Does anyone have a review on this lighting set-up

[bueller]

If anyone has this set-up or has used it, I would like a review on it before I buy it...Thanks for the help

Bueller
250 Watt Dual Sunlight Supply Pulse Start Ballast

Blue Wave II



http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7768788700&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

 

[House of Laughter]

Bueller,

I am not sure about the pulse start ballasts that fire mogul bulbs, but I run 4 250w hqi Blue wave III's and love them. Careful though, when it comes to lighting - one man's music is another man's noise - what I mean by that is search for Sanjay's article on lighting with bulb and ballast comparisons and make your decision that way - 9 times out of ten, reefers sell stuff cause they "thought" or "heard" they would like them.

You can check out my gallery if you want to see how the corals color up under my lighting.

Good luck.

House

 

[Pseudo]

First of all try and match the ballast to the type of bulb you want to run to the ballast.

Certain bulbs require specific ballasts. Like Jim uses the Bluewave III ballast with Pheonix DE bulbs. Those bulbs with that specific ballast makes those bulbs beautiful white with a blue tint and he needs no supplemental lighting (actinic bulbs for the flourecence or blue color). Same bulbs with an Icecap ballast look dim, dull and too blue.

Some SE bulbs require HQI ballasts (Radiums, Aquaconnects and a few others) to run at the right PAR levels and color saturation.

Some Pulse start ballast do not fire all bulbs. Icecap ballasts do not fire XM 250W DE bulbs.

Choose your ballast wisely as this is one of the most important pieces of equipment for your reef (unless you like alot of light over your FOWLR tank )

Tell us what type of bulbs you are looking for, color you are going for (white,blue or a mix), types of coral, depth of tank, dimensions of tank, how many bulbs you want to run and if there is any supplemental lighting and what type if any.

Kasei

 

[House of Laughter]

Or you can listen to Kasei - another damn engineer (bastards) :grouphug:

Good info from good reefers

House

 

[bueller]

Tell us what type of bulbs you are looking for, color you are going for (white,blue or a mix), types of coral, depth of tank, dimensions of tank, how many bulbs you want to run and if there is any supplemental lighting and what type if any.

Kasei[/quote]


Hey Kasei,

I'm looking for bright glissening look [a little bluish mix] tank is 48x18x24 deep, have a shot on a good deal for 2 x 175 mh LINK:http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300010864355&sspagename=ADME:B:SCO:US:1#ebayphotohosting

and supplement with 2 110 vho antinic. shoud be enough light right?
I want to keep anemone's some sps and maybe a few clams.

Thanks for any advice
Bueller

 

[Pseudo]

So you have a standard 90g. 175W and the 2 actinic will be good enough for most corals. It will not be really bright as 175W is not really alot of light. This is not saying that you wont have a good looking tank with them. You can also get good growth from them (not extreme growth)

XM 10K's are good, Ushio 10K's are better. They both will give you the color that you want with the PFO standard ballast.

You will eventually upgrade to 250W after you see others tanks lit with them. DE bulbs are better in the 250W versions. This is just my opinion (even though the DE 250W will give you the same PAR as a 400W bulb (fact))

HTH,

Kasei

 

[bueller]

then I should just spend a little more and get the blue wave 2 [ new ] with a warranty. right, worth it in the long run.

Bueller

 

[Pseudo]

New is always worth it just for Piece of mind.

Kasei

 

[cali_reef]

Excellent website if you want to learn about Metal Halides.

http://www.reeflightinginfo.arvixe.com/