Callin Moonpod or other lighting experts!

[nbd13]

Hey guys well its almost time for me to change bulbs on my 180 SPS tank, i have 4 250w DE reef optic III pendants right now they have 14k hamiltons in them and so far i love the color but,

i have been doing ALOT of reading lately on the whole Phoenix vs aquaconnect thing and would like to stay with a nice 14k bulb.

so here are my choices, hamilton, phoenix, or aquaconnect?

i read sanjay's test on the phoenix and AC and they came out amost identical, but there is nothing on the hamilton 14k DE version to compare it with,

SO, what does the AC or pheonix look like compared to the hamiltons?

any opipions are welcome as to my next bulb choice, remeber i do NOT supplement with any VHOs or antyhing.

so give me your ideas and thoughts here i am open to suggestions!

thanks!

Nick

P.S. also where can i get the above bulbs for the best price?

[fkadir]

Im no expert (Not even close to it).. but from what i have read and saw before, the Phoenixs are a good balance of white and blue and its overall look is like the radiums but on HQI (brighter and more crispy white-blue). No need for supplements with the bulb. hth

[moonpod]

The Hammy is essentially like the arcadia.

the Phoenix/AC is the same bulb IMO despite AC's protests to the contrary. They physically look the same, they have the same output, effeciency and spectrum. One is stamped "made for aquaconnnect", the other is stamped "Phoenix, made in Japan". That's about the difference near as I can make it.

The Phoenix/AC is bluer than the Hammy. The Hammy is a "soft white" IMO, the Phoenix is a starker white/blue look. The colors really "pop" out at you under the Phoenix IME. You get the full actinic effect without running them. It's different than under the Hammy IME.

Phoenix is only domestically available through www.reefgeek.com right now and I believe he is out. Next order is end of the month apparently. You can order from Singapore (viclite), but apparently they aren't delivering until middle/end of march. Price is good either way.

Aquaconnect is expensive and variously available at premium aquatics, and aquaconnect directly.

Hammies you should look around. Reefgeek has a decent price. Custom Aquatic sometimes puts it on sale.

There aren't really any other options in this color range. The Arcadia (same as the Hammy IMO), the Giesemann 14.5k (much whiter than the hammy), and then these bulbs. XM is coming out with one apparently. The Coralvue 10k (if you dare) is sort of like the Hammy as well, but I thought subjectively brighter. The bad juju with CV bulbs once upon a time and the constant changing of them scares me away though. You don't know what you are getting when you order a CV bulb.

I'm not a lighting expert. I am a lighting guinea pig.

[nbd13]

thanks moodpod!

do you happen to know if the PAR is greater with the hamilton or the phoenix?

i think i have narrowed my choices down to those 2 since the phoenix is about 50 bucks cheaper that the AC and for the exact same bulb.

anyhow i emailed reefgeek to put me on the list so we will see,

i just need to know if there is a difference in PAR so i dont shock my corals,

i guess my ballast would have been helpful too, i have dual m80 ballast if that makes anythign different that what you said before,

i read all your post in the long thread on RC about this bulb, and from my conclusion its alittle bluer than the hamilton and will make the colors in my coral "pop out" alittle more?

thanks again lighting expert, cough cough i mean lighting guinea pig, haha thanks again!

Nick

[moonpod]

what ballast are you running.

[nbd13]

i am running dual Bluewave HQI ballasts does that help at all?

let me know what you think!

thanks again!

Nick

[Todd March]

PAR is greater with the AC/Pheonix, Nick...

Another bulb to consider is the new AB 16K... AB sent me some to try out, and at first firing they reminded me of a cross between the AC/Pheonix 14K and the Megachrome 14.5K's... Not as blue as the AC/Pheonix 14K, but bluer than the Megachrome 14.5K's...

What was strange about them was that the 150W version on AB's eballast (Ocean Lights fixture) was MUCH whiter than the 250W versions on the M80...?

I don't know why AB choose to call them 16K, but this is really misleading. I would have gone with a "14K" title. That's much more what they look like, particularily when compared to AB's 10K...

I need to play with them some more, but they really didn't hold a candle to the AC/Pheonix as far as I'm concerned... Just getting the word out, though, that there is another player on the bulb block...

[nbd13]

Hey thanks Todd- i am leaning towards the pheonix 14k, but let me knwo what you find with your tests,

also i sent you a PM too.

thanks again!

Nick

[nbd13]

oh yeah moonpod i am running 2 ballast you know they both run 2 lamps.

thanks again!

Nick

[moonpod]

The Phoenix/AC is about 10% more than the Hammy.

It's significantly bluer than the Hammy IMO.

Hey, Todd, let me try that AB bulb!

[OUinLA]

I have AC 14k DE's on a PFO HQI and i'm not too impressed. They basically look like BLV 10k's (slightly bluer). As far as appearance goes, i like the hamilton better.

[nbd13]

oh man know you guys are killing me as to which way to go!

i am torn between the hamilton and the phenoix,

i want a bulb that will bring out the color in my coral, but it needs to be visually appealing also.

i dont suppose anyone has any pics?

thanks!

Nick

[moonpod]

I have AC 14k DE's on a PFO HQI and i'm not too impressed. They basically look like BLV 10k's (slightly bluer). As far as appearance goes, i like the hamilton better.

Now that's crazy to me b/c to me the Phoenix/AC looks nothing like the BLV10k. To me it's MUCH bluer!

[Todd March]

Now that's crazy to me b/c to me the Phoenix/AC looks nothing like the BLV10k. To me it's MUCH bluer!

And as I recall the BLV 10K on the M80 was a lot more intense...?

[nbd13]

moonpod i was wrong i have this ballast,

magnetic ballast core (ANSI Code: M80 - HQI ballast),

is it the same thing?

thanks!

Nick