New MH bulbs advice

[mikesmith34]

Getting ready to order new 250w SE bulbs. I've narrowed my choice down to the ushio 14k bulbs. I've got Hamilton M58 ballast to drive them. Looking for a good balance between growth and color. I'll be using actinic supplementation. Any thing bad to say about that bulb choice???

 

[markl]

Phoenix 14k is my favorite de bulbs

 

[mikesmith34]

How long are t5 actinic bulbs good for?

 

[mikesmith34]

MarkL;937028 wrote: Phoenix 14k is my favorite de bulbs

Are you happy with the 14k? I've got 20k now and growth is very slow.

 

[1mbrews8]

I really like my phoenix 14k! Had a reeflux 12k before that and that was nice too...

 

[xyzpdq0121]

T5 bulbs are good for about 12 months.. If you are only using them for color then you can run them a lot longer. I had ran mine for almost 2 years with no real ill effects in color and only a light decrease in intensity. So if all you are using them for is some dawn and evening light and color supplimentation then you can get some long life out of them.

 

[mikesmith34]

Thanx for the info. I must order everything online nobody has bulbs in my neck of the woods including the petco

 

[seth the wine guy]

I love the Ushio 14k bulbs. I use the 400w version. I go back and forth between those and Radiums.

 

[markl]

Mikesmith34;937098 wrote: Are you happy with the 14k? I've got 20k now and growth is very slow.

I've tried a bunch and for the price and groth its hard to go wrong with them in a de.

 

[reefkeeper]

The M58 Ballast are a perfect combination for Radiums. Highly recommended.

 

[ralph atl]

Reefkeeper;937334 wrote: The M58 Ballast are a perfect combination for Radiums. Highly recommended.

I didn't think anyone used anything else...:doh:

 

[mikesmith34]

mysterybox;937391 wrote: I didn't think anyone used anything else...:doh:

I don't know a lot about ballast. They came with the system when I bought it. I see all these electronic ballast and i guess i was asking are they HQI. BRS recommends HQI with the radiums and I honestly don't know what I have. The ballet says its a Hamilton M58:confused2:

 

[tonymission]

Another vote for the Phoenix 14k bulbs.. Love them!

 

[jeffandkelly]

Phoenix 14 is my bulb of choice

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Xparent Pink Tapatalk 2

 

[snowmansnow]

Mikesmith34;937097 wrote: How long are t5 actinic bulbs good for?

T5 actinics are good for as long as any other T5 lamp is.

some will disagree with me, but I feel like they are viable for a full year (even with being over driven)

B

 

[snowmansnow]

as for MH.. I like the Pheonix 14k. when I ran MH.. that was my choice

 

[mikesmith34]

Well I made the switch to the 14k ushio and they look great. The really big thing is my sand bed is not turning brown everyday when my lights come on. I think the other bulbs had a spectrum shift and was causing the outbreak??? The switch to the true actinics for supplemental lighting really made the color pop better that the ati blues.