Radium 20K
 

Any canucks running the Radium bulbs. If so what do you think and what are you using for ballasts.

Radium 20K
 

I run the radium bulbs and they are great! Corals color up in anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months if all other water parameters are good. I run them on my Hqi ballasts.

Radium 20K
 

Jayson, have you tried running the radiums on electronic ballasts yet (blueline or icecap)?

(I still think of Tim Horton's when I hear "icecap" ... yum! :D )

Radium 20K
 

Jayson:
How long have you had the Radiums. I am wondering how long one could push the bulbs in terms of life expectancy. The consensus seems to be 8-12 months which could get pricey when the sak's can be pushed to 1-1/2 years.

Radium 20K
 

I have not tried them on Blueline(not a big fan of them) I am still waiting for he 12 Ice Cap I ordered to come in. The bulb expectancy is 11-12 monthes if run on the proper ballast. I you run them on a Pfo hqi you will get aprox 6-8 months. Radium does not even recommend the ballasts. Eye may last longer but there is just no comparison to color. Hope this helps

Radium 20K
 

I am running a 400 watt 20K on my normal PFO ballast. Very nice colour, but not as bright as the pics I have seen of others driving them with HQI or electronic. I have only had mine for a month, so no longevity reports yet.

I just switched some lighting around. Running a pair of 400,s on the 180. The 20K on one side and a 12K Sunburst on the other. Both driven by normal ballasts. There is no difference in the colour or the intensity. If anything the 12K is a shade less blue, but not enough to tell at first look.

The tank colour is very nice. The 170 with a pair of 175 watt 10K bulbs is not close in looks.

BUT, makes ya wonder. The 170, using 350 watts of 10K, is wayyyyyyyyyyyy brighter than the 180, using 800 watts of a higher colour bulb. To our eyes at least.

Radium 20K
 

You mention HQI and PFO ballasts

When you mention PFO are you referring to the PFO regular Metal Halide ballasts. If I recall correctly they market a HQI ballast for the 400 watt but it is actually a SON AGRO 430 watt HPS ballast.

As fas I know there is no "HQI" ballast for a 400 watt bulb in North America, just the 250 watt

Radium 20K
 

You are correct in saying that there is no PFO hqi. This is why when you run the PFO ballast they burn the bulbs out premature and cause them to look whiter. Radium will not honor any warrenties when using this ballast. I have a ballast coming to Canada this week that is going to be a hqi/ps 400 watt. This is the ballast that Radium recommends for their lamps. This ballast will give you 11-12 months of lamp life.

Radium 20K
 

What is "hqi/ps" -- can you point us to any info on this ballast, manufacturer, etc.? Where are you bringing it in from?

Radium 20K
 

Mind if I ask where you are ordering the ballast Jayson? Curious. [img]smile.gif[/img] Radiums are an interesting topic. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Are you running the radium on your own system or the business' tanks?

Radium 20K
 

The ballast Radium recomend will make the bulb definitivaly to blue + dimm and it's why in europe no one utilize that bulb

From what I have read on the Radium she will live
8-10 monthe on a AGRO ballast and 10-12 month
on a blueline.

As for the price issue dont forget that you dont need any actnic supplement so it help cover the short period living difference between saki and radium + now you could have a Radium at the price of a saki so it will be not much more $ :D

Radium 20K
 

I am bringing the ballast in from one of my suppliers over yonder. I will be selling them very shortly.I expect a pallet of them as well as a whack of new bulbs. This is the ballast that radium recommends is all I can say at this time. I have been running the Radiums on a couple of different tanks for a little while. I keep changing them with other bulbs to achieve the best color and growth. When my shipment arrives this week I will be swaping my eye bulbs out and putting the Radium back. Much better color and nicer overall look. I will be running them in winter for my coral greenhouse if I do not have enough light. Right now I have way to much light and do not need them. Hope this info helps.

Radium 20K
 

There is a guy from Canada who utilise the Radium 400 http://www.aquariumpros.ca/forums/sh...=&threadid=590

Here a couple of link from past post

http://www.canreef.com/ubb6/cgi-bin/...=000717#000020

http://www.canreef.com/ubb6/cgi-bin/...1;t=000760;p=1

There a good tread on Radium I strart a will before on RC http://www.reefcentral.com/vbulletin...adium+and+user

Radium 20K
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">If you don't use actinic bulbs how are you going to do a dusk dawn simulation? or are you just going to wake the poor little guys up with a 400 watt MH :D

Steve

Radium 20K
 

Isn't it true Steve that MH take a few minutes to fire up, reaching full intensity gradually?

Someone else has mentioned that would be a more natural "dawn" effect than the instant "click" of the FL tubes. Another suggested staggering the photoperiods side to side, in an attempt to simulate the sun moving across the tank. I guess then maybe the light would "rise" on the one side and "set" on the other?

Just a thought...

[ 16 July 2002, 21:48: Message edited by: AJ_77 ]

Radium 20K
 

ya I guess that is true but that would be more the sun comming over the crest of a hill not the dusk/dawn that is usaly a couple hours of dim light befor you see the sun.. that I what I am taking about.

Steve

Radium 20K
 

I see what you mean. Do you get that extended period at the equator? I thought that sunrise and sunset were fairly quick, with the sun dropping straight down over the horizon - none of this long sloping path we northerners are used to?

That would make for shorter dusk and dawn times...

Radium 20K
 

hmmm I was just trying to remember and if my memory serves me right the actualy dusk dawn is longer and the night is shorter.. mind you I was usaly pretty intoxicated when i have been in the tropical places.. can you remember Darren? :D

Steve

Radium 20K
 

Night and daytime are roughly equal 12 hours/12 hours; sunrise and sunset are very quick (half hour or thereabouts). In my observations, anyways...

This goes for both islands in the tropics (ie coastal areas, so nothing to block the sun until it's below the water horizon), and being completely inland, where there has been mountains/terrain to create early shadows..

That said, I have never seen a sunrise or sunset period under the water -- for me it's always been midday for the diving or snorkeling, (so far, anyways [img]smile.gif[/img] ). So I don't know how long the subdued intensity lighting would be under the water. For all I know it could be totally different.

Radium 20K
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Usually I was in this same state.. :eek: :eek: but I do remember watching and timing it off of Haiti one year. Was bored outta my skull on lifebouy sentry. It took about 1/2 hour or so. give or take. Tops an hour for full brightness.

Radium 20K
 

A would also like to add that a cloud going over the sun could represent a quick change in light intensity. I say if you can relate it to something that could occur in nature, then it's probably not gonna bug your reef tank..

Radium 20K
 

Here are a few more pics. See page 2 (it should go there directly) down near the bottom. These pics are with the HQI, I have yet to hook up the blueline-E ballasts. Remember, the pics with radiums always look bluer than in real life.
I personally like both ballasts. THere are different reasons for each that I think others have already mentioned.

Thread:

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/forums/sh...5&pagenumber=2

Radium 20K
 

For now I have never stop my self in doing dusk dawn simulation as I tink it not require. So from the begining of my reef I have light up
400W of fluorescent in one shut :D . This is far from simulate aniting IMO and probably the 15 min take for the MH to light will do even a better job.

Radium 20K
 

You could still have a 40 watt actinic for that purpose. I have on both the tanks. They come on before the halides and go off after there on, same at night again.

Only $25/bulb and let them run until there toast. Thats their only purpose, and as mentioned, halides are actually better for morning sunrise, so the actinics only need come on at sunset.

Radium 20K
 

Heck actinics are only $17 ea at J&L.

I agree with Doug..

keep in mind that MH's aren't an instant on. The slowly light over a 10-20 minute period.

Radium 20K
 

$17, hmmmm, guess I have had these Philips to long. :D

Radium 20K
 

Buy four and it drops to $15.. :D

Radium 20K
 

Gettin better. :D

Radium 20K
 

I think I will stick with the Ushio 10K for now. At least it can run decently on regular MH ballasts. I guarantee by next year there will be a number of mfg. who will be marketing 20k bulbs. Hopefully they will run on standard MH ballasts making the choice easier.