Hey Folks,
I am trying to get more blue into my tank for the pop of colors and to deter my SPS from getting duller colors* i.e. got a Green Slimmer that was sooo bright green, is still green but not slap in your face green.
I currently run 250 W 14K Phoenix bulbs. I will run these until my light bill actually bothers me or until I somehow get an extra $1k to spend on 2 LED units just to even try them out- as opposed to all the other stuff I need to save for i.e. wedding!
I want more blue to ensure my colors look more similar to the colors I saw when I bought the coral- as that was a big incentive.
These are the options:
20K MH SE Bulbs
(XM or Hamiliton Tech, which one??)- $64.99 plus tax, free shipping. They are both the same price.
Ushio is only $5 more but says it needs a AQ??/pulse start ballast. I have Icecap electronic ballast...I don't know if that'll work.
Radiums are $84 and would rather not spend that much on a bulb that will need to be replaced in 8 months.
36" Rapid LED Light strip DIY or Retro- $120 plus tax/shipping
Well, if I put it together properly then at least these will last longer than the MH bullbs and of course not add much to my light bill. So, I wouldn't mind in that regard.
Anyway, it comes with 2 heat sinks and 2 drivers but only comes with 18 RB LEDs. I figure a driver can hold up to 12 LEDs so I will add on 6 other colors to include the Violet UV as well. That will add on another $30 or so.
Installing a T5/CF 48" strip= $60??? (cost of two 24" square pin CF bulbs as I already have ballasts for those) plus tax, free shipping.
* My colors on my setosa and growth on my SPS corals are fine. My phos and nitrates are also quite fine. I also have no nuisance algae growth (except for a little on the plastic stuff in my tank but not on rocks, sand, etc, but I leave the lights on far too long and am fixing the flow issue on the back of the tank where some cyano builds on a plastic pipe I have, but since i fixed it, the cyano is virtually gone).
I am trying to get more blue into my tank for the pop of colors and to deter my SPS from getting duller colors* i.e. got a Green Slimmer that was sooo bright green, is still green but not slap in your face green.
I currently run 250 W 14K Phoenix bulbs. I will run these until my light bill actually bothers me or until I somehow get an extra $1k to spend on 2 LED units just to even try them out- as opposed to all the other stuff I need to save for i.e. wedding!
I want more blue to ensure my colors look more similar to the colors I saw when I bought the coral- as that was a big incentive.
These are the options:
20K MH SE Bulbs
(XM or Hamiliton Tech, which one??)- $64.99 plus tax, free shipping. They are both the same price.
Ushio is only $5 more but says it needs a AQ??/pulse start ballast. I have Icecap electronic ballast...I don't know if that'll work.
Radiums are $84 and would rather not spend that much on a bulb that will need to be replaced in 8 months.
36" Rapid LED Light strip DIY or Retro- $120 plus tax/shipping
Well, if I put it together properly then at least these will last longer than the MH bullbs and of course not add much to my light bill. So, I wouldn't mind in that regard.
Anyway, it comes with 2 heat sinks and 2 drivers but only comes with 18 RB LEDs. I figure a driver can hold up to 12 LEDs so I will add on 6 other colors to include the Violet UV as well. That will add on another $30 or so.
Installing a T5/CF 48" strip= $60??? (cost of two 24" square pin CF bulbs as I already have ballasts for those) plus tax, free shipping.
* My colors on my setosa and growth on my SPS corals are fine. My phos and nitrates are also quite fine. I also have no nuisance algae growth (except for a little on the plastic stuff in my tank but not on rocks, sand, etc, but I leave the lights on far too long and am fixing the flow issue on the back of the tank where some cyano builds on a plastic pipe I have, but since i fixed it, the cyano is virtually gone).
