Anyone running Radium on IC ballasts?

[ckusnierek]

I am seriously thinking about getting Radiums. I have 250w Icecap E ballasts.
Everything I find says they should be run on HQI ballasts for best Color/PAR/life.

So how are they on IceCap ballasts?

Please show pics if you have them

[ckusnierek]

No one running Radiums out there?

[OIIIIIO]

I was going to run them but was quickly talked out of it by a fellow club member. It seems that the IC ballast will underdrive the radium bulbs causing a huge drop in PAR and will burn very, very blue. I'm going with Reeflux 20k's until I can save up for a bluewave 7 ballast to replace my IC ballasts since I like my club members tank so much. The Reeflux 20k on an electronic ballast is very close in color to a properly driven Radium while it's new.

[ckusnierek]

Color is only one aspect.

I also need growth.

I may just go with XM10K with VHO super actinics.

[OIIIIIO]

I'm using the 10k XMs now with T5 actinic & blue+. My growth is good with the bulbs, but now I'm looking for more color. You'll like the 10k XM bulbs on IC ballasts. They are WAY bright. The wife made me promise to have them off by 9PM so it wouldn't overshine the TV during her shows. I tested some 12k bulbs this past week and they were very dim compared to the XMs. They were almost the same as when I only have my supplemental lighting on.

[ckusnierek]

Yeah the XM10K rock I have had them in the past.
They are just a lil yellow hence the need to actinics and everything I have seen is that the URI super actinics are about the bed actinic out there.