opinion for Ushio 250w 10k?

[slickshal]

i plan on putting together AGA 180 mix reef tank 24" deep

i want to use the ushio 250w 10k w/ 160w vho super actinic.

anybody use these before?

 

[ADS]

Your choices are vast these days with lighting. A search on the topic will give some more ideas. I would recommend 3-250W DE HQI bulbs for your tank. Color choice is a matter of preference. You'll need actinic supplementation with 10K. There are nice new choices in DE bulbs from coralvue with color temps from 10-12-15-20K. I've seen the 20K setups-they are bright and don't need actinics. There was a comparison on RC of different bulbs by JBNY. Check there also.
Hope that helps-
Adam

 

[PeeJ]

www.cnidarianreef.com check that out

 

[thhardin]

I have built a 180 gal reef system. Initially, I purchased (3) PFO 400watt MH w/ Ushio 10K's, (2) Icecap 660's with (2) 72" actinic VHO's and (2) 72" Daylight VHO's. I wanted the flexibility to keep SPS, Clams and softies, so I wanted a lot of flexibility in the system. All together this is a LOT of light for this tank!

I liked to run the Ushio 10K's with the (2) actinic VHO for supplement. I recently switched to 400W radium 20K's and am thrilled with the color. I have not been running the actinics with the Radium's because I think the color of the MH alone is just right. I can cut back on the hours of intense MH for any reason, and still view the tank with the VHO lighting (four 72" tubes). If you have a controller, you can set a lot of different lighting scenarios with this set-up.

If I were to rely on MH only, I would probably go with the Radium 20K's over the Ushio's. IMHO 6500's look too yellow, 10K's look very white, and 20K's look slightly blueish. Keep in mind though, that you will be losing some intensity with the 20K's. If you have any light hungry inhabitants, you might not have enough light with a 250 watt 20K bulb. At 3x400 watts, this is not a problem for me.