Jamie, what would be the fun then?
Thats one reason I "usually" speak from experience. I have tried them all.
I switched to Radiums, because everyone was saying how awesome they were. The main reason I sold my 250w Iwasaki set up, was because I never had an Icecap ballast anyways, I got a good deal on the 400 pendant and a 12K bulb, and I already had a pair of 175w bulbs on Icecaps, to supplement the 400 12K with. I still say that combination of 175-10K, 400-12K, 175-10K, over my 4ft. 170g gave the nicest light and coral colours I have seen.
I would switch back to 250 Iwasaki/vho combination, because its very intense, the 250 version is a nice crisp white and most of all the freakin bulbs last a couple years. Tired of dropping several hundred per year on bulbs.
Thanks Darren. Thats what I was trying to express. Just so busy, redoing the tank, to try rid it of the flatworms.
Steve, I personally have no problem with you stating your views on lighting and respect your opinion & testing in this field. Thats why I e-mailed you with a lighting question, instead of the other gazzillion internet aquarists I know.
Back to the question at hand. I was thinking of using an HQI/Radium, in the center of the other Radiums. But I decided to go with the 65K instead. Makes a nice mix and as mentioned, gives at least one bulb some longevity.
What I would really like to do, is to run a 400 HQI, in the center of my pulsestarts, just to see for myself, how much brighter, if any, they are.