XM 10K Users: Bad bulb? Yellow light? Click Here for the solution to your problem.

[Nathan]

Nipple Schmipple eh?! :)

Well to my relief, I fixed the problem of my yellow XM bulbs by slightly tweaking the nipple orientation! Now all of my bulbs are very bright and super white; no yellow at all! These bulbs have been burned in for one week at 10 hours per day on a PFO Standard Ballast (M59). The Center bulb is a 175W 10K XM on a generic M57 ballast (not PFO).

Here is what I did:

I simply gave the yellow bulbs a 90 degree twist so that the nipple was pointed sideways. I did this while the bulb was on so that the gasses would not solidify on the inner envelope. Immediately (within seconds) the colour changed from sickly yellow to a brighter intense white.

Here are some photos.

1. This is what it looked like before I did anything. My VHO actinics are on in this photo.
The LEFT side bulb was white, but the RIGHT side bulb was YELLOW! I thought I had a bad bulb and was about to return it.
http://nathannorma.com/reef/xm_nipple/1.jpg

2. Here is a view of the underside of the hood showing the bad bulb on the right.
http://nathannorma.com/reef/xm_nipple/2.jpg

3. I give the bulb a 90 degree twist while it is still on. (I should mention that I tried it while the bulb was off, and cool, but upon restarting it was still yellow; that's when I decided to rotate it when it was hot, and that seemed to do the trick).
http://nathannorma.com/reef/xm_nipple/3.jpg

4. Now both all the bulbs are the same. (Photo taken about 1 minute after the twist).
http://nathannorma.com/reef/xm_nipple/4.jpg

5. This is what it looked like after I rotated the nipple by 90 degrees. I let it run for an hour like this and then restarted all the bulbs to see if they would still be white after the restart. They restarted white with no yellow at all. I fired them up again this morning after being off all night and again they are white. This photo is taken without actinics.
http://nathannorma.com/reef/xm_nipple/5.jpg


I would not be surprised if some of the bulbs that some people have returned were actually GOOD bulbs, but were simply not oriented correctly. I have noticed in the past that nipple orientation may play a factor in colouration of the bulbs.

Here is my old tank with 400W 10K Ushios. The left has the nipple up, the right has the nipple down.
http://nathannorma.com/reef/nippleup/DSCN5289.jpg

And again here is a 175W Venture bulb, one with the nipple up, and the other with the nipple down.
http://nathannorma.com/reef/nippleup/venturenipplecompare.jpg

Well I am really glad that it was such an easy fix!!! I am really happy today! :)

-Nathan

[Orochimaru]

will have to try that when I get home today. Thanks.

not sure if I have the guts to turn it while it is on.

[Nathan]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7345478#post7345478 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tetra
will have to try that when I get home today. Thanks.

not sure if I have the guts to turn it while it is on.

It didn't work for me to turn the bulb when it was cool. It was still yellow after restarting, so that's when I decided to turn it when it was on. And Voila! It worked!

Try it both ways, maybe yours will be ok if you rotate it cold.

Let me know if it works for you!

-Nathan

[Bippus]

What exactly do you mean by the “nipple”. Is there a specific way that it should be pointing or do you just have to play with them and see what you get?

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7345496#post7345496 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Nathan
It didn't work for me to turn the bulb when it was cool. It was still yellow after restarting, so that's when I decided to turn it when it was on. And Voila! It worked!

Try it both ways, maybe yours will be ok if you rotate it cold.

Let me know if it works for you!

-Nathan

How long did you leave it running after you cold turned it?

My intuition says it probably would have gotten whiter, but it may have taken a couple hours...

[Nathan]

Rich,

Perhaps you are right. I left it running for about 10-15 minutes. I suppose you could just try the cold turn and if you don't see results, then try the hot turn. Just make sure you don't burn yourself. My bulbs are 400 watts and I used a paper towel folded up. I applied GENTLE PRESSURE to turn it; I would not recommend that you use hard pressure if it is hot.

-Nathan

[tigerarmy40]

nipple? like at the back of the socket or the actual element inside the bulb?

[Nathan]

By "nipple" I mean the little glass blob on the inner glass tube.

-Nathan

[northbay-reefer]

nipple shouldn't be pointing down anyway :D :D

[mystikdragon7]

I just tried that and I think it worked for me. My tank looks so much better. Neat trick!!!!

[Nathan]

MYSTIKDRADGON7,

What did you end up doing? Did you turn the bulb while it was hot? How is it running now?

I am relieved to hear from someone else other than me about how it has worked! All I know is that my tank looks killer with these bulbs! I am very happy.

-Nathan

[aiko670]

That's amazing!

I was going to scrap these bulbs but now it looks great.

I turned it while the bulb was on BTW.....

[mystikdragon7]

Nathan,
I turned the bulb with the nipple facing away from me while it was hot. I turned it after about 2 hours of being on. I could not believe the difference!! I don't know how it is running now because I am at work but I will let you know when I get home tonight.

[delta410]

Is there a specific way the nipple is suppose to be facing on all bulbs, or are you just using the nipple as a point of reference? Like you sai, it should be pointed side ways, is that a unique position on your bulb that shows max "whiteness," or is that the position we should all be using?

I'm guessing this does not work for double ended users?

[janderson8]

Can some one please tak a close up of the nipple??

[tigerarmy40]

yeah, pics of both incorrect placement and coreect placement of the nipple would be great!!!







by the ay I realize how crazy the above statement may sound! LOL

[jer77]

Why exactly do you have to move it while its hot?? Something about the gases solidifying? I've never heard about that?

[Nathan]

jer77,

I let the bulb cool down before I rotated the bulb, but after it fired up it was still yellow, so then I rotated it while it was still on, and that did the trick.

I don't know why.

But....

It could be that if I had left the bulb to burn for several hours it would have turned white... I don't know.

delta410,

I do not know of any correct or incorrect placement of the nipple. Just... if it is yellow, try a 90 degree rotation... I don't have an explanation why... it just works; at least for me and a few others who have tried.

-Nathan

[Nathan]

NIPPLE ORIENTATION: READ THIS:

There is no correct orientation (ie, nipple up, or down), from the little experience that I have had with these bulb.

HOWEVER, there is a DEAD SPOT on some bulbs where they burn yellowish. If you are in the DEAD SPOT, then rotating your bulb COULD fix your problem.


For example, the bulb on the left has the nipple up, and it is burning pure white. The bulb on the right burned very yellow and dim with the nipple pointed up. So with the nipple pointed sideways it burns white.

My Ushios always worked best with the nipple up, but these XM bulbs seem to be differet.

-Nathan

[Benny Z]

interesting.

i'm seeing difference in color with evc 14k bulbs. i'm going to have to try this out.

+1 on the request for closeup pics of correct and incorrect nipple orientation.

(god that sounds wierd!)

[delta410]

Intresting, at first I was wondering what nipple you were talking about (double ended bulbs have one on the core and one of the outer glass), but since now I know it really has nothing to do with nipple placement.

I flipped my bulb 180degrees (double ended users don't have the luxury of doing a twist at every degree). I "think" it actually looks more white now, but it might be the placebo effect. I should have taken a picture.

[Nathan]

I have not had experience with double ended bulbs, so I really can't comment.

-Nathan