What is the equivalent of a Phoenix 14k in SE 250 mh?

MarineGirl411 · #1 07/31/2007, 12:29 AM

When I upgrade my tank, I'm going with the full size Lumenarc. I am told that they give a better light spread than the mini's. They do not come that big with DE bulbs. I am looking for a MH bulb that would equal the Phoenix 14k look and growth. Please let me know. Thank you all. =)

uhuru · #2 07/31/2007, 12:58 AM

aquaconnect 14k is the equivalent (literally)

katchupoy · #3 07/31/2007, 12:59 AM

With the look maybe 12k reeflux or EVC 14k. But this is just looks. They are have lower par compared to HQI double ended phoenix.

MarineGirl411 · #4 07/31/2007, 01:02 AM

=( Yah I'd like to keep the par up there if possible. I love the color of the 14k Phoenix. Any pictures of the Aquaconnect? How is the par on that?

mdt178 · #5 07/31/2007, 01:18 AM

The AC 14K has a much higher PAR, as much as 20%, per Sanjay's tests since the Phoenix must be shielded.

MarineGirl411 · #6 07/31/2007, 01:25 AM

I'd love to see some pictures of corals under it.

GSMguy · #7 07/31/2007, 07:24 AM

pictures do nothing

they look like a pheonix

RichConley · #8 07/31/2007, 10:57 AM

Radium

JRoweNole · #9 07/31/2007, 01:18 PM

On my 92 gallon corner tank I have a 250W 14K Aquaconnect under a mini lumenarc with a combination of 2 VHO's (a 50/50 and super actinic) and 2 t5's (both B+).

LOVE the color. NOT too blue. I used to have a 250W 10K USHIO driven by a magnetic ballast.

The Aquaconnect is driven by an IceCap ballast. Accorging to Sanjay, PAR (or other light intensity measure) is in 400 range. On other ballasts, this bulb's intensity is different. Not much less than with my 10K USHIO and it's ballast.

Emster · #10 07/31/2007, 05:21 PM

I got both. Main tank is AQ 14k SE on hamilton electronic ballasts, they need actinic to look like the phoenix but I think the icecap drives them bluer. My 40 gal breeder has phoenix 14K DE on PFO HQI ballast with no actinic, this light rocks and only $55.00 a bulb compared too the AQ at $120.00 and it lasts much longer.

MarineGirl411 · #11 07/31/2007, 08:32 PM

My new Ballasts are Ice Cap HQI. I love the Phoenix bulbs look. I have heard that the larger Lumenarc's will produce a much larger spread for light and the SE would also help because it's not shielded like the DE bulbs. ::::sigh. I don't know. I guess I'll have to see. I'd still love to see pictures of some of your tanks using different bulbs.

cashman95 · #12 07/31/2007, 08:37 PM

Marinegirl411
I saw the aquaconnects in person at Speacilty Aquarium and they are AWESOME...just like the Pheonix 14K that I am now running in Lumenarc III mini's! I couldnt be happier!!!!!

You would probably be happier with the Large Lumenarcs to tell you the truth. I have a 75 gal and the mini's are perfect for it giving that its a 48x18x21" tank, and I think the Mini's would be suffieceint even up to a 60x24x24" tank but thats where they would really cap off at, from my experience! I LOVE the coverage!!!!

MarineGirl411 · #13 07/31/2007, 08:49 PM

Hi Cashman,
When I save the money, I think I'm going with the Oceanic Tech Tank. 120g. So my tank won't be huge compared to some on here. That will be a little while though because I just bought my first home. =/ Fixer upper to the max and a lot of my fish money is going towards it..... >=/ I'm trying to look at the positive though.....someday I can have a huge tank if I own my own home. =) We'll see. By then maybe the price will drop as well. So do you still think the Large Lumenarcs would be best for a 120? Also, how did you mount yours in your canopy? LMK.

cashman95 · #14 07/31/2007, 08:55 PM

UMMM I personally think the Mini's would be fine for a 120 with a tank size of 48x24x24. you will have great pentration and the coverage Will be good as well. The big Lumenarcs might lose out on some intensity being that they are kinda made for a 36"x36" spread!?!?!?!? I think they lose that penatration factor, making you have to jump up to 400 watters to get the same intensity as the Mini's directly below the fixture. I also DONT think you can really go wrong with either one though!

Again this is just from my experience!!!!!

cashman95 · #15 07/31/2007, 08:58 PM

wish I had an Elos rimless tank!!!!![IMG]

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

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cashman95 · #16 07/31/2007, 09:00 PM

You can see that one MH is on and one is not, and with that said one MH is covering 24" very easy!

RCS · #17 07/31/2007, 09:44 PM

I don't know if it carries over to the SE bulbs, but now that they've burned in, my Phoenix 14k 250w DE bulbs look pretty much the same as the 14k EVC DE bulbs they replaced. I believe they do have higher PAR though, if I'm remembering correctly.

MarineGirl411 · #18 08/01/2007, 12:49 AM

I asked Reef Exotics what they'd recommend. They recommended the Large Lumenarc. =/ I was going to go for the mini, I liked the DE Phoenix, but the Stealth is too small. I mentioned to them that I would upgrade. They said I could use 1 of the Large Lumenarcs just on my 36 in long tank and it would cover the entire thing. They said when I moved up to my 120g tank that it would provide a better light distribution. So honestly, I don't know. Thank you for the pictures. That helps me. I like your pendant. I think it looks nice. If you don't like the look, you could always do a floating canopy. I think those look pretty cool! Are you afraid of your Anthias Jumping out? I like rimless tanks, but I don't want carpet surfers. I'd be sad to see a dried up fish.

MarineGirl411 · #19 08/01/2007, 12:53 AM

So the radium 20k produces more Par than the Phoenix? Is that what I am looking at? 20k seems too blue for me. 14k Phoenix is perfect. It's in the middle. If you have a picture of a 20k radium I'd love to see. I saw at my LFS and I remember the tank looked very very blue. Rich, is that what you use? Also, how come we never get to see your tank?

RichConley · #20 08/01/2007, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by MarineGirl411
So the radium 20k produces more Par than the Phoenix? Is that what I am looking at? 20k seems too blue for me. 14k Phoenix is perfect. It's in the middle. If you have a picture of a 20k radium I'd love to see. I saw at my LFS and I remember the tank looked very very blue. Rich, is that what you use? Also, how come we never get to see your tank?

No, the phoenix has 88 PPFD, the Radium has 85 PPFD.

IMO, spectrally, theyre the same bulb. The Phoenix IS a 20K, not a 14K.

Look at an Iwaski 15K. Its a TRUE 15K bulb. Notice how much bluer the phoenix is, and how it matches up to the 20K bulbs. Its a 20K, not a 14K.

If you like the phoenix, you'll like the radium.

DarkXerox · #21 08/01/2007, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by RichConley
Radium

That is pretty cool to see. It looks like the Radium has more on the purple side, which a lot of people say lacks in the Phoenix. But the Phoenix has a little spike at 590nm (yellow/orange). I think I am going to try the Radium when I swap out my Phoenixes next time--I always seem to have trouble with purples showing up.

Horace · #22 08/01/2007, 07:21 PM

Told you before, and I will tell you again, the large lumenarcs arent what you want for a smaller tank.... Unless your trying to cover more than 24" your going to lose intensity. My buddy who just put the large ones on a 120g is rather dissapointed and is now wanting the minis.

MarineGirl411 · #23 08/01/2007, 07:59 PM

I'm just going by what reef exotics told me. If your friend just bought the large one's and is disappointed then I will go with the mini's.

Emster · #24 08/01/2007, 09:14 PM

This is a pic of my 40gal breeder when I first set it up with phoenix 14k 250watt HQI on PFO HQI ballast. I have heard that this bulb lasts longer and holds it color longer on a true HQI ballast rather than an electronic. Its in a lumenarc 3 reflector.
I think it looks just a little bluer in this pic then it actually is. I am getting great growth out of this setup.

Emster · #25 08/01/2007, 09:18 PM

This is a pic of my main tank with the AC 14k's and some actinics