PEC (phoenix) 14k 250w de bulbs on Icecap ballast

[bmwaaron]

Anyone run this setup? I havent been able to find any specs on this (PAR ect.) but I am running the PEC 14k bulbs on a magnetic ballast right now and have some Icecaps on the way. I am thinking about running this in the Lumenarc mini reflectors. I really like the color of the Phoenix bulbs and would like to stick with them.

The only other bulb I might consider is the Reeflux 10k's. I have tryed the Reeflux 12k de on my magnetic ballast and they seem to be allot darker then the Phoenix. I will wait and see what the 12k's look like on the new Icecap ballast but am not expecting much diffrence. My tank is a 90 gallon 4'x18"x24"

[kdblove_99]

Here you go

Performance Data Query Results

spectrum Lamp name Phoenix HexArc 250W 14000K DE 1
Ballast name Icecap
250W Electronic
Par 73, CCT 0, power 250, Volts 122, Amps 2.3, efficiency 0.2928

[ekovalsky]

They'll look even better on the electronic ballast which will emphasize the blue light. Basically this bulb offers the spectrum of a 20K bulb with more PAR than other 14K and some 10K. Actually with electronic ballast the Phoenix 14K has almost exactly the same spectral output as the 400w Radium on HQI which is a bulb/ballast combination most love.

That the bulbs are easily available and relatively cheap makes them ever better.

[army67romeo]

i used 20k bulb my my 90caube and burned up lots of corels i when to a 14k phx and my tank started growing like crazy i out a lot of my blue light i like.

I have talk to prop people and they say that phx bulbs are good grow bulbs

[JustAClownFish]

Sorry to dig up this old threat but I'm running 14K Phoenix bulbs on an older M80 HQI ballast. I don't like the color and PAR they put out. it is too white and too much light for my corals. I'd liek to switch to electronic ballasts.

My questions are:

1. Which ballasts do I need to make them look bluer?

2. Do I need a HQI ballast?

3. What does HQI actually stand for?

4. Can I underdrive my 250W DE bulbs (e.g. 150W) without sacrificing the health of my corals? Will this make the bulb bluer?

[tkeracer619]

Originally Posted by JustAClownFish

Sorry to dig up this old threat but I'm running 14K Phoenix bulbs on an older M80 HQI ballast. I don't like the color and PAR they put out. it is too white and too much light for my corals. I'd liek to switch to electronic ballasts.

My questions are:

1. Which ballasts do I need to make them look bluer?

2. Do I need a HQI ballast?

3. What does HQI actually stand for?

4. Can I underdrive my 250W DE bulbs (e.g. 150W) without sacrificing the health of my corals? Will this make the bulb bluer?

An electronic ballast will run them with less wattage causing them to be bluer. It isn't going to be a massive difference but it will be one. They will also produce less par.

They are designed to be run on an HQI ballast but any electronic ballasts will fire them.

Hydrargyrum quartz iodide, it's the type of lamp. But on it's own, it's a pretty broad term without much meaning. We typically use it to describe bulbs that are designed to run at a higher output. They're all metal halides and by changing the gas composition give off different spectrums and some bulbs are designed to run on different ballasts. HQI are the higher powered versions.

No, you can not under drive the bulbs. Why do you think the bulb is too bright? I can just about assure you that is not the case.

[JustAClownFish]

Originally Posted by tkeracer619

An electronic ballast will run them with less wattage causing them to be bluer. It isn't going to be a massive difference but it will be one. They will also produce less par.

No, you can not under drive the bulbs. Why do you think the bulb is too bright? I can just about assure you that is not the case.

Isn’t running them on less wattage “under driving” ? A couple weeks ago I stumbled upon an article about under driving bulbs and par output. They showed par numbers for a 14k 250w Phoenix on an M80 ballasts vs an electronic ballast (I think @ 175W). The par numbers were in the 700s near the surface. That’s more than enough. The picture was visibly bluer as well making the tank “pop” more.

[tkeracer619]

I mean sure, you "can" but the bulb life will be dramatically lower. Electronics run phoenix at 248ish watts vs an m80 that runs them at 270-280ish. Far different than a 150-175w ballast.

Also, we used to consider phoenix bulbs having the color of windex. Now that everyone is used to the royal blue led they don't look that blue. I like the color rendering of a radium 20k better than a phoenix but don't think they wash out a tank. Nothing like the xm20k. LEDs make it easy to make corals pop even when they are bleached or don't have great coloration.

[JustAClownFish]

Originally Posted by tkeracer619

LEDs make it easy to make corals pop even when they are bleached or don't have great coloration.

True words Sir! We can agree on that! That's why I switched from LED to T5 and now to MH. My corals are so "brown" and unhealthy looking under the MHs. By "washed out" I mean more the appearance of the whole tank. I like that deepwater look instead of that bright shallow reef look that the Phoenix bulbs produce on my ballasts. As you said, they're driving them at about 270-ish watts. I notice that when the bulbs fire up they get REALLY icy-blue and then when they reach their peak wattage they turn slightly more white. So I think if I provided them with exactly 250W I would be happier with the look of the bulbs. But, would it be financially smarter than, say, getting XM20K bulbs? Probs not. Would you be so kind and post some pictures of your XM20K bulbs (I'm assuming you're running them since you mentioned that you like them)?

[tkeracer619]

Radium 20k, not XM20k. XM bulbs were terrible

I can a little later. Unfortunately they are only double ended bulbs so you would have to swap reflectors as well.

[JustAClownFish]

You said nothing like the xm20k. I guess I misunderstood haha. Well, I can't run Radiums. I have a DE fixture. So what bulb comes closest to the Radium?

EDIT:

I've seen a couple of XM20k tank pictures and it looks good to me. People describe them as a little bit bluer with a hint of purple compared to the 14k Phoenix bulbs. Doesn't sound that bad. The EVC bulbs, which are said to be close to the Radiums have a Windex look to it on pictures. So I'm not sure.

[JustAClownFish]

I ordered Ushio 20k bulbs. After what I've seen on pictures they seem to have that deep blue/slight purple tint look I like. They are also dimmer which means I can lower the fixture for less light spill into the room.

[moondoggy4]

Post some pictures on the new bulb, like I stated on your other thread I and my family all stated the the Phoenix 14K's looked yellow.

[JustAClownFish]

Originally Posted by moondoggy4

Post some pictures on the new bulb, like I stated on your other thread I and my family all stated the the Phoenix 14K's looked yellow.

The 14k look nice on electronic ballasts. That’s when they get that nice ice blue look. I thought about getting two new ballasts but that would would have been more expensive. I’ll post pictures. Some people even say the sushi is are white. So I don’t know what to expect.