250w HQI or 400w Magnetic

haninja

haninja

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The setup is - 180g, 3 x Luminarc minis, 2 x VHO actiics

OriginallyI was going for the combination of 3 x Coralvue 400w ballasts and 12Kk Reeflux.

In an effort to save some money, I'm thinking of either going 400w magnetic (high bay type) ballasts with the same bulbs, or 250 HQI (same bulbs in 250w version)

What's your opinion?
 
I personally would go the 250w route. I think 400w is overkill IMHO. I run 2x250 on a 120 that is the same demensions minus 2' of width. I can grow whatever I want pretty much anywhere I want including SPS on the sandbed. If I were going to add two foot to the tank by going to a 180 I would run the same setup with 3 lights instead of 2.
 
What's the actual monetary savings between your Coralvues and the other choices?

I'd get what you want, Hanin. The cost savings is probably insignificant over the life of the reef, anyways.

I am biased towards Coraluve. I have 4 x 400 watt CoralVue dimmable ballasts and a 250 watt CoralVue dimmable ballast, and while you may not think the dimmable feature will be used, it is one of the handiest things to have. I have used the dimmers many, many, many times. Especially handy for getting really blue light out of a Radium bulb, or when acclimating corals.

3 x 250 watt dimmable CV ballasts would be great for your tank. The dimmer feature adds about $15 per ballast depending on where you buy them. I have the 400 watt CVs because my 210 is just about 30" tall.
 
Thanks for the comments Dave and John. I could probably get 3 used HQI 250s for the price of 1 new Coralvue 400w so the saving is not negligible although you are right that over the life of the reef it is. Decisions decisions...
 
180=400 if you are stocking a lot of sps and want it to pop.

then again, I have 2, 400 watters over my 85. colors pop.
 
400W 20K mh lamps, it will rock and have the same if not more par than the 250's.

XM 400W bulbs are almost identical to the 400W radium and are designed to run on M59.
 
yup, I have 2 EVC/Helios 20k bulbs on my 2, 400 watt M59's.

sweet.
 
A 400 watt Radium dimmed down some on a dimmable CoralVue Ballast is REALLY blue. I like blue.

Just FYI, however, a 250 watt Radium on a 250 watt dimmable CV ballast is not as blue as the 400 is. Still nice, still blue, but not AS blue.
 
I have no exp with 400 or 250 for that matter...but I dont care for Magnetic ballasts, so I say HQI.
 
Darren was growing sps with a 150 mh with great growth.I dont really see a need in a 400 exept on a 30" deep tank. im running 250s on my 24" deep tank.
 
I run 3 400 watt 20 k helios on my 150 but I custom made the reflector so that all three are housed in it. I run the center bulb for around 12 hrs and the other two are burned though the middle 6 hrs of the day. they are fired by 400 watt hqi ballast which are no more than 430 watt high pressure sodium ballast. Also HQI does not mean electronic ballast there are plenty of HQI ballast that are magnetic. I am able to raise my lights considerably higher than a 250 watt which in theory and in theory only should help with heat issues.
 
My very first tank I went with coralvue20k bulbs and a m59 ballast with diy lumenarcs and the color was awesome. My sps seemed to really respond to the light and I had awesome growth. I have another tank now that I am running a lumenmax elite, galaxy ballast, 250watt ushio 20k. I hate to say it but I think I liked the 400watt setup better. The only thing I do notice is that it seems like there is less heat transfer to my tank out of the 250hqi setup. p.s whenever you get this badboy setup I can frag you some of those awesome corals you gave me a deal on before your tank crashed. Besides the tricolor vilidia that is.....it flipped over on to my plate coral....the plate coral won.
 
Well, I picked up a 400w coralvue ballast and 12k reeflux. I think I'm going to run it along with a couple of 250w for comparison.
grouper, you are quite right, HQI doesn't necessarily means non magnetic... there are plenty magnetic HQI ballasts.
fraggel, thank you for the offer. I need all the frags I can get :)
 
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