Reef Brite MH Fan Club

[jporter17]

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

Just missed the MH period today. I can snap a picture tomorrow (if I remember), although the iPhone won't capture the color accurately. It is kind of blue. JP

 

[lancesmith1]

ok. Thanks. I have used Radiums in the past and I am sure that a Radium with the LEDs would be too blue for my taste. The Giessemnn bulbs run quite a bit whiter than other bulbs with the same kelvin rating. IMO the Megachrome Blue 21.5 looks like a 14K. If I do have to go to a Reefbrite, I think I will start with the 14K.

 

[A. grandis]

ok. Thanks. I have used Radiums in the past and I am sure that a Radium with the LEDs would be too blue for my taste. The Giessemnn bulbs run quite a bit whiter than other bulbs with the same kelvin rating. IMO the Megachrome Blue 21.5 looks like a 14K. If I do have to go to a Reefbrite, I think I will start with the 14K.

The Radium looks too blue because of the low wattage of the Reef Brite ballast, not only because of the LEDs.
If you offer a better wattage to the bulb it will look more like it should. The best performance is using the M80 magnetic ballast.
Grandis.

 

[Syntax1235]

The Radium looks too blue because of the low wattage of the Reef Brite ballast, not only because of the LEDs.
If you offer a better wattage to the bulb it will look more like it should. The best performance is using the M80 magnetic ballast.
Grandis.

I know for me, the draw of the Reef Brite fixture and ballast is about saving on electricity costs and heat. Running a radium to spec defeats that entirely. I personally have no interest in running 330 watts to power a 250 watt bulb, regardless of the look.

 

[A. grandis]

I know for me, the draw of the Reef Brite fixture and ballast is about saving on electricity costs and heat. Running a radium to spec defeats that entirely. I personally have no interest in running 330 watts to power a 250 watt bulb, regardless of the look.

Yes, of course.
I like the savings and as I put many times before, the heat here summer time is killer!!!
But I look into having the bulb running a little more than 6 months with a more stable spectrum using the Luxcore as my preference.
It's just a matter of balancing and choosing what we want, right?
The Luxcore will give me a bit more wattage and longevity of the bulb.
I'll get the Spectra if I set up a new system!

I will also use 175W 20K bulbs for ~4 months if the thing gets too hot around here during the summer time!
That's the beauty of the Luxcore 250.

We all gonna have halides and that is great!
Grandis.

 

[KJoFan]

Yes, of course.
I like the savings and as I put many times before, the heat here summer time is killer!!!
But I look into having the bulb running a little more than 6 months with a more stable spectrum using the Luxcore as my preference.
It's just a matter of balancing and choosing what we want, right?
The Luxcore will give me a bit more wattage and longevity of the bulb.
I'll get the Spectra if I set up a new system!

We all gonna have halides and that is great!
Grandis.

Maybe it's been posted before but where has it been stated that life of the Radium will be reduced to six months if underdriven?

 

[A. grandis]

Maybe it's been posted before but where has it been stated that life of the Radium will be reduced to six months if underdriven?

I forgot, but has been said many times...
I think there was an article about it?
The main thing is: the lower wattage, spectrum of the bulb will be bluer and far from what was supposed to be with the M80.
The input power of Reef Brite ballast is 255W.
http://www.reefbrite.com/product/reef-brite-reef-tech/
The electronic HQI setting of the Luxcore is 300W and it's very close to the M80 at 330W.
If I choose the 250 setting on the Luxcore I will save more electricity than the Reef Brite and will be 245W.
https://premiumaquatics.com/articles/radium

Grandis.

 

[lancesmith1]

I'll get the Spectra if I set up a new system!

If you don't like heat. you won't like the Spectra. That is what I was running the Radiums on with the Luxcore on HQI. setting The Radium is still pretty blue on HQI. I can't comment on the life. The fixture gets so hot I only ran it for a couple of months. I just can't see how the Spectra doesn't cook the T5's. The lamps are completely enclosed and there is no active cooling. Having run both a Spectra and now the RB, I can tell you that there is no comparison from a heat output perspective. The Spectra runs much, much hotter and throws off significantly more heat.

 

[jporter17]

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

Here is the fixture with all but the moonlights on. Excuse the dirty glass, I haven't cleaned it in a few days. Not as blue as the picture appears, but it's still pretty blue. JP

 

[lancesmith1]

great looking tank! and yep that looks really blue in the picture. I am not judging. A lot of folks like a blue leaning tint to their tanks. I like more of a 17 to 18K look. Which is what I am getting with the Geisemann 21.5 and the LEDs. it is a really crisp white with a light lavender color tinge. I can literally see my coral growth day over day since I started the halides late last week. It is almost shocking vs the Mitras LX7 the difference.

 

[reefwiser]

Spectra is a nice looking fixture. But I have heard it was a hot one. [emoji3]wonder if you used the Reef brite ballast would help with the heat?

 

[lancesmith1]

No Sir - Having used one, I don't think so. The ventilation is the small holes you see on the ends of the fixture.

 

[A. grandis]

If you don't like heat. you won't like the Spectra. That is what I was running the Radiums on with the Luxcore on HQI. setting The Radium is still pretty blue on HQI. I can't comment on the life. The fixture gets so hot I only ran it for a couple of months. I just can't see how the Spectra doesn't cook the T5's. The lamps are completely enclosed and there is no active cooling. Having run both a Spectra and now the RB, I can tell you that there is no comparison from a heat output perspective. The Spectra runs much, much hotter and throws off significantly more heat.

I know about the heat of the Spectra. People say the solution is to run a fan between the water surface and the fixture.
Boom corals has the Spectra and said it's very well built.
Many people complain about the heat of the Spectra but they didn't have the PFOs. I'm used to that.
Main thing is to cool off the fixture with the fans. I can have 2 fans here.
When I had my halides in the past I didn't have a chiller too. For the next system I'll have a chiller.
The halides won't be on for the whole time. Perhaps only 4 hours a day.
I appreciate the comments on the heat!!

Grandis.

 

[A. grandis]

Spectra is a nice looking fixture. But I have heard it was a hot one. [emoji3]wonder if you used the Reef brite ballast would help with the heat?

Unfortunately Tullio said no to that.
That was another reason I went with the Luxcore.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/reef-brite-mh-fan-club.340987/#post-4247384
Grandis.

 

[A. grandis]

No Sir - Having used one, I don't think so. The ventilation is the small holes you see on the ends of the fixture.

Yeah, I know it's going to be a hot fixture already.
This time the zoas will overflow my tank!! Hehe!
Grandis.

 

[KJoFan]

I forgot, but has been said many times...
I think there was an article about it?
The main thing is: the lower wattage, spectrum of the bulb will be bluer and far from what was supposed to be with the M80.
The input power of Reef Brite ballast is 255W.
http://www.reefbrite.com/product/reef-brite-reef-tech/
The electronic HQI setting of the Luxcore is 300W and it's very close to the M80 at 330W.
If I choose the 250 setting on the Luxcore I will save more electricity than the Reef Brite and will be 245W.
https://premiumaquatics.com/articles/radium

Grandis.

Yes, I realize it's been said many times...but that doesn't make it true. I would like to see actual evidence of this being true before we spread it around as if it's a fact. My logic is having a hard time understanding why something underdriven would end up with a shorter lifespan. Overdriven? Absolutely, that makes sense.

I understand the color shift at different wattages as well. It's the life of the bulb I am more concerned about. I do not find the Radium too blue on the RB ballast. But..everyone's taste is different in that regard.

 

[A. grandis]

Yes, I realize it's been said many times...but that doesn't make it true. I would like to see actual evidence of this being true before we spread it around as if it's a fact. My logic is having a hard time understanding why something underdriven would end up with a shorter lifespan. Overdriven? Absolutely, that makes sense.

I understand the color shift at different wattages as well. It's the life of the bulb I am more concerned about. I do not find the Radium too blue on the RB ballast. But..everyone's taste is different in that regard.

I agree with you that overdriving the bulbs would makes more sense in regards to shorten it's life.
I did see a plausible explanation in the past but unfortunately don't remember where.
Perhaps someone would come help us on that. I'll keep searching...
I think the simple fact that the manufacture recommends the M80 ballast at 330W would be a good reason because it's forcing the bulb to work in a different manner far from what was designed for?
Grandis.

 

[lancesmith1]

Boom corals has the Spectra and said it's very well built.

I can't argue with that. Well designed would be where I would not agree. I would not buy another one. Used or new.

 

[jporter17]

Okay, I have a new M80 ballast that I've wired into one side of my RB fixture. I will test PAR after a couple days of burn in. Both bulbs are the same age (6 months) and the only difference would be the M80 ballast and the RB electronic one. This will be interesting as I have no way of testing the spectrum, but can measure PAR. Looking forward to seeing if there is a noticeable difference with the naked eye. Also curious to see if the temp remains the same in the tank and if the magnetic ballast gets hot. I'm leaning towards relocating the ballasts out in the garage anyway, so tank temp is all I'm really concerned with. JP

 

[A. grandis]

I can't argue with that. Well designed would be where I would not agree. I would not buy another one. Used or new.

I've been talking to many and, not all, but the majority loves it.
Some say it's also a pain to change bulbs, besides the heat.
Many said they have no chiller running though, but fans. So go figure...
We will see.
Thanks for your input.
Grandis.