MH Ballast for 20k Radium Q's. This is a long post so be ready!

OKAY.

So i've got a 20g T... Right now it's under 96w T5's but I plan on upgrading to a nice MH fixture or pendant.

My question is, I want to use 20k radium bulbs, and these are simply amazing but I've been told that using the right ballast with them is key to getting that one of a kind look that they produce (the beautiful blue with a nice crisp whiteness)

To someone who HAS EXPERIENCE WITH 20K RADIUMS AND DIFFERENT BALLASTS. help me out with the following Q's

1st Q-
I was considering either 250w or 150w... Is 250 going to be too much for a 20g Tall? Considering I'll be using a Radium 20k, the PAR isn't going to be as high as a 10k so I think 250w will not be overkill... But if i'm going to have to raise the light a foot over the tank surface, then it's kind of a waste isn't it?

I want the absolute brightest light I can throw over it without causing problems... I will have mixed corals, actually all my corals are soft now (Zoas, Xenia, and GSP), but I plan on adding LPS, SPS, BTA, and a Maxima Clam.

I plan on keeping the tank at 80.5 deg F, I have separate HVAC in my tank room so i'm not concerned about heat, but I will not buy a chiller...

is 250w going to be overwhelming??? I've seen a 400w 20k before and they aren't that bright to be honest... but this is a radium so a lot brighter b/c of the whiter spectrum.

(For example a 150w 10k light is blinding, but a 150w 14k not so much, and a 150w TRUE 20k like an XM or what have you is kind of dim IMO, the radiums to me look almost like a 14k with a touch of actinic supplementation, but they just look beautiful if done right.)

2nd Q-
What ballast should I use with the Radiums... I've heard the Galaxy electronic ballasts are the way to go... does it really make that much of a difference, from what I hear the magnetic ballasts make them burn whiter and brighter, but the electronic ones they burn a little bluer.

Which gives that special radium look? If running it on an electronic ballast makes it look like an XM 20k then I'd rather save my money and get a phoenix/hamilton 14k bulb instead, but if running it on a magnetic ballast makes it look just like a phoenix 14k then i got the same issue. If i'm gonna spend 90 bucks on a bulb I want it to look perfect.

I do not plan on using supplemental actinic lighting, aside from maybe some LED moonlights this will be the only lighting for my tank.

3rd Q-
Is there any particular radium bulb that is the "flagship" bulb, or are they all basically gonna provide that awesome look?

Is a 150w HQI gonna look the same as a 250w SE or 250w HQI?

Someone who has experience with all three tell me what you think. Does the UV shield from the HQI have any effect on this bulb?

4th Q-
Ok so let's say I have a choice between running a 150w HQI on a magnetic ballast with 20k radium, 150w HQI on an electronic ballast, 250w SE on a mag ballast, 250w SE on an electronic ballast, 250w DE on a mag ballast, 250w DE on a electronic ballast... Will this give me good enough par to grow some Zoas etc at lightning fast?

Are galaxy ballasts the best for these bulbs? Can you run any wattage on an electronic ballast, can I run a 150w hqi on a 250w galaxy electronic ballast?

1st priority is Aesthetics... I loved the 14k look, always thought 20k was too blue until I saw a tank lit by 20k radiums and just almost lost my mind... it has inspired me to say the least and I won't rest until I have that beautiful fluorescence.

2nd priority is growth... I want my zoas, LPS, etc to grow FAST... i'd rather sink my money into good lighting so I can buy some really expensive beautiful corals as single polyps... like some purple hornets, war corals, favias, god i can barely contain myself thinking about it... i've got plans for this tank... I know it's a little guy, but he's gonna be a star.

Right now all I have is some orange bam-bam and that deep blue zoa that looks simply awesome under 14 or 20k, along with a nice GSP that i've grown out under PC's for months and some pulsing xenia... it was amazing how much faster it grew and how much more beautiful it was under t5's...

3rd priority is flexibility... I don't want to "overlight" or bleach out any of my soft corals (the GSP will take just about any light you can throw at it) but i dont want to be limited in what I can put in the tank, but like i said this priority takes a back seat to 1 and 2.


anyone who can give me detailed answers based on personal experience to these questions will get mad awesome karma, not just from the board, but like in the total sense.

Thanks in advance for your cooperation and support 3reefers.

 

ok after reading all that i am am confortable saying is that i run 3 radium 20k 250w halides on my 150 and love it. as for a ballast i use the gallaxy ballast