Help pick bulb for best sps color/growth

[wrenchhead]

Hey guys I just picked up a 250w hqi fixture and I need a bulb for it.What would be your choice for the best color and growth combo.I have a couple different milliporas,tricolor acros,and montipora capsthat will be sitting under this light.
I am just looking for the best over all bulb in your opinion.
Thanks for the help

[mmoore0803]

phoenix 14k

[wrenchhead]

Ok,I will try it like this.
For those of you with 250w DE lights,What bulbs do you run and are you happy with the results you are getting?

P.S. thanks mmoore for the reply.Do you run those bulbs?

[benf]

When i used to run 250DE, imo the Phoenix 14k and the Ushio 10ks looked the best. In fact i setup 4 250DE on my 120 i had with alternating 14k/10k and it looked good and the growth was noticeable. If u dont want to run that many lights i would say depends if u like more of the blue look or not..if so go Phoenix, otherwise go Ushio 10k.

[Horace]

Phoenix 14k is IMO the best DE bulb available.

On my EVC ballasts they ran very whiteish/blue. On some ballasts these bulbs look very blue, others they dont. I really liked the look of them on the EVC.

That being said, I also happen to really like bluer tanks, but I dont find the Phoenix to be all that blue either.

[RichConley]

The phoenix (atleast in my experience) is extremely blue, and extremely monotone. Its all blue, and no purple/green/yellow, etc. It tends to lead to corals that all look the same.


I'm really not a fan of running it without supplementation.

[Horace]

It is only blue on some ballasts. For example, I just gave my old bulbs to a friend who is running them on some knock off electronics and they look much bluer than they were on my the EVC. In my tank, they didnt look blue, and infact seemed to come very close to the color I used to have when I ran 50/50 AquaBlue/Blue+ T5s.

I will admit, the tank looked nicer with VHO actinic added. I dont know if I agree with the monotone corals though, that certainly was not the case, regardless of VHOS or not.

[RichConley]

Mine was running on an Icecap (and was toilet-bowl-blue) and then a Geissman Mag ballast, and was slightly better. The Icecap driven 250de phoenix was awful.

[Scissorhand]

IMO Phoenix 14K emits a nice color and could do w/o actinic supplementation.

It really depends where are you're coming from in terms of the last lighting set-up that you used from before... since your eyes are used to that color already.

[ct_vol]

I used to run Phoenix 14k's... I switched to Reeflux 12k's... I'm happy with the change... :)

[takayan]

I am using Phoenix 14K for 2*250W with PFO ballast. It is blue, but I very like it. From my experience, Pink SPS like 10K MH, but others like 14K.

[Paulairduck]

I just swithched to DE bulbs, I ordered reeflux 10k and 12k, I have installed the 10k and like them, I will run these for a month and then switch to the 12k's. From the research I have done, reeflux brand is getting great results.

[PSam]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10707537#post10707537 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ct_vol
I used to run Phoenix 14k's... I switched to Reeflux 12k's... I'm happy with the change... :)

Ditto

[samsfishnchips]

wrenchhead,

the ballast and if or if you don't have supplementation will help in getting a helpful answer

I'm running phoenix driving by bluewave 7 ballast (M80) and its very nice white with a hint of blue

always get confuse when I hear " phoenix, oh my god is just a blue bulb", and then I check, oh I see they are running it on an electronic ballast, while it was "meant" to be run on magnetic M80 by specs, oh well

last time bough them a $54 shipped to my door, you just can't beat that, hard to find a bulb that looks good by itself, has high PAR levels, its cheap, and lasts

change at 1 yr mark because of habit, but wouldn't worry much if they stay longer

last, if you are not getting good colors, look else where, water quality, flow, etc are more important, we sometimes want to cover the MAIN issue by putting a bluer bulb so things look better, IMO

anyway good luck,

sam

[fishsoldseprtly]

NEW HELIOS 20K DE

[yancy_gabriel]

A month ago I had a 250W 12k and two 150W 10k MH Bulbs. This gave a yellow-green effect on my tank.

Last week I replaced them with 20,000K without changing the ballasts, and it had significant color changes to a more bluer effect on my tank.

So in my opinion 20K would give you a satisfying blue effect without adding actinics to your system.

[wrenchhead]

Thanks so much for the input.
The balast is a PFO magnetic.I am not trying to fix the color of my corals,they are doing very well.I am just not sure what bulb is in the pendent now(it has no writing on the bulb anywhere)so I will be starting from scratch to try and get the right look for my tank.I think I am going to try the pheonix 14k.They are pretty reasonable pricewise.Thanks again for the help.
Does the reeflux 12k have a lot of blue in it?I have 2 160w vhos for supplement and I don't want it too blue.

[milin]

10k is better for growth fwih but could use some actinic help for color, 14k and 15k have great actinic coloring already and still do very well for growth