Opinion on Radium Bulbs

Hey all. I have had my two EVC MH running for about a year now and its time to replace the bulbs. A friend of mine found three Radium HRI-T 250W bulbs. They only say blue and don't give a color temp. I was wondering what you all thought about these bulbs. He said if I like them I could get all three for $60. I just put in one bulb so far and its alot bluer then the 10,000K I have in the other side. I know some of the blue will go away as the bulb burns in. Just wanted to know what you all thought. Will I lose alot of growth potential?? Thanks for your thoughts

 

Radiums are a 20K SE bulb designed to be overdriven on an HQI ballast. What ballast are you using? Also how old are these bulbs? A new 250 radium goes for about 80 bucks......So if they are relatively new 60 for 3 is a great deal.
Scott

 

I have a EVC ballast that I got from ocean encounter 250W. My friend found the bulbs in his old roomate's room. They look new, no discoloration or rust on the metal screw in part of the bulb. Still in the boxes.

 

They have good color. They would probably be whiter on the m80 ballast. They have a short lifespan before they start losing there intensity and color.

I wouldn't pay full price for them but for the price you paid I think its a deal.

What temp EVCs where you running?

 

I was running 10 000K evc bulbs before. The radiums are alot bluer than the EVC bulbs were. I dont know if its me, but the radiums dont look as intense as the evc do. Will that affect my growth much??

 

Yes. According to this site:
Sanjay's Reef Lighting Info Pages
If you fill in your info the EVC 10K gets a PPFD of 110 and the Radium comes in a PPFD of 66. The EVC is 40% brighter. The Radium set up that everyone raves about is the 400W Radium on a M80 ballast. The 250W just isn't bright enough for most.

The EVC 10K is one of the brightiest bulbs out there so most things are a step down.

 

The other day I put both the radium bulbs in. I wasn't sure if I was going to like the blue. But it has definately grown on me. Do you all think I will be losing much growth. Not that I had alot of growth anyway.

 

many report a short life cycle, ie. 6 months. I have no personal experience, but many of my friends have gone, and left, the Radium route