Reefbrite fixture with 20k radium?

[*unique*]

20k radium with reefbrite ballast ? Also what’s the best bulb on the market rn

 

[Reefing Madness]

 

[Troylee]

20k radium with reefbrite ballast ? Also what’s the best bulb on the market rn

Any bulb you can find lol… it’s hard to be picky as bulbs are scarce!

 

[bobnicaragua]

Hamilton, and reefbrite bulbs are good. You can still buy radium bulbs right now, they just aren’t going to produce any more.

 

[A. grandis]

20k radium with reefbrite ballast ? Also what’s the best bulb on the market rn

Reefbrite says their system with their electronic ballast will run any bulb accordingly to the needs of the bulb, if you have the right ballast. If you have a 250W bulb you just need a 250W ballast, for example. It will adjust automatically to the bulb of you choice to offer the best for the needs of the bulb for proper balance.
They are making magnetic ballasts now.
I've never tried anything from Reefbrite to this date, so I'm only posting here what they claim.
Best bulb in the marketing is subjective to your definition of "best", to say the least. Many people will give priority to aesthetics, others look for the best sunlight representation, and also people tend to ask about quality of stability/ long life.
The situation of availability is so bad right at this moment that you most likely have to go with what you find in that wattage and type of lamp you are looking for!
Radium bulbs are amazing! Can't go wrong with German quality!
There is a huge possibility for a new brand of metal halide lamps coming to the market very soon though, with the quality of the old Hamilton. The demand is growing every day for the quality of light that metal halide lamps offer. Stay tune...
I just hope that we would get back to normal and have also brand new magnetic ballasts and fixtures available!!! It's a shame that nowadays we are struggling to find halide gear!!!

 

[bobnicaragua]

Reefbrite says their system with their electronic ballast will run any bulb accordingly to the needs of the bulb, if you have the right ballast. If you have a 250W bulb you just need a 250W ballast, for example. It will adjust automatically to the bulb of you choice to offer the best for the needs of the bulb for proper balance.
They are making magnetic ballasts now.
I've never tried anything from Reefbrite to this date, so I'm only posting here what they claim.
Best bulb in the marketing is subjective to your definition of "best", to say the least. Many people will give priority to aesthetics, others look for the best sunlight representation, and also people tend to ask about quality of stability/ long life.
The situation of availability is so bad right at this moment that you most likely have to go with what you find in that wattage and type of lamp you are looking for!
Radium bulbs are amazing! Can't go wrong with German quality!
There is a huge possibility for a new brand of metal halide lamps coming to the market very soon though, with the quality of the old Hamilton. The demand is growing every day for the quality of light that metal halide lamps offer. Stay tune...
I just hope that we would get back to normal and have also brand new magnetic ballasts and fixtures available!!! It's a shame that nowadays we are struggling to find halide gear!!!

A.grandis,

What are the advantages/disadvanteges of magnetic ballasts?

 

[A. grandis]

A.grandis,

What are the advantages/disadvanteges of magnetic ballasts?

Ok...
The electronic ballasts with German lamps will flicker sometimes too much IME. The magnetic ballasts, depending on the lamps you choose, will be a much better option in the long run! IME the German bulbs should only be used with magnetic ballasts for OPTIMAL performance. I've used some German bulbs for years with electronic ballasts and they were "ok". They didn't go out or anything like that... but they do perform much better and stable with magnetic. Magnetic will warm up a bit, use more energy, but that is what the requirement is for OPTIMAL, as designed for. Most lamps were designed for magnetic, period! All the HQI (German or not) and the German lamps, including Radium, perform way more stable with magnetic ballasts. All German bulbs have their specs and they take that very seriously! Is it better for the stability of the lamp? Yup. Would that be safer then? Yup! Most electronic ballasts are made in China since long ago! Don't take me wrong, some magnetic ballasts are also made in China since the mid 2000s, but their specs were followed. It's the difference of the technology that will dictate the performance. There is not even a doubt!!!!!!!! The Hamilton was "kinda designed" to run with electronic ballasts, as they recommended, so not too bad!
They will all run with electronic, but they will all do better with magnetic IME. I was happy to know that Refbrite also thinks like me and for the surprise of many, they are selling electronic ballasts now. Tullio knows what's best!
Anyways... not a "big deal" to many of us, right?
Many say that "if works, works". Oh well...

 

[*unique*]

This is my first halide , I have the reef brite about 7 inches off the water in my 16 inch tallfrag tank ,

I am only getting about 280 par from center on top the rocks

I bought this fixture used with the 20k radium bulbs was told it’s only 4 months old

Should I get new bulbs or this is normal?

 

[bobnicaragua]

This is my first halide , I have the reef brite about 7 inches off the water in my 16 inch tallfrag tank ,

I am only getting about 280 par from center on top the rocks

I bought this fixture used with the 20k radium bulbs was told it’s only 4 months old

Should I get new bulbs or this is normal?

As the bulbs move up from 10k to 14k to 20k, they have the same amount of blue but less daylight. So your 20K bulb is the lowest par, but best looking in my opinion.

More daylight means more yellow, which makes the corals appear brown.

 

[djf91]

As the bulbs move up from 10k to 14k to 20k, they have the same amount of blue but less daylight. So your 20K bulb is the lowest par, but best looking in my opinion.

More daylight means more yellow, which makes the corals appear brown.

Not always. There are some incredible 6500-10k tanks out there from the past.

 

[*unique*]

Anyone know where to get hamaliton bulbs from can’t find any

 

[A. grandis]

Anyone know where to get hamaliton bulbs from can’t find any

There is a new company, Aqua Bright Solutions, that will sell the very same lamps Hamilton did. They should receive their first batch of their own branded metal halide lamps in 2 or 3 weeks.
They already have Radium lamps for sale in stock.

AQUA BRIGHT SOLUTIONS

Supplier of high quality aquarium products

aquabrightsolutions.com

 

[*unique*]

There is a new company, Aqua Bright Solutions, that will sell the very same lamps Hamilton did. They should receive their first batch of their own branded metal halide lamps in 2 or 3 weeks.
They already have Radium lamps for sale in stock.

AQUA BRIGHT SOLUTIONS

Supplier of high quality aquarium products

aquabrightsolutions.com

Can’t wait thank you

 

[Syntax1235]

There is a new company, Aqua Bright Solutions, that will sell the very same lamps Hamilton did. They should receive their first batch of their own branded metal halide lamps in 2 or 3 weeks.
They already have Radium lamps for sale in stock.

AQUA BRIGHT SOLUTIONS

Supplier of high quality aquarium products

aquabrightsolutions.com

I saw this site while looking for replacements for my Hamilton 14k’s but didn’t realize there were bulbs on order. I just ordered Ushio 10k’s from the manufacturer. Hope they work well on my reefbrite electronic ballasts?

 

[Asagi]

I saw this site while looking for replacements for my Hamilton 14k’s but didn’t realize there were bulbs on order. I just ordered Ushio 10k’s from the manufacturer. Hope they work well on my reefbrite electronic ballasts?

They will. I run those bulbs on my electronic ballasts.

 

[A. grandis]

I saw this site while looking for replacements for my Hamilton 14k’s but didn’t realize there were bulbs on order. I just ordered Ushio 10k’s from the manufacturer. Hope they work well on my reefbrite electronic ballasts?

The Ushio lamps work much better with magnetic ballasts IME. Specially the SE lamps... But I used them with Luxcore selectable electronic ballasts for a while. There is differences in qualities between electronic ballasts though. Tried couple times, not optimal. Both times they flickered after months of use. That isn't good for the lamp in the long run. The 250W SE were meant to run with M58 mag ballasts. I've never tried any Other Ushio lamps besides the SE 250W with electronic ballasts. They are one of the very best lamps ever existed! I love the 14Ks and also the 10Ks. You won't regret!
The Aqua Bright Solutions company told me they will be available in 2 or 3 weeks. Hope so... Exciting!

 

[Asagi]

The Ushio lamps work much better with magnetic ballasts IME. Specially the SE lamps... But I used them with Luxcore selectable electronic ballasts for a while. There is differences in qualities between electronic ballasts though. Tried couple times, not optimal. Both times they flickered after months of use. That isn't good for the lamp in the long run. The 250W SE were meant to run with M58 mag ballasts. I've never tried any Other Ushio lamps besides the SE 250W with electronic ballasts. They are one of the very best lamps ever existed! I love the 14Ks and also the 10Ks. You won't regret!
The Aqua Bright Solutions company told me they will be available in 2 or 3 weeks. Hope so... Exciting!

Anything about these dudes making ballasts?

 

[blstravler]

How I miss my 400w 20k Radium’s….

 

[djf91]

How I miss my 400w 20k Radium’s….

Very nice. What year?

 

[A. grandis]

Anything about these dudes making ballasts?

I asked them about ballasts and fixtures. They need a strong demand to do the investment. I'm not sure how we would be able to define such demand, but that is what they told me. It's serious business to invest in fixtures. I personally think metal halides will only take off in business when it's availability starts to establish, so people can try. They need to advertise it too! New users want to try, but they are reduced to either the Giesemann Spectra or ReefBrite gear for now. The main reason Aqua Bright Solutions came to exist was due to the significant number of emails to Hamilton they received last year, asking for lamps. Same deal could happen, if people would send Aqua Bright Solutions enough explanatory emails asking for different availability of halide fixtures and ballasts. So, the more people contacting them about that, the better chances we have.