Any reviews on XM 10k's

[jawwad19]

Hey guys,
Ive been on the SPS forum for days just reading every since I made the plunge to an all out SPS system. Here is my tanks' profile at the moment:

90g AGA RR
20g Sump
10g Refugium
Deltec APF600
Tunze 6060
SEIO1500
180lbs of live rock
4.5" DSB
ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate: 0ppm
PH: 8.3
2 250 watt EVC 10k on EVC electronic ballast.
2 110 watt URI Super Actinic on ARO Ballast

My Metal Halide bulbs are over a year old now and I need to replace them. I have read good and bad things about the reeflux and the same for XM (less for XM actually). I just saw the reeflux at a friend's (10k on Icecaps) house and it looked very pinkish.
I am trying to get deep colors on my SPS. Any suggestions on which bulb would be my best choice?

 

[jjackson]

The XM 10k is a great bulb I ran them over my 180 for about 9 months.... I switched to 14k though....

XM 10k are great though.

 

[theatrus]

XM10ks have a nice crisp white color, but holy crap they put out a lot of light. 2x 250W was way too much for my tank, so I moved to Hamilton 14ks.

 

[Yinger]

here's my tank on 250w 10k XMs. I also use 2x110 VHO actinics for supplementation

 

[carman9941]

yinger GREAT lookng tank

 

[Rays]

250w 10k XMs. I also use 2x110 VHO actinics for supplementation

Same here, great effect.

 

[jawwad19]

Yinger, those bulbs look really nice. Guess Ill go with those.

 

[REEF-DADDY]

Great bulbs super powerful. A little yellow for me but thats a taste issue. Acclimate your corals carefully if you choose these bulbs, I've burnt more than one colony with the intensity of these bulbs.

 

[jawwad19]

What would be the best way to acclimate? Raising my hood might cause a problem. What about running it for a short period of time in the beginning?

 

[REEF-DADDY]

A good thread:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=119061

 

[Wiskey]

I also use these bulbs and LOVE them.

Here is a pic of my 125 using only XM10K NO supps, just the 10k's

Whiskey

 

[Wiskey]

Oh, BTW, it's a cheap camera without any settings, that color really is the color.

Whiskey

 

[ATP]

REEF-DADDY Great bulbs super powerful. A little yellow for me but that's a taste issue. Acclimate your corals carefully if you choose these bulbs, I've burnt more than one colony with the intensity of these bulbs.

Agreed, be careful acclimating your corals. I am using Icecap Eballasts, they are crisp white. However, it may just my "old" eyes

jawwad19 What would be the best way to acclimate? Raising my hood might cause a problem. What about running it for a short period of time in the beginning?

I shorten my time. Add an hour per day until I am back to my set duration. Also, after I clean the glass shield, or add new carbon, I cut the time back a few hours. If the corals are not attached, e.g. frags, I start them at the bottom for 5-7 days then move them up, watching their reaction to the light. Sometimes, I add eggrate with window screening. HTH

 

[jawwad19]

Reef Daddy: Thanks for the link!

Well so far I havent heard anything bad about these bulbs, so what the hell, Ill just get them. Thanks!

 

[Gools]

I have them on, but have 20k xm's to so the blend. When come time to change them out. I plan on going back to the ushios, the XM's are a little to yellow for my liking, but they do through some massive intensity