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  #1  
Old 08/03/2007, 01:58 PM
Evolley1 Evolley1 is offline
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SE or DE?

I am going to get rid of my current Hamilton 48" 2x250 SE MH w/ 2x110 VHO soon and replace it with a couple lumenarcs. When ordering the Lumenarcs I am wondering whether or not I should go double ended? I will have to buy new electronic ballast anyway so maybe the time is now. Are DE the way to go? I know that is a subjective question but I had to ask. I know the bulbs will cost more but I may get more burn time out of them. Any thoughts?
  #2  
Old 08/03/2007, 02:02 PM
rickyb rickyb is offline
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You will find most of your answers here.
http://www.reeflightinginfo.arvixe.com/

Find out what you can do with your current ballasts, then upgrade if you need/want to.
  #3  
Old 08/03/2007, 02:06 PM
Deceptive Deceptive is offline
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If you liked your Hamilton hood. I have a set simular but in the DE version thats a month old if you are interested. They have about 60 total hours of use on them, if that.So not even broken in yet. Hamilton Technology brand as well. Let me know Thanks

Exact specs is as followed
Hamilton Technology Protostar 48inch
2x250DE 10K
2x110VHO
Hammertone Reflector
Electronic Ballasts
1 outlet for the VHO and 1outlet per MH Bulb
  #4  
Old 08/03/2007, 02:14 PM
aiko670 aiko670 is offline
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I'm a big fan of over driving SE bulbs with an HQI ballast, it really improves the PAR.
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  #5  
Old 08/03/2007, 02:33 PM
Evolley1 Evolley1 is offline
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I love the hood that I am using now however I need more spread and more PAR output. The current light setup uses magnetic ballasts. I'd llike to switch over to Electronic and then just sell my other setup as a complete set.

Aiko-
I agree with that statement...that's why I'm thinking that is the way to go.
  #6  
Old 08/03/2007, 02:45 PM
rickyb rickyb is offline
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The electronic ballast will not over drive the bulbs as a HQI will. Most of the time you will get better PAR out of a PFO HQI ballast than any other out there.
  #7  
Old 08/03/2007, 02:56 PM
Rod Buehler Rod Buehler is offline
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I also prefer the SE. And also prefer the HQI ballasts. If I knew I would only use Reeflux, I could be happy with electronics, but only if I used Reeflux exclusively.
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  #8  
Old 08/03/2007, 02:57 PM
aiko670 aiko670 is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by rickyb
The electronic ballast will not over drive the bulbs as a HQI will. Most of the time you will get better PAR out of a PFO HQI ballast than any other out there.
Correctamundo!

Electronics won't overdrive but they will save electrictity.
  #9  
Old 08/03/2007, 03:00 PM
aiko670 aiko670 is offline
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Is it 5 yet?
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  #10  
Old 08/03/2007, 03:49 PM
Doubledown Doubledown is offline
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E-

I've been dying to try them out myself - look into the Galaxy series from Sunlight Supply.

For your 5 footer I would get 2x the 400watt Galaxy ballasts wired up to either the Luminarcs or the SLS LumenMax 2 (my choice because they do not need an adapter to connect to the ballast and I am retentive like that) pendants. Either way, I would choose the SE version as there are more bulb choices in the 400 watt range for SE bulbs.

Either that or get the 250 watt HQI ballasts and run DE Geismann Coral bulbs in either pendant. The Coral bulbs are supposed to have the highest PAR value of any of the "bluer" DE bulbs (I have not gotten around to trying mine out yet so I cannot compare them yet).
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  #11  
Old 08/05/2007, 10:43 AM
Evolley1 Evolley1 is offline
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Chris,

What is so special with the SLS Galaxy series? Are you talking about the single 400W Electronic ballasts?

Is there a difference between Electronic and HQI ballasts? I am leaning more towards the Lumenarcs for a larger spread of light. The SLS LumenMax does not seem as though the spread is as much???? Last but not least do you think 400W would be the way to go for a 5ft. tank? Afterall the center brace on my new Oceanic tank is very large and wide...so I will need as much light as possible to pass through the brace.
  #12  
Old 08/06/2007, 09:00 AM
Doubledown Doubledown is offline
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Sorry Eric, I was away from the computer all weekend.

I am not sure that there is anything over-the-top special with the Galaxy series (aside from being able to run on either 120v or 240v). They advertise a "soft start" for longer life of the bulbs, but there is debate that this just does not exist. I currently own 3 of the SLS HQI ballasts and have been very pleased with them. When I was thinking of adding more light - I wanted 400w ballasts to run different kelvin bulbs than the 250w HQI. Since SLS had just come out with the new Galaxy balasts, I wanted to try them. Other than that, Aquaticman74 runs the galaxy ballasts and has been very pleased.

Personal preference I think.

There is a difference between electronic and HQI at given wattages. As odd as it sounds, the output of the ballasts differ. HQI balasts push roughly 30% more watts. This output is optimal for most all of the DE bulbs available and overdrives most of the SE bulbs (suspect to shortened bulb life). Electronic ballasts regulate output wattage to that listed for there use (ie 250 watt ballast puts out 250 watts), typicalty resulting in more efficient use of electricity. Electronic ballasts will drive most SE bulbs normally, but will underdrive most DE (if they fire at all) resulting in less PAR output than could be achieved with that bulb. Short version of my understanding of ballast type - YMMV.

That said - I believe 400 watt HQI is overkill on a 24" high tank. Either choose the 400 watt e-ballasts (Galaxy, IceCap, Coralvue for Reeflux bulbs) or 250 watt HQI. Many will disagree (I know yznhymr loves his 250 watt Icecap eloctronics over his 30" deep tank and has good success with them), but I think that if you want to keep SPS corals like you do all the way down to the sand in a 24" - 30" tank, the 400 watt electronics or 250 HQI are the way to go.

I suggested the Lumenmax pendants to match the Galaxy ballasts simply because they do not need an adapter for the cords. They are also a little smaller than the Lumenarcs and would allow the use of VHO actinics.

For your 5 foot tank with the larger center brace, I would try the 2 400 watt pendants first. The Lumenmax are supposed to have a spread of about 2.5 feet and the Lumenarcs a 3 foot spread - 2 of either should cover the growing area of your tank. If you find that is not enough, switch out one of the 400 watt ballasts for a dual 250 HQI and run the tank with 2x250 on left and right with a 400 watt in the center over the brace.
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Last edited by Doubledown; 08/06/2007 at 09:11 AM.
  #13  
Old 08/06/2007, 10:56 AM
444reefkeeper 444reefkeeper is offline
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400SE on PFO HQI =
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  #14  
Old 08/06/2007, 11:55 AM
Evolley1 Evolley1 is offline
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Thanks for all the info! If I do choose to run 2-400W, an electronic ballast should be sufficient. Seeing that I don't necessarily need to run the 400's an HQI ballast isn't needed. My idea is to have the 2-400's running on the lumenarcs so that my 3ft. spread will overlap in the middle thus having more light passing through the center brace.
  #15  
Old 08/06/2007, 12:17 PM
Doubledown Doubledown is offline
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Sounds good to me. Go with the single ended bulbs then - you will have more bulb choices at that wattage.

What about actinic suplimentation? Will you have room to fit a couple VHO bulbs in there? Maybe at the very edge of the Luminarcs and down closer to the water - you could angle the bulb a little by rotating it so that the internal reflector of the bulb shines into the tank more.
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  #16  
Old 08/06/2007, 12:20 PM
Evolley1 Evolley1 is offline
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This is true Chris...about angling the reflector for the VHO. I think at first I will start off with the MH and then add VHO depending upon personal preference. I've always liked the VHO look and the pop it gives the corals. We'll see
  #17  
Old 08/06/2007, 12:27 PM
Doubledown Doubledown is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by Evolley1
I've always liked the VHO look and the pop it gives the corals.
Me, too. The actinics allow me the growth potential using a lower K bulb with the "pop" of a higher blue spectrum.

You shoul be fine with the centerbrace - just put some of your lover light corals (Montipora, deep water acros, echinos, acans, etc..) in the middle with your high light acros to the left and right.
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  #18  
Old 08/06/2007, 04:58 PM
Dag Dag is offline
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DE bulbs are too hard to change.
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  #19  
Old 08/17/2007, 03:50 PM
Evolley1 Evolley1 is offline
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I ended up going with 2 400W 12K Reeflux running on 2 Coralvue electronic ballasts. I also bought into the new Lumen Bright reflectors. These things are awesome! I thought I was going to take my time in setting all of this up but I got so excited I set them up in a day. Amazing results with everything together. One stop shop over at Reef Depot.

http://www.reefdepot.net/lumen-bright.html
  #20  
Old 08/17/2007, 09:51 PM
NewSchool04 NewSchool04 is offline
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How do you like the 12K Reeflux with the Coralvue E ballast? I have the same ballast but run the 10K Reeflux.
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180 w/ 400W Coralvue dimmable ballast / mini lumenarc reflectors / Reeflux 10K bulbs
  #21  
Old 08/17/2007, 11:25 PM
Evolley1 Evolley1 is offline
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So far so good...I like the crisper white look with a hint of blue and this combination seems to do that. Mind you I am not running any actinic. I've heard and seen the same postive results from others using the Coralvue E ballast with the 12 K Reeflux...therefore it was a no brainer to go down that same path.
  #22  
Old 08/17/2007, 11:27 PM
NewSchool04 NewSchool04 is offline
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I'm thinking of making a switch. The 10K is a little much for me especially after coming from a T5 tank that tended to go towards blue.
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180 w/ 400W Coralvue dimmable ballast / mini lumenarc reflectors / Reeflux 10K bulbs
  #23  
Old 08/17/2007, 11:31 PM
Evolley1 Evolley1 is offline
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I think you would be very pleased with the results. For the time being I am not going to run actinics but I may later on for the sake of sunrise / sunset simulation.
  #24  
Old 08/18/2007, 12:05 AM
NewSchool04 NewSchool04 is offline
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I had to put a 72" VHO Super Actinic into the mix to tame down the 10K but I really did it b/c of the sunrise / sunset effect. Just one bulb really didn't cut into the 10K look that much but I really missed having the lights on after hours!

I was also thinking about the 400W Helios.
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180 w/ 400W Coralvue dimmable ballast / mini lumenarc reflectors / Reeflux 10K bulbs
  #25  
Old 08/18/2007, 12:17 AM
Evolley1 Evolley1 is offline
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I went with the 12K after seeing and hearing them on others tanks. I also visited Sanjay's thread and was able to compare the different efficiencies for ballasts and bulbs. The 12K was designed to run on the Coralvue E ballast and the graphs and numbers supported that.
 

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