MH ballasts

[Yanir34]

Hello everyone, does anyone here know which ballast will fit different metal bulbs?
That is, which ballast will be optimally suited for a radium bulb, for example, and which will be optimally suited for 14,000k bulbs.
As far as I understand , there is an ANSI code matching each type of bulb and accordingly the optimal ballast type for its operation ?
Thanks in advance , and happy reefing !

 

[KrisReef]

Yes

MH technology has evolved some but the basic idea to match watch output with bulb rating is standard. This old article contains information and a table to help figure it out:

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

Another oldie:

Metal Halide Lighting - A brief overview | Melev's Reef

melevsreef.com

 

[Reefering1]

Radium is optimal on m80 ballasts, most others(250w) are m58. Electronic fires most(if not all), but sub optimally.

 

[Yanir34]

Radium is optimal on m80 ballasts, most others(250w) are m58. Electronic fires most(if not all), but sub optimally.

I have read that M135 will also be optimal for Radium .is it true ?

 

[Reefering1]

I have read that M135 will also be optimal for Radium .is it true ?

M135 is for the 400w bulbs. For the 250, m80 is the only optimal ballasts. However the m132 is a 320w ballast that pulls 3.2a from the wall vs the 3.3a a m80 draws, it's very close. Indistinguishable to the eye, I've ran them next to true m80 for a year and can't see the difference. Pauleric suggested the s50 as a m80 replacement, I think the m132 is closer.

 

[Yanir34]

The fact is that M80 is almost impossible to buy .

So the M135 will be good choice for 400W , isn't?

 

[Yanir34]

Is this magnetic ballast will operate 400w radium at optimal way ??
Its pulse start ballast.

 

[Yanir34]

I've also found M59 probe start magnetic ballast for non-radiu, MH bulbs (like the giessmann , aquabrite solution's) .
the most important question- will it fire and operate at optimal way MH bulbs ?

 

[Reefering1]

Is this magnetic ballast will operate 400w radium at optimal way ??
Its pulse start ballast.

Use this one. 400w pulse start m135.
I the m59 is probe start(does not come with/ use a ignitor).
Looks on aquabright site, they don't specify ballast but they look like pulse start bulbs. The 250w radium that was odd because it needed the m80, instead of regular 250w m58.

Get the m135! If you can find one with liquid filled capacitor, even better(but not necessary).

 

[Yanir34]

Use this one. 400w pulse start m135.
I the m59 is probe start(does not come with/ use a ignitor).
Looks on aquabright site, they don't specify ballast but they look like pulse start bulbs. The 250w radium that was odd because it needed the m80, instead of regular 250w m58.

Get the m135! If you can find one with liquid filled capacitor, even better(but not necessary).

Thanks , i will order 2 units of the M135.
Why does the M59 comes without ignitor ?

 

[Reefering1]

Thanks , i will order 2 units of the M135.
Why does the M59 comes without ignitor ?

M59 is probe start. The radium is pulse start, it requires much higher voltage pulse to get the bulb to fire up. M135 is pulse start.

 

[Bohemian Waxwing]

Yanir, are you swapping out of your T5 fixture?

 

[Yanir34]

Yanir, are you swapping out of your T5 fixture?

Yep , thinking about change to MH and 4 T5's \ 1-2 LED bars

 

[Bohemian Waxwing]

I gotta ask why? Your tank is probably the nicest T5 tank I know of right now, growth seems excellent. Ready for a change?

 

[Yanir34]

I gotta ask why? Your tank is probably the nicest T5 tank I know of right now, growth seems excellent. Ready for a change?

Well , i really miss the shimmer oh the halides....back in the happy days of 2007 , it was almost ilke the sun above my first tank. im really miss it

 

[Yanir34]

And no LED that i've seen , not even the kessil , have the ability to copicat that natural shimmer.

not to mention the REAL full spectrum including the UV-A and UV-B that are unique to MH (i think that only REEFI have success with this particular wavelength).

and please , this is not post of pros and cons of MH against LED's . don't drag it to this place .

 

[Reefering1]

Iirc, you been back and forth over the last few years. You had the 250w radium but couldn't find m80 ballasts and they were dim and blue on regular 250w ballast. Seems you wants to try again but with correct ballasts that match bulbs...(?)

 

[Yanir34]

Iirc, you been back and forth over the last few years. You had the 250w radium but couldn't find m80 ballasts and they were dim and blue on regular 250w ballast. Seems you wants to try again but with correct ballasts that match bulbs...(?)

Exactly!
I powered almost 3 years ago the Radiums with Lumatek electronic selectable wattage with aquaculture reflectors.

In my personal experience, this gear was not a good match for the radiums.
The light was heavy blue , par numbers was not good and when I tried the 400w version of the radiums , the Lumatek ballast was producing painful noise to my ears .

Well ,since then I have bought 2 used Lumi brite reflectors , although they do need to be polished .
My plan is to find the M135 magnetic ballast , and fire the radiums with it (the 400w bulbs).

I have done deep searching worldwide for the M80 ballast , but couldn't find it.
To my understanding the M135 will be optimal for the 400W radiums.

So yes , I want to try the radiums with the correct ballasts & correct reflectors

 

[RelaxingWithTheReef]

You are not alone. With the availability of the Aqua Bright bulbs, experimenting with a Giesemann Spectra is simply irresistible.

A big thank you to @Reefering1 for the ballast recommendations. I’ve been struggling trying to sort out the operating power and currents of these somewhat unique bulbs in hopes of finding alternatives.

 

[djf91]

That’s a lot of metal halide over your current tank. Time for a larger tank? ;)