fishnugget
Active member
Can anyone tell my the best 400 Watt MH bulbs to use for SPS, Acros, LPS? I want the most vivid coloration. I am currently using Hamilton 10K. Things are a bit yellowish. I also have 2 URI super actinic.
Best Bulb for Acro, LPS, Sps coloration
- Thread starter fishnugget
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gflat65
New member
Mixing differnet types of corals makes it tough. I run 3 250W DE AB 10K's with VHO's. The actual coloration (not the fluorescence under actinic) of the sps is popping. True color is the same under lights or under no light at all. Some of my LPS are not as happy under the mostrous lighting. Most of my softies do well, though. My zoas tend to like MH lighting and color up nicely over time. However, when it comes to softies, etc., the color seems to be largely fluorescence instead of actual color.
I ran 14K DE's and everything else popped, but my sps started to loose color (once agin, not talking fluorescence, here). Don't know if that helps or not, but hopefully, you'll be able to pull something from it.
I ran 14K DE's and everything else popped, but my sps started to loose color (once agin, not talking fluorescence, here). Don't know if that helps or not, but hopefully, you'll be able to pull something from it.
Like previous post, unfortunately there is no perfect bulb for all or else we would all be using the same one.
When mixing LPS with Acropora, I have found that 400W 20K Radium on a HQI ballast or 20K XM on HQI or standard ballasts seems to be the most friendly with both LPS and Acropora yet still get some good colors your acropora. However, there is some give and take as many yellows such as yellow turbinaria or yellow porites and some pinks,reds,orange MAY do better under the 10Ks depending on the type and/or morph of the coral.
Going with either one of the bulbs you could easily ditch the Actinics if you wanted or keep them for dawn/dusk only.
When mixing LPS with Acropora, I have found that 400W 20K Radium on a HQI ballast or 20K XM on HQI or standard ballasts seems to be the most friendly with both LPS and Acropora yet still get some good colors your acropora. However, there is some give and take as many yellows such as yellow turbinaria or yellow porites and some pinks,reds,orange MAY do better under the 10Ks depending on the type and/or morph of the coral.
Going with either one of the bulbs you could easily ditch the Actinics if you wanted or keep them for dawn/dusk only.
I had the same experience as gflat65. I ran AB 10K's when I first got my MH's and the SPS had more coloration. I wen to the Phoenix 14K's and actually lost some of the coloration on some of the SPS. Some of the other corals like zoas and ricordea looked better under that lighting, but a good intense 10K brings out the best colors in SPS IMO. I'm trying the Reeflux 10K now in hopes it's a little less yellow the AB 10K.
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