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FSOL
01/31/2007, 03:53 PM
Hi everyone,

before I start, my tank is 6x2x2 (180g) tank w/ mostly SPS. I should also mention that I don't really care much for coral growth as much as I care for appearance and healthy looks.

Current lighting - Hamilton HQI ballast with 3x250W DE 14K Phoenix MH bulbs plus 2x165W VHO actinics.

New desired lighting - same ballast with 3x250W DE 20K XM bulbs plus the 2x165W VHO actinics.

Will this have any effect on the SPS (given that I slowly acclimate them to the new lighting)? Again, I usually buy colonies and not frags, so I don't care for fast growth rates. I just want deeper looking coloration on the SPS and of course no algae/browning out.

Would this be a wise switch or should I stick to the 14K's ?

Thanks

fishaholic911
01/31/2007, 07:11 PM
I was told by a very reliable source (tropoasis) Frank that switching my 14k hamiltons to xm 20k would not only give me a better look but faster growth. I am sure if you pm him he can give you all the info.

northbay-reefer
01/31/2007, 07:56 PM
The XM20k + actinics will give you a nice blue look, growth is great as long as your water parameter is good.

Although I have my 150watt halide 50k running parallel for mid day. But I think the 20k is fine for growth. What you will love is the color of the corals.

FSOL
02/01/2007, 11:31 AM
Thanks guys. The thing is that I have always been informed that higher K's slow down growth. But anyways, I don't care much for growth. I just want my corals not to brown out when I switch to higher K's, that's all I want to make sure before I switch.

SunnyX
02/01/2007, 11:40 AM
FSOL,

I have been running 20K XM 400W for over a year now. I actually just swaped out the old bulbs for a new pair. I have had great growth and color.

FSOL
02/01/2007, 12:07 PM
SUNNY - your bulbs are 400w's over a 225 right? How deep is the tank? Unfortunately mine are 250watters over a 24" deep tank. Would the 20K's still be ok?
I just don't want the SPS to turn brown because lack of par. If worst case I realize a negative reaction to the 20K's, and I switch back to 14K's in time, will the SPS readjust back?

northbay-reefer
02/01/2007, 12:52 PM
FSOL I dont know what is consider good growth, but some of my corals have grown more than an inch a month all the way around using 20k bulbs

FSOL
02/01/2007, 01:04 PM
guys, I don't care too much for growth. I just want my SPS to keep their color and not brown out due to par change.

FSOL
02/01/2007, 01:11 PM
by the way, i have an option to take my system back to hamilton and have them reconfigure it to switch to 400W system, so I can instead put 400w 20k's instead of 250w 20k's. they have to change sockets and ballasts and cost is only $400. Should I do it

mistermikev
02/01/2007, 01:20 PM
I have a 75 w 400w mh 20k, 110w pc 10k, 200w vho 50/50. I have had great growth... don't want it any faster! The color is great. I switched to a 250w 14k and hated it. No offense 14k lovers. But the best improvement to color I have seen cam from a 40w standard flourescent I added. It is a small difference up agains some 700w of other power but try it... you will never go back as far as color goes. The greens shimer, the pinks stand out more. Nothing compares. JMO.

northbay-reefer
02/01/2007, 02:29 PM
FSOL, 250 watt is fine .... 180gal tank is not that deep.

jnb
03/16/2007, 12:20 PM
i use 20k - thought I wanted more bang switched to 14k and a week later switched back 20k forever - and I am sorry but the corals still grow nicely under 20K

FSOL
03/16/2007, 12:34 PM
JNB - can you show me a full tank shot w/ your 20K's on (no actinics on preferably).

I now have the 400W Radium 20K's and they look very yellow. I'm not sure if it's my ballasts or the wiring that's messed up.

They look like 10K bulbs to me, very yellow.

jnb
03/16/2007, 12:54 PM
look at my gallery there is a couple cleary marked as MH - don't look at the ones where my flash fired - they are obvious because its more yellow and lights up the shadows - having said that, whenver I take pioctures of my 20k or any other blue tank, the picture turns out making the tank look dimmer than I see with my eyes


<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9492829#post9492829 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by FSOL
JNB - can you show me a full tank shot w/ your 20K's on (no actinics on preferably).

I now have the 400W Radium 20K's and they look very yellow. I'm not sure if it's my ballasts or the wiring that's messed up.

They look like 10K bulbs to me, very yellow.

Ti
03/16/2007, 12:55 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9128123#post9128123 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by northbay-reefer
The XM20k + actinics will give you a nice blue look, growth is great as long as your water parameter is good.

Although I have my 150watt halide 50k running parallel for mid day. But I think the 20k is fine for growth. What you will love is the color of the corals.
Ditto

Scottkelly911
03/16/2007, 08:09 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9133138#post9133138 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by northbay-reefer
FSOL I dont know what is consider good growth, but some of my corals have grown more than an inch a month all the way around using 20k bulbs
Sorry to go off topic for a moment, but...Northbay Reefer, is it just me or has your clown in your avatar been the recipient of a Dirty Sanchez :lol:

gasman059
03/16/2007, 08:53 PM
This is by far the best light scheme i've had in ant of my past and this setup. The tank is 8 months.

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n320/gasman059/IMG_2891_edited.jpg[/IMG]

saycheessee
03/16/2007, 08:59 PM
[QUOTE]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9496474#post9496474 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gasman059
[B]This is by far the best light scheme i've had in ant of my past and this setup. The tank is 8 months.

So what type of lights are you using??? 20k? 10K 15K???

I love your tank. VERYYY SWEETTT!!

Scottkelly911
03/16/2007, 09:03 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9496474#post9496474 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gasman059
This is by far the best light scheme i've had in ant of my past and this setup. The tank is 8 months.

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n320/gasman059/IMG_2891_edited.jpg[/IMG]
:eek2: Absolutely beautiful! thanks for sharing...I now forsee a flooding of people to the 20K bulbs! Hmm...time to buy stock in 20K MH market? :lol:

gasman059
03/16/2007, 09:05 PM
thx buddy -check the thread on sps forum for all info on equipment and what not. thx

Goodwood
03/16/2007, 10:04 PM
I had Hammy 14s and went to XM 20s, way better color and growth. Oh, much cheaper and last twice as long so you cant go wrong

Ti
03/16/2007, 10:13 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9496474#post9496474 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gasman059
This is by far the best light scheme i've had in ant of my past and this setup. The tank is 8 months.

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n320/gasman059/IMG_2891_edited.jpg[/IMG]
Looks GEWD

BeanAnimal
03/16/2007, 10:22 PM
Guys, not to burst anybodies bubble... but tank photos to determine lighting color are 100% useless. There are just to many variables involved from the type of camera and white balance settings, to the viewers monitor settings and 100 things in between.

Beyond the photos looking great... you just can not tell much from them.

BeanAnimal
03/16/2007, 10:27 PM
With regard to growth...

For the most part the 20K bulbs have a significantly lower PAR than the 14K or 10K offerings. That means lower growth.

That said, the numbers on the side of the box mean very little. 5 differnet brands of 20K bulbs will have 5 different colors. The same holds true with 14K or 10K. So in some cases a BRAND A 20K bulb may have more similar PAR to BRAND Bs 14K bulb because in reality the 20K bulb maybe be closer to 18K or so... and the 14K bulb may be closer to 18K or so.

I suggest a good look at Sanjays website to determine the PAR that your current bulbs are putting out. Moving to a higher PAR bulb will increase growth and moving to a lower PAR bulb will decrease growth.

As far as color, you will need to look at your selection in person to determine how they compare or what pleases your eye. I would use Sanjays database to narrow my selection list down to a few locally available bulbs and go from there.

gasman059
03/17/2007, 04:18 AM
Guys, not to burst anybodies bubble... but tank photos to determine lighting color are 100% useless. There are just to many variables involved from the type of camera and white balance settings, to the viewers monitor settings and 100 things in between.
Agree!


I suggest a good look at Sanjays website to determine the PAR that your current bulbs are putting out. Moving to a higher PAR bulb will increase growth and moving to a lower PAR bulb will decrease growth.
and agree

jnb
03/17/2007, 06:38 AM
Here are uselss pics showing before, then after 275 days under 20k 250 watt with probably more growth than the thread starter had in mind. I took todays photo with a new camera which I have not studied much, but had it set on manual and the picture came out a bit dim. Shows FSOL the growth even though he does care too much about growth. I like 20k because it feels more natural to me as a diver - Below 20 feet the world starts to loses its red and yellow light but the color in the life still emerges and the overall feeling is nice and calm and stills shimmers nicely (like my tank).
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/490682006_06_05.JPG
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/490682007_03_17.jpg

BeanAnimal
03/17/2007, 09:15 AM
jnb pictures are not useless, they are just useless for the purposes of making color decisions :) Of course they can show growth or the state of the animals in the tank.

I like the bluer bulbs also. I just no not like the lower par they put out. I have moved from XM 20K bulb to Phoenix 14K bulbs and doubled the growth (and apparent brightness). Imagine the growth if you would have had 250 days under 10k!

gasman059
03/17/2007, 09:15 AM
beautiful-u just gotta love deep blue look

FSOL
03/17/2007, 02:22 PM
I understand that on the web you can't really get the true color, but you can get some idea.
Mine's definitely not blue at all. I'm telling you guys, my 400W 20K's look like 10K's, it's just puzzling why they would look like that. I've tried Radium and Ushio 20K's and same thing.

Is it possible that a ballast may light a bulb in such a way that a different spectrum may appear ?

johnlewis
03/17/2007, 03:35 PM
There is a differnce in color between magnetic and electronic ballasts.

gasman059
03/17/2007, 03:44 PM
There is a differnce in color between magnetic and electronic ballasts. yup-i run magnetic and that d only reason i have xm's-radiums will not work.IMO