What DE250 20K have you gotten growth with?

[Capt_Cully]

I love the color of 20 K's but have always been afraid that growth will halt. I've not noticed much difference between 10's and 14's in my tank, so I'm thinkin 20's might not be that bad.

Looking for 20k DE bulbs others have had good growth with.

Thanks.

[GSMguy]

Pheonix 14 is a true 20k bulb the 14k label is marketing it will give you the best par in the ultra blue segment.

[ReefingIt]

GSMguy,

Do you know how do the Phoenix 14k compare to the XM 20ks. Are they more blue or are they less?

Thanks.

[reefkoi]

just got a helios 20K it looks bluer than the XM 20K I had........I like the color a lot

[agsansoo]

I had 14k phoenix's and had very little growth after the bulb was over 6 months old.

@reefkoi, can you post a picture of the helios 20K ? :D

[macreefster]

i get great growth with the phoenix 14k...i run it on an M80 ballast and i think that makes them burn more white.

[agsansoo]

Yeap the M80 ballast gives it a way better color and brightness than my e-ballast. I sure better par also.

[Daniel.luu]

i'm using both Phoenix 14K and Helios 20K side by side with IceCap. Let me tell you Helios has much better color and brightness. I love it...

[macreefster]

i wouldnt recommend using phoenix bulbs with an icecap ballast. you really can't get the full effect of them without an M80 ballast IMO.

[cham]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14580460#post14580460 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Daniel.luu
i'm using both Phoenix 14K and Helios 20K side by side with IceCap. Let me tell you Helios has much better color and brightness. I love it...

If you have access to an M80 try running the phoenix on that. You'll find its very different.

[agsansoo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14580460#post14580460 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Daniel.luu
i'm using both Phoenix 14K and Helios 20K side by side with IceCap. Let me tell you Helios has much better color and brightness. I love it...

Any pic's ? What about growth ?

[Daniel.luu]

Not sure about growth yet as i just installed it 4 days ago...will post some pictures later.

[reefkoi]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14579605#post14579605 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by agsansoo
I had 14k phoenix's and had very little growth after the bulb was over 6 months old.

@reefkoi, can you post a picture of the helios 20K ? :D

I will, I just got the bulb a few days ago. I am setting up the tank this weekend, I'll get a shot and post it here.

I did fire it up over my frag system yesterday by itself with no other light source and it made the corals really look good!

I run the 1,000 watt version on my 600 gal and then color is great, everyone that sees it in person usually agrees. Its hard to find one that works great by itself with no T-5s added to the mix, so far the helios and the radiums are the best by themselves but they dont make a radium in a double ended 250 watt version.

[Daniel.luu]

here are some pics:

on left is phoenix 14k and right is Helios 20K. It looks more distinctive in person.

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll36/dlluu/IMG_0578.jpg

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll36/dlluu/IMG_0579.jpg


I'm currently trying to dose Vodka so my tank is having issues now. It's not too clean.

[capture]

I really love my 14k phoenix. Growth is noticeable since upgrading from a 150W phoenix. This is, however, coming from someone who hasn't run a 20k before so i couldn't provide a comparison in that respect.

Cully, what 20k's were you running?

[MeuserReef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14578219#post14578219 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReefingIt
GSMguy,

Do you know how do the Phoenix 14k compare to the XM 20ks. Are they more blue or are they less?

Thanks.

I have a 14k Phoenix on one side of my tank and an XM 20k on the other side (running both on Reef Fanatic electronic ballasts) and I can see that the XM has much better color... only its a touch dimmer.

The most noticeable difference is in the coralline algae thats growing on the bottom glass in my tank. On the 14K side, the coralline looks bright purple, but on the 20k side, the coralline looks more pink, with even a hint of red (very slight)

The issue I have is that the PFFD drops from 76 to a 36 when switching from the 14k to the 20k (according to Sanjay's page)

I think Im going to run the Phoenix 14k lamps until my tank "grows in" and then switch to the 20k lamps once growth is no longer a high priority.

[bosborn1]

I run the Phoenix 14k on Aquamedic HQI ballasts and I love the color. Much nicer than the 14ks that I've run in the past. The PAR is pretty high too. I believe 88 PPFD on Sanjay's site.

So far I think they are my favorite DE bulb. Just enough blue with good enough PAR. The kicker is that you should run these on M80 ballasts or Lumateks. I've tested with a Quantum meter and the numbers are pretty similar. The Lumatek burns with a very similar color.

[agsansoo]

Thanks Daniel.luu, I was really worried the Helios 20K would be dim. It looks very bright. Is it more purple in person than the phoenix ?

[Daniel.luu]

Agsansoo, it's slightly more blue than Phoenix, which is perfect for me since I don't have atinic supplements.

[Capt_Cully]

Personally I'm running Hamilton 14K's. I love the blue color, but don't wanna lose growth. I was thinking of trying either Phoenix or Ushio 14K's next, but being a big believer in water quality and flow for growth, I've been flirting with the idea of 20K's for color.

I was looking to see what people who use 20K's and get good growth are using. I may just stick w/14's, but wanted some input as bulb purchase day grows nearer.

[capture]

capt. I'm looking for the same input. Everyone raves about the radiums but as far as i know they are only SE. Waiting to find out the same.

[Capt_Cully]

Ya, a buddy of mine just started some Radiums, but again, moguls so I'm lookin for others opinions. I may just do a little reading and bite the bullet on some 20's.

[Stanley-Reefer]

I'll be changing over to all Pheonix soon. Just got them all from Marine Depot today.

Now I have 2 10k 150w DE hamilton techs on electronic ballasts in my 90.

I have 3 250W 14k DE in my 175. 2 are hamilton techs and one is a Hikari Arcadia that was a replacement from DR.f/s for a defective hammy.

The Hikari side is whiter and those corals have really grown.

The 250s are on mag ballasts.

As far as colors go, the corals under the 10ks pop, but fragging some and putting them in the bigger tank under 14ks they just look different. My plating monti in under 10ks is orangish, move a piece of the same coral under 14ks and it's burgandy--not the coral, but the light.