ugh ... lighting decisions

[jovreef]

I need to stop putting this off and buy my replacement bulbs ... I need some oppinions to help me decide PLLLEEAAASSSEEE! I've been going back and forth for a few weeks now.

I love the look of my 150W DE 14k asteticly ... but growth is less than I'd like with my SPS so I'm looking into more options.

1. 10K XM with 65w 03 actinic pc (will this be to yellow for my taste? will it brown my corals or possibly improve color since the 10K XM has almost double the par of a 14k?)

2. 13k megachrome with 65w 03 actinic pc (alittle pricy...I doubt I'll go that way)

3. 14k phoenix (supose to be the best 14k for growth...but how much of a difference would it really make?)

4. something I just thougt of ... the 14k phoenix with 65w daylight pc ... do you think that would boost the growth or is the MH the one that needs to be 10k to boost growth?

Please share any thoughts, experiences with your bulb combos, astetic oppinions, everything!

 

[Armando]

i like the 14k phoenix. i didn't even need actinics and growth was good.

just make sure you acclimate the corals to the new light carefully

 

[jovreef]

You think I'd need to acclimate the corals to a different 14k bulb? your just talking about acclimating them to the 10k right?

Any idea on how much of a difference the phoenix is to a coralife or giesmann 14.5k? (I've got one of those...for the life of me I cant remember which though)

 

[RichConley]

Sanjay doesnt have much info on his site about 150w, but at 250w, the Phoenix on an electronic ballast has 79 for Par. The Coralvue has 48. The 13K megachrome is 63. The XM10K is 95.

So yes, the phoenix is SIGNIFICANTLY brighter than the coralvue.

 

[jovreef]

Sanjay doesnt have much info on his site about 150w

Exactly! So you think I can go by the 250W ratings for the 150? I read somewhere that (i think) the 10k xm 250 was much more yellow than the 10k xm 150 so I was not sure if I could use the 250 ratings as a basis for the 150's.

If I can ... the phoenix produces a crap load more than even the 13k! I'm impressed. According to sanjay the 150 10k xm produces something like 61 & the AB 14k produced 38 I believe... I've read phoenix 14k is the same. But thats the only 150 w 14k on sanjays list so I had no clue what to compair it to.

thanks that compairason really helps!

Last question... do you think adding a daylight PC will make a difference in growth or should I just sell the fixture? I've never herd of anyone using Actinic MH and daylight PCs ... it was just a thought of mine

 

[jovreef]

Bumping for some more oppinions please!!!!

 

[jovreef]

no one else? no ones tried different bulbs and have a preferance? It does not have to be 150W ... gimme your preferance with the wattage you use

 

[naturebatslast]

I'm digging my XM 250's. Actinct would be nice, but I don't want to pay for more bulbs and the electricity. I think I my try to supplement with some of the brighter 460nm moonlights.

 

[jovreef]

are you running 10k or 20k? without actinics?

 

[dz6t]

I use 250w Ushio 14K DE bulbs. They bring out more color than 2x130w actinic PC.

 

[Armando]

You think I'd need to acclimate the corals to a different 14k bulb? your just talking about acclimating them to the 10k right?

Any idea on how much of a difference the phoenix is to a coralife or giesmann 14.5k? (I've got one of those...for the life of me I cant remember which though)

It's always good to aclimate when changing bulbs, even if bulbs are the same model, since a new bulb has a different spectrum and higher intensity than an old one.

I haven't used Giesemann 14.5K, but the Giesemann 13K is a lot more yellow than the Phoenix 14K.

 

[nitrofish]

my favorite was 10k coralife. they where not nearly as yellow as the xm bulbs but not quite blue either.

 

[naturebatslast]

are you running 10k or 20k? without actinics?

2-10k's

 

[jovreef]

I thank everyone of you for offering your oppinions and experience Its greatly apreciated.

I had thought I made up my mind to go with 10k w/actinics ... then I look at my tank today and there are tons of new branches poking out of the base finally ... I knew those stupid frag plugs everyone uses had stunted their growth! so now I'm thinking...gee I dont need 10k if they are goin nuts already .... back to square 1 ...