awesome job

Acolin · 04/08/2007, 11:17 AM

great article! now plese replciate this work for Actinics, NO and VHO bulbs and ballasts! By next month please.

JB NY · 04/09/2007, 10:15 AM

It was a lot of work. I appreciate the kudo!

Acolin · 04/09/2007, 10:22 AM

yeah, it was a lot of work, at least you got the spellings correct, me? I can't even spel OHV properly! what's next?

Madhouse · 04/09/2007, 05:40 PM

was the Coralvue 12k bulb tested there REEFLUX line..?

JB NY · 04/10/2007, 07:17 AM

Coralvue changed their whole product line after their bulbs were tested. So the reeflux line was not tested.

eldude · 04/11/2007, 04:03 AM

i learned more in that short article about mh bulbs than i have in about two years of using those things i've been running a single 250 watt 10000K bulb on a 55 gal tank-it was givin' to me and had only been used for a couple of months. i only have the one because when i went to get another one, i wasn't expecting the higher price tag. so i tried putting it closer to the center of my tank. needless to say, this was not a good idea. check out my pics to see what these bad boys do to plastic. my 55 has become my sump after a little repairs.

JB NY · 04/11/2007, 07:28 AM

Thanks. I knew nothing about MH lamps before I started. So it was a real learning experience for me too.

Yeah you have to be careful with those lamps they get crazy hot!!

rick s · 04/11/2007, 06:08 PM

Great job Joe! All the charts made perfect sense to me. I couldn't believe how low the output of my XM 15 k's is. I will be trying different bulbs when it's time to replace mine. As long as they give me the same coloration, with the same power usage, I might as well pick bulbs that turn that power into usable light. Great job, and thank you for all the time you spent on it!

ReeferAl · 04/11/2007, 08:53 PM

Joe, I hope you don't mind, I made another graph from your data. I calculated the "PAR efficiency" similar to what Sanjay has done with his more recent tests. I divided the PAR values (in PPFD) for each bulb and ballast by the corresponding power (in watts) and graphed the values. The curves would be similar but not identical to curves generated just from the PAR values. The efficiency values though give a slightly better idea of "bang for the buck" so to speak. It's interesting to note that comparing the highest to lowest values gives almost a 4X difference. IOW, to get the same PAR levels to your corals would require 4 times as much electricity with the least efficient bulbs compared to the most efficient. With electricity prices what they are, this is something people may want to pay more attention to.
Here's the graph:

I also find it interesting that the electronic ballasts don't seem to be any more efficient in terms of light output per watt than the non-electronic PFO ballasts.

JB NY · 04/14/2007, 05:49 PM

That chart is great. Thanks.

04/08/2007, 11:17 AM	#1
Acolin Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Siesta Key Posts: 1,703	awesome job great article! now plese replciate this work for Actinics, NO and VHO bulbs and ballasts! By next month please. __________________ Always use natural filtration Current Tank Info: Back to Betta Bowls

04/09/2007, 10:15 AM	#2
JB NY Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 9,207	It was a lot of work. I appreciate the kudo! __________________ -Joe TOTM Sept 2002 \| Reefland April 2004 \| CORAL Magazine Nov 2007 Featured Tank "Coral Reef Aquarium" 2011 \| Reef Spotlight 2018 Current Tank Info: 270G SPS Tank, 140G sumps, 35G Frag Tank, Ultra Reef Akula UKS-200 Skimmer, Apex, Giesemann Spectra 3x250W MH 4x80W T5, 2xReefbrite Tech 72" Blue LED, Triton Dosing, ARID C30 Algae Reactor, Maxspect Gyre

04/09/2007, 10:22 AM	#3
Acolin Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Siesta Key Posts: 1,703	yeah, it was a lot of work, at least you got the spellings correct, me? I can't even spel OHV properly! what's next? __________________ Always use natural filtration Current Tank Info: Back to Betta Bowls

04/10/2007, 07:17 AM	#5
JB NY Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 9,207	Coralvue changed their whole product line after their bulbs were tested. So the reeflux line was not tested. __________________ -Joe TOTM Sept 2002 \| Reefland April 2004 \| CORAL Magazine Nov 2007 Featured Tank "Coral Reef Aquarium" 2011 \| Reef Spotlight 2018 Current Tank Info: 270G SPS Tank, 140G sumps, 35G Frag Tank, Ultra Reef Akula UKS-200 Skimmer, Apex, Giesemann Spectra 3x250W MH 4x80W T5, 2xReefbrite Tech 72" Blue LED, Triton Dosing, ARID C30 Algae Reactor, Maxspect Gyre

04/11/2007, 04:03 AM	#6
eldude Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 9	excellent test i learned more in that short article about mh bulbs than i have in about two years of using those things i've been running a single 250 watt 10000K bulb on a 55 gal tank-it was givin' to me and had only been used for a couple of months. i only have the one because when i went to get another one, i wasn't expecting the higher price tag. so i tried putting it closer to the center of my tank. needless to say, this was not a good idea. check out my pics to see what these bad boys do to plastic. my 55 has become my sump after a little repairs.

04/09/2007, 05:40 PM	#4
Madhouse Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Queens, NY Posts: 58	was the Coralvue 12k bulb tested there REEFLUX line..?

04/11/2007, 07:28 AM	#7
JB NY Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 9,207	Thanks. I knew nothing about MH lamps before I started. So it was a real learning experience for me too. Yeah you have to be careful with those lamps they get crazy hot!! __________________ -Joe TOTM Sept 2002 \| Reefland April 2004 \| CORAL Magazine Nov 2007 Featured Tank "Coral Reef Aquarium" 2011 \| Reef Spotlight 2018 Current Tank Info: 270G SPS Tank, 140G sumps, 35G Frag Tank, Ultra Reef Akula UKS-200 Skimmer, Apex, Giesemann Spectra 3x250W MH 4x80W T5, 2xReefbrite Tech 72" Blue LED, Triton Dosing, ARID C30 Algae Reactor, Maxspect Gyre

04/11/2007, 06:08 PM	#8
rick s Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Chester, VA Posts: 2,993	Great job Joe! All the charts made perfect sense to me. I couldn't believe how low the output of my XM 15 k's is. I will be trying different bulbs when it's time to replace mine. As long as they give me the same coloration, with the same power usage, I might as well pick bulbs that turn that power into usable light. Great job, and thank you for all the time you spent on it! __________________ Rick Current Tank Info: Reefer Emeritus

04/11/2007, 08:53 PM	#9
ReeferAl Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Fond du Lac, WI Posts: 2,040	Joe, I hope you don't mind, I made another graph from your data. I calculated the "PAR efficiency" similar to what Sanjay has done with his more recent tests. I divided the PAR values (in PPFD) for each bulb and ballast by the corresponding power (in watts) and graphed the values. The curves would be similar but not identical to curves generated just from the PAR values. The efficiency values though give a slightly better idea of "bang for the buck" so to speak. It's interesting to note that comparing the highest to lowest values gives almost a 4X difference. IOW, to get the same PAR levels to your corals would require 4 times as much electricity with the least efficient bulbs compared to the most efficient. With electricity prices what they are, this is something people may want to pay more attention to. Here's the graph: I also find it interesting that the electronic ballasts don't seem to be any more efficient in terms of light output per watt than the non-electronic PFO ballasts.

04/14/2007, 05:49 PM	#10
JB NY Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 9,207	That chart is great. Thanks. __________________ -Joe TOTM Sept 2002 \| Reefland April 2004 \| CORAL Magazine Nov 2007 Featured Tank "Coral Reef Aquarium" 2011 \| Reef Spotlight 2018 Current Tank Info: 270G SPS Tank, 140G sumps, 35G Frag Tank, Ultra Reef Akula UKS-200 Skimmer, Apex, Giesemann Spectra 3x250W MH 4x80W T5, 2xReefbrite Tech 72" Blue LED, Triton Dosing, ARID C30 Algae Reactor, Maxspect Gyre