Best 250watt DE HQI Bulb?

[rob020880]

Whats the best 250 watt DE bulb? I will be using t5 actinics and blue+ for sunpplemental lighting. Should I go 10k or would it look cooler with a 14k or maybe 12.5k, and what brand? My tank is 30" deep so thats a little bit of a concern. Thanks

[jcm2m9]

I have the 250w de Phoenix 14k with two UVL super actinics and I personally love it.

[rob020880]

Sounds great, do you happen to have any pics?

[rob020880]

Bump...

[rob020880]

So I think im gonna go with an Ushio 10k 250 de. Is this a good one? I heard that de mh bulbs give out a yellowish color and I do not want this. So would this be a good choice or are there better options?

[GSMguy]

the lower the kelvin the less yellow light a 10k has lots more yellow than 14k and 20k is even bluer
i would reccomend the pheonix 250w or the ushio 14k

[rob020880]

Is there any 10k bulb that can be described as crisp white? I think that because of my t5 actinic\blue+ combo that a 14k will be to blue.

[rob020880]

I really want to avoid the yellow look...

[rleechb]

Actually, the lower the kelvin, the more yellow the bulb will look, GSM.


The ushio 14k is pretty white. Don't run the phoenix with actinics, it'll be far too blue. I ran the blv 10k DE in the past, and they were definitely considered a crisp white.

[ralphie16]

I have a 250 MH and 2 T5 fixture.

I have blue+ and super blue t5 lamps

i have a 14K phoenix, looks nice
i have 10K ushio, looks great
i have 14K ushio, the best

i also went to ushio website to see par comparison between 10k and 14k 250 DE lamps and PAR is identical.

i am also sure BLV and ushio are the same lamps, just different sticker on the package.

[rob020880]

I am doing 4 24" t5's with the blue+ and super blue is this to much? Should I do two 24" t5 instead of 4? Does the ushio 14k have a blue tint?

[rob020880]

So what do you guys think my best option is? The Ushio 10k or 14k. It seems that everyone keeps recommending the Ushios. Are these the best? Like I said I plan on using 4 24" t5's, with blue+ and actinic. Which would look better 10k or 14k. I don't want to create a blue tank, but do want all that awesome color. I was thinking that the 10k would be the way to go since I will have 4 t5's. But maybe im wrong, if anyone has pics in their gallery please let me know, I would love to see them. Thanks!!!

[sinkingbeach]

Here's my tank under 14K Phoenix Bulbs, Aqua Medic Spacelight Dual 250w HQI Dual 24w pc acintic http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/6562990g.JPG

I had the 10K Ushio's and found them to be a bit yellow for my taste but I did enjoy the growth that I didn't find with my current bulbs. I too am considering the Ushio 14Ks.

[2crazyreefers]

Guesman (spelling ?)13 K is the best I found. I have tried ushio - xm - phoenex and hamilton.

[GuOD]

I'd really like to get a whiter look to my tank than I have now with my Outer Orbit Fixture. It has 2x10k bulbs and 4x54w actinic t5 (2x420, 2x460)

If I went with Phoenix 14k bulbs, would the tank look blue with everything on or would it look a nice white color??

[GSMguy]

um no pheonix is actually a 20k with really high par you should look at another 10k like the ushio or the geismann 13 ocean

[rleechb]

GSMGUY: phoenix is 14k.

If you went with phoenix's and those t5 actinics, your tank would be very blue. Stick with 10k. If you want the tank whiter than it is currently, turn off your actinics. =D