HQI and T5 ... time to change

[OTCHU]

Hello everybody

I bought one years ago my lighting HQI and T5. So I think it's time to change the bulb, so I have some questions:

About the HQI:
Mine are 3*150W 10K. Do I have to change for the same or 14K or 20K are better ? I have just xenia, polyp and mushroom coral.
Who use the 10K, 14K and 20K. I mean what is the difference exactly ?

About my T5:
Do I have to change them too ?

I did check on ebay and I can find some bulb HQI 150W for $25.00. Do you think they are ok ? At the local store they are $60.00 !!!

Thank you very much for your answers

Vincent

[eddnyster]

Well...as you might have already heard..."you get what you pay for." I would definitely not trust any bulbs from ebay unless is specifically states the brand of the bulb or something along those lines. ONE year is WAY too long to be burning metal halide bulbs. They should only be ran for 8 months to 9 months MAX! T5 bulbs typically last 12 months to 18 months.

As far as bulbs go it is really your choice. 10k give you a white look, 14k gives you a white look with a hint of blue hue, and the 20K really makes your corals and your fish's colors pop out! Typically, people use 10k bulbs to grow corals and the 20k specifically for color enhancement. I believe the higher in kelvin rating the lower the PAR, depending on the type of reflectors you have running and the brand of the bulb. For instance, if you have an Ushio/Phoenix/Iwasaki bulb with a Lumenmax/Lumenarc reflector...you'll get massive amounts of light out of a 150w bulb that is comparable to a "standard" 250w bulb.

It really all boils down to YOUR personal preferences and needs. Since you don't keep any SPS try higher kelvin ratings and make your corals' colors pop out!