PFO Metal Halides...how has everyone done with them?

[Anonymous]

Ok since I upgraded to a 6' tank I need to get a 3rd MH lamp. Right now I have 2-250W 6500 K Iwasaki bulbs on IceCap ballasts. Now I have heard everyone rave about PFO because of cost, so I want to see how everyone is doing. I do really like the IceCaps, but I am too cheap at the moment to get another one, especially if people are happier with PFOs. I know www.hellolights.com has a 250 W "electronic ballast" that will be for sale soon, but I was actually looking at sticking a 400W lamp in the middle and putting my 2-250s on each side. Any opinions on this, or PFOs in general? Thanks.

 

[Minh Nguyen]

I love it. I used Icecap, Champion and PFO ballasts. I like the PFO ballast the best. I used Icecap 5 years ago. It was not reliable. The fuse keep burn out and it cost me lots of money for fuse. It does not reliable light up the light and often shut down in the middle of the day. When it shut down it would not light again (can be really bad on vacation). I decided to stay away form electronic ballast after this bad experience. Maybe it is much better now.
Compair Champion and PFO, PFO wins hand down. It is completly enclosed ballast whit very good aluminum heat sink. It is much heavier then the ballast from Champion. I just like it better because it is completly enclosed and splash resistant.

 

[purplefirefish]

Been using my PFO's for almost 3 years now with out a problem, light every time, little to no hum, very little heat. I just love them

James

 

[Anonymous]

Great glad to hear it. I guess my other thing to figure out is do I get a 250 or 400 W? I am setting up a 180 like I said, which is just as deep as a 90 gal if I remember correctly. My thought on the 400W was to put SPS/CLams in the middle and less light loving corals on the sides. Since both setups are about the same, I figured why not. Also I heard you could run 250W lamps on a 400W ballast, any truth to this? Thanks for the opinions.

 

[golfish]

I run a dual PFO HQI ballast and a 400 watt PFO standard ballast. They fire the first time and everytime. If your going with a 180 I would go with 400 watters unless your going to run Iwasaki's or DE bulbs.

BTW, No truth at all,you can not run a 250 watt bulb with a 400 watt ballast

 

[Anonymous]

Well I am keeping my 2-250W Iwasakis like i said for the sides. Everything in my 90 gal is doing great so I saw no reason to replace them. The 400W PFO from Premium Aquatics comes with a 6500K Iwasaki bulb so that is what I would be using for the 1st year or so.

 

[Minh Nguyen]

Some people have use 250 W MH bulb with a 400W Ballast before, apparently without problem. I would not recommend this however.

 

[esmithiii]

I have 3x400W 6500K Iwasakis with 4x96W PC True Actinics. The halides are on PFO ballasts, and I love them. More importantly, my corals love them.

Ernie

 

[Anonymous]

I guess I will go with the PFO then, sounds good, and I really cant beat the price. Now I just need sand and I should be set.

 

[Merkur]

PFO ROCKS! 8)

 

[dattack]

You might consider stick a PFO 400W HQI MH with a 20K radium in the middle. This way, it might help you offset some of the yellow from the Iwasakis.

 

[Anonymous]

Actaully this tank came with VHO ballast/bulbs. I was planning on using 2 of them as actinic supplamentation. What exactly are the advanages of HQIs?