Considering Hamilton Cebu Sun MH/T5 combo.Please share your thoughts/experiences.

Tft12 · Jul 1, 2018

I recently made a post inquiring about a bb LED (ViparSpectra). I’m also considering MH/T5 combo as an alternate option.

I’m looking to light a 180 gallon SPS tank. Dimensions are 72”x24”x24”. I have lots of space available for flexible mounting height.

The fixture I’m considering is the Hamilton Cebu Sun. The fixture comes with 3 single-ended MH bulbs and four 80 watt T5s.

The three metal halides can each be 175 watt, 250 watt, or 400 watt. MH Color options are 10,000k, 14,000k, and 20,000k.

The four T5 bulbs are actinics.

What are your thoughts on:
1) this fixture in general. I’m guessing people will prefer a Geismann offering, but is this a good enough fixture?
2) which intensity of MH bulb should I get?
3) which MH color should I get (I like a whiter tank than most hobbyists)?

@BoomCorals, this is my carry over question from the other thread.

Thanks ahead of time to anyone that chimes in.

BoomCorals · Jul 1, 2018

I think the 6’ Cebu sun with 250w would be perfect. If you like a whiter light then get the 14k version. I run both 20k and 14k Hamilton 250w bulbs and they are great. Their newer design really stepped it up.

Ocelaris · Jul 1, 2018

Agreed, if heat and space weren't such an issue for me in the basement it'd be a no brainer, 3x250w mh +t5. 14k with actinic would be my preference. I would see if they're pulse or probe start. A lot of the bulbs these days require the probe (ignitor) ballasts.

Scratch that 14k, I just looked, get the 20k radiums. Also the electronic ballasts are clutch, they can run pulse or probe start bulbs which you'll want that flexibility in the future.

BoomCorals · Jul 1, 2018

No don’t get 250w radiums. You need an m80 ballast for those. And the newer Hamilton 20k bulbs run great on electronic ballasts and perform just like radiums now.

Ocelaris · Jul 1, 2018

I believe the electronic ballasts can run m80 probe start lamps or pulse start m58 buobs; both with a slightly higher efficiency. If you get the pulse start core and coil ballast (Standard) you won't be able to run all bulbs in the future.

I don't have experience with anything newer than the ushio 10k bulbs I used to run almost 20 years ago, I had just heard good things about the radiums. however I didn't find many probe (m58) bulbs available, mostly m80, so that's why I suggested the electronic ballasts.

Here's a good article comparing the various mh bulbs and ballasts :

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-03/sj/index.php

BoomCorals · Jul 1, 2018

That article is a bit dated. Radium 250w on an electronic ballast, you’ll be replacing bulbs every 6-8 months.

Velcro · Jul 1, 2018

BoomCorals said:
No don’t get 250w radiums. You need an m80 ballast for those. And the newer Hamilton 20k bulbs run great on electronic ballasts and perform just like radiums now.

You don't NEED an m80 to run them. They start and run just fine on electric ballasts.

BoomCorals · Jul 1, 2018

Hamilton 20k vs Radium. (The radium is a bit over driven as it’s on an electronic ballast)

Velcro · Jul 1, 2018

BoomCorals said:
That article is a bit dated. Radium 250w on an electronic ballast, you’ll be replacing bulbs every 6-8 months.

Are you sure about that? I saw no difference in par between a day 0 and 1 year radium run in a selectable watt allast.

BoomCorals · Jul 1, 2018

Velcro said:
You don't NEED an m80 to run them. They start and run just fine on electric ballasts.

You do if you don’t want to over drive them and have to replace them well before 1 year.

BoomCorals · Jul 1, 2018

Velcro said:
Are you sure about that? I saw no difference in par between a day 0 and 1 year radium run in a selectable watt allast.

Yes. Aside from earlier bulb failure, spectrum changes much faster when using electronic. About half my radium bulbs failed altogether after about 6-8 months when on electronic ballasts.

Velcro · Jul 1, 2018

BoomCorals said:
Yes. Aside from earlier bulb failure, spectrum changes much faster when using electronic. About half my radium bulbs failed altogether after about 6-8 months when on electronic ballasts.

I have never had a radium fail from electronic ballasts. What ballast were you using

BoomCorals · Jul 1, 2018

The real question is though, why pay a lot more for a radium when the Hamilton 20k performs the same and is made for electronic ballasts.

BoomCorals · Jul 1, 2018

Velcro said:
I have never had a radium fail from electronic ballasts. What ballast were you using

I had luxcore and icecap.

Livinlocal · Jul 1, 2018

Following along because I have also been debating on going back to metal halide‘s with electronic ballasts and radiums, butbi was unaware of the need for a magnetic ballast for the radiums

BoomCorals · Jul 1, 2018

@jda mifht have more info about using radiums on electronic ballasts as well

Ocelaris · Jul 1, 2018

The electronic ballasts do indeed run the radiums at a higher wattage, decreasing life span. How much is debatable, but the other side effect is a bluer color as well.

Ocelaris · Jul 1, 2018

BoomCorals said:
That article is a bit dated. Radium 250w on an electronic ballast, you’ll be replacing bulbs every 6-8 months.

https://premiumaquatics.com/articles/radium

Here's a newer one for you

. I agree on the Hamilton being a better bulb for this case, but personally I would still get the electronic ballast for the future.

BoomCorals · Jul 1, 2018

Ocelaris said:
https://premiumaquatics.com/articles/radium

Here's a newer one for you . I agree on the Hamilton being a better bulb for this case, but personally I would still get the electronic ballast for the future.

Agreed.

Mark SF · Jul 1, 2018

My understanding was that the Radium bulbs were meant to be driven at a higher wattage, around 330w with the M80 "HQI" ballast. The electronic ballast met somewhere in the middle, as the "HQI" setting on a Lumatek or Luxcore select-a-watt ballast will drive an additional 10%. 250w x 1.10 = 275w. I think the Premium Aquatics article on the Radium bulb was incorrect when they said that the electronic ballast push 300w, I'm pretty sure it is only 275w.

Anyway, great to see that the Hamilton bulb is a great option, thanks for the tip! I really didn't want to source an m80 ballast just for the Radium. Do you get the same aesthetics/color from the Hamilton on an electronic ballast as you do the Radium on the m80? Is it recommended to overdrive the Hamilton or run it on the normal 250w setting?

Also, I just did some digging and that spectral graph you provided was the Radium bulb being run on a no-name electronic ballast, presumably @ only 250w. Not sure that is a fair comparison between the two bulbs?