bulb suggestions please

[JKDMan]

it's about the time for me to replace my halide bulbs.
looking for suggestions for the bulbs....brand kelvin ect...
i have 250w de hqi fixture

thanks

 

[Anonymous]

XM 10k if you have actinics.

 

[Anonymous]

Phoenix 14K are my favorites.

 

[mr_X]

i didn't like the xm 10k. PAR is supposed to be good, but it's so yellow. even with actinics it still looks yellow

i vote for the phoenix 14k as well, not that i have seen a tank lit by them, but that's what hellolights suggested.

 

[Anonymous]

14K Aquaconnects are the best I've seen. Quite pricey, but great color. Not yellow at all and with good par. My corals responded very nicely to them.

Never tried the Phoenix 14K's.

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

i just ordered 150 watt XM 20k DE's. I saw it on this one guy's tank and I loved the color. I don't know how they compare to others but that's what I'm gonna have to live with

 

[mr_X]

i ordered 15k xm 250 watt de, and it was super blue. i think the 20k's are gonna be way too much blue.

 

[Anonymous]

i didn't like the xm 10k. PAR is supposed to be good, but it's so yellow. even with actinics it still looks yellow

i vote for the phoenix 14k as well, not that i have seen a tank lit by them, but that's what hellolights suggested.

I don't find them yellow with actinics.

 

[barjam]

but it's so yellow. even with actinics it still looks yellow

When my T5 10k bulbs look yellow, I know it is time to run some carbon. If you are disregard this.

 

[JKDMan]

im using the 15k xm 250s atm they are pretty blue.

 

[mr_X]

15k xm are very blue. carbon isn't the issue if the refugium lighted with a 6500k cf is daylight white.

 

[Anonymous]

I have some 400W XM 15K's and they were worthless. Their PAR was awful. Worst bulb I ever bought. My corals barely grew under them.

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

dangit.... Well I think my xm's that are coming in will be a step up compared to the ones that came with my fixture. I know the 20k are pretty blue, but it's pleasing to my eyes.

The guy's tank that had the XM 20k has a good reputation here in Seattle, and has a very nice SPS tank. He said he tried all the brands and felt XM was good value.

I'll probably try Aquaconnect or Phoenix next time

 

[Anonymous]

mktplayer wrote:

dangit.... Well I think my xm's that are coming in will be a step up compared to the ones that came with my fixture. I know the 20k are pretty blue, but it's pleasing to my eyes.

Easy there. I trashed 15K XM's. Not 20K's. 20K's may be fine. I personally have no experience with them.

XM 10K's are good bulbs, so long as you add enough actinic's to cancel out the yellow.

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

Louey, I wasn't upset this time. Honest

 

[Anonymous]

:wink:

 

[ChrisRD]

For some good choices in 250 watt DE lamps, I'd say 14K Ushios if you like a whiter look and 14K Phoenix if you like the bluer look. The 14K Hamiltons or the new 14K Iwasakis would be somewhere in-between. All of those have good output. Some seem to like the 12K Reeflux too although I've never seen them.

Some good prices here:
www.coralreefecosystems.com
www.hellolights.com
www.premiumaquatics.com

HTH

 

[Anonymous]

for 150, 175, 250 watts, etc, what determines which one to use? Tank size or depth?

 

[ChrisRD]

Depth and what species you are keeping. Tough to make good recommendations just based on wattage, however, as light output varies so much depending on the specific lamp+ballast+reflector combination being used. For example, some good 175s setups are better than poor 250s.

 

[Anonymous]

thanks Chris. I'm not happy with my coral growth so I was curious if I chose an inferior wattage (150).