What MH Bulb? Need reccomendation for 250w SPS setup with no actinics

[pjr300]

Help! Need a reccomendation for a 250w buln... it will be placed on a SPS setup, which we plan to run without actinics.

Currently use hamilton but growth is kinda slow... probably bacuase PAR is low. Any recommendations for good alternatives?

[Yinger]

radiums...

[ReefWreak]

Depends on what colors you like. I like the color of 10k bulbs, so when I switched from 10k XM 250w to 10k Reeflux 250w, it was perfect. They're still white, but accentuate a TON of blue in the corals. The old XMs were more purple/green/pink, everything but blue really :p

[enerfin]

xm 20k, radium 20k, phoenix 14k, reeflux 12k.
anyone of those and you will be happy

[kdblove_99]

SE or DE bulbs?

SE- Radiums are the best.

[twon8]

what type of ballast?

[Harley-J]

I love the Radiums

[pjr300]

It's a Hamilton magnetic ballast, and I have SE moguls. In the past I thought single-ended radiums looked fine if they were on a HQI ballast; else, they seemed somewhat over-blue.

I have Hamilton 14k now... the color is fine, but the growth seems kinda slow.

[frags75]

Reeflux 12K 250 SE on a PFO mag ballast works for me. What ballast do you have?

[OnlyCrimson]

radiums or aquaconnects. I have a single 250w 14k aquaconnect over my 60 cube and the growth is a lot faster than when i had the xm 20k on it. Even though i really liked the xm 20k.

[pjr300]

Folks, thanks for the suggestions!

I'm trying to run without actinic supplementation, yet have an ice-blue color. But, given that I have a standard Hamilton Magnetic ballast, I don't think Radiums will run very well.

Sounds like I should check out the Phoenix 14K, Reeflux 12K, and the AquaConnect 14K. Any additional comments on color and growth are appreciated! Also:

- Do any of these require an HQI or Pulse Start ballast?
- Seems like I've read somewhere that the Phoenix 14K is a copy of the AquaConnect bulb. Any truth to that comment?

Thanks again!

[pjr300]

P.S. Are all these bulbs available as single-ended versions?

[ganjero]

I would like to know the same for SE, using ice cap ballast 250w

[Hal]

If you want par, consider upgrading your reflectors. I'm not sure what you're running, but if you switch from the typical spyder reflector to a Lumenbright/Lumenmax, you can expect to double your par with the same bulb. Yes, I said double. Granted, it will cost you a pretty penny, but it might also open up some bulb options too.

[twon8]

the aquaconnect is a great bulb to run alone, but it doesn't run well on a magnetic ballast. they look great on icecaps