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View Full Version : does the brand of a bulb really matter??

fast57
09/26/2006, 03:54 PM
does the brand of a bulb really matter?? I look on ebay and see some cheaper bulbs I need but was wondering if there was any real difference in performance. I need A couple of 96w cf's actinic and daylight because mine are getting old. And is there sany retro kits that would have only 1 96w 36" bulb instead of 2? I only have room for 1 more light and would like to add it to my tank.
saveafish
09/26/2006, 04:42 PM
every one has their opion on what is the best but they are like house light bulbs some are brighter and last longer than others and you can always get a bad one from time to time you need to see what works best for you i know that is vage but it is a hard question to answere honestly
theatrus
09/26/2006, 04:44 PM
Known brands can equate into better quality and more consistency. No two MH bulbs are created equal. They each have unique properties (color, brightness, color retention, light retention, actual lifetime, heat, etc).
Charlie Davidson
09/26/2006, 06:05 PM
Yes!
fast57
09/26/2006, 07:58 PM
ok so which would be the best? longest lasting or best for coral growth..
gman19
09/27/2006, 06:13 AM
Keep the reef inhabitants in mind...go for coral growth.
fast57
09/27/2006, 12:47 PM
ok anyone have an opinion???
dougchambers
09/27/2006, 01:22 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8232420#post8232420 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fast57
ok anyone have an opinion??? What are you trying to keep?
Hammercoral
10/01/2006, 12:09 AM
actinics dont matter as much (they are for you not your corals)
I would not try to add more cf's , if anything add t-5's or halides. But it does depend on what you want to keep in the tank.
fast57
10/01/2006, 11:53 AM
my tank is a reef tank. I have alot of zoo's, bubble coral , colt, blasto and mushrooms. The tank is 3' long and with my skimmer on back and a hob overflow i wont have room for a t5. I'd really be squeesing a PC in there. the tank is deep so i need light to penatrate deep.
aclos3
10/01/2006, 12:42 PM
If you don't have room for a T5, im a little confused. Those are the smallest tubes out there right now. If you are looking for great depth penetration, either a T5 with a good reflector or a metal halide will do the trick.
easye123
10/01/2006, 02:05 PM
ya u can fit a t5 in a 2 inch area.. whereas with a pc and a relfelctor the smallest ive seend is like 4 or 5 inches
ktani
10/01/2006, 02:17 PM
There is some subjectivity to lighting and preference. Have you ever looked at some of the work done by Sanjay? He has a very good website that can give you the different outputs based upon bulb, ballast and reflector.

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

This will give you PAR information as well as lighting spread, this is one of the best websites around and kudos to Sanjay for all his work.

Gman and Dougchambers are correct, it is really dependent upon the livestock you wish to keep. You need to determine that first and foremost.

In terms of bulbs, yes brand is important as they have different output. I was just talking with Ushio about that and it was very informative. But in my thinking something even greater is where the bulb was manufactured. Without trying to sound mean here, I would never ever use any Chinese made bulbs as the QC is terrible. It is worth the extra little bit to protect the life of my animals.

Personally as far as suggestion goes, any bulb made in Europe or Japan gets my vote.

Kip
fast57
10/01/2006, 02:38 PM
do they make a single t5 retro?