sachabballi reef July 8, 2010 Share July 8, 2010 I am trying to upgrade my fixture from 2 150w de mh to 2 250w mh. I have a corner tank, however, and need to have a 36" fixture. I am trying to get an all in one unit with mh, t5 and moon. The problem I am having is switching out from de to se. I have read so many conflicting things...some say no difference at all some say de is much higher par etc...debatable I am sure...I am just wondering if anyone out there has actually made the switch and were they happy or wished they hadn't done it? I can do a hamilton unit but it is SE or a maristar DE... any help would be appreciated... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbyatv July 8, 2010 Share July 8, 2010 I would go to the following web site and click on the two bulbs tab. From there, compare any two bulbs. Just make sure to pick the same ballast for each bulb. Also, when I use the tool, I select shielded DE bulbs when comparing to SE bulbs. http://www.manhattanreefs.com/lighting Good luck, Bruce I am trying to upgrade my fixture from 2 150w de mh to 2 250w mh. I have a corner tank, however, and need to have a 36" fixture. I am trying to get an all in one unit with mh, t5 and moon. The problem I am having is switching out from de to se. I have read so many conflicting things...some say no difference at all some say de is much higher par etc...debatable I am sure...I am just wondering if anyone out there has actually made the switch and were they happy or wished they hadn't done it? I can do a hamilton unit but it is SE or a maristar DE... any help would be appreciated... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind July 8, 2010 Share July 8, 2010 I have and still use both types but it depends on the situation, such as tank depth, corals being kept, and space above the tank. I think the SE bulb has better light spread then the more focused DE bulb. The reflector used in the fixture plays a key role and most DE fixtures have the more compact reflector which focuses the light and doesn't allow it to spread evenly. This focusing of light is what may show that the bulb has a higher PAR value. There seems to be more color choices and brands of the SE bulbs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldReefer July 8, 2010 Share July 8, 2010 +1 on Sanjay's lighting site. Always a big help to me. I went from SE to DE and regretted it. I much preffered the light spread and PAR I got from a good SE bulb. My favorite was always the XM 10K mogul with PFO parallel reflectors. It is the most efficient setup you will find in Sanjay's data. When I switched to DE Reef Optic III pendants I got far less PAR with the same ballasts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefhunter July 8, 2010 Share July 8, 2010 You guys missed the most important part.... you can't run Radiums in a DE fixture.... I agree with the light spread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trockafella July 8, 2010 Share July 8, 2010 They have 150w DE radiums.. I know, its not the same.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbyatv July 8, 2010 Share July 8, 2010 You guys missed the most important part.... you can't run Radiums in a DE fixture.... True. But if you take a close look at the 250w Phoenix 14 DE (shielded) and compare the output to the 250w Radium SE you will se that they are nearly the same. This is the reason I went with the Phoenix bulbs. Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sachabballi reef July 8, 2010 Author Share July 8, 2010 i use the 150w de 20k radiums now but was thinking of switching to the phoenix 14k 250w. So if i got se should i also switch to electronic ballasts? currently using magnetic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vadim July 8, 2010 Share July 8, 2010 I am trying to follow this thread, and my newbie experience on this topic is making my head spin. Can someone explain the differences or pros and cons on DE and SE. Also I'm guessing radiums and phoenix are just bulbs? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basser9 July 9, 2010 Share July 9, 2010 The new reflecters all come in either de or se....... lumenbrights......lumenmax elites If you like radiums/pheonix you would be wise to get de because the bulb is cheaper and last longer.......plus with both reflectors having glass they are the same Get a de lumenmax elite with a pheonix 14k just the smart choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sachabballi reef July 9, 2010 Author Share July 9, 2010 ok in the end...I got sick of thinking about it non-stop and decided to stay with the DE and got the maristar 2x250w/t5 combo and went with the phoenix 14k de and 2 super actinics by UVL with galaxy dual hqi ballasts. I really hope i made the right choice...but I think the reflectors are good ones...the MH has reef optix and the t5 has tek. will let you know once I fire it up.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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