Flickering bulb

Proteus · #1 10-09-2013, 08:25 PM

Picked up a new giessemann 21k bulb. And ran for a day. It was orange/pink all day. But know flicker.
I am going to try one more time and if not then try a pheonix.

I'm wondering if the vertex ballast is not capable of this bulb.

Is anyone running this bulb

The Codfather · #2 10-09-2013, 08:47 PM

Not sure if you liked the bluer colour or not but I'm telling you, go with a 14k Ushio. I think by far the nicest colour, but it is a little whiter than you'd think.
I ran these for years prior to my LEDs, are you running any t5 as well as?

Kryptic4L · #3 10-09-2013, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Codfather

Not sure if you liked the bluer colour or not but I'm telling you, go with a 14k Ushio. I think by far the nicest colour, but it is a little YELLOWER than you'd think.
I ran these for years prior to my LEDs, are you running any t5 as well as?

fixed

kien · #4 10-09-2013, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Codfather

Not sure if you liked the bluer colour or not but I'm telling you, go with a 14k Ushio. I think by far the nicest colour, but it is a little whiter than you'd think.
I ran these for years prior to my LEDs, are you running any t5 as well as?

I too used those Ushios for a while and you're right, it is a nice crisp white, even though it's marketed as a 14K bulb. Compared to the Phoenix 14k my eyes render it (the Ushio) as somewhere between a 10k and a 14K so probably a 12K in colour cast. It grew SPS like there was no tomorrow !

Proteus · #5 10-09-2013, 11:09 PM

I would like to stick to the blue bulbs as I'm not running supplement lighting yet.

As of now the light issue is fixed. I took both bulbs back to the lfs and tested them in a icecap ballast.

The one was def off color. The other fine with no flicker. I put origanal bulb back in and so far no flicker.

I am very interested in a pheonix. And will try that next Time around

Proteus · #6 10-10-2013, 04:21 PM

So I lied bulb still flickers. Doesn't mater hot or cold. It never flicker on the icecap ballast so I'm thinking it's the vertex ballast. While I may be able to try a bunch if different bulbs. It would be silly for me to run out and buy $400 in bulbs when the ballast was 1/4 of that.
I believe the giessemann bulbs to be of good quality and is also stocked buy lfs. I am thinking to buy a new ballast and am looking for suggestions. Ballast are lacking in options since the led revolution but there are a few avalible.

I have been looking at the coralvue luxcore. Any review on this. It does have a super lumen option to overdrive the bulb.

http://reefbuilders.com/2011/07/12/l...last-coralvue/

kien · #7 10-10-2013, 06:00 PM

I've been using the Galaxy ballast for the past 4 years. When I started the tank I had one of their dual ballasts that ran 2 halides at once. Figured it was a great idea. This way I only needed to plug in two ballasts. Unfortunately it didn't work out for me as that dual ballast had issues. I returned it within a week and just picked up two regular (Galaxy) ballasts to replace it. All three ballasts have been going strong for 4 years now. Have not had to replace or service any of them.

Keep in mind that this doesn't necessarily mean that they are the bees knees. The only other ballasts that I've run we're Current USA, and BlueWave. I hated how big and noisy those were.

Proteus · #8 10-10-2013, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kien

I've been using the Galaxy ballast for the past 4 years. When I started the tank I had one of their dual ballasts that ran 2 halides at once. Figured it was a great idea. This way I only needed to plug in two ballasts. Unfortunately it didn't work out for me as that dual ballast had issues. I returned it within a week and just picked up two regular (Galaxy) ballasts to replace it. All three ballasts have been going strong for 4 years now. Have not had to replace or service any of them.

Keep in mind that this doesn't necessarily mean that they are the bees knees. The only other ballasts that I've run we're Current USA, and BlueWave. I hated how big and noisy those were.

From my understanding the vertex are a relabeled galaxy. It may be this particular ballast or the make in general.
I'm going to the lfs to get a different one and hopefully return this one