Lighting Decisions

Stixbaraca · Sep 30, 2006

I am just about ready to make all the purchases my my hood and lighting upgrade. I decided I definitely want to go with a DE 250W Phoenix 14K bulb. SHould I go with the ARO E Ballast for about $100 from HelloLights...or the BlueLine E Ballast from Champion for about $115? I am leaning for the E ballast over the Mag.

gflat65 · Sep 30, 2006

I've always run mag, but that is mainly because they were cheap and easier to find locally. I don't think you can go wrong with E ballasts on a 250W DE, but maybe someone else will have some better info.

gflat65 · Sep 30, 2006

Here is a shot of a Phoenix 14K sandwiched between two AB 10K's (250W DE's). I was trying to figure out what I wanted. I liked the 14K's, but with VHO's, it was too much blue for the wife. She lets me do as I please most of the time, so she gets say in lighting color

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Stixbaraca · Sep 30, 2006

I am running a 14K Phoenix on my prop setup...and I think that is what sold me! hould I not even run the pc actinics I was planning on running with the 14K? Is 250W enough for my 58 which is like 36" long?

jessiesgrrl · Sep 30, 2006

gflat65 said:
Here is a shot of a Phoenix 14K sandwiched between two AB 10K's (250W DE's). I was trying to figure out what I wanted. I liked the 14K's, but with VHO's, it was too much blue for the wife. She lets me do as I please most of the time, so she gets say in lighting color .

Gary, that is BEAUTIFUL! My tank has 10k on the ends, and a 20k in the middle.

Stix, I like Hellolights for the customer service (Free Tshirt didn't hurt either); and the shipping was extremely cautious imo.

Laurie

gflat65 · Sep 30, 2006

You'll likely have dimmer ends of the tank with only the MH. The PC's shouldn't blue it up too much more, though and would add a little extra coverage.

Thanks Laruie. That was pre rabbitfish (munched down the razor caulerpa, then went after the zoas, then Acan lords, then Acan echinatas), the AEFW's and Monti nudis. It is recovering... No signs of AEFW's sine March, no signs of Monti nudis since June. I moved alot of the stuff in the 125 from those shots into the 120 (two feet away from the 125), so the 125 looks kinda bare now. My sps have tons of room to grow now.