HQI metal halides....
- Thread starter gradymo
- Start date
zman1
Active Member
I believe it's more of a preference. I chose DE pendants since they have a UV shield that also protects the bulb from direct splashing and will allow me to reconfigure to a smaller or larger tank by adding or taking away a pendant, something that is harder to do with pre-assembled fixtures. You can do the same with SE retros. I went for trying to keep water splashing from directly hitting the bulb though. SE don't need a seperate UV shield as they are incorporated in the outer envelope, you do need a separate UV shield for DE and they are part of the pendant (make sure it says included).
natclanwy
Active Member
I don't believe that they are more powerful, in fact they seem way dimmer for the same wattage. I set up a sump and refuge for someone this last weekend and they have a 55g tank that they just put a 2-250w MH HQI fixture over and it looked way dimmer than my 55g with 2-250MH SE fixture.
I have never read one is more powerful than the other though, HQI's I have read have a higher UV output than SE's but I'm not sure if that is before or after they travel through glass.
I have never read one is more powerful than the other though, HQI's I have read have a higher UV output than SE's but I'm not sure if that is before or after they travel through glass.
stanlalee
Active Member
Originally Posted by Legion
http:///forum/post/2841906
Do a search but I was under the impression that hqi bulbs are more powerful for the same wattage.
I have 2 250 hqi pendants on my reef
HQI ballast are more powerful than electronic, probe and pulse start ballast. HQI isn't the proper term for double ended bulbs. single ended 250w radiums are HQI bulbs but they arent double ended. Coralvue double ended bulbs are designed to run on electronic ballast but they arent optimized for HQI ballast. supposedly DE bulbs can be reflected better than SE bulbs but I beg to differ. well it may be true but SE bulbs seem to have better (read larger area of) coverage to me. you basically chose what fits best. DE are more compact. If there is no space limitation I prefer SE.
http:///forum/post/2841906
Do a search but I was under the impression that hqi bulbs are more powerful for the same wattage.
HQI ballast are more powerful than electronic, probe and pulse start ballast. HQI isn't the proper term for double ended bulbs. single ended 250w radiums are HQI bulbs but they arent double ended. Coralvue double ended bulbs are designed to run on electronic ballast but they arent optimized for HQI ballast. supposedly DE bulbs can be reflected better than SE bulbs but I beg to differ. well it may be true but SE bulbs seem to have better (read larger area of) coverage to me. you basically chose what fits best. DE are more compact. If there is no space limitation I prefer SE.