250W DE Bulb recommendations

[cham]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14143002#post14143002 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mike de Leon
I had the same two bulb set up from aquamedic. The reflector sucks. It leaves a lot of shadow and the light distribution is very poor. Sold it and switched to 400 watters.

Meh, I already ordered it. For $400 delivered to my door it's pretty hard to go wrong. I can resell it for that if i don't like it.

I have the three bulb HQI from aqua medic now. Light spread is fine and I don't use the center bulb often. I just don't like that I have to stick with 20k range bulbs since I like a nice blue in my tank.

Now I can play arond with 10k's because I can throw some ATI blue+ T5's in there and get all the blue I want.

 

[macreefster]

looks like i'll try either the ushio 20k or the gman 14.5k for a bright white with a tint of blue. a LPS had the ushio 20k and 14k in adjacent tanks and the 20k looks good even with the actinics off. the 10k definately needed the actinics on for my liking.

anyone use the iwasaki 14K? i heard they had a crisp white light to them. i have an open top, rimless tank, so i'd prefer not to use actinics in order to keep the top of the tank as open as possible......but using some of the 10k bulbs with actinic supplementations sounds enticing. i just might have to build a canopy over my tank afterall!

thanks for all the input. if only lowes carried all these bulbs with a display of them in use.

 

[skyfireblaze]

I use the Iwasaki 14K and really, really like it. I had the Phoenix, but personally prefer the Iwasaki. Here's a link to some more threads on the Iwasaki and how it compares to the Phoenix and Giesemann bulbs

Click Here

FYI, I use two blue+ T5 bulbs to get a bit more blue in the spectrum and for dusk/dawn effect.

 

[macreefster]

thanks so much skyfireblaze.....just what i needed!

 

[Peter Eichler]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14144494#post14144494 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by macreefster
looks like i'll try either the ushio 20k or the gman 14.5k for a bright white with a tint of blue. a LPS had the ushio 20k and 14k in adjacent tanks and the 20k looks good even with the actinics off. the 10k definately needed the actinics on for my liking.

anyone use the iwasaki 14K? i heard they had a crisp white light to them. i have an open top, rimless tank, so i'd prefer not to use actinics in order to keep the top of the tank as open as possible......but using some of the 10k bulbs with actinic supplementations sounds enticing. i just might have to build a canopy over my tank afterall!

thanks for all the input. if only lowes carried all these bulbs with a display of them in use.

Keep in mind that the Ushio 14k and the G-man 14.5k are believed the be the same bulb.

 

[macreefster]

just ordered the iwasaki 14k and ushio 20k to compare. i realize they will most likely be very differant in color, but whatever one i don't use for the main tank i'll use for a frag tank i want to add down the road. i'll take comparison pics after ive let them both burn in for a while.

 

[cham]

So if the Iwasaki 14k has very similar par values and very similar spectrual charts (from what I read) then its really a matter of pleasing the reefers eye, not what the corals will respond better to?

I'm more interested in what makes my corals happy. Better growth & coloration > my personal preference any day.

 

[macreefster]

from what i can tell, the iwasaki is similar to the phoenix in spectral qualities, but has a much lower spike in the ~ 420nm wave length giving it a more crisp white look. i think the par values are pretty much the same and i would think coral growth would be the same. i'll find out if what differance it makes with coral coloration. maybe i'll end up with the phoenix 14k again, but i just want to hopefully find something simular, but with a bit more punch, brightness and a crisper white. i guess i want both.....a pleasing look to my eye and whats best for the corals, is that asking too much?...lol. i dont really care so much about coral growth, but better coloration will be very pleasing to my eye. i am just trying to experiment as to what bulb will give me what i want....and the input here is helpful.

 

[cham]

I know it.

Bulb Kelvin is the ultimate reef debate. Even bigger than "what salt to use" issue.

One guy loves a 20k blue bulb to the next that swears by 14k to the next that is a die hard 10k.

That's without touching the T5 vs MH debate or T5 vs VHO supplimentation on top of MH debate.

Everyone needs to decide for themselves, and the more I've seen about SPS the more I'm learning that lighting and kelvin are one of the lower items on the list when it comes to coral coloration.

 

[Rouselb]

There a a few used bulbs here on RC, Gman 14k and XMs. You might grab a few and do your own testing. I can rate the 3 i have used in order of yellow to Blue:
1. Aqualine 10k (great par, 100+, slight yellow tint)
2. Gman coral 14.5 (great par, 100+, slight yellow tint, but more blue then the aqualine)
3. phoenix 14k (mid 80 par, defined blue)

If you want high coral growth, i would recommend the gman or aqualine (they are almost identical in the plots), if you can sacrifice some potential growth and want something more pleasing to the eyes, go with the phoenix. All of these bulbs are great, and there are several RC members that have great tanks using any of them. Just try one, and you can always switch in 6-12 months.