best bulb ballast combo

[dadonoflaw]

i was looking at the 400 watt hqi ballast but are there other ballasts that may be better suited for this bulb?

 

[Scooterman]

So many options these days It can be a difficult thing to say what is best, I usually see arguments on this subject every so often, here & almost all other forums LOL!
You will get the highest PAR on this set-up, It will punch water probably better than any other combination driving any lamps, but any lamp above 10K will vary greatly even with a 400W HQI ballast. Personal experience & preferences weighs in heavily IMO, but the numbers for high PAR remains true.
You have to ask yourself how much does color mean to you compared to high coral growth & will you need that much for what you want to keep. Some other things to consider would be tank depth, length of tank to help determine how many & reflectors is very If not more important. My suggestion is search, read & search more & get many opinions.

 

[CarlaW]

Try this page, this guy knows his stuff!!!!


http://www.reeflightinginfo.arvixe.com/index.htm

 

[dadonoflaw]

i realize the difficulty and open ended nature of my question. i have decided to go with 2 lumenarc reflectors and 20k helios bulbs. i just wondered if anyone had an opinion on ballasts with this combo of equipment. sorry i didnt include more info and i know these kinds of questions are very often asked.

 

[CarlaW]

I really like the PFO ballasts. Either the HQI or the pulse start.

 

[dadonoflaw]

will the pulse start ballasts run a helios bulb properly? i thought it was an american bulb?

 

[dadonoflaw]

well will they?

 

[dadonoflaw]

neverminds

 

[danno14]

I have been runnng 400w 20k helios on magnetic ballasts for roughly 6 months and have been happy with the coral colors. The tank color however is darker/bluer than I like, so I have started the transition to HQI. I connected one HQI ballast to compare to the normal mag ballast, and so far the light output is notably higher. The color seems whiter than the one adjacent, but I am going to let the ballast "burn in" for a week or so before rendering an opinion. This is a gamble, as the coral colors will probably shift with the new setup :{

Good luck!
D