ReefSafari Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I was curious for those of you that use the 250w DE Pheonix (and I know there are a few of you) what type of Ballast are you using with them? Is it Electronic or Magnetic? I will be getting some new bulbs for my sunpod, which has a Magnetic Ballast, and while reading here and there, I have noticed it mentioned on more than one occasion that the bulbs tend to burn more blue with electonic ballasts, and more white with Magnetic... Anyone using Magnetic Ballasts and Pheonix 14k 250w DE bulbs? Would love to see pics of what yours looks like, I currently am not using any suppluimental lighting so I am concerned that with the Magnetic Ballast it will be too white and not enough blue. Anyone care to share thier expereince? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefnjunkie Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Electronic here on my dual 250 set up-I have used the Odyssey brand ballast and now a Galaxy Ballast-should have saved the 235.00 and kept the Odyssey-no "visible" difference. Cant comment on Magnetic ballasts-never used them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoobtoSalt Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I had a blue wave ballast as well as a galaxy ballast they both seemed to have the same color. I'm currently running a dual galaxy ballast though Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewisriverfisherman Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Electronic dual galaxy ballast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markdadof2 Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Go ahead and laugh at me...but I don't know if my Hamilton Belize Sun is magnetic or electronic. Let the laughter ensue.... I LOVE the color that the 14k phoenix emits - great bulb. I do know it is HQI! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherguy30 Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I've been running a PFO HQI ballast with my 250 phoenix. I get a lot of blue out of this combination:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kilmca Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 i'm running icecap and blueline ballasts and both are electronic. both produce the same result, white with blue tint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReefSafari Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 Thanks Everyone for your replies, (rock2) Electronic here on my dual 250 set up Cant comment on Magnetic ballasts-never used them Electronic dual galaxy ballast. i'm running icecap and blueline ballasts and both are electronic. both produce the same result' date=' white with blue tint.[/quote'] Sounds like most people are running electronic ballasts, which I think is why people like the color of the Phoenix 14k's so much, from what I have read the electronic ballasts tend to usually burn the bulbs a little bluer.... I've been running a PFO HQI ballast with my 250 phoenix. I get a lot of blue out of this combination:) Is your PFO HQI ballast a magnetic ballast? I am assuming so as from what I have read electronic ballasts can't be HQI only Magnetic....If yours are Magnetic, and you say they produce lots of blue, thats awesome! I was worried when I kept reading that Magnetic Ballasts tend to burn them a little whiter, I really don't want to have to buy new ballasts just to get that color out of the bulbs I am wanting you know. I am going to give them a try with my HQI (Magnetic) Ballasts that came with my sunpod, it seems like every time I turn around I am "upgrading" my equipment for one reason or another, its driving me nutz...lol I know this is going to sound weird/stupid, but I really like the color of the stock Current USA 14k's that came with the Sunpod, I just really hope the Phoenix 14k's will be blue enough...(scary) we will see, Maybe I will do a side by side comparison and make a video or something.....(laugh) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newfisher Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I run a PHX 20k now and had switched over from an SPS brand 20k. Running electronic ballasts and I noticed the SPS was more "blue" for a shorter period of time. The PHX is slightly blue, but seems to remain steady longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherguy30 Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I have been thinking of switching to a single end radium setup though. I can't seem to quite get the blue/purple tips on certain sps the radiums seem to produce. But the rest of my coral look great. So I'm having a hard time spending the cash just to get a little more purple:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReefSafari Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 Thanks for the replies, I also like the radiums, wish they made them in a 250w DE though(enforcer)...lol Well upon doing even more research and reading, it looks like Current USA Sunpods (at least the 250w versions) are not HQI Magnetic Ballasts they are actually Pulse Start Magnetic Ballasts (M138 ballast) that will not run HQI bulbs to thier correct opperating specs, so maybe the bulbs will actually be a little more blue than I was originaly thinking...LOL, its like the more I read the more I find out, the more I realize what I got is crap...lol I am guessing I will be changing the lighting system someday in the future, I like the looks and setup of the Sunpods, they are a great plug and play fixture, but the more I get into this hobby, the more I realize the reflectors are not that great, the ballasts are not HQI, ect.ect....(scratch).... Oh well, I will give the Phoenix 14k's a try on my M138 ballast that came with the Sunpod, and see what its like.....So confusing....(nutty) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherguy30 Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Just curious, isn't the pfo hqi a magnetic pulse start too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kshack Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Not all magnetic pulse start ballasts are HQI. (All HQI are magnetic and pulse start) HQI are higher output than the standard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherguy30 Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Ahhh, had me confused for a sec:) lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReefSafari Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 Not all magnetic pulse start ballasts are HQI. (All HQI are magnetic and pulse start) HQI are higher output than the standard. So are the M138 ballast HQI? I was reading that the M80's are HQI, but that the M138 ballast that come with Current USA Sunpods will not run HQI bulbs to thier optimum potential, same with the electronic ballasts, making specifically the Phoenix 14k bulbs burn a little more blue as the bulb is not reaching its full potential. Am I confused? (scratch) Rereading your post, it makes scense, not all Magnetic Pulse Starts are HQI (Like my M138 ballast) but all the ones that are HQI are magnetic and Pulse start....(scratch)DOH!(laugh)....man this is confusing, I just want a nicely lit aquarium, why do they have to be so confusing...lol When I bought the Sunpod, they stated that it was a HQI, but many places I read stated that they infact where not HQI ballasts, the 150w Sunpods have electric ballasts, so that for sure is not HQI, but the 250w versions have a Magnetic Ballast, but apparently just because they are magnetic, doesn't make them HQI, and from what I have been reading (Again its confusing sometimes) to properly run the Phoenix 14k bulbs to thier potential, one must use a HQI Ballast right? Some places say an electronic ballast will work as well, but then other places say if using an electronic ballast, they don't push the bulb to its potential and therefore it burns slightly bluer. Curious what makes a Magnetic Pulse Start ballast an HQI? is it the flux capacitor? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherguy30 Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Here's a pic of my tank with that set up. Bulbs probably about 2 months old Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReefSafari Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 Here's a pic of my tank with that set up. Bulbs probably about 2 months old Beautiful, SEE...thats what I want my tank to look like color wise, but your running a true HQI (magnetic pulse start) ballast right? I really like the color, not too white and not too blue, I like it(rock2) From what I understand, with my ballasts not being true HQI they will have a little more blue look to them....which might be ok...we will see... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherguy30 Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Ya, that's with the PFO HQI 250 watt balast:) I did try supplementing with some actinic vho's before but you couldn't even tell they were on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRENT Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 A little late but here you go. First picture is of Generic 2x250 ballast pushing PHX bulbs. the rest are of the Bluewave 7 Ballast. All taken within a week of each other. Same camera and settings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReefSafari Posted January 7, 2011 Author Share Posted January 7, 2011 A little late but here you go. First picture is of Generic 2x250 ballast pushing PHX bulbs. the rest are of the Bluewave 7 Ballast. All taken within a week of each other. Same camera and settings. Nice, beautiful tank, the color from both the generic and Bluewave are both really nice, I like it...thannks for the reply and pics(rock2) Well I installed the new phoenix 14k bulbs tonight, and I know they need about a week (100 hours or so) for the bulb to "break in/burn in" to attain true color, but I am not overly impressed(scratch)...I was hoping to see a significant difference in color.... The stock Current USA bulbs that came with the fixture have honestly been my favorite so far, I have tried Coralife 20k that I got from a fellow member fairly new, he said it was too blue for him, but for me it was whiter than the stock 14k bulbs, so I put them back in... This leads me to ask another question of you Phoenix 250w DE users, when you first fire them up are they a little whiter and then after the break in turn more blue? I am really hoping this is the case, I am going to give it time and if they don't blue up for me, I will either have to go one of two ways, try yet ANOTHER kind of bulb like the Blue Life SPS 20K or XM 20k to try and acheive something remotley blue tinted OR I am going to have to switch balasts or fixtures all together. While the Sunpods don't have very good reflectors they look nice hanging above the tank, I don't have a canopy so its nice to have an atractive looking fixture above the tank. Another problem is I am not running any kind of suppliment lighting like actinics, so I am trying to get a nice blue look that will make the corals pop just with the metal halide bulbs. Here is a side by side, both pics taken with the same camera same settings, I really hope the Phoenix 14k's get more blue after break in and not more white(scary) Cause I will be forced to go back to the stock bulbs until I either get a new fixture/ballast or different bulbs like 20k's of something... Will the new Phoenix bulbs get more blue after break in or more white? or will it stay the same, if they stay the same, I won't like them, at least with the setup I currently have, they aren't very blue, I actually like the Stock Current USA 14k bulb color a little more, but there isn't really a whole lot of difference.....(scratch) Here is a good example, the left pic is the stock Current USA 14k bulbs that came with my Sunpod, they are about 4 months old....Corals grew great under this lighting and I had a smaller 20" sunpod with the same bulbs that was great too....but below you can see the Current USA bulb is a little more blue, granted the Phoenix are brand new, but I hope they blue up a bit....I really don't want to have to buy all new lighting or new bulbs again...darnit...lol Another Example....Tyree Green Toadstool Not a whole lot of difference between them, but again, the Phoenix bulbs are new so I will just hope they blue up a bit more than they are now, if they go whiter after breakin, thats going to suck....(nono) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherguy30 Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 Can't really see a whole lot of difference on the whole tank shot. But the close up pics Look brighter on the phoenix side:) As for as change in color. I didn't notice a whole lot. Other than I have to replace my bulbs every six months. Can definatly tell when they need to go by the corals telling me:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReefSafari Posted January 7, 2011 Author Share Posted January 7, 2011 Can't really see a whole lot of difference on the whole tank shot. But the close up pics Look brighter on the phoenix side:) As for as change in color. I didn't notice a whole lot. Other than I have to replace my bulbs every six months. Can definatly tell when they need to go by the corals telling me:) Thanks for the reply, could it be that your using a true HQI ballast to run your Phoenix that is why you didn't notice any burn in change in color? If these bulbs stay this white I am not going to like them, I was really hoping for a dramatic difference, and was hoping for more blue. I have heard the six month thing as well, not looking forward to having to do that, but might be ok if they don't blue up, I will be looking forward to trying a different bulb. Anyone else care to share thier experience with burn in of new Phoenix bulbs? I would love to hear from the electronic ballast users, whats been your expereince when you first fire up a phoenix on a electonic ballast, does it burn more blue after the "break in period"? I was suprised at how white the bulbs where on my magnetic ballast (that is not HQI) so I was hoping it would burn a little more blue like an electronic ballast would vs. a HQI ballast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate213 Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 Im running Phoenix 14K in my Outer Orbit 2x250 setup. I did a color comparison a while back here: http://www.pnwmas.org/forums/showthread.php?14808-10K-Current-250-DE-vs.-20K-Radium-SE&highlight= Look toward the bottom of the page. It has 10k stock, vs 20k Radium, vs 14k. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgf86123 Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 Just going from the eye test David, the corals look happier under the Phoenix bulbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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