Are 400W 65,000 k iwasoki's bulbs Yellow?

[Mad_drama]

I'm looking for a Good Mh Bulb. I understand that The IwaSOKI'S has a high “par” output and it's reasonably priced. I currently had 3 iwasoki 250’s but I don’t like the color. For my main display tank I don't want the yellow\green tent. I saw a setup with 3 250W iwasok's with VHo actinic that was beautiful. What bulb would give me the same look with out supplemental actinic? Price is an issue, I don't want the most equipment on the market nor the cheapest, Growth doesn’t need to be spectacular (I would like growth to be notice able) but Coral color is important. I will keep mostly SPS and the tank will be 36 inch deep. I know this question has been asked thousands of times, but I'm still confused on bulbs and ballast. I once had 3 250W 12k sunburst, but they are just too blue for me. I read over several old post and many people recommend a Advanced ballast that Graybar sells that only works with MV bulbs (the Iwasoki’s and a few others).I’m a little confused about the Ballast with the compositor and the one without I thought the Iwasoki DL bulbs were for reefs, but I read about another bulb in a DYI post (the link is below). I have 3 Advanced Ballast 250Ws that I purchased form Aquatic lighting a year ago and they are pretty yellow with the Iwasoki bulbs. I saw several posts on PFO MH. I’m just confused. I know it’s no perfect way to light your tank, but I don’t have the money to go all out.

The break down

What’s a good 400W MH Bulb for a 36 inch height reef tank, I will have mostly SPS, Growth is important but it doesn’t need to be the best but color is most important.

I don’t want the ugly yellow tent to the water? Which bulb and ballast works best together? Price is important and I do not want to run any additional lighting with the MH’s?

If I put 400 W iwasoki’s on PFO ballast with they are yellow?

If I put 400 W iwasoki’ on this ballast listed below with they be Yellow?

(I only have experience with Iwasoki’s and Sunburst Bulbs so that’s why I’m referencing them)


This is the link to the DIY that I read. http://www.rpi.edu/dept/union/aquarium/public_html/DIY_MH.html


It cost under $500 to construct the DIY about (with 400W bulbs)
If any constructed the kit above with 400W iwasoki’s do you have the yellow green tent?

 

[ink]

I had a 400w 6500K Iwasaki on a PFO ballast. Although I liked the light output it provided, I absolutely hated its yellow color. If you don't like the 250w Iwasaki's, then you won't like the 400w ones either. Granted, I only had 2 NO actinics to supplement. Anyhow, I recently replaced my MHs with Ushio 10KK (1-400w and 2-250w) and love the whitish color these put out. If money is an issue, I'd say to stick with the iwasaki's and just use more actinics.

 

[sawcjack00]

Iwasaki's will have a yellow tint on any ballst if you don't supplement with actinic. if you want a crisp white go with Ushio 10,000K bulbs. The are significantly more expensive ($110-$120 ea at most MO places), but they have the most PAR of any 10,000K. All higher Kelvin bulbs are much more expensive than the Iwasaki's.

 

[M.E.Milz]

Hmmm, I saw a Iwasaki 400watt 6500K bulb powered by a PFO ballast at a LFS, and it did not appear to be yellow at all (I am running Iwasaki 250watt 6500K bulbs, so I know what "yellow" looks like). When I asked about the crisp white color of the 400watt Iwasaki bulbs, the owner said that it was because he was using a mecury vapor ballast. The mecury vapor ballast is apparently offered as an option by PFO. The only down side is that you cannot switch bulbs, i.e., the MV ballast will only drive an Iwasaki 6500K bulb.

 

[Deep Sixx]

My 250w 6500K Iwasakis are most certainly not yellow... bright white. The water does tint them a bit off, but the bulbs themselves are definitely white.

D6

 

[gerowe]

In my experience Iwasaki 400W bulbs run considerably whiter (and brighter) on MV ballasts. (I once did a side by side comparison between a bulb run on a regular PFO MH ballast and one run on a PFO MV ballast.) Indeed, to my eyes they do no seem yellow at all, although I still supplement them with actinics. For a 36" deep tank, I think you would need something with the punch of an Iwasaki. Maybe 10K 400 watters would be ok, but they are quite a bit dimmer and have only a little more than half the PAR of an Iwasaki run on a MV ballast.

George

 

[Ritteri&Bubbles]

I too have run the new Iwasaki's(carbon resistor, 39/41R BH DL bulbs)on both a MV ballast and a regular ballast, either way they are still yellow.

 

[Dewey]

I have used 10000K, 12000K and Iwasaki 6500K MH bulbs on my PFO 400W.
The Iwasaki is the brightest and makes the room the hotest. It isn't yellow, but it is yellower. Just like the 10000K isn't blue, just bluer.
10000K is much like the Iwasakis with some actincis thrown in. But since price is an issue, the 10000K bulbs are about twice the price as the 6500K. The 6500K bulbs also last longer.
Do you think the 6500K Iwasakis are just a little off? Or is it just terrible to you? If so you either need to buy the actinics or buy the 10000K.

 

[Bryan]

I have noticed by tank lighting has shifted to a more whiter appearance with the Iwasaki if I use carbon to "polish" the water of dissolved organics and tanins.

 

[Mad_drama]

Thanks for all the responces.

It seems that most of us notice that the Iwasaki isn’t quite yellow but “yellowier” than Most other comparable bulbs. I would still like to use the 400W Iwasaki’s but Maybe I’ll need to break down and just add actinic lighting.

Next group of questions

Since I’m adding VHO actinic lighting how long would the bulbs last? The only thing that matters to me is the Blueness of the bulb, Par and other attributes aren’t important (maybe color temp, I don’t want any unwanted algae).

I have a VHO light strip that supports four, four foot 110 watt bulbs, would this be too much blue light? Will my 65000K’s look like 20,000 k bulbs?
My Ballast requires me to run all 4 bulbs.

I will be running a 450 Gallon tank with 3 400 Watt MH’s and 4 110 watt VHO, will that be enough light for a tank of that size?