View Full Version : single vs double end bulbs
zippopunk1
10/08/2008, 11:37 PM
are there any differences besides how they are placed
any harder to get
DT's_Reef
10/08/2008, 11:44 PM
Not really. Possibly more selection of SE bulbs vs. DE, but there are a ton of both in my opinion.
Some people use SE bulbs with large reflectors to get a better light spread, but people have good success with either. Just depends on the 1,000 other factors as well.
zippopunk1
10/08/2008, 11:47 PM
can u tell me what u think of this light with ballast cant beat the price and since its only going to be on a 40 gallon i think its a good deal just never heard of the company
zippopunk1
10/08/2008, 11:48 PM
http://fishneedit.com/250w-metal-ha...endant-lig.html
DT's_Reef
10/09/2008, 08:50 AM
Well, the pendant is very cheap. Dunno who makes the bulbs though. Hard to say if it's a good deal or not, depending on how the whole thing works.
zippopunk1
10/09/2008, 09:06 AM
if it was u would u try it out or do u think it would not be worth it
zippopunk1
10/09/2008, 01:02 PM
anyone
shelburn61
10/09/2008, 03:24 PM
You get what you pay for with lighting. Quality reflectors are very important.
DT's_Reef
10/09/2008, 04:50 PM
Personally, I would not buy it. I agree that you often get what you pay for.
Also, it's very important to match the bulb with the best overall ballast. Not always an easy task to discern what's best.
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13515834#post13515834 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by shelburn61
You get what you pay for with lighting. Quality reflectors are very important.
I agree. I have used small/cheap reflectors as well as top quality reflectors. Personally, I wouldnt touch it. It really doesnt look that bad but based on the dimensions of the entire unit, the reflector itself is very small and that is almost always as bad thing. If you are going to do halide, do it once and do it right. It will cost you less in the long run and the differences in the quality of the light that gets to your animals are signifigant.
Just my opinons though.
zippopunk1
10/09/2008, 06:28 PM
just seems that since i am only going to use it on a 40 gallon i could get away with a smaller reflector
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13516948#post13516948 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by zippopunk1
just seems that since i am only going to use it on a 40 gallon i could get away with a smaller reflector
There's a bit more to it than that but, go for it. In the very least it will light the tank. Shoot, there are loads of Odyssea fixture users who truly believe that they have lighting that is as good as any thing else out there ... It lights their tanks so they are golden. :cool:
zippopunk1
10/09/2008, 11:32 PM
so u dont think i will be getting good light for my corals out of this. maybe ill use it for a few months and buy a higher quality one piece by piece?
kdblove_99
10/09/2008, 11:45 PM
If you want a small reflector i would lean towards the reef optic III
zippopunk1
10/09/2008, 11:52 PM
what should i look for to tell me if the reflector i have good enough
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13518657#post13518657 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by zippopunk1
so u dont think i will be getting good light for my corals out of this. maybe ill use it for a few months and buy a higher quality one piece by piece?
I dont think its a particularly good reflector but it will light your tank and grow your corals. In general, with small, cheap reflectors, there is a very high intensity hot spot that would be centered in the tank directly under the bulb and around the general area under the center of the bulb. The better reflectors are designed to limit this hot spot as much as possible and distribute the light much more evenly throughout the tank. There is always going to be a hot spot to some degree with every reflector because of the light directly radiating from the bulb itself. But the better reflectors are designed such that they evenly distribute the light throughout their effective coverage area and dont concentrate additional light down into the hot spot area. The cheaper reflectors generally dont have much engineering in their design so the light is not nearly as evenly reflected throughout their coverage area and the hot spot may receive additional reflected light to add to the intensity in that area in the tank that is under and around the center of the bulb.
Placing corals up higher in the tank under the general center area of reflectors that create these super intense hot spots can often result in them receiving much more light than they need and can burn the corals while corals at the ends of the tank dont receive enough light. That doesnt mean that you cant keep corals under these cheaper reflectors. Just means that there is the potential that those corals placed higher up in the middle directly under the reflector may get way too much light while those at the perimeters dont get enough. So ... you have to be more careful with placement of corals. You need to pay attention to the height that you place the reflector etc. Basically, you dont get the much more evenly distributed lighting that the better reflectors provide and you dont get nearly as large of a coverage area with very small reflectors.
Keep in mind that a good reflector like the small Lumenarcs or the Lumenmax reflectors are best used to cover a 2 ft square area. They cover this area very well and uniformly. They can be used over 3 foot square with good success although the perimeters wont be lit quite as well. But my point is that if a well designed reflector like the lumenmax which is about 11" x 11.5" for the DE version is optimized for coverage of 2 foot square (because of it's size and design) then what type of coverage can you realistically expect from the small reflectors like the ones you are looking like ... again, the dimensions of the reflector are for the entire pendant. Obviously the reflector itself is smaller. ... how long is your 40 gallon?
So yes, you can get by with that reflector until you buy a better one or you can use it permanently. There is just a signifigant difference between the lighting from a cheap, small reflector and the better engineered and designed (and larger) reflectors.
For me, if I were to do it all over I would not have messed with those small, cheap units and I would have spent the money one time on a highly regarded unit. But I have been down the path. I went cheap and small at first and took a while to get to the quality stuff. In retrospect it would have cost less to just do it once with the good stuff but then I guess I never would have known the difference for myself through my own experiences.
So if money is tight now, it will certianly work. Just be careful with placement, acclimate your corals when you first add the halide and know your corals ... if they are getting too much light or not enough, move them. Be especially careful with positioning corals up high and in the center under the middle of reflector and in that general area. Better to have the corals lower and not get enough light and move them up if need be than to fry them in a hot spot keeping them up too high.
If you have the money to spend, go with KD's suggestion for the Reef Optix if you need a good reflector that is fairly small or go with the Lumenmax or the small Lumenarcs for top of the line pendants ... (or the newer Lumenbrights [these are genrally mounted higher up over the tank than most] or newer lumenmax Elites). I think that the Reef Optix and Lumearcs are about in the 100 - 120 range for the rflector itself, the Lumenmax in the 140 range ... If you have the money, do it right one time ... take advantage of my mistakes :D
But that pendant you linked will work if thats all you want to spend, all you can afford or just want to try halide on the cheap. There are just signifigantly better halide reflectors out there and there are definite advantages to them, thats all.
hebygb
10/10/2008, 12:36 PM
Dar - Nice, tactful explanation. So often is the case that these threads result in slapdowns with "my way or the highway" you explained well and gave the OP some food for thought. Not everyone can fill a stand with Deltec or hang a $3K LED fixture over their tank.
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13521430#post13521430 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hebygb
Dar - Nice, tactful explanation. So often is the case that these threads result in slapdowns with "my way or the highway" you explained well and gave the OP some food for thought. Not everyone can fill a stand with Deltec or hang a $3K LED fixture over their tank.
Thank you kindly. I try my best ;)
zippopunk1
10/11/2008, 12:27 AM
yea i hooked up the new light and it looks okay but i think maybe in a month or 2 i will upgrade to the ones u were speaking of thanks for the help
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13525333#post13525333 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by zippopunk1
yea i hooked up the new light and it looks okay but i think maybe in a month or 2 i will upgrade to the ones u were speaking of thanks for the help
You're welcome. Nothing wrong with learning through personal experience except for the extra money it costs in the long run :D
If you do upgrade in the future, you will see all the differences talked about. One thing that alot of reefers notice and mention right after they upgrade is that it doesnt look as bright. They notice that the light is spread much better and the tank is evenly lit. But they often perceive it as not as bright because that hot spot in the area right under the reflector is reduced. Very signifigantly reduced based on some of the test reports showing the spectral plots of the different reflectors. This is a good thing, not a bad thing. In reality, the tank is actually better lit because the par is much more uniform throught the coverage area of the new reflector. Corners and perimeter areas are much better lit, the output is just considerably lower in the area under the reflector because of the reduced intensity of the hot spot.
Good luck with the new lighting.
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