250 watt 10k vs 400 watt 20k

[ccradr]

Just thinking about wattage, intensity etc. I currenty have reeflux 10ks that are 250 watt se running on a 265. Growth is what I seek, but I am a blue spectrum guy. Would going up to 400 watt 20k give the same growth as a 250 waat 10k..but with the added color?
Thoughts???

[ccradr]

bump

[ccradr]

Anyone??????

[dagda]

You could get the same or better growth out of a 400W 12K Reeflux or 20K XM.

[cook]

search for sanjays par charts.

[Paulairduck]

400 watt reeflux 12k's are awesome, colors are very nice under these bulbs

[ccradr]

That's great...but what Im asking is, would I get the same or better growth going up in wattage from 250 to 400, but changing Kelvin from 10k to 20k.

[ccradr]

Anyone?

[dagda]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13573566#post13573566 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dagda
You could get the same or better growth out of a 400W 12K Reeflux or 20K XM.

I thought I answered you?

If you look at Sanjay's results for the 250w 10K Reeflux, you'll see it has mediocre par. Pretty much any 400w bulb has better (including 12,14,15, and 20Ks).

[ccradr]

You just said 10k when before you stated 12k reeflux.........

[VaderWS6]

My SE 250 watt XM 10k's were MUCH more intense than my SE 250 watt Radium 20k's. They were bleaching my sps, even though I was acclimating for only a couple hours each day! I'm not a big fan of blue halides, but the Radiums look pretty good. On my HQI ballast, they're very bright and white/blue. I loved the incredible intensity of the XM 10k's with my lumenbright reflectors, but they were just too bright.

[areze]

more wattage, more par.

higher temp, less par.

so you have offsetting factors there, presumably the point of the question, but the answer is in the par charts and would most likely vary based on the details of WHICH bulbs were used. Im not sure if the step up in wattage is such a vast increase in par that the weakest 400w 20k bulb would still be brighter than 250w 10k. the par charts would tell you the full story bulb by bulb though.

[MileHighFish]

i run the 20k radium 400 watt and have very good growth.. bali slimer put on 6" in 8 months.. i dont think i would want faster growth... and all sps put out very nice color

[MileHighFish]

i to run my 400's on a hqi ballast.. (over ran )

[DT's_Reef]

The choice of reflector seems to be a huge factor as well....those running lumenbrights and lumenmax elite's with either 250w or 400w bulbs getting super intense par.

IMO, pick the what bulb suits your taste colorwise, and pair it up with a top notch reflector.