I'm not sure how all this relates to what is inside a bluewave ballast, but I'll play along
. The 400w radium bulb is very bright. It is way brighter than a 175w. I can tell this with my eyes by how long I can stare at the inner envelope ot the bulbs (don't try this at home folks, I'm a trained idiot!). I'm not inclined to give a hoot about meters and PAR and onandon. The bulb is brighter. I had a 400 Iwasaki installed once...it was the brightest bulb I've seen and I knew this because it lit up more of my livingroom than any other bulb.
So yes, switching to a new Radium can and will certainly pose the risk of bleaching. Doug is right, 175w Ushios are really nice bulbs. But no way are they anywhere near as bright as 400w anythings!! Soooo, you take a coral from an extended stay under a 175 and put it under a 400, it will run the very real risk of going white!! Period.
Man, all this rambling made me feel like Tony. And I noticed my left and right hands fighting for keyboard control....scary!!
