Need a good 400w SE bulb in 14k

[EnderG60]

Ive heard the aquaconnect 14k's have the best PAR of the 14k's, right?

I have a 150w pheonix 14k on another tank, how would the color compare?

Are there any other bulbs out there with a nice high PAR rating and good color?

And whats the cheapest place to get said bulb?

[EnderG60]

anyone

[EnderG60]

TTT

[twon8]

if you want the best, the aquaconnects are it

hamiltons 14k are decent, but not as good a bulb.
how much do you have to spend?

[EnderG60]

I have about $150 to spend...how do the aquaconnects color compare to the hamilton or pheonix bulbs?

and where might i get one?

I currently have a 10k aqualine on there and the color is pretty crappy, but growth is awsome, so id like something with similar PAR, if its possible

[Charlie Davidson]

I would go with the 20k XM. I can not tell the diff. between that and the 15k after a week of burn. And I read somewhere on RC that the 20k put out more par. (400w) (reefscience.com has a good price)

[EnderG60]

saying a bulb has more PAR then a 15k XM aint saying much from what ive seen with the 250w's

got any actual numbers on the 400's?

[swannking]

CHECK OUT THIS SITE.

http://www.reeflightinginfo.arvixe.com/index.htm

[Charlie Davidson]

Like I said, (400w)! you asked for cheap.. if you do not want advice or want to knock people for giving it, don't ask. (looks like 400w xms aren't bad at all)

[EnderG60]

man people are touchy...i wasnt knocking you I was just saying what I had heard and asking for some evidence otherwise...man lighten up


From those numbers the aquaconnect does look to be the best contender in the 14k range

anyone recommend a good site to get one?

[Charlie Davidson]

Sorry, sometimes what we type is not what others read into it. I was reading you wrong..

[humboldt reefer]

You can order them through Premium aquatics or though http://www.aquaristics.com/ but niether of them have them in stock.

[EnderG60]

awwww.....anyone got any other places that actually have them

[humboldt reefer]

Plenty of places have them.... In europe. Ya gotta order em.

[Aquaduck]

I have used 400W XM 20K's and 15K's. I ran the 20K's for a year. Amazing lamps, great colors and incredible growth on my acros. I replaced them with 400W XM 15K and I couldn't tell the difference. The one year old 20K looked like a brand new 15K side by side. The 15K's have a bit less blue in them and they run a little cooler than the 20K's. When it's time to change I'll be going back to XM 20K. They look almost like a Radium IMO.

edit: I'd also like to add I ran 400W 10K Ushio's for a year because everyone raved about how great Ushio's were.... I hated them. I had to add VHO's to make the color look decent. Now I don't need supplemental lighting with my MH lamps.

[twon8]

aquaristics has the 400w se in stock. but they are pricey, 145 each.

[mwood]

EnderG60, what ballasts do you have? It makes a difference. AC14k's are not good with magnetic ballasts.

[humboldt reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7251575#post7251575 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by twon8
aquaristics has the 400w se in stock. but they are pricey, 145 each.
Are you sure? I'm looking for the same lamps. When I tried to add them to my cart I got an out of stock message.

[twon8]

maybe not, i just saw the quantity box so i figured they would let you order them.

[Charlie Davidson]

Yeh, I noticed that there is a big difference in par because of different ballast!

[mwood]

By ballast
standard magnetic, xm20k ppfd=128
pulse magnetic, xm20k 114 or ushio blue 102
hqi, xm10k specs at 13k cct and 202 ppfd or ac14k 170 ppfd. Radiums are also good but have par around 140.
electronic ballast ac14k or reeflux 10k. Both have decent par and 14k color.

Marcus

[jeemann99]

I love my 14k coralvue 400w. Excellent growth and No more need for the atinics anymore either. Before I switched to coralvue I was using 10k ushios 400w. The growth has been unoticable as well.

[EnderG60]

yeah i have a magnetic balast, and ive seen the xm 20k's and they are just too blue for me.

Is there another 14k that would put out more PAR with the magnetic balast?

I used to run a xm 10k when i was a 250w SE and the growth was great but the color just wasnt there even with my 2x96w actinics. I swapped it for a hamilton 14k and the color was great but the a few of my SPS died due to lack of light so I upgraded to a 400w but it came with a 10k again so im on the lookout for a new 14k again.

[mwood]

400w 20k's aren't as blue as 250w 20k's. If you don't want a 20k, xm15k has a ppfd of 104 with a mag ballast. Much better than an ac14k, ppfd=80.

[EnderG60]

see now that strikes me as odd, because i went with a magnetic 400w over a dual 250w DE on icecaps because I was told the magnetic balasts push higher wattages through the bulbs thus more light.

so the xm15k would run decently on a magnetic balast but crappy on a electric, while a ac 14k would do the opposite?

man this is getting confusing...

would there be a 20k that puts out more light then a 14k on a mag balast then?

[Charlie Davidson]

That is why I said 400w. It makes a huge differance!
250w 20k xms- are Way too blue! 10k were too white (needed artinic) IMO-- I also had problems with the 250 20ks bulbs cracking and outer shell falling into tank) (3 bulbs)- 4-5 years ago-(killing my corals-they were going to send me some "new"15k 250s but NEVER did) sorry had to vent :)
I have had no problems with my 400 20k xms, :thumbsup:

[mwood]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7255780#post7255780 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by EnderG60
see now that strikes me as odd, because i went with a magnetic 400w over a dual 250w DE on icecaps because I was told the magnetic balasts push higher wattages through the bulbs thus more light.

so the xm15k would run decently on a magnetic balast but crappy on a electric, while a ac 14k would do the opposite?

man this is getting confusing...

would there be a 20k that puts out more light then a 14k on a mag balast then?

400w xm 20k's. PPFD(PAR)=128. Can't beet it and color isn't as blue. I think you'd like them if you want a 14k look. If you look in my gallery you will see a very blue pic marked 20k(250w) and a nice pic marked radiums(400w). The wattage truly makes a difference.

250w 20k's
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/47076300g-med.JPG

400w radiums
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/47076300j.jpg

[Charlie Davidson]

Awsome Tank, mwood!!

[mwood]

Thanks. It's an old shark and ray tank I always thought would make a good reef tank.

[HaroldT]

Nice tank Mwood. I like the look from the Hamilton 14K bulbs myself.

[EnderG60]

hmmm...well we have a xm 15k 400w here at work and its actualy a bit whiter then id like.


the pic of the radiums is just what im looking for, crisp white with a hint of blue and nice color.

[mwood]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7261295#post7261295 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by EnderG60
hmmm...well we have a xm 15k 400w here at work and its actualy a bit whiter then id like.


the pic of the radiums is just what im looking for, crisp white with a hint of blue and nice color.

The 400w xm20k's will look similar to a radium and have better par. A radium isn't recommended on a standard ballast. It needs a pulse start. Look at HOC's gallery. His 700 has 400w xm20k's.

[EnderG60]

ok so I like to color of those radiums based on that picture and the xm 15k is a bit to white(corals a bit to yellow) based on the one we have at work, and I want a high par so its looking like the xm 20k's are the best bet for a magnetic ballast...am i right here??

[Ti]

Hamilton FTW

[mwood]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7263755#post7263755 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by EnderG60
ok so I like to color of those radiums based on that picture and the xm 15k is a bit to white(corals a bit to yellow) based on the one we have at work, and I want a high par so its looking like the xm 20k's are the best bet for a magnetic ballast...am i right here??

Yup, in my opinion.

[EnderG60]

alrighty, whats a good place to get an xm 20k and whats a good price for em?

[mwood]

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=20K-400XM&Category_Code=mh-400w
http://www.hellolights.com/400wxm20000k.html