Ushio's or XM's opinions please - Page 3

CS · #51 07/22/2005, 09:39 PM

good info all. Thanks.

dgasmd · #52 07/22/2005, 09:57 PM

Ran Ushio 10000K 400 watt for about 2 years with awesome color results without actinics, but could have used some. I run radums now, but will be changing.

I ordered some xm 10000K to try out when I first set up my tank and the color was urine yellow on all 5. I suspected that this was a bad batch of bulbs, but on PA's request (vendor) I ran them for a week without improvement in results. I went back to the radiums after that. Color is great fr some things, but for some others it sucks with or without actinics. They also ahve to be changed every 5 months or so. Very costly proposition.

Now that I run PFO HQI ballasts instead fo the blueline ballasts I was running before, I may give the XM a try again.

Illusion · #53 07/22/2005, 10:15 PM

Dgasmd,

I tried to Run the XM 400s on Hqi ballasts and they didnt really seem to Cooperate all that well together... The color was a lot more yellow that on standard ballasts... I just got done Replacing all the Capacitors on my Probe Starts and the Ushio bulbs are as white as white can be... I had one bulb look yellow when I first got them and I changed it around with another one and the same socket was yellow... I figured the Capacitor was old and Faulty and causing the issue... After replacing them the bulb is now white... Even without actinic the bulbs are white... I am very pleased... XM says its a no no to run their bulbs on anything but Probe starts... I did not like the color 1 bit and gave my HQI ballasts away straight across for some standard probe starts..

James

CS · #54 07/23/2005, 07:52 AM

this may sound like a stupid question but when I do decide to go with Ushio or XM should I break the bulb in slowly by increasing the amout of time that the MH bulb is on and then slowly upping the time week by week. I did this when I first changed from all PC's to the MH PC set up and seeing as these bulbs are alot better PAR wise than the CoralVue I am not sure if this is neccesary. I am at 8 hours for the MH and the PC's run 12 hours.

Thanks

kimoyo · #55 07/23/2005, 09:04 AM

Has anyone else had a problem with XM bulbs on ice cap ballasts. I have ROIII pendants running off ice cap eballasts and I'm having problems with my 250W DE XM 10K's. Sometimes they come on, sometimes they don't. I just started running them, will this inconsistency go away? Or should I switch bulbs? Or do you guys think its the ballast?

fishdoc11 · #56 07/23/2005, 08:02 PM

XM bulbs are designed to run on magnetic ballasts so that might be the problem.

Zoom · #57 07/23/2005, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kimoyo
Has anyone else had a problem with XM bulbs on ice cap ballasts. I have ROIII pendants running off ice cap eballasts and I'm having problems with my 250W DE XM 10K's. Sometimes they come on, sometimes they don't. I just started running them, will this inconsistency go away? Or should I switch bulbs? Or do you guys think its the ballast?

The icecap 250W electronic ballast will power any metal halide 250-watt bulb other than the D.E.`XM` brand bulbs..

drtango · #58 07/23/2005, 08:25 PM

The XM on 400w HQI, according to Sanjay's data, specs at over 13k. On my tank, I have the 400 on HQI and the par, color and growth is superb. I also have the 250 10k on an icecap, and another 250 on an Eballast. Both are white, not nearly as "ice white" as the 400w on HQI. Sanjay indicates that the 10k on various elec. ballasts is at least 10k, sometimes more.

I've been running the same pair of 250's for over a year with no issues, the 400 for 9 months.

Nipples are at 3:00--don't know if that matters.

Very happy with XM, brighter and whiter than Ushio IMO. I'm a fan of "natural" lighting, so it suits me fine.

John

TexasTodd · #59 07/23/2005, 09:34 PM

I have never had a problem on color from bulb to bulb on XM 20kk's. BUT I have talked to several people, and I have seen myself on my system, HUGE DIFFERENCES FROM BULB TO BULB ON XM 10KK 400W SE BULBS.

Some are a nice 13KK'ish blue white color but many others are a much yellower of maybe 7kk and definately have higher par than the ones that run with more blue.

I have 4 of these bulbs right now and 2 are blue and 2 are yellow.........on the same ballast. They stay the same if I move them from socket to socket...the color follows the bulbs.

I will be going back to either Radiums, or the 14kk EVC. Might try one of each to see. I may even anti up once for an AC 14kk to see how it does. I run these on an HQI PFO ballast that is NEW.

I love the 20kk XM's on a standard ballast to add blue in though.

TT

CS · #60 07/24/2005, 08:35 AM

Can Someone please answer my previous question.

this may sound like a stupid question but when I do decide to go with Ushio or XM should I break the bulb in slowly by increasing the amout of time that the MH bulb is on and then slowly upping the time week by week. I did this when I first changed from all PC's to the MH PC set up and seeing as these bulbs are alot better PAR wise than the CoralVue I am not sure if this is neccesary. I am at 8 hours for the MH and the PC's run 12 hours.

Illusion · #61 07/24/2005, 11:30 AM

If your talking about acclimating your Corals yes You very well should acclimate them.. Get your some some Fiberglass Window screen and throw a couple layers across the tank... Every Few days or So remove a layer... but run your lighting full length..

HTH,
JAmes

elephen · #62 07/24/2005, 06:13 PM

20K Radiums on a HQI ballast get my vote! I have 2 400 watters and dam!

golfish · #63 07/24/2005, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by CS
Can Someone please answer my previous question.

this may sound like a stupid question but when I do decide to go with Ushio or XM should I break the bulb in slowly by increasing the amout of time that the MH bulb is on and then slowly upping the time week by week. I did this when I first changed from all PC's to the MH PC set up and seeing as these bulbs are alot better PAR wise than the CoralVue I am not sure if this is neccesary. I am at 8 hours for the MH and the PC's run 12 hours.

CS,
YES, any time you change bulbs you should acclimate, regardless if you changing wattage. K rating, ballast, pendants, whatever, you should always acclimate lighting changes. There's no reason not to.

I didn't see a ballasts mentioned. What ballast are you running?. I've ran all the bulbs mentioned, The CV's are worthless. I've ran 2x400 watt 10K XM's using both the PFO 400 watt HQI and standard. This bulb was just too much for my sps (22" deep tank) I just switched over to the 20K XM on the standard ballast a few weeks ago. I don't care much for the bulb color but the corals sure do like it.

Creetin · #64 07/24/2005, 07:27 PM

I just got a pfo hqi dual ballast, and rand them with my 20k xm's and god damn are they the mack daddy. I ran the same bulbs with a m59 ballast, and they were superactinic blue, Now i love them.

Creetin · #65 07/24/2005, 08:43 PM

Duh correction, i did upgrade to 400 dual pfo standard ballast, and a single 250 pfo hqi for the center. If i get tired of replacing bulbs i can always throw my icecap 250 back on or go de with it.

CS · #66 07/25/2005, 08:02 AM

Thanks Illusion and Golfish. I am running a magnetic ballast. So how blue are the 20k XM's?

sweetmindy · #67 07/25/2005, 09:34 PM

I like my 10K xm's

Creetin · #68 08/03/2005, 10:41 PM

I just got a pair of ushio's, and let me tell you theres no color differance in my xm 10 k's to my ushio's. The only differance is the ushios are more expensive, and not as good in par. The only way i bought ushio's is the deal i got on 2 new ones. ( a little cheaper than xm's) I am going to stay with xm's.

wrassie86 · #69 08/04/2005, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by CS
Thanks Illusion and Golfish. I am running a magnetic ballast. So how blue are the 20k XM's?

remeber that Ushio and XM run on different ballast.ive had problems getting ushios to fire on M58 ballasts.For me i think it came down to cord lenth, but not sure as the bulb would fire on one ballast and not the other.

Also i spoke with a bulb maker (cant say who it was, told in private)that there is no way that the 20k bulbs are higher in par than the 14-15k bulbs.And that the tests were wrong.compared to the companys testing.,Altho i was not informed of there par readings but i do find it kinda funny that for almost every bulb maker there 20k is always rated higher par than there14- 15k

XM,coralvue,sun aquatics,evc.ect,ect.i think with the exception of hami's.

CS · #70 08/04/2005, 12:53 PM

Thanks wrassie86. I just got a phosban reactor to help with the browning of some of my sps but still have not decided completely on the bulbs to order but am leaning heavily towards XM's

fishdoc11 · #71 08/04/2005, 07:13 PM

I run Ushios on magnetic ballasts and have never had a problem getting them to fire.

griffey83 · #72 08/04/2005, 11:52 PM

My new 250 watt ushio's have now been in for close to two weeks. I have used these bulbs and others in the past and once again, my personal opinion is that these are the best bulbs for me and my corals. Every system is different though and we all know that. For me, these are the bulbs that last the longest and help the corals show off the colors and growth that I am looking for the best. One reason i love these bulbs is because I can get a great deal on them from one of reefcentral's sponsors. A high end bulb, in my opinion, at what i think is a great price.

JR719 · #73 08/05/2005, 12:00 AM

I am currently running XM 250W 10Ks. I had Ushio 10ks and well...... Wish I would have bought Ushio's to replace. All the noise about the XM's made me buy them. Blah Blah Blah, I am going to order Ushio's when the life is out of the XM's. I think the color is way better than XM's. The Ushio's appear to me to be "whiter" than the XM's. I am running 2 URI super actinics with 2 XM 250W 10k's and my tank "looks" yellow compaired to the Ushio's. XM's are much cheaper, just make a sound decision. Ask for pics from people running both and make a decision.

NuclearReefs · #74 08/05/2005, 12:07 AM

I ran ushio 10k 250 watt on a icecap ballast for 4 months and hated the yellow apearance i had, It wasnt my water either.. I switched to a XM SE 10k and love it... I dont have near the growth i had as you get from a Iwasaki , but now i dont have to flood my tank with vho actinics.... its all halide now,, no suplemental except moonlights...

wrassie86 · #75 08/05/2005, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by fishdoc11
I run Ushios on magnetic ballasts and have never had a problem getting them to fire.

I put it on about a 10ft cord lenth.but it would fire good on the shortest cord.

I also found them pretty yellow next to the xm 10k.now my ushios are just back up bulbs sitting in a closet.But dont think for a minute i back XM bulbs, as ive ordered a set of 14k's to try out this weekend of another brand.

When i ran 175w xm 10k i found them to be yellowish,but when i went to 400w i found them to very white.