Anyone running XM 250w SE 10K on Icecap 250w E?

[P.Kelly]

I'm looking at this combination, and based upon Sanjay's data, it looks like this combination is a high performer (PPFD) and the color temperature (CCT) is around 11/12K, which is much blue'r that most 10K bulbs. Anyone else running this combination care to comment? I'll also be running T5s that I can use to supplement the blue spectrum if need be.

 

[tfp]

i ran that bulb/ballast combo many years ago and it was a very crisp bright white.

 

[P.Kelly]

Tim, I see you are running Reeflux 12ks now. I have the same on another tank with PFO HQI ballasts. I'd describe them as a very crisp white with just a hint of blue. They almost wash out the colors on my tank. What is your take on the comparison?

 

[tfp]

have you tried the reeflux12k's on that icecap e-ballast? give it a shot and let me know what you think. to me, it puts out a very pleasing color to the eye and has some blue to it. i've never tried the pfo hqi's, so i couldn't compare.

 

[P.Kelly]

No, but I'll let you know.

 

[muttley101]

I'm was running the reeflux 10k's se on the ice cap 250e ballasts and found that the colors were a little more blue than the reeflux 10k's on my brothers reeflux 250e ballasts....

It seems in my experience that the ice caps ballasts seem more blue but at the end of the 10k bulbs life it still got a little pink...

I don't think the xm10k's will do that though....

I am running the xm20k's on the ice caps now... I may drop to the 15k's next or try the reeflux 12k's next. I am supplementing with vho uri super R's and the 20k's can be a little too blue at times...

hope this helps you...

Good luck if you go with the xm10k's or reeflux 12k's as I hear they produce good growth...

-Mutt

 

[P.Kelly]

Based upon the numbers on Sanjay's website there is a reason they produce good growth:

All number are on an Icecap 250e

XM 10K - PPFD 115 - CCT 11543
XM 15K - PPFD 47 - CCT not recorded
XM 20K - PPFD 53 - CCT not recorded

It's too bad he didn't get the color temperature of the 15 and 20K bulbs for comparison, but 11500 is closer to true 12K than 10K and the PPFD is more than twice as high on the 10K than the 15 or 20K, so the usable radiation for the corals is phenominally better. Even if you factor in a high statistical margin of error, if you can live with the color, it appears that the XM 10Ks are a great growth bulb.

 

[Sparkss]

they are great growth bulbs, and actually will color up your corals nicely, at least that was our experience. We used to run those over our prop tank and over our new tank in the beginning (XM 10K SE on IC E-ballasts). But we eventually switched to a bluer bulb.

 

[RasBobre]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11895931#post11895931 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tfp
i ran that bulb/ballast combo many years ago and it was a very crisp bright white.

I run the same combo on a 180 with no supplementation. It is just a shop tank that I use for growing out SPS corals and not viewed by many. If you are looking for growth, I have been very happy with the combination. If for aesthetics, I think you will need to add actinics.