175w SE Hamilton 10k to 175w SE Iwasaki 14k
 

First of all, I want to update on my green bulb color. After a lot of research into the nipple orientation thing, I read a few testaments to the fact that it depends on the bulb.

We turned the nipples and our Hamilton lights immediately changed color to white.

I had ordered, and now received, my Iwasakis and just put them in tonite. They are exactly the same color, a nice white, at the moment. I will keep the Iwasakis for the better par, but was quite astounded at the difference the nipple orientation made.

And all those articles that say it doesn't matter ... weird. I don't know if it's more superstition on my part or what, but I always try to get those things pointing upwards and will adjust the socket if I have to... Glad to know it's not a completely superfluous thing to do that. :)

I have tried to always keep them orientated correct but have never seen a difference myself. Thats an interesting observation Deb.

Look forward to your views on the new Iwasaki,s. I,m still sticking with my SA or CV, 14K bulbs for now. Does the Ushio 10K not offer a white/blue light and good bulb life? I always thought it was the best 175 I have seen but I prefer the more blue content and bulb price of the cheaper 14K,s.

I have followed most of the Iwasaki 14K threads over at RC though.

I should have taken some photos. If I am really nice to hubby, maybe one day we can stick them back in to do that. :lol: He hates taking fixtures down...

Apparently the Ushio would not have good color on my standard M57 ballast.

The iwasaki's have gone just a bit more blue, which is wonderful ! The coral colors appear nicer. I think I will like them very much !

Excellent! :cool: It's by far my most favourite bulb too. I just keep hoping we'll see more of them. Gotta get the word out about them so that people will want them .. if there's anything to the "supply/demand" economics thing..

I must be really dumb because I don't have a clue what you guys are talking about.

Do you have much red colour (red coralline or corals) in your tank? Do they show up as the colour red or do they get washed out.


I am on a quest for a metal halide bulb that will show colours like a vho bulb will and I'm not having any luck

Hi Greg,

This lamp here:
http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merch...y_Code=mh-175w

I got mine from Reekwerkz though (Ryan and Rusty). Otherwise PremiumAquatics seems to be the only place to pick up this bulb.

It tested very favourably in terms of colour and PAR output (by Sanjay Joshi, sorry I don't have the links handy -- try a search in advancedaquarist.com). And they run on M57 ballasts (i.e., not pulse-start).

Anyhow hope that helps!

Yes, and it's all GOOD !! Check out the ballast recommends.

Just occured to me that maybe you meant that about the nipple orientation and not what an Iwasaki 14k is. Sorry, my dumb. :)

There's an old ... I dunno if "urban myth" is the right way to put it, but an addage that metal halide bulbs should be screwed into their socket so that the nipple on the arc tube (that little nub thing on the glass) should be pointed upwards, otherwise you don't get the best light colour off the bulbs.

There have been studies to show that it's nonsense, but enough anecdotal evidence (i.e. people saying that it made a difference for them) that it's not complete nonsense.

I made my sockets in my 75g so that I could rotate them if need be, just to make sure my halides are always orientated that way if I can't screw them in any further.

Man, could there be any worse topic to talk about ... things that sound dirty but ain't. I'll try not to make any reference about clams and wrasses while I'm at it. Whoooops, .. um .. never mind. ;)

175???, how are they in 250?

Tony, the last I read was nipple sideways. I'll try to find that, but it worked in this case.

Interesting, thanks Tony. Am I to assume that is just the mogal base bulbs that have these nipples?

Do you mean the Iwasaki's? The 14K's only come in 175W at the moment. There is talk on RC about eventually there being other wattages but so far I haven't seen them offered anywhere.

But seriously, the 175W 14K Iwasaki lamp kicks some serious butt. It has higher PAR and lumens than some 250W lamps.

Now that I have a bit more time I was able to search up Sanjay Joshi's review on the lamp:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005...=iwasaki%20175
(Search on "Iwasaki 175W Aqua2 14000K Mogul Base")

You can also try playing around on his website:
http://reeflightinginfo.arvixe.com/

Hi Greg,

I think, as an artifact of the manufacturing process, all arc tubes have the nipples (it's where the inject the gases? I think?), it's just that DE's don't give you an option.

Marie, my friend has been on the same quest since selling his vho,s several years ago. After running 14K 400w bulbs for a year, he went to all T-5,s. Just recently he chucked his T-5,s completely. Figures his tank has never looked good since the switch from halides and its all soft corals & huge leathers.

He just put a pair of SA, 14K, 400,s back on. Likes the look but still not the same as the vho look. He is thinking of adding a pair of vho actinics. From our running of T-5 actinics, just not the same as the vho actinics.

I just dont thing the same colour can be reproduced by anything else. I would think, {not using} , that the Iwasaki 14K would be a similar light to the Ushio 10K. My SA 14K,s {175w}, have a nice bluer look but not the same as vho nor my T-5,s.

Yes, I am running VHO's with it, so that helps with the colors as well.

Deb,

Where did you get your Isawaki's from ?

Brent

From Premium Aquatics Brent.

So, :smile: , either of you still running the 175 Iwasaki bulbs?

Yep. :) I don't wanna count the # of months on it now. Still going strong though, and I'll probably replace it with another.

I see Iwasaki has a 14k DE now in the 250W size. I might try that for my ritteri tank (250W DE over that one). Currently using a Ushio 14k on that one.

Yep, but I just brought the fixture back out to restart my in-wall tank. I was going to sell it...:lol:

You guys think they are as bright as the higher "K", [14& up], single ended 250 bulbs?

Unfortunately I don't really have any way to objectively quantify that. To the naked eye it's a bright, crisp-white colour. It is one of the nicest "white" lamps I've ever used. For brightness, I'd say it's easily comparable to an Ushio on a proper ballast - but unlike an Ushio, it is a probe start lamp, so runs, and starts, perfectly on my M57 ballasts.

Actually, the answer is a quantifiable "yes" when they are run on an electronic ballast according to Sanjay's results.

Thanks. I did read that awile back. Guess I should read it again. :smile:

I have just tried the 175w Iwasakis today and I have to say they are amazingly bright and this from someone who has been using 10k xms (the xms were going on 2 years old though :redface: )

Some pics

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...esnell/55g.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...snell/55g2.jpg

Still not as nice a colour as vhos but better then any other MHs I've tried but they have only had a few hours burn in time hopefully it will get even better. Now I wish I had gone for the Iwasaki 250w DEs as well

My 45g, 24in. H cube requires a halide. Its all sps corals.

After reading all info I can find on the 175w Iwasaki, I think thats what I,m going to use w/ an electronic ballast. The par readings are higher than any of the usual 250wSE 12K or 14K I have used in the past. Also I have been long time Iwasaki fan, using both the 250w & 400w 65K,s over many different tanks.

The 250,s mentioned, although a nice colour, just dont seem to cut it in par. I suppose one could use a higher par 250 bulb, such as 10K or some of the DE bulbs. I still would use electronic on that and not HQI.

Whatcha think? :smile:

I need to get some new bulbs. I'm on the wait list for them at Premium Aquatics, just wondered if there is someplace else that stocks them?

I see they are called 15k now.

JL Aquatics stocks them

Thanks Marie !

I know the 250w Ushio 10K are quite yellow, and need some serious actinic supplementation to even get to white, let alone bluish. They do have good life though, and the color doesn't change much in 12 months.