10k halide lit tanks...i need inspiration

[reefer on a budget]

just recently got back into the hobby and now contemplating a lighting change from my current 250watt hqi 14k phoenix w/ 4x24watt t5 blues/actinics.
in the past ive always run 10k's w/ supplemental light and have great growth but it seems these days majority go w/ more blue lighting.

anyhow, anyone have pics of their sps dominated tanks lit up by 10k halides? please detail what light combo you're running.

 

[mutateddogbone]

14k's are the most popular nowadays for a reason. 10k's are frankly too yellow unless you have some serious actinic supplement to combat it. you will achieve some faster growth, but i personally feel you will be much happier with 14k's

 

[krazysps]

Radiums..... They give the best of both worlds.

 

[agsansoo]

Radiums if SE
XM 20k if DE

My XM's are not too blue IMO. They are a blue/white. I'm very happy with these, after trying 10K's, 12K's and 14K's.

 

[sslak]

I think the Phoenix 14k is a terrific bulb. I just added one to my system and it looks great. I've never seen a 10k system I liked unless it had at least 4 blue T5's.

 

[glennr1978]

All the inspiration you will ever need.... 10k lit

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[agsansoo]

Robertus reef is a T5 lit tank.

 

[robin coggan]

he has 2 150w 10k as well... nando-ltalty has a beautiful tank lit by XM 250-watt 10,000K metal halides

 

[glennr1978]

Robertus reef is a T5 lit tank.

Both of his tanks are lit by halides. One runs 10k's and the other runs 13k's. He uses t5's as supplemental light. I honestly forgot that he ever even set up his larger tank (13k's), I'm not even sure which tank is in the video I posted. Either way, they look virtually identical.

 

[ndh78]

Just put in 14 pheonix for the first time !WOW! didn't know what I was missing. started out with 10k then 14 uishio but these are great I'll never change. I think the 10k was actually to bright for me.

 

[allsps40]

10k is closer to natural sun light and gives faster growth. However new all like our corals to grow fast and have great color. Higher kelvin bulbs that have high par is the best for color and growth. I like the Phoenix 14k it has high par and is very blue compared to other 14ks. I also like most 20k. I used Coralife 20ks for a while with great color and growth. I had some paling with the Phoenix. I am now using an Odyssea 20k which is basically a Coralife bulb. The best bulb by far though is Radium 20k.

 

[reefer on a budget]

keep in mind im coming from the time when iwasaki's and 10k were the norm while less ppl used 20k radiums. im already running 4 blue t5s so im curious how much these would offset the 10k yellow, which interesting we used to consider more neutral/white. iwasakis were what were considered yellow.

ive had my tank lit up for a few days and and starting to like the 14k phoenix w/ t5 blue combination but before i settle on this combo ill just have to browse a few tanks in person to remember waht i liked about those 10ks w/ supplements back in the day.

id even be in favor of adding more supplement blue led lighting to the 10k combo. anyhow, the combinations are endless.

 

[sirreal63]

My old 125, 150 watt 10K XDE's in LAIII Mini's on the ends, and a 250 watt 10K XDE in a ROIII in the middle. A single 6' VHO Actintic. It had a decent color, it was my favorite tank, The growth was incredible, and funny thing, the 150's produced better growth than the 250. I cried when I took it down and moved in 2007.

No Actintic's on this shot, quite a difference.

I have been using Phoenix 14K for several years now, they start out washing out colors but after several months they mellow a little. It is hard to be inspired by 10K bulbs however they can be supplemented nicely and the growth is a plus.

 

[zaheda]

Check out Kake from Taiwan reef tank using 3x250w 10k SE bulbs with few t5. All I can say is insane colours from that lighting.

 

[nauticac4]

Not SPS anymore but 1 XM10k 250Watt bulb lights the tank. No supplemental lighting at all. Photos are straight out of the camera.