Ushio Vs XM

marine134 · 11/19/2006, 02:42 AM

hi im in a process of buying a new 250 watts 10k MH bulbs to replace my radium bulbs.Im thinking of either go with Ushio or XM and not sure which one is the best to go with my icecap ballast.Any suggestions anyone?.thanks.

drives300 · 11/19/2006, 06:44 AM

depends if you want yellow(xm) or white light(ushio)

jag1979 · 11/19/2006, 07:01 AM

I have the ushio's and like the way they look, but if you going for par then the xm's are much better

Creetin · 11/19/2006, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by drives300
depends if you want yellow(xm) or white light(ushio)

Funny you say that, I run both on a mag ballast and cant tell the difference. Only price,

DrBDC · 11/19/2006, 08:42 AM

My experience w/XM's is on the 175 w ones. Some online would say they're yellow. I thought they were nuts. Then I got those new Iwasaki's on the display and rotated the XM's to a pendant over a frag tank run by a magnetic ballast and it was yellow. So I went to Sanjays site and you can enter the combo and see what ccrt (color) it will be and it was about 11,300K on the aro electronic but only 10100K on a magnetic ballast. Big difference depending on ballast.

spongebobby · 11/19/2006, 08:55 AM

I have run both Ushio first then XM both 250w SE. One of the Ushio blew out about 2-3 months in and I purchased the XM bulbs. The Ushio were bright and had a crisp white light. The XM starts out yellow when it turns on but after about 5 mins. it is extremely bright. I would have to say that on my light(Aquactinics) the XM is brighter,more white,cost less. Go with XM you will definately be satisfied. HTH

vin · 11/19/2006, 09:13 AM

I run 2-10k 250w.xm's on a pfo ballast.No yellow only a bright crisp white light.

skriz · 11/19/2006, 10:02 AM

I run 4 250w xm 10k. They are bright white. NO Yellow at all. If you want yellow, go Iwasaki. I haven't used uisho, so can't comment on them.

Why not check out the pics of each bulb?
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...hreadid=254667

Justjoe · 11/19/2006, 10:17 AM

Sometimes the XM's will burn a bit yellow if they're run on an older capacitor. Even though the capacitor still works as in firing the bulb, they seem a bit sensitive to older capacitors. I have corrected some yellowing bulbs by simply replacing 6 year old capacitors. Thanks to some guy named Sanjay, aka Photon Man for the suggestion.
Joe

Shadowramy · 11/19/2006, 03:22 PM

2 x 250 XM on an ARO ballast. Looks perfectly white to me. I will be replacing them this fall with more XM 10Ks

AZDesertRat · 11/19/2006, 05:38 PM

I used Ushios for my first 2 years, 2 sets of 250w 10Ks and last year switched to XM 10 K. The XM is much whiter than the Ushio on my Coralvue E Ballasts. My only complaint and its the only one is they have never lit on the first strike since new and the Ushios lit first time every time.

Yinger · 11/19/2006, 05:58 PM

agreed. XM is a nice white IMO

pheel · 11/19/2006, 06:20 PM

Ushio are meant to be use with Pulse start ballast (at least with 175W, I may be wrong with 250 bulb) so if you have probe start go with XM.

pheel · 11/19/2006, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pheel
Ushio are meant to be use with Pulse start ballast (at least with 175W, I may be wrong with 250 bulb) so if you have probe start go with XM.

well, the 250 seem to use a probe start M58, sorry aout that

http://www.ushio.com/Files/Aqualite.pdf

11/19/2006, 02:42 AM	#1
marine134 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: California Posts: 171	Ushio Vs XM hi im in a process of buying a new 250 watts 10k MH bulbs to replace my radium bulbs.Im thinking of either go with Ushio or XM and not sure which one is the best to go with my icecap ballast.Any suggestions anyone?.thanks.

11/19/2006, 06:44 AM	#2
drives300 Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Bradenton, FL Posts: 961	depends if you want yellow(xm) or white light(ushio) __________________ Water Param 79 degrees nit 0 amm 0 phos 0 salifers Calcium 450 salifer alk 11 dkh Ph 8-8.1 Current Tank Info: 90 Gallon,reef octopus nw150, 2 oceanflow mods, 2x 250w 10k mh, phos reactor

11/19/2006, 07:01 AM	#3
jag1979 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 982	I have the ushio's and like the way they look, but if you going for par then the xm's are much better __________________ clowns, bi-color pseudo, coral beauty, yellow tang GBTA, crocea clam xenia, various polyps/zoa's, candy cane, tree leather, frogspawn, torch, various mushrooms, green/red plate, birdsnest Current Tank Info: 180 AGA, tunze 6100, 6025 and 6060, 3 x 250 mh's, 3 x 80 t5's, ASM G4+

11/19/2006, 08:42 AM	#5
DrBDC Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Ballwin, Missouri Posts: 10,358	My experience w/XM's is on the 175 w ones. Some online would say they're yellow. I thought they were nuts. Then I got those new Iwasaki's on the display and rotated the XM's to a pendant over a frag tank run by a magnetic ballast and it was yellow. So I went to Sanjays site and you can enter the combo and see what ccrt (color) it will be and it was about 11,300K on the aro electronic but only 10100K on a magnetic ballast. Big difference depending on ballast. __________________ Some drink at the fountain of knowledge, some just gargle, but most are rabid. Current Tank Info: 180g sps+75 softy/lps on one system tunze's, seio's, mjmods, aquacontroller w/add ons, 2X400 XM10000 and 3X160 vho actinic, 110g sump, 110 frag tank, Geo Beckett and other stuff

11/19/2006, 08:55 AM	#6
spongebobby Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: S.E.M.O Posts: 880	I have run both Ushio first then XM both 250w SE. One of the Ushio blew out about 2-3 months in and I purchased the XM bulbs. The Ushio were bright and had a crisp white light. The XM starts out yellow when it turns on but after about 5 mins. it is extremely bright. I would have to say that on my light(Aquactinics) the XM is brighter,more white,cost less. Go with XM you will definately be satisfied. HTH __________________ 210 gal. mixed Reef Reeflo 200 PRO KIT 1 VORTECH MP40W Gen. 2 GEO Kalk Reactor Aquactinics 72" Constellation 300lbs Gulf-Keys-Fiji-Pukani LR 200 lbs. LS

11/19/2006, 09:13 AM	#7
vin Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: wilmington ma. Posts: 206	I run 2-10k 250w.xm's on a pfo ballast.No yellow only a bright crisp white light.

11/19/2006, 10:02 AM	#8
skriz Moved On Join Date: Mar 2001 Posts: 502	I run 4 250w xm 10k. They are bright white. NO Yellow at all. If you want yellow, go Iwasaki. I haven't used uisho, so can't comment on them. Why not check out the pics of each bulb? http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...hreadid=254667

11/19/2006, 10:17 AM	#9
Justjoe Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 2,682	Sometimes the XM's will burn a bit yellow if they're run on an older capacitor. Even though the capacitor still works as in firing the bulb, they seem a bit sensitive to older capacitors. I have corrected some yellowing bulbs by simply replacing 6 year old capacitors. Thanks to some guy named Sanjay, aka Photon Man for the suggestion. Joe

11/19/2006, 03:22 PM	#10
Shadowramy Moved On Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 598	2 x 250 XM on an ARO ballast. Looks perfectly white to me. I will be replacing them this fall with more XM 10Ks

11/19/2006, 05:38 PM	#11
AZDesertRat Moved On Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: NW Phoenix Posts: 16,621	I used Ushios for my first 2 years, 2 sets of 250w 10Ks and last year switched to XM 10 K. The XM is much whiter than the Ushio on my Coralvue E Ballasts. My only complaint and its the only one is they have never lit on the first strike since new and the Ushios lit first time every time.

11/19/2006, 05:58 PM	#12
Yinger Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Yorba Linda Posts: 3,657	agreed. XM is a nice white IMO

11/19/2006, 06:20 PM	#13
pheel Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 192	Ushio are meant to be use with Pulse start ballast (at least with 175W, I may be wrong with 250 bulb) so if you have probe start go with XM.