Radium 20K

[Bryan]

Any canucks running the Radium bulbs. If so what do you think and what are you using for ballasts.

[Jayson]

I run the radium bulbs and they are great! Corals color up in anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months if all other water parameters are good. I run them on my Hqi ballasts.

[Delphinus]

Jayson, have you tried running the radiums on electronic ballasts yet (blueline or icecap)?

(I still think of Tim Horton's when I hear "icecap" ... yum! :D )

[Bryan]

Jayson:
How long have you had the Radiums. I am wondering how long one could push the bulbs in terms of life expectancy. The consensus seems to be 8-12 months which could get pricey when the sak's can be pushed to 1-1/2 years.

[Jayson]

I have not tried them on Blueline(not a big fan of them) I am still waiting for he 12 Ice Cap I ordered to come in. The bulb expectancy is 11-12 monthes if run on the proper ballast. I you run them on a Pfo hqi you will get aprox 6-8 months. Radium does not even recommend the ballasts. Eye may last longer but there is just no comparison to color. Hope this helps

[Doug]

I am running a 400 watt 20K on my normal PFO ballast. Very nice colour, but not as bright as the pics I have seen of others driving them with HQI or electronic. I have only had mine for a month, so no longevity reports yet.

I just switched some lighting around. Running a pair of 400,s on the 180. The 20K on one side and a 12K Sunburst on the other. Both driven by normal ballasts. There is no difference in the colour or the intensity. If anything the 12K is a shade less blue, but not enough to tell at first look.

The tank colour is very nice. The 170 with a pair of 175 watt 10K bulbs is not close in looks.

BUT, makes ya wonder. The 170, using 350 watts of 10K, is wayyyyyyyyyyyy brighter than the 180, using 800 watts of a higher colour bulb. To our eyes at least.

[Bryan]

You mention HQI and PFO ballasts

When you mention PFO are you referring to the PFO regular Metal Halide ballasts. If I recall correctly they market a HQI ballast for the 400 watt but it is actually a SON AGRO 430 watt HPS ballast.

As fas I know there is no "HQI" ballast for a 400 watt bulb in North America, just the 250 watt

[Jayson]

You are correct in saying that there is no PFO hqi. This is why when you run the PFO ballast they burn the bulbs out premature and cause them to look whiter. Radium will not honor any warrenties when using this ballast. I have a ballast coming to Canada this week that is going to be a hqi/ps 400 watt. This is the ballast that Radium recommends for their lamps. This ballast will give you 11-12 months of lamp life.

[Delphinus]

What is "hqi/ps" -- can you point us to any info on this ballast, manufacturer, etc.? Where are you bringing it in from?

[DJ88]

Mind if I ask where you are ordering the ballast Jayson? Curious. [img]smile.gif[/img] Radiums are an interesting topic. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Are you running the radium on your own system or the business' tanks?