Apex/ electrical/GFI messed up.Help.

[reefwithareefer]

Originally Posted by Robw

Mike, good to see you have way more time than me to help out with this problem.

I would put the chiller on its own circuit and not run it on the apex. They can draw a fair bit of current when they startup. Magnetic ballasts will draw more current when they strike the bulb than a electronic ballast. The running current should be close, but the magnetic ballast will use more power.

Definitely recalibrate the eb8.

There is no "sticker" telling me what type of ballast it is...any obvious ways to tell if it is a magnetic...Even the galaxy site does not say..

[Robw]

Magnetic ballasts are heavy. Most electronic ballasts are in anodized aluminum cases with a cooling fan. Can you post pics of them?

[reefwithareefer]

Originally Posted by Robw

Magnetic ballasts are heavy. Most electronic ballasts are in anodized aluminum cases with a cooling fan. Can you post pics of them?

Just by that description, I know they are electronic. My original Coralife fixture had big heavy black boxes for the MH. The galaxies are light with green aluminum, finned casing with fans.

I thought that all HQI bulbs were suppose to be better on magnetic..
The pendants must have originally had magnetic ballasts as the sticker on ballast said to use an M80 bulb to match ballast

[gregzz4]

If you want to move your chiller onto its own power source, but still have it on an EBx, I have a Digital Aquatics expansion socket (ES) you can have for $40

[Robw]

Sounds like they are electronic ballasts. Electronic ballasts are suppose to fire all bulbs. I believe HQI bulbs are over driven by the ballast by design. I once tried a regular DE bulb on a HQI ballast and it ended when the bulb exploded after about 15 minutes.

[reefwithareefer]

Originally Posted by Robw

Sounds like they are electronic ballasts. Electronic ballasts are suppose to fire all bulbs. I believe HQI bulbs are over driven by the ballast by design. I once tried a regular DE bulb on a HQI ballast and it ended when the bulb exploded after about 15 minutes.

That is where I still get confused. Some articles state that all 250 DE bulbs are HQI and run best on magnetic ballasts. One article said Radiums should only be run on magnetics.
Maybe because they "overclock" the bulbs...

[Robw]

Here is possibly the most definitive guide to mh lighting for reef tanks.

http://www.manhattanreefs.com/lighting