Single ended or double ended Halide Lighting

[wannabeeareefkeeper]

I am considering a purchase for halide lighting for my 125 gallon tank. The dimensions are 72" length x 18" width x 22" tall. I would like to hear about your personal experiences with halides. Do you prefer the single ended or double ended bulbs?

I'm in the early pre-planning stages. I know I want some SPS corals. I wish I could just live with softies, but SPS corals is a must. What are the pros and cons of single ended halides? What are the pros and cons of double ended bulbs?

I am currently looking towards either Hamilton Cayman Sun Reflector DE [double ended] HQI 14 K System with a 250 watt bulb or possibly a Luxcore select watt 400/250 setup. Please help me in my decision process. Thanks in advance.

Wannabee

 

[ripped tide]

I am a single ended fan. I have a 400w Radium over my 93 cube, a 250w radium over my 30 rimless frag tank, and I just set up a 40breeder that I'll either use a 250w radium or LEDs for chalice only.

 

[schwaggs]

I use 250W DE with magnetic ballasts over my 210 72X24x30 with excellent results. I run 14k Phoenix and love the spectrum. I think both will work, it's just a matter of what brand bulbs you want, Phoenix on DE or Radiums on SE. Theses are the 2 most popular bulbs IMO.

 

[ralph atl]

Ripped Tide;835929 wrote: I am a single ended fan. I have a 400w Radium over my 93 cube, a 250w radium over my 30 rimless frag tank, and I just set up a 40breeder that I'll either use a 250w radium or LEDs for chalice only.

I have 2, 400 watt Radiums over my 85.....or 90, lol....who knows....

 

[rdnelson]

mysterybox;835941 wrote: I have 2, 400 watt Radiums over my 85.....or 90, lol....who knows....

Kind of like your age.....85.... Or 90....who knows? Hehehehehe

 

[wannabeeareefkeeper]

Ripped Tide;835929 wrote: I am a single ended fan. I have a 400w Radium over my 93 cube, a 250w radium over my 30 rimless frag tank, and I just set up a 40breeder that I'll either use a 250w radium or LEDs for chalice only.

Ripped Tide: Can you elaborate on being a single ended halide bulb fan? Is it because of the options available for types of ballasts for single ended? Is there less/more/ or the same for heat displacement for single and double ended bulbs?

How does the light spectrum range differ between the two types of bulbs?

Anyone else is allowed to participate with their personal experience between single or double ended halide bulbs.


Wannabee

 

[ralph atl]

there is nothing as good looking and growth orientated as a 250 or 400 watt Radium.

 

[mvm]

I have ran both and prefer the de Phoenix for growth and coral color.

 

[mrflameangel]

I run the 3 250w DE with 20k bulbs over my 180. Love the look.

 

[acroholic]

I think you will find more bulb options with a mogul base vs a DE base. Either way, you may want to look at getting a Lumen Max Elite reflector for which ever type bulb you go with. They are very good, but Sunlight Supply is out of the reef lighting business so these may be hard to find in the near future.

Another thing to consider regarding the use of Radiums, and this may or may not be important to you, is that there are specific ballasts recommended by Radium for their bulbs. The Radium 400 watt Mogul is supposed to be powered by an M135/155 magnetic pulse start ballast per Radium. The M135 actually runs the bulb at 360 watts. If you were to run the Radium 400 watt with an electronic ballast, you would be overdriving it by 40 watts, about 10%. Use the HQI setting on a dimmable 400 watt e-ballast and you are overdriving by 80 watts, or 20%.

The Radium 250 watt Mogul is specified for an M59 probe start magnetic ballast, very different from an M135.

You can run Radiums on electronic ballasts, but there will be rendition and bulb life differences, depending on the ballast you use. Just something to know before you buy.

From personal experience, a Radium run by a Lumatek 400 watt e-ballast is noticeably brighter than one run by an M135.

 

[ripped tide]

mysterybox;835956 wrote: there is nothing as good looking and growth orientated as a 250 or 400 watt Radium.

+1

Radium doesn't make DE bulbs.



Dave, great info. I learn new things every day.



I use electronic ballasts with my radiums and supplement with t-5s.
I am going to adopt the habit of changing bulbs every 6 months.

Edit: I change my t-5s every 3-4 months. Mainly because I had been searching for the right bulb combo, but I think I'll stick with the frequent bulb changes.

 

[ralph atl]

Acroholic;835984 wrote: I think you will find more bulb options with a mogul base vs a DE base. Either way, you may want to look at getting a Lumen Max Elite reflector for which ever type bulb you go with. They are very good, but Sunlight Supply is out of the reef lighting business so these may be hard to find in the near future.

Another thing to consider regarding the use of Radiums, and this may or may not be important to you, is that there are specific ballasts recommended by Radium for their bulbs. The Radium 400 watt Mogul is supposed to be powered by an M135 magnetic pulse start ballast per Radium. The M135 actually runs the bulb at 360 watts. If you were to run the Radium 400 watt with an electronic ballast, you wold be overdriving it by 40 watts, about 10%. Use the HQI setting on a dimmable 400 watt e-ballast and you are overdriving by 80 watts, or 20%.

The Radium 250 watt Mogul is specified for an M59 probe start magnetic ballast, very different from an M135.

You can run Radiums on electronic ballasts, but there will be rendition and bulb life differences, depending on the ballast you use. Just something to know before you buy.

I always overdrive my bulbs on my galaxy ballast.......love the look and par.

 

[rdnelson]

Not sure how it will effect us but in the construction world you soon will not see any MH that is not pulse start. The "Go Green" initiative is driving it. However, I suspect MH will be a dying breed in the very near future. T5 fluorescent has surpassed it in indoor warehouse applications where 400 watt MH has been king for 25 years. In exterior applications LED is chipping away at the 400 what MH that has ruled that side for about the same time frame. The difference is the T5 fluorescent has matched the price of the MH high bay fixture while LED exterior is still a big cost impact.

 

[schwaggs]

 

[acroholic]

Ripped Tide;835986 wrote: +1

Radium doesn't make DE bulbs.

They do make one DE bulb, a 150 watt 20K. http://reefersdirect.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=151&zenid=7cnrk64tmjlj5ao4vcjfc53296">http://reefersdirect.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=151&zenid=7cnrk64tmjlj5ao4vcjfc53296</a>

I recently converted my 465 back to Halide, and started out with 250/400 watt Lumatek dimmable ballasts, and they were very bright with a big hot spot under the LumenMax Elite reflectors. So I am now using Hamilton M135s and find the light bright, but not as intense. There is a difference. Nice thing is the LumenMax Elite reflectors are a direct plug in on the Hamilton ballasts. They use the same proprietary 3 prong connector Sunlight Supply does.

 

[ripped tide]

Who wants a 150?

 

[acroholic]

Ripped Tide;835998 wrote: Who wants a 150?

Someone with a 'lil reef?

 

[wannabeeareefkeeper]

Acroholic;835984 wrote: I think you will find more bulb options with a mogul base vs a DE base. Either way, you may want to look at getting a Lumen Max Elite reflector for which ever type bulb you go with. They are very good, but Sunlight Supply is out of the reef lighting business so these may be hard to find in the near future.

Another thing to consider regarding the use of Radiums, and this may or may not be important to you, is that there are specific ballasts recommended by Radium for their bulbs. The Radium 400 watt Mogul is supposed to be powered by an M135/155 magnetic pulse start ballast per Radium. The M135 actually runs the bulb at 360 watts. If you were to run the Radium 400 watt with an electronic ballast, you would be overdriving it by 40 watts, about 10%. Use the HQI setting on a dimmable 400 watt e-ballast and you are overdriving by 80 watts, or 20%.

The Radium 250 watt Mogul is specified for an M59 probe start magnetic ballast, very different from an M135.

You can run Radiums on electronic ballasts, but there will be rendition and bulb life differences, depending on the ballast you use. Just something to know before you buy.

From personal experience, a Radium run by a Lumatek 400 watt e-ballast is noticeably brighter than one run by an M135.

Thanks for your great personal input on halides. As I brainstorm my options of choice, I post questions here at ARC and ingredibe responses are posted here. I love being an ARC member and I love to see questions I post; answered by personal experiences of other "reefers" while other followers learn as I also learn.

The key to finding the best reef equipment available is brainstorm some questions about a particular topic at hand and wait to see how others personal experiences posted here at ARC will help you in your decision process. Hats off to everyone whom has replied to this post.

Keep posting your personal experiences here related to single end or double ended halides. The information is very helpful and will make my final decision a lot easier. Thanks again for your responses. :thumbs:

Wannabee

 

[ripped tide]

I guess so. I haven't seen them frequently marketed.

Edit:

Acroholic;835999 wrote: Someone with a 'lil reef?

 

[rdnelson]

Acroholic;835999 wrote: Someone with a 'lil reef?

Oh now your getting personal.