( Bulb Flickering) Phoenix 14k vs Radium 20k 150w DE Halide

the fixture i purchased came with a phoenix 14k bulb in it. from day one i have always thought it was too blue for my taste. i was told it would break in and change a bit, but never did its about 9 months old. So after a bit of reading i picked another bulb as my replacement ...the radium 20k. the difference between the bulbs was night and day . i dont have actinic's its just the 150w metal halide over my tank. the one bulb has to do it all. well the radium 20k does. the colors in the tank pop and the water appears clearer, crystal clear the sparkle is more.the tank seems to have more depth/shadowing, there is still a bit of blue but the perfect amount. its very pleasing to the eye. i feel the phoenix seems to make colors blend more, and didnt have the depth or water clarity... maybe the phoenix needs the actinic with it for it to really shine?

hope this helps for those trying to decide on a bulb

first bluer photo is phoenix second photo is radium. you can even see it in the photos the radium adds more sparkle to the water.

sorry about the blur the cameras catching the water over flowing the sides im guessing.

 

sounds great to me Pink4miss

I know it means messing you about
but if you could take 2 images, 1 with 14K and 1 with 20k and post them together
we will be able to easily see the difference in the tanks appearance

Steve

 

need to take one today when the lights come on

 

Wait...the 14K Phoenix was more blue than the 20K Radium?

 

Same here,my 14k pheonix usnt tht blue anymore. Ive had it for about 6 months. I think it varies with the ballesr

Sent from my LS670 using Tapatalk

 

yes i have read this before i purchased and it is true after seeing it. the radiums color makes my water look crisper. its whiter than the phoenix. i have read that the par is slightly more on it also. but i dont have a meter to test that. maybe someone can chime in on that who has a meter and has tested the 2.

i recently seen pictures of both bulbs on a tank... i think it was corallines ???? ( if i misspelled that sorry) maybe they could be posted again here? please

 

I'm surprised by that too. What type of ballast are you running? The ballast can make a big difference with bulbs. I think both are HQI spec'd though.

 

The manufacture of Phoenix " The bulb does not reach it's true coloration until after 100 hours of burn time". I will look for the link.

I ran the Phoenix for 8 months and then changed to the Radium 20k.

It's my opinion that the Phoenix provides a bluer hue than Radium even after 8 months. Too blue for my taste. I like the crisp white of the Radium much more.

I have several images of the contrast between the two. It may appear enhanced in a smaller tank.

 

Interesting. You learn something everyday. I used to run dual phoenix 14K's and liked the color. All a matter of taste. I now run LEDs, so it is just a turn of a knob to get the color I want.

 

thanks

thats a really nice feature i didnt realize you could do that.