Finally got my new Metal Halides

[newbeemike]

Just wanted to thank everyone who gave me advice about upgrading my lights to Metal Halides. I ended up getting the 48" 2 X 150 Sunpod for my 75 gallon tank. I LOVE THEM . I have been following advice given about my current coral and they seem to be adjusting well. I originally was thinking about getting a 2 X 250 and realized it just wasn't necessary. When I upgrade my tank to a 150 in the next 2 years or so I will just upgrade the lights again. I did want some advice about my other lights. I have a 48" orbit fixture 4 X 65. They are about 1 year 1 month old. The bulbs are about 3 weeks old (just changed them). I talked to some local shops and they said I can advertise them for sale on their boards. I am just not to sure how much to ask for them. Thought about putting them on ebay. What do you think I should do and how much should I ask for them. Thanks in advance for your help.

[fatman]

I would love to give them a try. I am sure you will like them. Did you get the ones with supplemental T-5's? The orbit 4 x 65 is about $300 new, plus freight. I would not know what they would go for down there, but up here you could easily get $250 as freight on a new light would run $65 to $150 to Alaska.

[newbeemike]

No . I got the sunpod. The metal Halides are 14 k. Which means they have blue within them. You don't need the blue lights with them. They ran me $500. I love them

[fatman]

HQI's, 2 150 watt, and lunar lights. Let us know what the lighting looks like. Should be near straight white in apperance. No blue tones, and very little to no yellow tone. Should work well with mixed coral and fish. A little lite in intensity for some SPS in the bottom third of tank.

[hobbyguy]

from what i have read about halides is

Wattage measures the amount of electricity in a bulb. The higher the wattage, the brighter the bulb. Kelvin rating measures the color and intensity of the bulb. The higher the K, the more blue the light. The lower the K, the more yellow. 10K is white light. 14K is bluer. And 20K is bluest. 10K (white light) is best for fastest coral growth but not color. 20K (blue light) is best for color but not for growth. We recommend 14K for coral growth and color.

however this may not be true to all tanks and corals as i own a
Aqualight Pro HQI/Compact Fluorescent/Lunar Light Fixture

with 2 10 k 150 halide bulbs along with 2 96 watt 03 antics and have seen great difference in coral growth and fish behavior in the last month of owning this light but at my friends pet shop he runs this same light with 20 k bulbs and we both have seen a great difference in growth but does have a lot more blue tint in the water which makes the tank look alot deeper
so all in all dont always believe what the manfac recommends
as this may vary in different ways read as much as you can and ask as many questions you can from people that own these lights for better info hope this helps

[jhnrb]

Congrats On Your New Lights. Have Fun.

[fatman]

Originally Posted by hobbyguy

from what i have read about halides is

Wattage measures the amount of electricity in a bulb. The higher the wattage, the brighter the bulb. Kelvin rating measures the color and intensity of the bulb. The higher the K, the more blue the light. The lower the K, the more yellow. 10K is white light. 14K is bluer. And 20K is bluest. 10K (white light) is best for fastest coral growth but not color. 20K (blue light) is best for color but not for growth. We recommend 14K for coral growth and color.

however this may not be true to all tanks and corals as i own a
Aqualight Pro HQI/Compact Fluorescent/Lunar Light Fixture

with 2 10 k 150 halide bulbs along with 2 96 watt 03 antics and have seen great difference in coral growth and fish behavior in the last month of owning this light but at my friends pet shop he runs this same light with 20 k bulbs and we both have seen a great difference in growth but does have a lot more blue tint in the water which makes the tank look alot deeper
so all in all dont always believe what the manfac recommends
as this may vary in different ways read as much as you can and ask as many questions you can from people that own these lights for better info hope this helps

I own many Aqualight Pro fixtures and I still can not figure out where your coming from. Who is WE, as in we recommend. Actinics give the blue needed for viewing enjoyment and allow you to keep your main lights K range down where it is best for coral growth and health. As an example a commonly selling 03 Actinic bulb sold by Drs. Foster and Smith is an 7100 K bulb. This is mich healtier than 200000K or even 12000k or 14000k. Who wants to colorfully see poorly growing unhealty coral. And it is true you can seldom consider what the retailer or sometimes the manafacturerer states is the K rating of their bulbs because they often say or write they are what ever K rating it is that is the public fad is at that time, IE which is now the high K bulbs of around 14000K. The 20000K is not a high demand bulb nor is it widely believed to be a good choice for a reef bulb, nor is it expected to become a widely excepted one. The honest manafacturers and retailers will just keep pushing the healthier 6500K to 10000K bulbs they and researchers prove are best through readily repeatedable research testing and demonsration projects, and with those they erccomendthe supplementation with 03 Actinic bulbs. I believe I will have to believe my own experiences, Dana Riddle, Joshi and many others before I waste money on a "good viewing" but unhealthy high K bulb, especially a 20000K bulb.

[hobbyguy]

WE ops that was what the manufacture state to me should have been they recommend this rating

[hobbyguy]

the rating above was just for the metal halide bulb only i guess there are fixtures with out antic 03 bulbs just like a pendant........

[fatman]

SunPod (Outer Orbit) is pretty unique in that they offer along with there HQI halides, supplemental actinics in T-5 or Power PC, and they all have lunar lights. However, they are more limited in what they offer with 150 watt halides than with 250 watt halides.