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#1
07-31-2007, 03:20 AM
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there good untill you decide to change them. don't let store propaganda of 10 month changes push you into a sale. these same stores said change them ever 6 months 4 years ago, when people started noticing after 1 year they only lost 10% of the out put the stors looked silly so they all bumped it up to 8 to 12 month recomendation. I ran my AB's 18 months and there was only a 9% decrease in PAR output, but I concider AB's the cream of the cream in the bulb world.
Steve
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 *everything said above is just my opinion, and may or may not reflect the views of this BBS, its Operators, and its Members. If cornered on any “opinion” I post I will totally deny having ever said this in a Court of Law…Unless I am the right one*Some strive to be perfect.... I just strive. 
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#2
07-31-2007, 03:27 AM
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from a study i read somewhere, par drops fairly quickly over the first few months and then levels out a bit and drops much more slowly.
The guy doing the study had accidentely left one of the old bulbs in and had thrown the new one out. While the par was much lower initially then the new ones, by the time the year was up all 3 bulbs were fairly close even though the old bulb was 2 years old. 
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#4
05-21-2011, 02:38 PM
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Here is an interesting article on bulb life using the Phoenix bulbs as the test subject http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-04/ac/index.php. This guy claims a Metal halide bulb loses about 25% of its output at three to four months and at 18 months it is still at 70% of its initial output. So if a person is not going to change their bulbs every 4 months they are just as well to leave them in for a year and a half.
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#5
05-21-2011, 05:32 PM
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I remember that article and was going to post it. Its probably the reason why I've been using Phoenix for the last 3 years. I place them over my display for 12 months at 7-8 hours a day and then over my frag tank for another 5-6 months. After about a year and a half I often get some cyano appearing under the old bulb. Whether the change in spectrum and intensity causes it or if its just coincidence I'm not sure. I guess its worth mentioning too that I use HQI ballasts which don't seem to be available anymore. According to my Apex controller the electricity they draw is actually more like 360W each.
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"We shall dive down through black abysses... and in that lair of the Deep Ones we shall dwell amidst wonder and glory forever." - H.P. Lovecraft Old 120gal Tank Journal New 225gal Tank Journal May 2010 TOTM The 10th Annual Prince George Reef Tank Tour
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#6
05-21-2011, 06:50 PM
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Quote:
Last edited by viperfish; 05-21-2011 at 06:53 PM.
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#8
05-22-2011, 02:04 AM
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Quote:
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Good subject though.
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