400w over 250w MH's - What are the advantages?

[frank88]

For one, people generally prefer tank look in higher Kalvin, guess this is out of the impression of blue ocean.

For two, people generally prefer the coloration coral developed under higher kalvin. Which I question now if it is directly related to the color temp of the light, or this is because most tanks are not able to handle that much PAR.

the 14,000 in Italy are seen as too much blue ...
and almost all have max max 12,000 Kalvin ..
with wich K° or PAR
you think you have better growth and better color?
here all say without doubt ..XM /400 10000 for growth

 

[frank88]

...

 

[frank88]

This are lighting with 6 giesemann 400 14.500

This are lighting with 4 Aquamedic 400 13.000

if they were illuminated from 20,000 Kalvin colors seem all equal or not?

 

[t4zalews]

I had more intense colors under 400w. I switched from 1x400w to 2x250w...I think I'll be changing back to 1x400w very soon. fwiw..my clams and corals still do just fine under the 2x250w, but the 400w provided better colors

 

[frank88]

I had more intense colors under 400w. I switched from 1x400w to 2x250w...I think I'll be changing back to 1x400w very soon. fwiw..my clams and corals still do just fine under the 2x250w, but the 400w provided better colors

What differences have you noticed exactly?
only difference in colors?


you have the xm 250 watt 20,000 K. .. few PAR!

 

[chefzif]

Very good perspectives on 400w lighting! I have set up Luminarc Elites 400w with LED supplimentation! on my 30" deep 150!

 

[Alex T.]

Ryan, no offense taken at all. That's why I said it was only my opinion based on observations in my own tank. I love the look of the Galaxy ballast running Radiums. It's almost white light with blue tint...hardly a true 20k look.

As for feeding, I've totally stopped feeding my SPS directly. Oyster Feast was rocket fuel for a hair algae outbreak and SPS started to turn brown. When I got it all back in check, I found that giving SPS corals a healthy dose of clean and pristine water followed by whatever they could muster from fish poop I left it at that. I know there are many out there that promote feeding their SPS directly. I, for one subscribe to the school of clean water, stable parameters and bright light. It seems to be what's worked for me, and requires less maintenance, time and money in feeding the corals too.

 

[J.P.Silva]

the number of people who like sps and upgrade from 250 up to 400 far exceed those who go down from 400 250

Hi Dave
What are you running in your new tank?

 

[frank88]

Look PPDF values (par) of these MH lighted with icecap elettronic:

XM 400 WATT 10.000 K° 194
EVC 400 WATT 10.000 K° 172
GIESEMANN CORAL 400 WATT 11.350 157
BLV NEPTURION 400 WATT 14.000 K° 152
AQUACONNECT 400 WATT 14.000 K° 143
HAMILTON 400 WATT 10.000 K° 143
USHIO 400 WATT 10.000 K° 138
GIESEMANN MARINE 400 WATT 12.500 K° 132
CORALVUE REEF LUX 400 WATT 10.000 K° 129
RADIUM 400 WATT 20.000 K° 123
CORALVUE REEF LUX 400 WATT 12.000 K° 120
XM 250 WATT 10.000 K° 115
CORALVUE 400 WATT 20.000 K° 112
EVC 400 WATT 14.000 K° 111
IWASAKI 250 WATT 6.500 K° 110
SUN AQUATICS 250 WATT 10.000 K° 104
EVC 250 WATT 10.000 K° 103
XM 400 WATT 20.000 K° 99
EVC 400 WATT 20.000 K° 95
PHOENIX 250 WATT 10.000 K° 94
CORALVUE REEF LUX 250 WATT 10.000 K° 86
USHIO 250 WATT 10.000 K° 85
AQUACONNECT 250 WATT 14.000 K° 83
XM 400 WATT 15.000 K° 82
HAMILTON 400 WATT 14.000 K° 80
CORALVUE 400 WATT 14.000 K° 79
CORALVUE 400 WATT 10.000 K° 76
HAMILTON 250 WATT 14.000 K° 69
CORALVUE 250 WATT 10.000 K° 66
EVC 250 WATT 14.000 K° 66
RADIUM 250 WATT 20.000 K° 66
SUNBURST 250 WATT 12.000 K° 65
CORALVUE 250 WATT 20.000 K° 60
CORALVUE 250 WATT 12.000 K° 56
XM 250 WATT 20.000 K° 53
CORALVUE REEF LUX 250 WATT 12.000 K° 51
EVC 250 WATT 20.000 K° 50
CORALVUE 250 WATT 15.000 K° 47
XM 250 WATT 15.000 K° 47

 

[250G]

When the time comes, 400W radiums.

Hi Dave
What are you running in your new tank?

I would strongly recommend you take a look at a few different tanks and see what you like the look of. I ran 400W 10K bulbs for many years until I visitied a tank with 400W 20K bulbs...I never used 10K again. PAR may be of interest to some when they are just starting out. PAR levels will not limit the success of your reef. My tank's health was not impacted going from 10K to 20K.

Look PPDF values (par) of these MH lighted with icecap elettronic:

XM 400 WATT 10.000 K° 194
EVC 400 WATT 10.000 K° 172
GIESEMANN CORAL 400 WATT 11.350 157
BLV NEPTURION 400 WATT 14.000 K° 152
AQUACONNECT 400 WATT 14.000 K° 143
HAMILTON 400 WATT 10.000 K° 143
USHIO 400 WATT 10.000 K° 138
GIESEMANN MARINE 400 WATT 12.500 K° 132
CORALVUE REEF LUX 400 WATT 10.000 K° 129
RADIUM 400 WATT 20.000 K° 123
CORALVUE REEF LUX 400 WATT 12.000 K° 120
XM 250 WATT 10.000 K° 115
CORALVUE 400 WATT 20.000 K° 112
EVC 400 WATT 14.000 K° 111
IWASAKI 250 WATT 6.500 K° 110
SUN AQUATICS 250 WATT 10.000 K° 104
EVC 250 WATT 10.000 K° 103
XM 400 WATT 20.000 K° 99
EVC 400 WATT 20.000 K° 95
PHOENIX 250 WATT 10.000 K° 94
CORALVUE REEF LUX 250 WATT 10.000 K° 86
USHIO 250 WATT 10.000 K° 85
AQUACONNECT 250 WATT 14.000 K° 83
XM 400 WATT 15.000 K° 82
HAMILTON 400 WATT 14.000 K° 80
CORALVUE 400 WATT 14.000 K° 79
CORALVUE 400 WATT 10.000 K° 76
HAMILTON 250 WATT 14.000 K° 69
CORALVUE 250 WATT 10.000 K° 66
EVC 250 WATT 14.000 K° 66
RADIUM 250 WATT 20.000 K° 66
SUNBURST 250 WATT 12.000 K° 65
CORALVUE 250 WATT 20.000 K° 60
CORALVUE 250 WATT 12.000 K° 56
XM 250 WATT 20.000 K° 53
CORALVUE REEF LUX 250 WATT 12.000 K° 51
EVC 250 WATT 20.000 K° 50
CORALVUE 250 WATT 15.000 K° 47
XM 250 WATT 15.000 K° 47

 

[frank88]

When the time comes, 400W radiums.



I would strongly recommend you take a look at a few different tanks and see what you like the look of. I ran 400W 10K bulbs for many years until I visitied a tank with 400W 20K bulbs...I never used 10K again. PAR may be of interest to some when they are just starting out. PAR levels will not limit the success of your reef. My tank's health was not impacted going from 10K to 20K.

1) but with the 20,000 is all blue, the colors almost not be classified in ... or am I wrong?

2) many measure PAR .. why?

 

[ryanjiang]

Ryan, no offense taken at all. That's why I said it was only my opinion based on observations in my own tank. I love the look of the Galaxy ballast running Radiums. It's almost white light with blue tint...hardly a true 20k look.

As for feeding, I've totally stopped feeding my SPS directly. Oyster Feast was rocket fuel for a hair algae outbreak and SPS started to turn brown. When I got it all back in check, I found that giving SPS corals a healthy dose of clean and pristine water followed by whatever they could muster from fish poop I left it at that. I know there are many out there that promote feeding their SPS directly. I, for one subscribe to the school of clean water, stable parameters and bright light. It seems to be what's worked for me, and requires less maintenance, time and money in feeding the corals too.

One might achieve good result without directly feeding of 'coral food', chances are the tank itself provide enough food source for corals. Also there is a fine line for example coral feed on phosphate, but if the concentration is high it cause unhealthy coral and forbid them from feeding.

IMO a nice-looking tank of corals always indicate that corals are getting good nutrient (feed well) and enough light, the nutrient factor is in fact the test for husbandry skill and far more complicated than spending more money and blasting corals with stronger light. I also believe lighting is barely a limitation and people simply paying too much attention on lighting, when I see a reefer had a failure and complain about a specific light combo, I said in silent before complaining you should go and see if you can find a successful tank with the same light combo (in 99% case, there is) and ask yourself why other can achieve good result.

IMHO, people should start with 250W (or T5) and higher k because that is easier to manage and relatively easier to achieve good result. As one's husbandry skill improve, try next level of light intensity, that can be higher wattage or lower K in same wattage.

 

[ryanjiang]

1) but with the 20,000 is all blue, the colors almost not be classified in ... or am I wrong?

2) many measure PAR .. why?

1) 20K lamp has major output in blue segment, but it does not mean it has no output in other color segments, just less output. This also depends from a lamp to another.

2) That is bang out of buck, one can argue about which color temp look better, but that is more personal taste. No one can argue with hard number for PAR though.

P.S no offending but I think at this stage you should find good source and read more expert articles to ramp up knowledge, instead of too many discuss in forum. Simply because many many answers/suggestion form forum are wrong (may including mine), before you establish correct concept you might not even tell which answer/suggestion make sense and worth a try.

 

[frank88]

1) 20K lamp has major output in blue segment, but it does not mean it has no output in other color segments, just less output. This also depends from a lamp to another.

2) That is bang out of buck, one can argue about which color temp look better, but that is more personal taste. No one can argue with hard number for PAR though.

P.S no offending but I think at this stage you should find good source and read more expert articles to ramp up knowledge, instead of too many discuss in forum. Simply because many many answers/suggestion form forum are wrong (may including mine), before you establish correct concept you might not even tell which answer/suggestion make sense and worth a try.

I read a lot of sanjay joshi and advanceaquarist but you can not understand what is the best Kalvin, the best bulb ecc
many say:
low kalvin = more growth
many use the radium and say the same...
ever more confused :sad2:

 

[KIDULT]

hello, i have 63" x 32" x 24" tall tank and lighting 2x400W BLV 14000K (6 hours) + 6xT5 80W KZ blue (15 hours with dimming).
the sps corals growing the best 4" from down. The higher corals stand, the slower is growth. I suppose that i have too much PAR. is it possible?

Should i change from 14000K to 20000K or from 400W ->250W with the same light temperature?

 

[ryanjiang]

My understanding is stronger light may not produce best coloration if corals can not acquire enough nutrient to balance, never thought stronger light is the direct reason for slow growth. 400W 14K are pretty strong light maybe those corals placed on top had light shock hence it take longer for them to acclimate in your tank and regain the growth? Just my guess.

 

[Amphiprion]

I think people need to be more specific with terminology when discussing this topic. I grow sps perfectly fine on the bottom of my 30" tall tank with 250W... on electronic ballasts, no less. Can I grow yellow finger porites? Nope... but montis do just fine.

Should still be enough for at least some Porites. "Back in the day," I grew bright yellow Porites just fine, even under VHO. Downright forceful water movement seemed to be more key for these corals, IME.

 

[ryanjiang]

I heard GARF grow their original BONSAI under VHOs.