Radium with similar output.

It is nothing like the older 20k hamilton bulb from a few years ago.

 

[justinm]

Look at the new 20k Hamilton... it is made for that ballast and is very similar to a 20k Radium with similar output.

It is nothing like the older 20k hamilton bulb from a few years ago.

Thanks for the reply jda. I will definitely look into that.

 

[BoomCorals]

Hi,

I am dropping my radions and making the move back to halide. I am picking up a 4’ Hamilton Cebu Sun tomorrow. It has the electronic ballast which was an upgrade. I believe the magnetic ballast option was not an M80.

I am running a radium with a galaxy select a watt at the moment on my 40 breeder. I know not the right ballast but color and growth is good enough for me.

I was just wondering if there was a better bulb to run with the electronic ballast that comes with the Hamilton without sacrificing too much color or par.

Thanks in adavance for any help!

Justin

Hamilton 20k bulbs are great. They changed them recently and now they are pretty identical to radiums. They are also made to work best with electronic ballasts.

Edit: @jda too fast :p

 

[justinm]

So what T5 combo do most people run with their halides?

 

[3mm3]

So what T5 combo do most people run with their halides?

I use ATI True Actinic 03 only

 

[mcarroll]

So what T5 combo do most people run with their halides?

The answer is a little historical and may really depend on why you're running the T5's.

So why are you running the T5's vs halide-only or T5-only? :) That answer should narrow your choices on which tubes to use.

Tradition would have you using Actinic 03 on the tubes and something daylight (6500K or 10,000K) on the halides.....trying to replicate what 20,000K halides do these days all by themselves. ;)

Running T5's with 20,000K halides is obviously not a problem per se, but in 2018 it is technically redundant.

20,000K bulbs all by themselves will look great and grow great, healthy corals.

Nowadays, T5's seem to be used for "fill lighting", which may look nice, but is superfluous. (Hence, use what you want....but ideally match the halide's light.)

 

[jda]

I do not use any. 14k Phoenix and 20k Radium do not need any supplement, so I do not spend the energy or bulbs.

 

[justinm]

Well I have it all hooked up, maybe it’s my eyes but the Hamilton 20k looks so dim compared to my radium on the galaxy ballast. Definitely more blue as well. With the T5’s it brightens it up a bit.

Well it’s 97 degrees here in Pennsylvania today, will be one of the hottest days we get here for the year, and the temp has only gone up .1 degree as of now according to my apex. I imagine the heaters not having to kick on will offset the couple hundred extra watts the halides have.

I can not complain about my radions. I had great growth, and decent color. I just did not like the shadowing I had with my Acros.

 

[rockskimmerflow]

I have no issues running Radiums at the HQI 250w setting the coralvue eballasts. Never used the Hamilton ballasts personally, but they'd probably fire them on the bluer side unless they have an 'hqi' mode.

For T5HO supps. I always go ATI True Actinic with radiums. The 400 to 420nm peak on those really rounds out the 450nm heavy visual effect of the radium lamp IMO. No right or wrong answer though. The halides will grow anything.

 

[justinm]

I tried firing the radiums with the Hamilton ballasts and it doesn’t work. I may move the radions over to the 40 and steal the galaxy ballast and order another one so I can use radiums.

I’m not sure yet. The color of the Hamilton 20k is nice for sure, as long as the results are there, I will be happy.

 

[mcarroll]

maybe it’s my eyes but the Hamilton 20k looks so dim compared to my radium on the galaxy ballast.

Use a KillAWatt, or otherwise measure the actual power being used. It might not just be your eyes. :)

(Radiums do run hotter than nominal....270 watts or so for a "250 watt", for example.)

 

[justinm]

Use a KillAWatt, or otherwise measure the actual power being used. It might not just be your eyes. :)

(Radiums do run hotter than nominal....270 watts or so for a "250 watt", for example.)

I’m not sure how accurate the apex amp reading is but I’m only getting 3 amps with everything off but the halides. That would equate to 330 Watts at 110vac.

 

[mcarroll]

About right for a properly driven 250 watt Radium. Do you get the same or different from the Hamilton on that ballast?

 

[justinm]

That’s with both 250w Hamilton 20k halides running on the Hamilton ballasts. Seems a little low, like I should be getting around 4.5 amps or so not 3. Maybe a trip to Home Depot is in order to get a Killawatt. I’m hoping the apex amp reading is just not accurate otherwise the ballast may not be driving the bulbs properly.

 

[BoomCorals]

Well I have it all hooked up, maybe it’s my eyes but the Hamilton 20k looks so dim compared to my radium on the galaxy ballast. Definitely more blue as well. With the T5’s it brightens it up a bit.

Well it’s 97 degrees here in Pennsylvania today, will be one of the hottest days we get here for the year, and the temp has only gone up .1 degree as of now according to my apex. I imagine the heaters not having to kick on will offset the couple hundred extra watts the halides have.

I can not complain about my radions. I had great growth, and decent color. I just did not like the shadowing I had with my Acros.

Something isn’t right. I had a radium on m80 in one reflector and Hamilton 20k on hamilton electronic ballast in the other, and I couldn’t tell a difference. PAR meter also couldn’t either.

 

[BoomCorals]

I tried firing the radiums with the Hamilton ballasts and it doesn’t work. I may move the radions over to the 40 and steal the galaxy ballast and order another one so I can use radiums.

I’m not sure yet. The color of the Hamilton 20k is nice for sure, as long as the results are there, I will be happy.

Yea that’s not right either. I was able to fire up radiums on hamilton no problem. Very odd.

 

[justinm]

Something isn’t right. I had a radium on m80 in one reflector and Hamilton 20k on hamilton electronic ballast in the other, and I couldn’t tell a difference. PAR meter also couldn’t either.

My radium burns a bright crisp white color on a galaxy select a watt. The Hamilton 20k is very dim and blue, kind of what the radium would look like at the 150 watts setting. I agree that something isn’t right.

 

[mcarroll]

That’s with both 250w Hamilton 20k halides running on the Hamilton ballasts. Seems a little low, like I should be getting around 4.5 amps or so not 3.

330 watts would be about right for ONE "250 watt" halide potentially, but not two Radiums.

I think I may have what you're testing confused in my brain.

(If @BoomCorals is right, you should expect both brands to consume very close to the same power.)