are actinic bulbs really needed ?

[spence15610]

I am retrofiting a canopy from vho to 2- 250 watt metal halide, but don't want to put in actinics if they are not needed, I know alot of people like to run them with 10,000 k to get the blue color, but couldn't I just run a bulb that puts out more blue such as the XM 15,000 k or 20,000 k to get the same effect

Thanks
Chris

 

[Bebo77]

pheonix 20K great blue color but corals grow slower the higher the K..

 

[spence15610]

I don't want to much blue, the 20,000 k might be over kill after thinking about it, I was told at the LFS that the XM 15,000 k were less blue but still enough to get a nice color,but I haven't seen them on a tank, If anyone could suggest any other bulbs that would be great

 

[Bebo77]

DE or SE?

 

[hahnmeister]

If you dont want to use actinics, but dont want very blue bulbs like the pheonix (which is really a 14,000K with just alot of blue...but not a 20,000K because it doesnt have much actinic)...

Geisemann 14,500K 13,000K Hamilton 14,000K

I would avoid the XM 15,000K due to its crappy intensity.

 

[spence15610]

SE

 

[spence15610]

The XM bulbs are the only ones I have looked at (there the only kind my LFS carries) But I guess I should look further, I have never used MH before so it is all new to me

 

[Bebo77]

i had XM didnt light with my icecap ballasts... sucks... pheonix 14 is your best bet.

marinedepot
reefgeek

there are a lot of online places that sell dry goods a lot cheaper than a LFS

 

[Freed]

With summer coming up and the fact I have 10,000k XMs over my tank do I really need to use my 160 watt VHO actinics or will the XMs suppliment all the blue I need for the corals? I'm thinking of the heat issues that I have had in the house with all my bulbs running in the summer.

 

[spence15610]

Thanks for the info, I looked online and found alot better choice of lamps and a lot better price than the LFS, I noticed there are alot of no name brands for sell cheap on ebay. Are any of those any good or should I stay away from ebay lamps and stick with name brands ?

 

[Sea Ninja]

Look into the Megachromes also. 14000k is ideal both both color and growth.

 

[ROB2005]

arent XM bulbs probe start or are they multifunction?

 

[BreadmanMike]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7449226#post7449226 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ROB2005
arent XM bulbs probe start or are they multifunction?

Probe

 

[Yam]

Actinics are not needed.

 

[Whaledriver]

http://www.ushio.com/Files/Aqualite.pdf

Go to this link and read about the best way to compare lights and how they compare to real sunlight. Page 4 is a great graph to see how some bulbs are waaaay blue.

I talked to the guy who wtote the flyer and he was surprised at how off some bulbs from the listing they are sold at.

The thing to remember is that blue looks cool but its not a part of the spectrum that help photosynthisis much

 

[TimFountain]

Not really needed if MH's are >=14K.