Lighting Website Updates

[PITSTOP]

My setup will be:

2 x 400w PFO HQI Ballast
2 x 400w Ushio 14K SE
2 x 24" PFO Parallel Reflectors (linked to 48")
2 x 110 VHO URi Super Actinic (until I buy T5 endcaps, reflectors, etc.)
1 x IceCap 430 Ballast

[TropTrea]

I'm realy wondering about some of the T-5 setups I'm seeing on line. Twin 48" T-5's around $80, 4 48" T-5's around $150, and 8 bulb set ups around $270. The only thing is they do not give any details on the reflectors. But at these prices I can see mixing and matching bulbs to get a good balance and also adding ones own reflector if need be,

[xabo]

1

[xabo]

Originally posted by PITSTOP


BLV Nepturion = Ushio 14,000K 400w SE

On the PFO HQI Ballast = ppfd 214; cct 10,026

Anyone ruinning this bulb care to post an opinion and pic?

Just curious as to where you found this info?

[PITSTOP]

This should be larger...



From advanced aquarist and another hobbyist who contacted the manufacturer of Ushio....sold in England under the "BLV Nepturion" name

[kdblove_99]

I think i have asked this before but i cant find it anywhere.

What's up with the Happy Reefing bulbs? I can't find them anywhere. From what i see on Sanjays site they seem really good. By far the highest par i have seen for a 20K bulb. Think it was 84. Think that is acutally even higher than the phoenix 14K

[TropTrea]

There used to be a site for "Happy Reefing" and there bulbs however I just tried several web searches and only came up with various forums discussing there bulbs and nothing on the company itself, or a vendor that sells there bulbs.

Dennis

[hahnmeister]

Happy went out of business...

[PITSTOP]

hahnmeister - what do you know about the connection between BLV Nepturion 14K (400w SE) and Ushio 14K (400w SE)...someone claimed that they are the same exact bulb made by the same manufacturer - one sold on your side of the pond, the other on my side...can you confirm this?

If so, then what a bulb!

[hahnmeister]

Well, I think that we are on the same side of the pond FWIW, but many BLV/Ushio bulbs are in fact the same bulb. Im pretty sure the ones you mention are as well.

[PITSTOP]

Oh, I see you're back.

Where in NY are you?

[PITSTOP]

Oh, I see you're back.

Where in NY are you?

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

Originally posted by hahnmeister
Keep in mind that that bulb is also a true HQI rated 400 watter... so you will want to use a 400wattHQI ballast with it... not an e-ballast or regular probe-start/M59.

So what would that mean if i did want to run them with my m59's?(Ushio 14K SE)

[Aquaticman74]

Originally posted by E-A-G-L-E-S
So what would that mean if i did want to run them with my m59's?(Ushio 14K SE)

I thought German bulbs had a hard time firing on probe start ballasts, especially as they got older???


Also,
Anyone have any experience with 150w DE 20k Iwasaki's? They are for my LPS tank. I currently run Phoenix, but wouldn't mind a nice new look with decent par.

[hahnmeister]

Aquaticman74 is right... the bulbs may not start. For 250s this might be more true though... DE bulbs will not fire on M58 ballasts (but probe starts will start on pulse start/HQI ballasts). The probe start ballast doesnt surge in the beginning to get the bulb going... its waiting for the 'probe' or starting port within the bulb to start the halide. If there is no probe... the bulb wont fire.

But Ill admit, there is a problem with 400 watters. See, 150 and 250watt HQI ballasts are true HQI, but 400s are really 430 watt HPS/MV/EYE ballasts in the US (forget which one, but you get the point). If you look at the startup/peak specs for 250 wattHQI, its 5.5 amps, and a probe start 250 is 2.5 amps... quite a gap... so DE bulbs wont start on M58 ballasts. But a 400wattHQI is only 4.55 amps... less than a 250! And the regular 400watt ballasts are 4 amps.... not even a huge gap. So the M59 test on HQI 400 bulbs might not work, as some 400wattHQI bulbs might fire on a M59 ballast... even though they wont be running to spec.

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

So, a definite no go on a m59 for a 400W "SE" Ushio 14K? IYO

[TropTrea]

Looking at the bulb specs though I realy wonder why someone would want to use 400 watt MH. They use up about 60% more power than a 250 Watt yet there Par difference is closer to 20% more. In most cases using 3 250 Watt units will give you considerably more PAR light and cost you less in electricity.

The only time I can see not getting around this might be if some custom tank is say 36" Tall, 36" Wide and 18" deep (100 gallons) where you need the dept penetration but you do nopt have room for 3 lights.

Dennis

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

Or a 36" long 58g, can't fit 3 halides over it, so i'm using 2 halides....

[hahnmeister]

Originally posted by TropTrea
Looking at the bulb specs though I realy wonder why someone would want to use 400 watt MH. They use up about 60% more power than a 250 Watt yet there Par difference is closer to 20% more. In most cases using 3 250 Watt units will give you considerably more PAR light and cost you less in electricity.

The only time I can see not getting around this might be if some custom tank is say 36" Tall, 36" Wide and 18" deep (100 gallons) where you need the dept penetration but you do nopt have room for 3 lights.

Dennis

Dennis, keep in mind that your typical 250wattDE/HQI combo uses 300-350 watts. My pheonix usees 320. And a typical 400wattSE uses about 440 watts, and a HQI uses about 500. The 'true' wattage ratings do a better job of showing why 400s are still worth it. A aquaconnect 400wattSE, which is a HQI rated bulb, has a PAR of 170 for 500watts. A 250wattDE version has a PAR of 82 and uses about 320 watts. Thats around a 40% increase in power for a little more than double the PAR. Care to rephrase that idea that 400s arent worth it?

OF course, the Aquaconnect is a HQI bulb, so its more efficient than the average 400wattSE probe start bulb, esp when you consider how much faster the probe start bulb will degrade.

[TropTrea]

Jon
Lots look at another popular combination. The XM 10,000K SE bulbs that come in both 250W and 400W versions, with a standard ballast.

The 250 Watt version is rated by Sanjay at 137 and consumes 315 Watts. That is 2.29 Watts per PPFD.
The 400 Watt version is rated by Sanjay at 172 and consumes 438 Watts. That is 2.54 Watts per PPFD.

Yes you found an exception to the rule with the aquaconnect bulb, but for a 250W Double ended bulb it is definatly not in top list for effeciency.

Dennis

[hahnmeister]

Yes, but keep in mind that you are comparing a 250wattDE bulb, with a 400wattSE/probe start bulb. I was comparing two HQI rated bulbs.

400watt HQIs include the Aquaconnect 14,000K, the Aqualine 10,000K, and the Ushio/BLV nepturion 10,000K, 14,000K, and 20,000K (non-CWA). These 400s stack up a little differently.

[PITSTOP]

Just picked up my 2 x 400 PFO HQI ballasts, 2 x 24" PFO Parallel Reflectors w/Moguls, 2 x 400w SE Ushio 14,000K's!!!

Will have to wait until Tuesday to install and get my first look at the upgrade...these reflectors are awesome (Sanjay's tests prove these reflectors are awesome for my 120)

[Sanjay]

Originally posted by kdblove_99
I think i have asked this before but i cant find it anywhere.

What's up with the Happy Reefing bulbs? I can't find them anywhere. From what i see on Sanjays site they seem really good. By far the highest par i have seen for a 20K bulb. Think it was 84. Think that is acutally even higher than the phoenix 14K

Happy Reefing went out of business... but I was told that PFO bought out the line of lamps and they are being sold as Krystal Star by PFO.

sanjay.

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

Originally posted by TropTrea
Looking at the bulb specs though I realy wonder why someone would want to use 400 watt MH. and cost you less in electricity.

Also....the cost of 1-2 amp more of total elec. is 'nothing' compared to the cost of choice sps, equipment, etc.

And I personally like a 'really' bright tank visually, that's why I like 14k-20k less, they are too dim for me no matter how much wattage.

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

pitstop...any spare m137's to test those Ushio 14k's? If not, pm me.