250w DE Bulb Choice
I used Phoenix 14K for three years and liked this bulb. PAR claims for this bulb are good. I used these bulbs in a Hamilton Protostar fixture with VHO Superactinic supplementation.
Last year I changed to Reeflux dimmable ballasts with LumenBright reflectors. I used Reeflux 12K bulbs and got better color and growth from my corals. I’m sure the reflectors had a lot to do with it.
Now it’s time to purchase new bulbs. I can’t find a tool that will tell me the PAR values for the Coralvue ballast and the bulbs I am considering.
1) Stick with Reeflux 12K
2) Go back to Phoenix 14K
3) Consider Ushio 14K or AB 13K
4) or XM 10K (more for growth than color)
I only have experience with Phoenix and Reeflux. I’m looking for more information.