I need some help making a lighting decision for my 120 gallon tank, but first want to give some advice. Don't get a Blueline metal halide bulb! I just got one today and it is absolutely horrible. I thought the bulb might be defective so I did some web browsing and saw some other pictures and opinions and it is just not a good aquarium bulb IMHO. It is extremely blue, and very, very dim. In fact, it doesn't seem much brighter than a VHO actinic.
So, this has got me thinking and planning. I will return the bulb tomorrow but I'm not sure what my goal is now. In the past I had two 110 watt VHO actinics and three MH bulbs, two 250 and one 400, all 10K. I read that 6500K MH bulbs were much brighter so when replacement time came I got a 400 watt Iwasaki and a 250 watt Iwasaki. I still have one 250 watt 10K that needs replacing (the one I got the crappy Blueline to replace today).
The 6500K bulbs are without a doubt MUCH brighter. In fact, the 6500 250 watt bulb was just as bright to my eyes (not scientific I know) as the 10K 400 watts. The problem is, with less blue light the corals don't look as good to me anymore. Some of the ones that were really flourescent aren't. For example, one Acropora that was purple under 10K bulbs is now brown. I'm not sure what I want to do, I like more light but I also like better colors. I want it all.
I am considering a few things and need some opinions. The first setup would be as follows: all three MH bulbs 6500K and four VHO actinics. This differs from my original plan in adding two VHO actinics. It would be a tight fit and I'm not sure I could even get them all under the hood, but assuming I could do you think adding two VHO's would give me the color I want?
The second option is to get rid of the 250 watt ballasts and go all 400 watt 10K bulbs and remove the VHO's. With all 10K bulbs I don't think I would need VHO's and with the higher wattage I should have enough light and enough blue both. Removing the VHO's would give more of the "glimmer" effect that the flourescents seem to diminish. The downside is I would have to buy two new ballasts and do some major thinking on how to get rid of the heat.
The last option is to just be happy with what I have
I would replace the bulb that needs replacing now with a 6500 so it would match the MH bulbs I have now.
Ok, this is long so here are my choices again:
Two 250 watt 6500K's, One 400 watt 6500K, Four VHO actinics.
Four 400 watt 10K's (German bulbs, not Blueline!).
Two 250 watt 6500K's, One 400 watt 6500K, Two VHO actinics.
So, this has got me thinking and planning. I will return the bulb tomorrow but I'm not sure what my goal is now. In the past I had two 110 watt VHO actinics and three MH bulbs, two 250 and one 400, all 10K. I read that 6500K MH bulbs were much brighter so when replacement time came I got a 400 watt Iwasaki and a 250 watt Iwasaki. I still have one 250 watt 10K that needs replacing (the one I got the crappy Blueline to replace today).
The 6500K bulbs are without a doubt MUCH brighter. In fact, the 6500 250 watt bulb was just as bright to my eyes (not scientific I know) as the 10K 400 watts. The problem is, with less blue light the corals don't look as good to me anymore. Some of the ones that were really flourescent aren't. For example, one Acropora that was purple under 10K bulbs is now brown. I'm not sure what I want to do, I like more light but I also like better colors. I want it all.
I am considering a few things and need some opinions. The first setup would be as follows: all three MH bulbs 6500K and four VHO actinics. This differs from my original plan in adding two VHO actinics. It would be a tight fit and I'm not sure I could even get them all under the hood, but assuming I could do you think adding two VHO's would give me the color I want?
The second option is to get rid of the 250 watt ballasts and go all 400 watt 10K bulbs and remove the VHO's. With all 10K bulbs I don't think I would need VHO's and with the higher wattage I should have enough light and enough blue both. Removing the VHO's would give more of the "glimmer" effect that the flourescents seem to diminish. The downside is I would have to buy two new ballasts and do some major thinking on how to get rid of the heat.
The last option is to just be happy with what I have
Ok, this is long so here are my choices again:
Two 250 watt 6500K's, One 400 watt 6500K, Four VHO actinics.
Four 400 watt 10K's (German bulbs, not Blueline!).
Two 250 watt 6500K's, One 400 watt 6500K, Two VHO actinics.
