150 watt 65k Iwasaki bulbs?

[Smthnfishy]

Does anyone have any info good or bad on the 150 watt Iwasaki bulbs. I can get a ballast made to run them for like 20 bucks. Just wondering what you all thought of them. And how much they cost?
Later Erik

[Kirk Candlish]

Erik I've been using the 150W Iwasaki 65Ks for 6 years and highly recomend them. You'll find the bulbs sell for about $70. I replace the bulbs after a year of use, they then go to my refugiums where I burn them for another year. Put an Actinic or 7100K PC with them and you've got a winning combination in my opinion. I'm growing a wide range of Acros and other stonies with great success under them.

What is the ballast that you can get a deal on ?

[Smthnfishy]

The ballast is one that I will take ( with the help of Frick-n-frags) out of a 175 watt MV ballast security light found at HD or walmart for 22 bucks. You'll need to change the mogul to standard base but that is another 3 bucks. I'll keep you posted as soon as the science project is done. I'll be adding this light to my 75 gallon tank that already has many sps and soft corals in it. The light i use in the tank is 3 no bulbs 2 03 bulbs and one uri white plus a 175 12k sunburst bulb. I'm hopeing that the 65k will brighten up the tank.
Erik
I'll post pics too

[MRJAMEZ]

I am also wanting to add 2 150w iwasakis to a pals 55g. Iam waiting to see how yours comes out. JAMES

[signu459]

Just curious why wouldn't go with the 250W Iwasakis? You can get the MV balast for yhe 250W lamps for $23 each, and I can get you the replacement lamps for $55 each. Why would you do 150 watter when you can have the 250s for the same or less?

[Kirk Candlish]

150W bulbs are obviously smaller, product less heat and light, and can be used where you wouldn't use a 250W. It seems obvious to me why you would use them.

[MRJAMEZ]

I will be puting the 150's on a 55g.
I think the 250's would be too hot and too large.

[signu459]

Yes 250's will produce more heat. However that can easily be over come with a fan. As far as too much light I really doubt it. 250's work great over 75 gallons and as far as I know 55 are the same depth. So to really get to the bottom of that 55 your gonna want the 250's

Nothing against the 150's it is just that you can get more bang for the buck with the 250's

JMO

[Jisung]

I have been using 2- IWASAKI 150watt 6.5K bulbs for 2 years.
You will be happy with it.:)

Check this thread under my name. http://archive.reefcentral.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?threadid=1865

I have 2- electronic ballasts from iwasaki to drive them.
According to their catalog, 150watt has more blue picks than 250watt and 400watt and you shouldn't use MV ballast for 150watt.

Jisung

[Smthnfishy]

Jisung why not use a MV ballast??? the bulb is a MV bulb. where did you read or hear that info.
Erik

[Jisung]

I have original catalog which printed in Japan.
In that catalog model name of 250watt and 400watt is EYE Clean Ace whereas 150watt is EYE Color Arc 6500K series.
In EYE Clean ACE page they mentioned " The eye clean ace is a daylight metal halide lamp which operates on Mercury Vapour lamp reactor ballast(EN60188)"

In EYE Color Arc section "EYE electronics ballasts are available for lamp operation with excellent performance. OR EYE Color Arc can be operated on a standard HPS ballast or a metal halide ballast, and ignitor for E27 base and E40 base.

That's what I reffered to.
there are many informations about their lamp even it includes spectral distribution graph of each bulb.

[Frick-n-Frags]

Hello Jisung, you got my attention. She-zhe! This is really key info regarding the entire Iwasaki confusion. Time to rattle the Eye Corporation's cage.
No wonder they think we are all screwed up here. We run their 250wMV lamps on MH ballasts and their 150w MH lamps on 175wMV ballasts. DOH!

The reason for the 150's on my part are an ongoing experiment which is about to change from 175wMV lamps to 150w Iwasaki lamps. I believe I can sneak two of them over half my 50 gal for really good distributed light while keeping up the photon density, and I have heard about the bluer light.



Smthnfishy has this 250w 10k HQI light that will burn your eyes out if he needed mass PAR.

However, Signu, you make an excellent point regarding the economics of it and if I were just starting out, I would consider 2 250w and eat it on the color (as compared to expensive 10K MH setups) and use NO actinics and 50/50's to correct, which would come out really cost effective for a lot of light.

ALSO, when it comes time to put my 250w 6500K MH up against the Iwasakis, I will try a 250w bulb to make it more fair and then I will need the $23 ballast. So please tell me where you actually found yours, thanx I don't think our local Walmarts have them(for sure not Home Depot) Actually, at that point I will test the Iwasaki 250 against the 150's and we'll get to the bottom of this. I believe EYE corp's headquarters in the states is right on the east side of Cleveland and maybe I can get the correct ballast (if it isn't $200 or something crazy)and see just how bad we are screwing up or not. Much to do.....

[Playfair]

Interesting... I wonder if there is more PAR from the 150w Iwasaki then from a 175w 10kK Ushio lamp. The Advance ballast I use is for either 175MH or 150MV bulbs?

[Angel 1]

Could someone tell me the ANSI for the 150w lamp, I e-mailed EYE and they never e-mailed back.

[Angel 1]

^

[Nathan]

Just thought I'd point out that the business of saying that the 10K setup is much more expensive is getting obsolete.

According to acropora.com:

6500 Iwasaki 150W costs $69.-
10000 Ushio 175W costs $79.-

You are talking about a difference of $10.- bucks. Not much.

Of course the Iwasaki provides more useful light, but the Ushio is a better/more pleasing colour. Pros and cons of each.

-Nathan