PAR Readings Part III

My other Lumatek ballast went and I replaced it with another LuXcore and also a new Phoenix 14K bulb to compare the PAR to the Hamilton versus a 6 month old Phoenix bulb from the previous post. I still cannot run the LuXcore ballasts on a GFCI but I am not having issues with them firing up without being connected to the GFCI.


Results:

Phoenix 14K on LuXcore ballast:
HQI Setting -  269 watts of power draw at 825 PAR
Standard setting - 256 watts of power draw at 775 PAR


One week old Hamilton
Hamilton 20K on LuXcore ballast:
HQI Setting -  261 watts of power draw at 765 PAR
Standard setting - 249 watts of power draw at 720 PAR

The PAR measurements were taken 8" under the bottom of the reflector. The Phoenix has more of a white look when compared to the Hamilton. I wanted to have a bluer look than what I am used to without sacrificing PAR so I think I am going to run two Hamilton's over my tank. I have been running Phoenix 14K bulbs for the past 9 years and feel it is time for a change.

PAR Values

I am currently running two (8 month old) 250 watt Phoenix 14K metal halides with Lumatek dimmable ballasts on HQI mode and two (two month old) 54 watt UVL Super Actinic T5's.

New Bulbs

I replaced my year old 16 watt 5,100K PC bulb with a 19 watt 5,100K PC bulb from Light Bulbs Direct. This bulb grows macro algae fast!

More Older Photos

Red Lobophyllia


Spotted Mandarin


ORA Chip's


PP Tri-Color


Middle of the tank


Scarlet Reef Hermit Crab


Yellow Clown Goby


Silver Branch Pulsing Xenia


Metal Halides and T5's


ORA Blue/Green Tortuosa


Mean Green Zoanthid


Skittles Granulosa

Male McCosker's Flasher Wrasse

120 Gallon Tank Equipment

Tanks

120 Gallon Perfecto Glass Aquarium (48”x24”x24”) with internal overflow

30 Gallon Sump with Refugium (36”x12”x16”)

Water Movement Equipment

One Danner Mag Drive 12 (1,200 GPH, 110 watts)

One Danner Mag Drive 5 (500 GPH, 45 watts)

Loc-Line return hose (0.75”)

Two Hydor Koralia 4 powerheads (1,200 GPH, 12 watts)

Lighting Equipment

Two Lumenarc III mini Stealth Pendants (14.5”x14.5”x7”)

Two 250 watt 14K Phoenix DE Metal Halide Bulbs

Two 250 watt Lumatek Electronic Ballasts

One TEK II retrofit T-5 48” lighting 2x54watt (2 bulbs total)

One UVL Super Actinic 54 watt T-5 Bulb

One ATI Blue Plus 54 watt T-5 Bulb

Refugium lighting

One PAR38 Reflector 16 Watt / 5100K

Water Quality Equipment

6 Stage Melev’s/Bulk Reef Supply Reverse Osmosis (100 GPD)

AquaC EV-120 Protein Skimmer (rated for up to 120 gallons)

One Rena Cal 300 watt Heater (14”)

Additives

Reef Crystals Salt Mix

E.S.V. Calcium Hydroxide (Kalkwasser)

Bulk Reef Supply Calcium Chloride

Baking Soda (Alkalinity Buffer)

Mag Pellet (Magnesium Chloride)

CVS Epsom Salt (Magnesium Sulfate)

Seachem Strontium Chloride

Potassium Chloride

Tropic Marin Pro Coral Iodine

Bulk Reef Supply ROX 0.8Activated Carbon

Test Kits

Portable Refractometer

API Test Kit (pH/Alkalinity/Ammonia/Nitrite/Nitrate)

ELOS Phosphate Test Kit

Salifert (Calcium/Magnesium/Strontium) Test Kit

ZEOvit Korallen-Zucht Potassium Test Kit