250W MH DE - EVC vs XM

[flamron]

Which do you think will look better with 2 110W Super Actinic VHOs?

10K EVC or 10K XM?

I am going 10K for sure on Icecap Ballasts.

Thanks,

[mario8402]

I am currently looking for the opposite thing you are. I bought a 3 pendant PFO setup and I am currently running 2x 48" actinic VHOs with 3x 10XM bulbs (250w) and my tank is really washed out.. makes the coral look brown and dull. It does look kind of like natural sunshine though which is cool, but we usually strive to make the colors pop... just my .02.. the XMs are yellowish/white

I am currently htinking of switching to Pheonix 14k DE

[flamron]

I ran the 14k Phoenix 150W DE for 20 months. I was very happy with it. I upgraded to actinic VHO's, and it was just too blue - plus, I wanted a little better growth. I have heard the Phoenix 250s are good. The fixtures I'm looking at buying have them in it. If they have really good color and I get good growth, I may stick with them.

[jakano]

I'm not sure on the DE versions but I ran XM SE 10k bulbs with two 110w VHO actinics and it was a very nice super bright white. Alone though the XM bulbs are pretty yellowish so it takes the VHO's to balance it out. I still think VHO has the best actinics out there, T-5 just doesnt match them. I now run The Phoenix DE bulbs mentioned earlier although in 250W version and I find they are the best DE bulb I have tried yet for the balance of good color and par. The 10K bulbs just do not let the color of the corals come out at all, they are just too yellow. I have tried Reeflux 20K's which I feel are awful in the DE style, Iwasaki 14K which are still a pretty yellowish bulb although they are super bright, and XM 20K which in DE style are not very good either but are great in the SE bulbs. Ushio 20K bulbs are great for color but the par is not very good and the 14K Ushio has good par but again not very blue like you would think a 14K would be. I know the 10K bulbs are par monsters but it has been shown that corals tend to respond better with a bulb more in the blue spectrum and the Phoenix has the most par of any blue 250W DE bulb so like I said its a great balance or color and par. Hope this helps you.

[greatXss]

Not to crap on your thread but I also run Phoenix 250 14K and I love em! They have a great balance between eye candy color and par. My corals are happy so I am happy

[flamron]

You aren't crapping on it :bounce1:

I know the phoenix is a great bulb. It is nearly the perfect bulb with no supplementation.

However, I feel that there are better bulbs with supplementation. The two I have presented offer the highest PAR values when ran on an Icecap ballast.

Thanks for the reply!

Not to crap on your thread but I also run Phoenix 250 14K and I love em! They have a great balance between eye candy color and par. My corals are happy so I am happy

[greatXss]

well in that case ive been reading that XM bulbs turn to crap in a couple months.

[flamron]

Got any links to back that up? I haven't heard that.

well in that case ive been reading that XM bulbs turn to crap in a couple months.

[greatXss]

Google it... I was searching XM vs Radium - It was during that search that I discovered that I dont have the ballasts for Radiums...ah well.


I am considering getting EVCs when my bulbs go just to see the difference for myself. I have T5 actinics so I have some supplementation

[flamron]

Well - I just purchased the EVC bulbs yesterday. Should be here Tuesday or Wednesday.

I also ended up going with 4x110w VHOs - will be interested in seeing the difference between these and the 14k phoenix I have been running.

[khalid]

Any updates? Photos of the new bulbs? I am waiting on mine to come in but they are still on back order. :( I want to get an Idea what they look like.

Well - I just purchased the EVC bulbs yesterday. Should be here Tuesday or Wednesday.

I also ended up going with 4x110w VHOs - will be interested in seeing the difference between these and the 14k phoenix I have been running.

[flamron]

New bulbs are in. I had one go bad after a week, but that has been replaced for free. The bulbs are pretty yellow, but the super actinics really wash it away and I've got a nice crisp white.

I will try to get some pics up later tonight.

[khalid]

cool Thanks :) Are you using electronic or Mag ballasts?

[flamron]

Newer style IceCap Electronic ballasts.

[E.intheC]

I was going to suggest Ushio 14,000K bulbs. They're very white on their own and would be great with actinic supplementation... (For future, or for anyone else who's reading ;))

[flamron]

They stink on PAR though. I'm really in it for some monster growth right now since most of my coral are frags. Maybe once I get some larger colonies I will look at a lower PAR bulb.

[E.intheC]

I thought the 250 watt 14,000K's had decent PAR values. I could be wrong.

[flamron]

The 10k Ushio only has a PPFD of 65, so I can only assume that the 14k is even less. This is compared to a PPFD of 97 on the EVC 10k 250 DE bulb. Both running on the IceCap electronic ballast.

Sanjay didn't test the 14k Ushio, so I can only base it off of the 10k values. Typically higher kelvin bulbs have less par, so that is the assumption I am basing that statement on. I could be wrong though.

[khalid]

Any updates on the bulbs? How are they burning in?

[flamron]

Burning in nicely. Very happy with growth at this point. I will get unlazy and get pics up at some point LOL

[montrose]

well in that case ive been reading that XM bulbs turn to crap in a couple months.

I actually heard that about the EVC's, but not the XM's. I haven't used either though.

[khalid]

Has it burnt in to be less yellow than when you first put them on?

[flamron]

Yes - there is still a small hint of yellow, but I think it will be gone once they fully burn in.

[khalid]

Nice! I can't wait to get mine in!:)

[smariner]

Glad to see the votes coming in for this poll... Anyone else?

[flamron]

I was really impressed with my EVCs. I've since switched to T5s (just trying something new).

Here is four months of growth with the EVC bulbs:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v189/flamron/ProgressionAprilAugust10.jpg

[khalid]

I ended up returning mine after one went out after 2 weeks and the other went out a week after that. I was running them on a aquamedic magnetic ballast and I am not sure if they are just not meant to be run on a magnetic ballast or they just have horrible quality. I am back to my Geisman 14K which are real nice just a little too expensive.

[smariner]

Very nice growth photos flamron!

[ade]

Well my EVC 250 DE 14 just poped again for the second time I will now look for another bulb. I liked the color but not worth the three month bulb life. I am also running it on an aquamedic magnetic ballast.