Question for Iwasaki 15k 175w bulb users

[raynist]

What does the color of the bulb look like now that you have had them for several months. Mine was bright white/hint of blue in the beginning, but now after several weeks it seems to be more of a yellow tint and the bulb glass looks like it has a film on it.

Also, what position do you have the 'nipple' of the bulb, does that matter?

I am using a Lumenmax2 fixture with an IceCap electronic ballast.

Has anyone heard if they are bringing out a 250w version?

Thanks
Ray

[mntl]

I have the same bulb/ballast with a luminarc mini (dont know exact date, but over 6months old or more). Looks crisp white, i keep the wire that holds the internal bulb (dont know correct name) vertical with the exposed portion of the internal bulb facing down. I have been working on a new "theme" for 5-6 months now and I switched to a ushio 14k to get a little more blue and less brightness. Corals seem to be responding better to it, for the depth of my tank i think the iwasaki is overkill for everything but the highest light acros i kept. I found i was just moving stuff to the bottom of the tank and raising the bulb to keep colors the way i liked it and stop some minor bleaching that had started.

The iwasaki is like a crisp 10k and will probably look yellow/white to anyone but iwasaki 6500/10k users. For the 175w/bulb line, the ushio 14k is a good improvise, not as blue/dull as the hamilton 14k but slightly more blue than the 10k/iwasaki14k bulbs, and brighter than the hamilton. Obviously you will lose the par of the iwasaki, but i am finding that it is not having a negative affect on corals.

just my .02c

-mntl-

[manderx]

i have 4 of them running off icecaps in luminarc minis. i've found the color to be totally subjective to ambient light. it can look anywhere for noticiably blueish to pee-yellow depending on what other lights are in the room that my eyes are adjusted to.

never looked at nipple positions, but i can only assume they are all different. light seems pretty much even in color and intensity across the tank (3x3).

i love them but i am trying to find a way to finance the upgrade to 250w RF 12s (already have the bulbs), but i don't want to sell the 175w setups since i can see myself going back to them next summer when things run hot. i was able to run 1 of the 250s mixed in the the 175s, and the iwasakis are still noticably brighter than the 250w rf 12k. but i like change and want to try a blue bulb for a while.

i used to run 4 overdriven blue t5s (blue+ and ULV actinic) but recently pulled them off. they added a fakey blue glare to the tank, everyone i asked also preferred the tank without them than with them. simply wasn't worth the wattage, plus i've decided i don't like overdriving t5s (color + lamp life).