Anybody using 20K Helios MH lamps over their SPS

drouner · #1 12/16/2007, 05:17 PM

I was looking for positive or negative feedback on 250 watt DE Helios lamps. If you have feeback either way I would appreciate hearing it.

Marko9 · #2 12/16/2007, 05:43 PM

So far, they are the best DE lamps I have ever seen or used. I really like the crisp blue that they produce.

drouner · #3 12/16/2007, 06:16 PM

Mark, how long have you used them? What ballast are you running them on?

Marko9 · #4 12/16/2007, 06:27 PM

I am now two months in. I run them off the dual blue wave 7 250 magnetic ballast.

GSMguy · #5 12/16/2007, 07:03 PM

im going to try them out, anybody have a comparison in results to a pheonix, colors improved?

Marko9 · #6 12/16/2007, 07:19 PM

I was running the pheonix bulbs before them. Before the pheonix, I had experimented with Giesemann 12k and 14k.

drouner · #7 12/16/2007, 07:29 PM

I'm currenlty running a pheonix as well. Do you get more of a pop with the Helios?

GSMguy · #8 12/16/2007, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Marko9
I was running the pheonix bulbs before them. Before the pheonix, I had experimented with Giesemann 12k and 14k.

can you explain what you experienced after switching?

Marko9 · #9 12/16/2007, 07:43 PM

I don't have to clean my glass as much as algae growth is very slow. It seems that some corals dulled out a bit, but radiate a lot more now. I think they are crisper and people who come over say the same thing.

In regards to "pop", they are a very solid bulb for color.

trueblackpercula · #10 12/16/2007, 07:54 PM

I had a 400 watt SE version on a Icecap electronic ballast and it looked great, then it died in 4 days becuase it did not work with the ballast to well. it was the best bulb for 4 days i ever had.

Michael

reefkoi · #11 12/16/2007, 09:04 PM

Where are you guys buying helios bulbs from? They seem to be hard to find for me.
C

drouner · #12 12/16/2007, 09:10 PM

fragfarmer.com

reefkoi · #13 12/16/2007, 09:14 PM

ok thank's. Reefermadness sold me my last ones but i was thinking they might be available to purchase alon gwith other dry goods from one of the larger dry-goods companies

fishfanatic06 · #14 12/16/2007, 10:07 PM

How is the growth with the Helios 20k vs other 20k bulbs?

cwegescheide · #15 12/16/2007, 10:40 PM

Taggin along. So far I've ran 14K Pheonix (ok), 10K Ushio (not good), back to Pheonix (not bad I guess) and I've got some Giesemann 14.5K Coral bulbs (cost a fortune) sitting in the cabinet waiting to try them till the Pheonix are about gone. I have not been too pleased with the colors I am getting as compaired to those running 14K SE Aquaconnect bulbs. I'd LOVE to find a DE bulb that would give the SE Aquaconnect a run for their money.

I bought a Giesemann fixture about a year or so ago and I sure would like to get as good of coloration out of my corals as my buddies running 14K SE bulbs.

Purple Haze · #16 12/16/2007, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cwegescheide
. . . I sure would like to get as good of coloration out of my corals as my buddies running 14K SE bulbs.

I think a lot of people feel the same way.

At this point, I don't think there's a bulb that compares without running supplemental lighting.

I'm going to a 10k DE bulb this month, something bright. Probably an XM then will supplement with T5s.

Marko9 · #17 12/16/2007, 11:37 PM

What colors are you trying to achieve? I think I have very nice colors and I have friends that have switchedover because they like the dark rich colors that DE bulbs produce. That is the one thing I have noticed. It seems like SE bulbs have lighter and more pastel colors, whereas DE bulbs seem darker and richer. I have not seen many "pastel" colors on DE bulbs that are not zeo tanks.
I am sure that they are out there, but because the way the reflectors are made for DE bulbs, that is the colors they produce.

cwegescheide · #18 12/17/2007, 10:16 AM

Well I guess one thing that I notice is that my corals seem to be sortof "distorted" coloration I guess compaired to friends tanks. I have a couple local friends that are running SE Aquaconnect bulbs and they seem to have more "true" colors. Yellows are yellow, blue is blue and red is red etc...

Maybe I will put in my Giesemann 14.5K's and give it a whirl. I've heard several people saying they worked out well. I'm always up for trying different things to achieve what I'm looking for. Might as well try after investing all the time and dinero

Gotta give these SE bulb running guys some competition LOL

I'd hate to ditch my Giesemann fixture just to run SE bulbs.

em805 · #19 12/17/2007, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by GSMguy
im going to try them out, anybody have a comparison in results to a pheonix, colors improved?

I am actually runing a 20k 250w SE Helios bulb (elec icecap ballast) on one half of my tank and a 14k 250w Pheonix (pfo hqi ballast) the the other half of my tank--I've had them set-up like this for 3 months. IMO, I get better polyp extension and color with the corals under the Phoenix bulb than under the Helios bulb. I have the exact same blue millipora fragged on both sides of the tank and the one under the pheonix has turned a vibrant blue while the Helios has turned into a darker purple/blue color.

trueblackpercula · #20 12/17/2007, 08:20 PM

I forgot to mention that the megachrome 13k bulb had super bright light and great color as well. but they cost big cash and i just might go back after the xm dies.

Michael

drouner · #21 12/30/2007, 10:50 PM

EM805

Quote:

I am actually runing a 20k 250w SE Helios bulb (elec icecap ballast) on one half of my tank and a 14k 250w Pheonix (pfo hqi ballast) the the other half of my tank--I've had them set-up like this for 3 months. IMO, I get better polyp extension and color with the corals under the Phoenix bulb than under the Helios bulb. I have the exact same blue millipora fragged on both sides of the tank and the one under the pheonix has turned a vibrant blue while the Helios has turned into a darker purple/blue color.

Are you supplementing either of the two?

Purple Haze

Quote:

I'm going to a 10k DE bulb this month, something bright. Probably an XM then will supplement with T5s.

Did you make the swithc yet?

Purple Haze · #22 12/31/2007, 12:01 AM

Yes, still burning in. Noticeably yellow right now. Had it running for about a week at five hours a day thus far.

NaH2Ofreak · #23 12/31/2007, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by cwegescheide
Taggin along. So far I've ran 14K Pheonix (ok), 10K Ushio (not good), back to Pheonix (not bad I guess) and I've got some Giesemann 14.5K Coral bulbs (cost a fortune) sitting in the cabinet waiting to try them till the Pheonix are about gone. I have not been too pleased with the colors I am getting as compaired to those running 14K SE Aquaconnect bulbs. I'd LOVE to find a DE bulb that would give the SE Aquaconnect a run for their money.

I bought a Giesemann fixture about a year or so ago and I sure would like to get as good of coloration out of my corals as my buddies running 14K SE bulbs.

If you go with the G-Man 14.5K coral bulb, remember to give it about a month to burn in. I used this bulb before and it seemed pretty yellow to me at first. BUT, after a month or so, it was a very very very WHITE bulb. Bright also. This was running on an SLS blue wave, duel HQI ballast. Nice bulb but...still went back to Pheonix. Might try the Helio 20K's next.

Dennis

em805 · #24 12/31/2007, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by drouner
EM805

Are you supplementing either of the two?

Purple Haze
Did you make the swithc yet?

No supplementation lighting

.