as most of you probably know i just purchase a parking lot metal halide fixture i am looking to get new bulbs so it will actually put out the right color spectrum i have a coralife pc light that is the 50/50 bulbs but wanted to get rid of those and only run the metal halides if possible. so what should i get? My LFS guy told me to get 20k and that is what they use but he also said to get the bluest i can get and i found a 22k that would fit. any suggestions? will i still need to run actinics?
metal halide bulbs?
- Thread starter dwinzent
- Start date
Bifferwine
I am a girl
Coral won't grow very well under 20K. The lower the K rating, the faster the growth will be, but the more browned/yellowed the coral will look. So the trick is to find a happy medium, where the corals look nice and colorful, and where they also grow well. I, personally, like the look of 12K bulbs (that's what I use). I would never go as high as 20K or 22K.
ndepratt
Equipment Junkie
I actually prefer the look of a 20k bulb. While you are true, the PAR of a 20K bulb is less than that of say a 10k or 15k (unless it's XM) you're still going to get great growth. 20K bulbs outsell 10K-15K by quite a bit here in america (we do like our tanks a bit bluer) I personally hate the look of lower kelvin bulbs such as the 15K XM or the 12K reeflux. 14K phoenix is a spectacular looking bulb, but could use a touch more blue in my opinion.
I wouldn't be afraid to go 20K, don't think your corals will just never grow. However... the suggestion to get the BLUEST bulb you can get... is frankly a bad suggestion. While since you're wanting to run only actinic I would say DEFINITELY get a 20k bulb... but you don't need to go extreme and do the 22K (which I'll bet means you're looking at the $120 (or so) megachrome bulbs....) if you were running actinics then you could dip into the lower K.
Bluelife SPS makes a great 20K bulb, the XM is alright.... Radium 14K is stellar (lots of praise on these boards)... my personal favorite is the radium 20k if you were on an m81 magnetic ballast.... the reeflux 20k isn't bad I suppose. Megachromes just aren't worth it....
this was all just my opinion.
I wouldn't be afraid to go 20K, don't think your corals will just never grow. However... the suggestion to get the BLUEST bulb you can get... is frankly a bad suggestion. While since you're wanting to run only actinic I would say DEFINITELY get a 20k bulb... but you don't need to go extreme and do the 22K (which I'll bet means you're looking at the $120 (or so) megachrome bulbs....) if you were running actinics then you could dip into the lower K.
Bluelife SPS makes a great 20K bulb, the XM is alright.... Radium 14K is stellar (lots of praise on these boards)... my personal favorite is the radium 20k if you were on an m81 magnetic ballast.... the reeflux 20k isn't bad I suppose. Megachromes just aren't worth it....
this was all just my opinion.
winyfrog
Yep!
I prefer Reeflux 12K and 20K I use both in different set ups. I still run my seperate actinics with my halides. Corals need that blue spectrum to grow with there best colors showing :) The Reeflux tends to not shift out of their spectrum as quickly as some of the other bulbs they will last 10 to 12 months. I found XM will shift in about 6 to 8 months. SPS tend to shift 4 to 6 months. These are the only 3 bulbs I have used personally.
If you are just planning on growing mushrooms and anemones they will do well under any of those spectrums but would probably look best under 12, 15, or 20k.
If you are just planning on growing mushrooms and anemones they will do well under any of those spectrums but would probably look best under 12, 15, or 20k.
