Ballast of choice ? / Experience with...

[Rborgia]

I would like to get a couple external ballasts. One 250w MH and one VHO. I was wondering what peoples experience with and or recommendations you can make for me. I have looked at Marine Depot, Hellolights, Reef Exotics, IceCap inc...

I looked on RC at the lighting thread and can see which ones do best in watts / output.... but would really like to hear from those of you that are using them, reliablity, quality, etc... (ICecap, PFO, ARO, Coralvue etc...).

Also, what are the differences.. electronic and magnetic?? (I was reading something... forget the options.)

Thanks

Rich

 

[ezee]

Ballast

Rborgia,

I run electronic ballasts on my 250's. Dual PFO with SE XM Bulbs and Spider Reflectors. The ballast runs pretty hot but the light quality is great and not too blue, in my opinion. The ballast itself is enormous. I placed it on the other side of a wall to keep it out of the way. The bulb can occasionally take about 10 seconds to fire but usually they pop right up.

Is there anything specific you want to know?

E

 

[House of Laughter]

I have used PFO exclusively for years and recent'y moved to Blue Wave ballasts and double ended halides. I also bought a icecap 660 to run 2 160w VHO actinics (the ballast can run up to 4-4" bulbs.

PFO run hot, but sharp lighting - Blue Waves are nice and fire the Phenoix bulbs nice. IceCa, well they are icecaps - electronic, little heat and efficient.

Hope that helps.

House

 

[Rborgia]

I was just looking for an idea of what I should be looking for. Not specifics on what to buy, but has someone had a better experience with one over the other? DOes someone think one is better then the other any why do you believe so... that sort of thing.. opinions.

Thanks Ezee / House...

Rich

 

[pecan2phat]

Standard magnetic ballast will only fire SE bulbs, they run hot and are big & heavy
HQI magnetic ballast will fire SE & most DE bulbs, they run hot and are big & heavy but they also over drive most bulbs and run them whiter & brighter. They are also the most power consuming ballast.
Electronic ballast will fire almost every bulb, they run much cooler and keep the bulbs as close to the actual wattage. They are also very light and compact and can be mounted to the back of a wooden canopy. They are the least power consuming of the three.

 

[cali_reef]

Rborgia,

I run electronic ballasts on my 250's. Dual PFO with SE XM Bulbs and Spider Reflectors.

PFO does not make electronic MH ballasts, they are coil based ballast.

 

[ezee]

Magnetic

cali_reef,

My bad you are correct! PFO's are magnetic. I was on MD looking into some elecs when I responded. Thanks for the correction!!!

E

 

[jhale]

my new favorite MH ballast are the evc electronic ones.

I'm going to use my icecap 430's to run t-5 bulbs now, less power than vho's

Icecap has awesome customer service.

 

[ezee]

Icecaps

jhale,

I am picking up an icecap for my supplemental actinic VHOs. Do they fire easily?

E

 

[ctxmonitor]

I have an icecap 430 that is firing two T5 48" 54watt actinice bulb. They fire instantly. I'm going to get icecap 250watt ballast for my upgrade. got the 175 watt icecap.

 

[DRZL]

I have an icecap 250W which I thought I liked, but after seeing the PAR numbers mag HQI's pump out, im starting to wonder, yeah its more electricity but throw it in a lumenarc and get bright light w/ a big spread, and at the same time knock some narrow spread DE pendants off and it works, at least in my head.

Lighting is important enough to me to appropriate some wattage behind it, if you feel bad get some tunzes to make up the electricity..

 

[ctxmonitor]

Would this make you feel better??

I know I am..

I have an icecap 250W which I thought I liked, but after seeing the PAR numbers mag HQI's pump out, im starting to wonder, yeah its more electricity but throw it in a lumenarc and get bright light w/ a big spread, and at the same time knock some narrow spread DE pendants off and it works, at least in my head.

Lighting is important enough to me to appropriate some wattage behind it, if you feel bad get some tunzes to make up the electricity..

 

[DRZL]

its a really nice tank but alot more then lighting is going on for it to be like that.

PAR numbers dont lie, factor in surface turbidity, light height, DO in water and you'll numbers will decrease from there on

might as well start with higher numbers