250w DE bulb ideas.....HELP, haha

[James77]

It is so much easier for me to stick with my current 250 DE fixtures with Lumatek switchable ballasts. I *may* be switching back to a Blue Wave 7 ballast though.

I currently am using Phoenix bulbs. They are nice, but too "stale" or monochromatic....I cannot put my finger on what it is but it is lacking. I really liked radiums on the BW7 ballast, and am looking for similar.

I need it bright white, with a strong actinic blue to it. I have reefbrite blue strip, so the 450 nm area is covered fine. Iwasaki 15ks were very bright, but too white. Looking for ideas since I am going nuts searching around. This will be an SPS tank, I want the best real color and good growth.

 

[sirreal63]

How long has it been since you did a 10k? The ReefBrites may not be enough to overcome it though. Never mind, the Iwasaki's were too white, you would not like the 10k's other than for the growth.

 

[James77]

Last 10k was a Reeflux 10k.....I had re-tried it a year ago and it seemed borderline yellow.....

Im even toying with going back to VHO actinics.

 

[James77]

Im thinking of EVC 14k or Ushio 14k.......

 

[sirreal63]

You may have to try a few. If I could have fit VHO's in I would be running them. The EcoXotics have done ok with the Ushio 10k's. It has grown on me and I am happy with it. One more Panorama Pro in 445nm would be just about perfect on my tank.

 

[allsps40]

Believe it or not I have been running Oddysea 250w 20K bulbs off Icecap ballasts for the last 2 year and they have really surprised me. Sps have good color and grow very well and the bulbs are stupid cheap on Ebay. They have a nice bight blue color but not overly blue. I have used Coralife bulbs 14K and 20K and Phoenix 14K bulbs and the Oddysea bulbs work just as well and put out the same PAR.

 

[dzhuo]

Have you consider the 250w Giesemann Megachrome 13K?

In comparison with the Phoenix: