Lighting Website Updates

[BeanAnimal]

Thanks for all of the [subliminal]150W[/subliminal] great work you have been [subliminal]DE bulbs[/subliminal] doing for the reef lighting community. Your database and work are one of the most useful reefing resources [subliminal]updates?[/subliminal] that I have ever seen.

[Sanjay]

Hey Bean, the automation guru - Help me build a cheap cartesian robot and I can churn out the light tests a lot faster. rally, the DIY troops on this project. :-)

sanjay.

[BeanAnimal]

That my friend is simple... Your robot does not even have to be that precise... a simple pair of steppers and a serial port will do

The motors do not have to big or strong like in a router, so the cost should be minimal. Did you have a look at the most recent CNC thread?

[hahnmeister]

http://archiv.korallenriff.de/Sindel...-sponsoren.jpg

Bean, Sanjay's idea is based on this idea that I showed him^^^. Perhaps there is something even better (besides using a PAR meter rather than a Lux meter).

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by Sanjay
Hey Bean, the automation guru - Help me build a cheap cartesian robot and I can churn out the light tests a lot faster. rally, the DIY troops on this project. :-)

sanjay.

Wouldn't it be less moving parts to just pay a kid a quarter to keep moving the sensor for you

[hahnmeister]

He he he... But the whole point was so that Sanjay can sit back and drink beers while the tests are running. Cant do that and supervise the little kid, now can you? Maybe...

[Sanjay]

Yes, but finding that kid is the tough part. My own kids refuse to do it - too little money for too much work according to them. !! Kids these days have no appreciation for doing work so it benefits the larger community... oh well, it will have to be a robot.

sanjay.

[hahnmeister]

FWIW, I think that kids really do have more moving parts anyways... at least most of theones I see look like they are made of too many (running around, screaming, bouncing, arms flailing, head spinning... thats alot of moving parts).

Whaaah? Sanjay... the key is you have to raise your kids with the understanding that they are in a socialist state. That way, they are more than helpful when they are young, for fear of their own lives and thinking that they are 'contributing to the greater good', and when they get old enough to know they have been lied to all those years, then they pack their bags and leave! Its the best of both worlds!

[Aquaticman74]

Are the 250w DE 14k Ushio's yellow?

[Aquaticman74]

Sanjay,

Was there any reason you used a shield when you tested the 400w SE 14.5k Gieseman bulbs?

Thanks!

[hahnmeister]

Where did Sanjay test the 400wattSE 14,500K bulbs?

Anyways, the 250wattDE Ushio 14,000K is a rather yellow bulb. Its like their 10,000K, only slightly less red/orange, and slightly more actinic.... but its so slight.... its almost the same bulb as their 10,000K really.

[Aquaticman74]

Here is where he tested 400w SE Gman Coral and Marine.

[Navyblue]

I have some questions. I hope the experts that hang out in this thread can answer.

Currently I am running 2x150W DE MH (BLV 10000K on the left and Astralux on the right) on magnetic ballast (I don't know what ballast is that), with 2x54W HO T5 Aqualight Coral Blue tubes. The tank is an 4'x2'x2'.

I have some mushrooms (discosoma) that appeared to be colouring up nicely. My problem is I have some other mushrooms (yuma and hairy mushrooms) that remains very brown, they are mid way up in the tank

They are opening up nicely, so I guess the flow is fine. I also have undetectable nitrate and phosphate, so I guess my water quality is fine too. So that left me with lighting. Yes? No?

My question is, is there anything wrong with my lighting? Is the intensity too strong or too weak to cause the browning? Or would changing to Phoenix 14000K bulb helps?

The 250W version of the Phoenix seems on par with the BLV 10000K on magnetic ballast in term of PPFD, which is not bad for a 14000K. I wonder if I'll be seeing similar result with the 150W version?

Thanks in advance.

[brad23]

I tested a 250w reeflux 12k back to back with the 10k same reflector and ballast and the 12k was almost half the par.

Big let down.

[Randall_James]

Originally posted by BeanAnimal
That my friend is simple... Your robot does not even have to be that precise... a simple pair of steppers and a serial port will do

The motors do not have to big or strong like in a router, so the cost should be minimal. Did you have a look at the most recent CNC thread?

Just start at the bottom of the measured area and zig zag to the top, infinite readings?

[Typhon]

I am thinking about changing my lighting system.

Currently I'm running 3 x 250w AB 10Ks DE with IceCap Ballasts and in PFO mini Pendants.

I am looking to get a little bluer color. The ABs are kind of yellow, but I love the PAR. I want something with similar PAR ,but with a more crisp white look.

Here are some choices I have been thinking about. Tell me what you guys think?

1) 10K Reeflux SE 250w, IceCap Ballast and Lumenarc Mini

2) 14K Pheonixs DE 250w, SLS HQI Ballast and Lumenare DE Mini or stay with PFO mini.

Also, I have been all over Sanjay's site and I have notices that many of the 250w SE bulbs where producing more PAR/better color temp than the 250w DE bulbs. Does the DE reflectors push the DE bulbs way beyond the SE bulbs when it comes to PAR. And in to the range of the 400w SEs with good reflector? If yes, does the Lumen Arc level the playing field?

[Typhon]

Does anyone have opinion??

[BeanAnimal]

You may get a LOT more feedback if you start a new thread...

Reflectors make a lot of difference. There are now good offerings in the DE and SE market. I like the SLS ROIII and Lumenmax stuff.

[hahnmeister]

Many of the 250wattSE bulbs on DE ballasts are being overdriven (most are actually, as there are very few SE bulbs that are HQI rated) and will burn faster because you are pretty much taking a 250watt bulb and putting it on a 300 watt ballast. For more accurate comparison, compare 250wattSE bulbs on M58 magnetic or electronic ballasts to DE bulbs on HQI/M80 ballasts... those are the suggested mfg. spec ballasts for each type of bulb.

[TropTrea]

First off the blue color.
The bluer the bulb is or the higher the color temperature of the bulb the lower the Par is going to be. Basicly it takes more electrical energy top produce bue light than it does to produce yellow light. So if your simply trying to stay with bulbs that are MH's keep your par at the same or higher value and also raise your color temperature the only way to do it is to increase the wattage.
My sugestion to everyone is to start with a bulb that will give you max PAR for your tank. Then add additional T-5's to increase the blue and atinic frequencies to your personal taste.

While it is true that a good reflector can increase your light by a considerable amount keep in mind some of the price tags on reflectors. With adding three reflectors to get more out of your 250 watt bulbs in some cases you might be cheaper off simply changing one of them over to a 400 watt unit. I have seen more than system using 2-250 watt 6,500K bulbs, and a 400W 14,000K in the center.

As far as using various ballasts with different bulbs to get higher output it realy turns out to be a game. The reason there getting higher output is because they are pumping mre voltage into these bulbs creating more wattage and power usage. Remembering that most of that wattage is going up in the form of heat these bulbs will then burn hotter than with another type of ballast. The heat of these bulbs is what eventually causes them to burn up. Now adding more heat to them will definatly shorten there life. But where the question falls is will it reduce there life by 10% or byt 60%. This variies from bulb to bulb and from ballast to ballast.

Dennis

Originally posted by Typhon
I am thinking about changing my lighting system.

Currently I'm running 3 x 250w AB 10Ks DE with IceCap Ballasts and in PFO mini Pendants.

I am looking to get a little bluer color. The ABs are kind of yellow, but I love the PAR. I want something with similar PAR ,but with a more crisp white look.

Here are some choices I have been thinking about. Tell me what you guys think?

1) 10K Reeflux SE 250w, IceCap Ballast and Lumenarc Mini

2) 14K Pheonixs DE 250w, SLS HQI Ballast and Lumenare DE Mini or stay with PFO mini.

Also, I have been all over Sanjay's site and I have notices that many of the 250w SE bulbs where producing more PAR/better color temp than the 250w DE bulbs. Does the DE reflectors push the DE bulbs way beyond the SE bulbs when it comes to PAR. And in to the range of the 400w SEs with good reflector? If yes, does the Lumen Arc level the playing field?

[Antman]

Hello question on Blueline 175W lamps
I Know there was 10 K+ and a 10K superwhite
I also know the par was down in the dumps on the 250W lamps
I now see they actuly have a Blueline 14 K 175W ,has anyone tested this lamp ?I love the color of this lamp

[Antman]

NO Thoughts ??

[northbay-reefer]

Antman, even if it gets tested, the result wont be available for months so dont hold your breath. The reefkeeper magazine is good but its about 2 years behind the time on MH lighitng info.

[Typhon]

Wasn't Sanjay putting a new article this month? When does AA release there monthly newletter? It is already mid March?

[Deuce67]

Originally posted by Typhon
Wasn't Sanjay putting a new article this month? When does AA release there monthly newletter? It is already mid March?

15th of every month.