Bluewave pulse start/ Radiums

[Flatlander]

Hi
I wanted to start a new thread on this topic, as I have made some changes. This way I can update progress. I know some of us, {Chuck, /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif}, have talked on this before.

My tank finally appears to be flatworm free, {for now}. I sold the rest of my soft corals, except of an umbrella leather thats making my clowns feel more comfortable.

I still had several sps, like a blue tipped acro frag and several colonies of monti digita. Going this weekend to pick up several acros and 3 different monti caps.

Anyways, I have a pair of 400w Radiums driven by a Bluewave pulse start duel ballast. I was playing with a PFO/Iwasaki in the center and such. I now have another single Bluewave pulse start and running another 400w Radium in the center, so all three are 400w/pulse start fired Radiums.

There has been much talk on the boards about the Radiums not being effective, {not as much with the 400,s}, overdriven Radiums having short life and how good, if at all, the pulse start driven 400,s are.

I figure this will help us see some results, good or bad. I have ran new Radiums beside my 6 month old ones, with no visable difference so far.

[Chuck S]

Looking forward to hearing your results. My 400watt Radium driven by a Blueline is nice. I do not get near the growth that I had with the Iwasaki but am overall pleased this past year on overall tank health and appearance.

[Flatlander]

I played around for a bit, running Iwasaki bulbs in the pulse starts, {worked well} and a 20K in the center. Certainly much brighter and as you mentioned, perhaps more growth, but it just never looked as nice. Everything seemed greener looking. My Fiji rock is completely encrusted in purple coralline and it never even looked good.

With the Radiums, the corals look much better. Heck even the fish look better. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif If I can get a year with them and half decent growth, then I will be happy. I dont run any actinics, so just have the 3 Radiums to replace.

If not, well my Iwasaki bulbs are sitting on the shelf.

I will keep a picture record, so a year or so from now, I can show results, {which ever way}. Of course not counting all other tank factors, which places an important part in growth & colour.

[Flatlander]

This brown monti still does not like the Radiums to close. Bulbs must give off nuclear radiation, /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif as the Iwasaki bulbs dont even do this.

[Flatlander]

Hi Chuck,
Thought I had better admit. YOU WERE RIGHT. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I got rid of the pulse start/ Radiums. Tired of waiting for something to grow. Perhaps its just the 30in. depth and 10in. pendant height and lack of par.

Running just two 400w pendants w/Iwasaki bulbs and getting more light than three of the above combo.

The strange thing still is how easy they bleached corals though, esp. for the lack of intensity. They did grow nice coralline as seen in the pic.

I did save my bulbs and a single pulse start ballast. Thinking of doing a 60g cube sps tank, which I would use the lighting for.

[Chuck S]

I recently yanked the 20k on the one side and went back to 10K.

So currently I am running 10k/65k on my 120.

On my other tanks I use VHO and PC but am currently building a deeper hood for my 29gallon as I finally broke down and bought the ballast for the 150watt 10k DE bulb I have had for over a year. I will be converting my 29 gallon from all PC to MH/PC

[Flatlander]

I see this thread gets lots of looks, so I will keep it updated.

As mentioned in my last post, I switched back to Iwasaki bulbs and said I would save the Radiums for a smaller tank. Well, I sold my 225 and most of the stock. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazyeyes.gif

Picking up the new one tomm. Its a 75gal. cube shape. 24in. by 24in. by 30in. in length. This sps only tank will be lit with a single 400w pulse start driven Radium.

[Chuck S]

Another interesting experiment cool. Why did you get rid of the 225?

[Flatlander]

Hi Chuck,
Mostly for personal reasons. Weary of looking after a large tank I guess. Sometimes I,m not sure why. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

As I mentioned somewhere before, wish I had kept my 170 cube. But alas, I never. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif

Want to concentrate on sps, but run only a single 400. My tank will push the limits of the single bulbs range. Also going to experiment with extremely high flow and quality skimming. A modified MR3 will skim it.

[Flatlander]

Guess we should update this, esp. with all the viewings. I have parted ways with my 400w Radiums. Sold them to someone using them in combination with 400w Iwasaki,s.

Again, despite a rigid lighting ramp up and lots of height from the water, I had bleached motipora caps. Digita colonies and acros were fine this time. It still seems not enough light, even in the smaller tank, yet it frys some corals.

I posted on another thread elsewhere regarding a dramatic change in spectrum being as hard to acclimate corals to, as a bump up in wattage.