If you were to go 20K ....

[Len]

What bulb would you choose? Oh, it's for the 400W variety.

 

[Unarce]

I like the Radium/HQI ballast combo. It's gonna suck having to switch it out every 6 months, but I get good fluourescence and high PAR in one bulb.

 

[Len]

Ah, I should mention I want to stick with my Icecap electronic ballasts

The Aquaconnects that I'm using now look great and are bright, but I don't like the coral pigmentation all that much.

 

[Unarce]

The XM20K is a good bulb, if you want more pop in color.

I also hear the Reeflux 12K is very blue on e-ballasts.

 

[sslarison]

XM 20K

 

[Anonymous]

Not to rock the boat, but my XM 20K lasted 4 months before they crapped the sheets, huge color differences in the bulbs and the corals started dying. I was very displeased with the XM brand on those. However they were the 250W HQI variety not 400W as previously mentioned.

 

[Len]

Anyone tried the EVC? THe PAR readings look pretty nice for a 20K bulb.

 

[Len]

Oops. I meant to ask about the Helios 20K, not EVC (though opinions on those are welcomed too).

 

[sslarison]

I'm on my third set of XMs (175) and I havent experienced a problem. The color is perfect to my eye.

 

[LA-Lawman]

Hey Len,

I have seen the helios 20k's they are nice... they seem to have a bit more white than the XM's

the producer of the bulbs is here in the city i live. his sons own two LFS in the area. so this area is slammmed with Rio/Taam Helios/commodity axis products.....

the par readings seem ok. I remember one of the guys telling me that the spectrum is only good for a fw months... (4-6) i do not know what life to expect from them with the icecaps balllasts....

 

[Anonymous]

I had 20K XMs(175watters), they were too blue IMO(as I think20Ks are in general). I use 10K XMs with actinic supplements, however I am very fond of 14K bulbs.

 

[pcardone]

I have 1x 250 watt 10k xm +2 x 95 watt Actinics. Been real durable.