SE MH Lamp Choice

[scsinet]

I'm coming up on a lamp replacement on my reef tank. I've been using (3) XM 15K SE 250w lamps with no supplement.
I've been somewhat disappointed with the light levels, I haven't used a meter or anything but it seems like I should be able to expect more light output.
I'm looking at:
15K XM
20K Radium
20K Blue Life SPS
I'd be willing to stick with the XM if that's what you guys think is best, but I was looking at jumping to 20K to get a bit better color rendition (color is more important to me than growth), so I didn't know whether the Blue Life or Radium lamps are "better." The Megachrome is in there too, but I didnt' list it because I can't see justifying the high price tag.
Thoughts?

 

[stanlalee]

XM 15k have verifiable poor PAR (all wattages and configurations). uncharacteristically poor performer for XM. In fact performance is virtually identicle to XM 20ks so you might as well go with XM 20ks and get better color with no performance loss. blue life SPS also have less than stellar PAR in any kelvin vs the good performing competition. I cant comment on the color as I have not seen them just Sanjay testing. Of those your looking at I'd go with the radiums or move to XM 20k. their both good 20k performers. do you have electronic, HQI, pulse or probe start ballast?

 

[veni vidi vici]

I am running both a 20k Radium and XM's,and they look identical in as far as in- tank color.I have 1 Radium in the center and 2 XM's on either side,color is consistent all the way across tank.I sure you have already researched the par values so i wont clutter this thread with numbers.
Oh the Radium is running on a electronic ballast and the XM's on a M58 ballasts.

 

[wattsupdoc]

Yes, the XM 15K's are really poor par producers. The Radium's are about the best par producers of your list. The color is reportedly very nice also. Many people rave over them. The XM 20K's are actually a better par producer than the 15k's crazy huh?

 

[groupergenius]

If color (more blue) is more important than growth, Reeflux 12K. Cheap bulbs.
If Growth and color (more white) then Aquaconnect 15K. Expensive bulbs.
Just going by my personal.
MH bulb opinions are like you know what.

Everyone has one.

 

[scsinet]

MH bulb opinions are like you know what. Everyone has one.
Yeah but lots of folks here have gone through a few different choices and can speak more from what they've seen themselves versus manufacturers and their self serving, biased "research" on the topic.
I'm running electronic ballasts so I can get just about anything. The choices I listed were the choices that "the depot" had on their web site, as I usually prefer to order through them.
Never heard of Aquaconnect lamps, I'll have to check them out. If the lamps cost me a few extra bucks, I'm not concerned, but the $110 Megachrome lamps are just ridiculous.
Stan I've heard what you are saying about the XM lamps before, with the 15K lamps being poor. Nice to have confirmation on that one.
If anyone else wants to chime in, by all means. I'm gonna continue my research. I've got another week or so before I have to order them.

 

[stanlalee]

Originally Posted by SCSInet
http:///forum/post/2874453
Never heard of Aquaconnect lamps, I'll have to check them out.
these are the EXACT same bulbs as phoenix. Of course phoenix doesn't make SE bulbs but the DE are the same (but the price is double for the aquaconnect). this has been verified through multiple test (spectrum and output, multiple samples). I can link it just not here. I guess if you want SE phoenix bulbs those are it.

 

[spiderwoman]

I was running 2 Radium 20k's and right now I have one of those and the other is AquaConnect 15k. I haven't been able to get another AC bulb arrive safe (first broken, the second extremely yellow in color). Not sure if the performance of AC justifies it's very high cost (almost twice the price of a Radium 20k). I did order XM 15k's and they are coming in next week. I'll be taking out the LED bulb I had between the 2 400W lights, so I'll be running 3 400W's. The configuration will be XM's on the sides and the AquaConnect bulb in the middle.
I do have T5 actinics as support. Front bulbs are actinic blue and the back blue's are Reef Blues.

 

[spiderwoman]

The PAR and all depends on what ballast you use to fire your bulbs. From what I've learned, the AC bulb doesn't perform as well on my PFO ballast as it does on many others and the XM bulb is suppose to perform better on it.

 

[scsinet]

I have been doing some more research this morning and apparently the XM 15K lamps really do suck (at least the 250w lamps).
The XM 15K was all the way at the bottom of the lamps tested with a PAR of 171. The next lowest rating in that temperature was the coralvue at 243. The Radium 20K scored at 327 (yeah, almost double!!!), so it looks like that those are the ones to get. They scored the highest at that end. The really high PAR lamps were the lower Kelvin ratings.
Across three lamps it'll cost about $60 more, but that kind of a performance gain is worth it IMO.
I'm driving my lamps with Ballastwise ballasts, which so far have worked pretty well for me. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find anyplace that tests these ballasts side by side with any of the bigger players like ARO or Icecap, but the variances between ballasts seems to be far smaller than the variances between lamps, so methinks that getting the right lamp will get you "most of the way there" even if you have less than a perfect ballast.

 

[veni vidi vici]

On a side note SCSInet.Im almost done with the poster board mock up of the Lumenbright knockoffs.Ill be posting pics in the near future,probably today.Hopefully i will be receiving the "FREE" material Monday.

 

[wattsupdoc]

SCSInet, I'.m not sure where your researching at, but for the benefit of those who don't already know reading this. I and most rely on Sanjay's analysis of lamp performances. I say this because I don't believe his data shows PAR anywhere near that high. for most anyways. I think the XM 10,000k's on an I.C. EB where somewhere in the 105 range. Which was the best PAR producer coupled with my ballast I could find. Anywho, his data is composed very meticulously and with the same parameters per test. . I am pretty sure when testing it is done with NO REFLECTOR and the same distance. Of course with a reflector par would be much higher, and variable depending on WHICH reflector. Why it is best to test without a reflector. I don't really trust any other results myself as his data is kinda the GO TO source. He has tested sooooo many, even has a handy calculator. To find Sanjay's site, google Sanjay's Lighting Guide.

 

[spiderwoman]

Sanjay is absolutely the guru and I rely on his listing. I haven't seen that high PAR's either
Another bulb that you may want to check is EVC 14k. Reef Science carries it and they are now on sale for $55. They have all (10k, 14k, 20k) in stock and I being the tester I am, just ordered 3 14k's.
I've heard really good things about this bulb from a few of our club reefers.