Reef Brite MH Fan Club

[billwill]

Are you comparing the HQI magnetic ballast running 330W on radium with the 250W Giesemann with electronic?
For the Radium alone, with the HQI magnetic = ~330W (ultimate performance, recommended by manufacture). If we use electronic on 250 setting = ~245W, and if electronic with HQI setting = ~300.
Grandis.

Electronic 250HQI setting. I used to run standard magnetic 250w ballasts with radium and much les need for chiller. When I switched to the hqi ballasts, my chiller was running year round.

 

[Syntax1235]

Does anyone know what size the mounting holes are on top of the fixture? I thought they were 1/4 / 20 but that is too big.

 

[A. grandis]

Electronic 250HQI setting. I used to run standard magnetic 250w ballasts with radium and much les need for chiller. When I switched to the hqi ballasts, my chiller was running year round.

Ok, I'm not sure if I can fully understand how you wrote your sentences. I'm sorry...
Does that mean that before you were using the magnetic HQI ballast, and now you are using an electronic ballast on 250 HQI setting and using less chiller due to the ballast/wattage?
What ballast are you using now?
Thanks,
Grandis.

 

[A. grandis]

Does anyone know what size the mounting holes are on top of the fixture? I thought they were 1/4 / 20 but that is too big.

Bring the fixture to the hardware store. That's what I do. Don't waste time..
It could be metric too...
Grandis.

 

[lancesmith1]

I called Reefbrite and was told 1/4-20. That is what I used on mine. They were snug but went in. I used a socket head cap so I could get decent torque on them.

 

[A. grandis]

I called Reefbrite and was told 1/4-20. That is what I used on mine. They were snug but went in. I used a socket head cap so I could get decent torque on them.

Would be great to get stainless steel so it doesn't rust. That was one of the problems back in the day with the fixtures.
Some of my old fixtures I changed even the screws that hold it together because of the problem.
Grandis.

 

[lancesmith1]

yes i agree. i used 1/4-20 stainless socket head cap screws from Lowes.

 

[A. grandis]

yes i agree. i used 1/4-20 stainless socket head cap screws from Lowes.

You got it man!
Grandis.

 

[Syntax1235]

Excellent! The 1/4 20 does work, just really tight. I was afraid to break it because it was so tight.

I'm using stainless steel screws screws as well. Thanks.

 

[lancesmith1]

Yep. i will say t giesemann 21K is still yellow without the RB LED IMO.

 

[Syntax1235]

Anyone try the twin-arc 14k bulbs here? If so, thoughts and description of color?

 

[lancesmith1]

I have not but I am curios as well. I think the 20K twiner would be too blue with the LEDs added. They really add a lot of punch and blue.

 

[Syntax1235]

That is the reason I ordered the 14k because I envision running the led's concurrently with the halides. A two hour ramp up followed by 6 hours of halides and then a 2 hour sun set. I guess if I didn't want to run the led's when the halides were on I'd try their 20k bulb.

 

[reefwiser]

I use a 20k bulb and run the LED’s with the MH. LED from 9 am with MH on at noon till 7pm then 2 hours of LED before lights out.
I have been using the 20k bulb for 26 years now. [emoji3][emoji106]

 

[jporter17]

I have run the RB 20K dual arc bulbs, but not as long as reef wiser has. I hang my hybrid fixture from the ceiling and have the power cords bundled into some zip tubing. I attached that to the back of the tank, behind the overflow and the fixture hands perfectly. JP

 

[Syntax1235]

I have run the RB 20K dual arc bulbs, but not as long as reef wiser has. I hang my hybrid fixture from the ceiling and have the power cords bundled into some zip tubing. I attached that to the back of the tank, behind the overflow and the fixture hands perfectly. JP[/QUOTE


Any pictures to share?

 

[jporter17]

Ignore the vent in the wall, was used to vent exhaust from my original lighting fixture. I'm lazy and haven't cut the excess chain length. It may not appear level in the picture, but it is. JP

 

[jporter17]

Another picture of the fixture. It's 36" while the tank is 48". It still covers the footprint nicely. Just the XHO's and T5's are on, hence the very blue image from the iPhone. JP

 

[jluspo]

Hello,

I purchased 2 of the 250W ReefBrite MH pendants in DE without the LED supplementation to go on my 120 gallon 4x2x2 reef. I also bought 2 of their 250Watt ballasts I already have 2 48" ReefBrite actinic XHOs. These are to replace the 2 250W PFO MH DE pendants. I am using Phoenix 250W DE bulbs which I used for a couple of years - I bought these used at a fair price.

Before the PFO, I had 2 AI SOL Blues on the same tank. When I bought it, one AI SOL Blue was advertised as having the ability to light a 2x2 foot tank. In reality, I needed 4 of them, maybe 5 for proper coverage of my tank. Unfortunately, I didn't want to buy 2 or 3 more AI SOL at $400 each. Instead of buying more AI SOLs, I added a 4 bulb retrofit 36" T5HOs. This worked well for a while until my AI SOL started to fail. Some of the LEDs stop working, the power supply failed and so on. I didn't want to replace them purely because of costs. By this time, new AI or Ecotech were going for $600-$700 each! I found a used set of 3 PFO MH pendants with ballasts for $150 so I bought it. With these MHs, I also bought 2 used Reefbrite XHO 48" actinic blues. I put in new Phoenix bulbs and it look great! Other than the heat, I love everything about MH. Some fans and venting the heat to the outside solved the heating problem. I live in Houston and I survived 2 summers with MHs on my tank with this approach (no chiller).

Now my PFOs started to fail (they're just old now). Two of the pendants actually rusted where I couldn't put in new bulbs. I looked at buying EcoTech Radions but they were $800 each. It's advertised as each Radion have the ability to cover a 2x2 foot tank. Where did I hear that before? I have nothing against LEDs and if it wasn't for the $1600 or maybe even $3200 price tag, I would buy them but I couldn't justify the expense. For under $600, with the black Friday sales, I'm up and running again. I bought the DE pendants because I already have 2 sets of new Phoenix bulbs and according to the BRS TV, the DE bulbs are brighter than SE. I may someday upgrade to a 210 gallons 6'x2'x30" high and I can still use these lights.

The PFO ballasts were using 613 Watts of electricity where the Reefbrites are using "only" 515 Watts (If I actually put 4 AI SOLs on my tank, they will use more than 500 Watts.) To my eyes, they look nearly identical in color -- they both have brand new bulbs. I actually replaced one pendant at a time and I had a hard time distinguishing which side had the PFO and which side had the Reefbrite ballast. I don't have a PAR meter. The Reefbrite pendant is significantly cooler. I can actually touch and hold the Reefbrite pendant for as long as I want and not get burned. I could not do that with the PFO ballast. The light spread is more even with the Reefbrite. I lit up the ceiling (with the lights pointed up) with both lights and I could definitely see hotspots with the PFO pendant.

Anyway, I'm glad to join the Reefbrite club. Before I bought the ReefBrites, I actually called them and and spoke with Tulio where he explained the benefits of the Reefbrite ballasts over my PFOs. I was just going to buy the pendants because my PFO pendants were failing but the ballasts were fine. I think the 100 Watts difference and less heat on the pendant will make a big difference, especially next summer.

 

[lancesmith1]

Another picture of the fixture. It's 36" while the tank is 48". It still covers the footprint nicely. Just the XHO's and T5's are on, hence the very blue image from the iPhone. JP

do you have a picture with the 20K halides on?