radium mh bulb

oneil · 03/21/2006, 08:34 PM

Hello all I have a ?.I just picked up a radium 20000k mh bulb that a friend had ordered for me.When I got the bulb there was a warning on the box that said .This bulb requires a special hqi ballas .Dont operate this bulb in 250w ballast. Does anyone use this bulb and what ballast do you use?

Ti · 03/21/2006, 09:27 PM

what ballast do u have?

elephen · 03/21/2006, 10:09 PM

I run 250w Radiums on an HQI ballast and the color is fantastic, a very 14k color. You CAN run them on IceCap ballasts but they will be VERY VERY blue.

pperez · 03/21/2006, 10:16 PM

Same here, i run them on HQI.

oneil · 03/22/2006, 01:59 AM

I am runing 250w hamilton mh balast but i might have to upgrade to a different balast if i want to rum the radium. I do have 2 hamilton 250w hqi that runs two 14k bulbs .How does the radium look on hamilton hqi?

elephen · 03/22/2006, 07:52 AM

The Radium will look like a 14-15k color on any HQI ballast. Not sure if the Radium would fire on a standard magnetic ballast.

clamguy · 03/22/2006, 08:10 AM

i was running two 20k radiums on hqi ballasts for my dawn to dusk effect, and using two 10k xm bulbs for my "daytime" period, leaving the radiums on throughout the day. i have spent alot of money in the last few months trying to find the right look, and still knowing i have the par for the corals. the radiums are very blue, and work well for a dawn to dusk, but you wont get any growth. the combo of the radium and xm 10k worked fine. then a friend told me about coralvues "reeflux" bulbs, and thats how he was getting not only the par, but a pleasing color to the eye. theese bulbs are a 10k, but spes out at around 17k, and the color is great with or without atinics.i also looked them up on sanjays mh review, and their is a big difference in the ballast you use, as with any bulb. if you were thinking of changing or just had questiuons this is a great site. also i bought two hamilton 14k bulbs, and put one on the hqi ballast, and one on the magnetic ballast, and the hqi was much more bright white, but im sure it was overdriven on the hqi, and more than likley would shorten its life.

oneil · 03/22/2006, 07:31 PM

Thanks guys i just ordered a couple icecap balast from marine depot. so i will be able to see what the radium ok like .

03/21/2006, 08:34 PM	#1
oneil Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Chatsworth, ca Posts: 77	radium mh bulb Hello all I have a ?.I just picked up a radium 20000k mh bulb that a friend had ordered for me.When I got the bulb there was a warning on the box that said .This bulb requires a special hqi ballas .Dont operate this bulb in 250w ballast. Does anyone use this bulb and what ballast do you use?

03/21/2006, 09:27 PM	#2
Ti Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 7,927	what ballast do u have? __________________ Hair algae is my Macro algae.

03/21/2006, 10:09 PM	#3
elephen Moved On Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: kc Posts: 2,763	I run 250w Radiums on an HQI ballast and the color is fantastic, a very 14k color. You CAN run them on IceCap ballasts but they will be VERY VERY blue.

03/21/2006, 10:16 PM	#4
pperez Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: NYC Posts: 564	Same here, i run them on HQI.

03/22/2006, 01:59 AM	#5
oneil Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Chatsworth, ca Posts: 77	I am runing 250w hamilton mh balast but i might have to upgrade to a different balast if i want to rum the radium. I do have 2 hamilton 250w hqi that runs two 14k bulbs .How does the radium look on hamilton hqi?

03/22/2006, 07:52 AM	#6
elephen Moved On Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: kc Posts: 2,763	The Radium will look like a 14-15k color on any HQI ballast. Not sure if the Radium would fire on a standard magnetic ballast.

03/22/2006, 08:10 AM	#7
clamguy Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: north side Posts: 20	i was running two 20k radiums on hqi ballasts for my dawn to dusk effect, and using two 10k xm bulbs for my "daytime" period, leaving the radiums on throughout the day. i have spent alot of money in the last few months trying to find the right look, and still knowing i have the par for the corals. the radiums are very blue, and work well for a dawn to dusk, but you wont get any growth. the combo of the radium and xm 10k worked fine. then a friend told me about coralvues "reeflux" bulbs, and thats how he was getting not only the par, but a pleasing color to the eye. theese bulbs are a 10k, but spes out at around 17k, and the color is great with or without atinics.i also looked them up on sanjays mh review, and their is a big difference in the ballast you use, as with any bulb. if you were thinking of changing or just had questiuons this is a great site. also i bought two hamilton 14k bulbs, and put one on the hqi ballast, and one on the magnetic ballast, and the hqi was much more bright white, but im sure it was overdriven on the hqi, and more than likley would shorten its life.

03/22/2006, 07:31 PM	#8
oneil Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Chatsworth, ca Posts: 77	Thanks guys i just ordered a couple icecap balast from marine depot. so i will be able to see what the radium ok like .