Lighting HHMMM?

[loudog42362]

ok i have looked through the threads and i have looked at the grim reefers post on RC but i am still unsure, who has the best exp on lighting on here? ive got a current 8 bulb T5 but can go a diff route. suggestions

 

[lilrobb]

Coffee


Or on a more serious note;
what are you trying to accomplish?

Getting better colors, more growth, a nice shimmer...?!

 

[loudog42362]

Color and shimmer and good growth I like the blues

 

[lilrobb]

 

[william1]

IMO I think the mixture of MH and some T5's are by far the best of both worlds. You get the shimmer and growth from the MH. Adding the T5 to the mix will help bring out some deeper colors as well.

 

[snowmansnow]

you say you HAVE an 8 lamp fixture. it REALLY depends on WHAT fixture you have too.. an 8 lamp ATI PM does NOT = an 8 lamp TEK

as the above said.. if you MUST have shimmer then you will need MH or LED

 

[jaustin]

Realize if you go the Radium route and have SE you need to use an HQI ballast to start them.

you don't need an HQI ballast to start them, you need a pulse start magnetic or any electronic. The 250w SI MH bulbs are designed to run around 300W so they need HQI for best performnace. The 400W Radium is designed to run at 360W so it runs best on dimmable electronic. However; if you run the 400W Radium at 400W+ it's one kick butt 20K that out performs most 400W bulbs of any spectrum but will last about 6-8 months before it needs to be changed.

The 250W on HQI lasts almost a year even being overdriven.

HTH

 

[markl]

JAustin;421537 wrote: you don't need an HQI ballast to start them, you need a pulse start magnetic or any electronic. The 250w SI MH bulbs are designed to run around 300W so they need HQI for best performnace. The 400W Radium is designed to run at 360W so it runs best on dimmable electronic. However; if you run the 400W Radium at 400W+ it's one kick butt 20K that out performs most 400W bulbs of any spectrum but will last about 6-8 months before it needs to be changed.

The 250W on HQI lasts almost a year even being overdriven.

HTH

tim at keen reefs runing radiums with out hqi ballast, so is dr.necropolis.

 

[jaustin]

tim at keen reefs runing radiums with out hqi ballast, so is dr.necropolis.

yeah, they will run with out HQI.......

Both bulbs 250 and 400 perform better on HQI. The 250 is designed to run on HQI and the 400 is not.

 

[acroholic]

MarkL;421551 wrote: tim at keen reefs runing radiums with out hqi ballast, so is dr.necropolis.

So am I.