12k reeflux

[duBduB]

extraodinary pictures

[roxy25]

I love mine http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...readid=1192162

I have idaho grape frags that where pale purple ! now they are in crusting dark purple and their polyps are turning blue again !

I was using a 10k bulb before forgot what brand, and the hamilton 14k was not good imo either. The reeflux 12 is bluer than a xm 20k bulb and phoenix 14k I have both and I compared the them to the reeflux.

[TwistedTiger]

Originally posted by roxy25
I love mine http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...readid=1192162

The reeflux 12 is bluer than a xm 20k bulb and phoenix 14k I have both and I compared the them to the reeflux.

What ballasts are you using? I have 250w xm20k SE and 250w reeflux 12k SE both on CV electronic ballasts and the reeflux is no where near as blue as the xm.

[dvanacker]

Depends on the ballast.

[sfsuphysics]

Originally posted by Canarygirl
Whoa...are you kidding me? Pheonix 14K have 40% more PAR than Reeflux 12K??? I am stunned by this.

I switched from a loaner (well used) Pheonix 14k bulb to a Reelfux 12K, and my RBTA started to wander around the tank a couple of days after the switch.

To me, the light output looked brighter with the Reeflux (and I hated the blue-actinic tint of the Pheonix bulb--but then again, it was old.)

I'm just wondering now if the anemone started to wander because the light output declined after putting the Reeflux on there.

Well the numbers from Sanjay's site don't lie, I did take some liberties and only compared the icecap ballast ones so other ballasts might not be as dramatic, but yeah, the Reeflux are pretty stingy with the PAR regardless of which ballast you put them on. As to the looking brighter it's because they're a whiter bulb, and our eyes don't pick up blues as very bright (it's why purple and blue look dark ).

[teen]

can anybody reccomend a bulb that has a whiter tint to it than a phoenix with similar PAR?

[hiepatitis]

giesman or blv maybe?

[roxy25]

Originally posted by TwistedTiger
What ballasts are you using? I have 250w xm20k SE and 250w reeflux 12k SE both on CV electronic ballasts and the reeflux is no where near as blue as the xm.

Those pics are when I first got them , they are now burned in. In my thread I noted the camera was picking up more blue than what it actually is. More accurate pictures where at the bottom of thread. I will take pic today to show you. I also have a better camera that has color correcting functions.

I am using magnetic ballast.

I will say that I have gotten good growth with these bulbs. Prior To replacing the 10k I had no growth on any of my sps...I will take pic of the idaho grape so you guys can see the growth and color difference.

[roxy25]

ok here is a pic this more accurate


and here is my idaho grape showing better color and growth

[D.G.]

I am running 250 watt MH and 4 months ago switched from the hamilton 14k to the reeflux 12k. I am very impressed with the switch and notice colors are much crisper then the hamilton's were. Growth is also much better too.

[plc001]

Do you guys and gals supplement with actinic the reeflux 12k?

I was thinking of going with 2 250 reeflux 10k plus 2 110 VHO to supplement.

Or would 2 reeflux 12k be good enough?

[D.G.]

I supplement my reeflux 12k with 2 - T5 actinics

[vol_reefer]

Another question for those who are running the Reeflux 12Ks: which electronic ballasts are you running them with? I tried the 400W version on my magnetic ballasts (which I normally run with Hamilton 14Ks), and found they were just too dim and blue for my taste (others have made similar observations on this thread). I've been thinking about trying them again on an electronic ballast, but which one? I noticed that one of the vendors who used to carry the CoralVue 400W electronic ballasts stopped doing so - their web page said something about people having problems getting CoralVue to honor their warranty. So that's made me a little nervous about their electronic ballast. What other ones would work well?

Jeff (vol_reefer)

[D.G.]

I am running icecap ballast with mine.

[vol_reefer]

Originally posted by D.G.
I am running icecap ballast with mine.

How do you feel about the color and growth you get with this combo?

Jeff

[anthias_lover]

I was thinking of going with 2 250 reeflux 10k plus 2 110 VHO to supplement.

Depend on your lights output (PAR) cover entire tank. If you have good reflectors plus strong ballast, 2 - 250w reeflux 12k is good to go. Adding 2 WHO supplement for sunrise sunset won’t hurt.
I have 2 - 250w reeflux 10k in LAIII for 6 months without supplement. Added 2 - T5 actinic few months ago. Growth is crazy. I’ll try reeflux 12k next time but still searching/awaiting for Phoenix 14k SE released.

[roxy25]

I don't have supplemental lighting just 175 reeflux 12k is enough IMO . I have a magnetic ballast.

[D.G.]

Jeff,
I am overall very pleased with the color and growth with this combo. Without the actinics on you can tell a big difference. On they make the color pop out even more.

[JACOXVIII]

i love my 12k rf lux 250

[Twistedpro]

Has anyone managed to get hysterix to pop under a 12k reeflux?? I have a 400w on an icecap ballast and its the coral i cant seem to get to colour nice and vivid.

[HecticDialectic]

The 250W reeflux has quite a bit more par than a 250W radium... with near identical spectrums. I think people just too readily assume something labeled "12k" should have good PAR numbers compared to 14k when in reality, those K ratings hardly ever hit the nail on the head.

[roxy25]

Originally posted by HecticDialectic
The 250W reeflux has quite a bit more par than a 250W radium... with near identical spectrums. I think people just too readily assume something labeled "12k" should have good PAR numbers compared to 14k when in reality, those K ratings hardly ever hit the nail on the head.

I am going to say great info ( even tho I don't understand the PAR thing lol)! Because I research for months before I bought the bulb and I really stopped carrying about par and more about what I like visually ( nothing was growing in my tank anyways due to other issuses so it didn't matter to me ). So many people claim this bulb is blue and that blue is blue etc... When I would look at them they looked too white. I have compared a pheonix , Hamilton 14k , and xm 20k to my reeflux and the reeflux looks better than all of them.

IMO well I mean MY EYE tells me lol that a radium20k and reeflux12k has the same hue. I went to a LFS and they run radiums when I saw the color ( before I bought the reeflux) I sought out to find a bulb similar to that , offered in 175 watts.
I am really satisfied with this bulb, no more **** yellow color tank

I also have no idea about the ballasts and bulb combos , like which ballast is better for certain bulbs, I am lucky the reeflux12 works great with my non brand magnetic ballast

[Cinderblock]

I just changed out my 150w Giesemann 14.5k to a 150w ReefLux 12k. I have the Elos Planet II light system so I have four T5's to supplement. I kept those the same (T5's) and the bottom line is that the color of the Reeflux is with out a doubt more blue than my Giesemann 14.5k. It makes all my SPS - blues, reds and green stand out even more. It also makes the brown stand out. Some of the corals I thought were getting color under my old lights, need some real time under the ReefLux. So far I like the look but its only been a few hours now.

[soulfigter]

Originally posted by teen
can anybody reccomend a bulb that has a whiter tint to it than a phoenix with similar PAR?

Iwasaki 14k.

[cashman95]

I had the DE version of Reeflux 12k's driven by the new style Icecap ballasts and the color was a pink/yellow look. Fired them off a friends blue wave and they where much more blue....? Also fired the bulbs off PFO cap/coil and they were even more pink than with my Icecaps! I had to sell and go back to the pheonix bulbs. I am very glad I did. The pheonix bulbs are just so much bang for the buck, not to mention great color with my ballast!

BTW I tried the XM 15k and it was BROWN! Worst bulb I have ever seen. Again all bulbs were DE.