BlueWave or IceCap

[officerricv]

I have narrowed my lights to the Bluewave Magnetic Ballast/Reef Optix 111 Pendant/ 250 HQI Ushio. or Icecap 250 HQI Ballast/Reef Optix 111 Pendant/250 HQI. ReefGeek says that the best Ballast is the magnetic that he offers, Ocean Encounters says the IceCap Electronic. PLEASE HELP ME DECIDE!!!!! Oh, this will go on a 125 gal ( 6 feet). I want a mixed reef. Will buy 3.

[Nanook]

I prefer the HQI ballasts, they do suck up a lot of amperage, but I believe they burn the DE bulbs with the most PAR.

Nanook

[gcvt]

If you have the cash, I highly recommend going with the electronic ballast and, as far as I'm concerned, you just can't beat IceCap. Electronic ballats will run cooler and more efficiently...saving you money. Also, IceCap's customer service is second to none http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/images/graemlins/icon_thumbs.gif

[officerricv]

moonpod? your thoughts?

[moonpod]

Magnetic. The european DE bulbs at least anyways are designed to run on a european ballast that is most closely mimiced in the US by the M80 ballast. IC's are fine, not a "wrong" choice, but will not run the bulbs to spec. Less light, but less electricity. As for prolonged bulb life w/eballasts I'd say that's actually controversial as some bulb makers would state that the way electronics fire the DE bulbs is actually bad for them. That being said, some also has to do w/which bulbs you're gonna be running and the "look" you like. I think that the Megachrome bulbs that I am running are supposed to look much bluer on an electronic. 20k bulbs tend to look whiter on magnetics, etc....

As for gcvt's "if you have the cash" frankly the bluewave package costs more than an IC.

FWIW I have both (blue wave VII and IC 250w new version).

[moonpod]

Oh, just noticed you said Ushio. I don't think that Ushio's "look" much different on either ballast. Just brighter on the mag HQI. If you want to save some cash, you can get bare M80 ballasts, but the blue wave really is a nice package IMO. Reefgeek can get the IC for you too, just push Greg on it. What you could do is this: get a Bluewave VII and one IC 250. Then decide which you like better.

[RedEyeReef]

Hey moonpod, where do you get bare M80 ballast?

[moonpod]

reefgeek, hellolights, industrial sites, etc...bare=BARE. Typically unassembled even.

[cwboomer]

The BlueWave IV (4) has an icecap in it.