I have recently set up a 40BR reef tank, lit by two 150w HQI Pendants with magnetic HQI ballasts. (Stock Coralife 150w HQI ballasts) The fixtures are Coralife aqualight pros. The reflector does leave something to be desired in terms of spread, but since it is such a small tank, it doesn't seem to be much of a problem. I love the design and look of the fixtures in my living room.
So, it is bulb-buying time. For the past 14 months, I have run 14k phoenix bulbs. (on the 20L these lights used to illuminate) The tank contains a mixed bag, but the focus is on light-loving SPS such as tabling and staghorn acros, and some LPS such as acans, duncans, and euphyllids on the lower levels of the tank, along with a cluster of 5 Tridacnids.
I like the Phoenix bulbs overall, and got good results with them, but would prefer something a little less blue this time around. The Phoenix bulbs seem to cast a bit of a monochromatic wash over my tank that, while not unpleasant, isn't quite what I had hoped for.
Before using the phoenix bulbs in these fixtures I have used Coralife 20k's (too dim, too blue), Coralife 10k's (very bright, but just a wee bit too yellow), and Iwasaki 6500k's (WAY too yellow but holy crap the growth was amazing). I do not have space for actinic supplementation, so whatever bulbs I choose must be able to stand on their own in terms of aesthetics and in terms of the health of my livestock.
After much reading, spending some time playing with Sanjay Joshi's site, looking at pictures, etc, I find myself frustrated at the lack of good data for 150w HQI (DE) bulbs. Judging from pictures I have seen, I really like the look of the Reeflux 10k and 12k lights. This tank uses the 400w version of the Reeflux 12k's, and I absolutely *love* with the cast these bulbs give his tank. They seem to have just the right color of light for me, visually speaking. However, I can't find *any* data on the 150w versions of these bulbs, in terms of PAR, anecdotal coral growth, anything... I am acutely aware that sometimes lamp manufaturers make a phenomenal 400k bulb, and then later make a 150w version in the same color temperature which is terrible. I don't want to make that mistake.
So, somebody please help me. What follows are the choices I have narrowed down to. Feel free to add to my list and make suggestions, post pictures, etc.
- Radium 20k's (Perhaps a bit too blue, but I have never seen one in person. Concerned about low PAR)
- Phoenix 14k's (These are what I am currently using. They are good bulbs, and corals respond well to them, but they look too monochromatically blue for my eye. This is what I will get if I get too frustrated trying to find an alternative)
- Coralife 10k's (I have used these in the past. Very good growth, and very bright, but a tad yellow.)
- Reeflux 12k's (These have the best look too them in photographs. Crisp white, bring out colors. I can't find, however, even a single anecdotal report of how people have fared using these in the 150w version on magnetic HQI ballasts. I also hear bad things about abysmally low PAR in the higher wattage versions, which somewhat concerns me. If I were choosing 400W bulbs, I wouldn't worry too much about PAR, but I am growing light-loving species under 150w bulbs. PAR does matter in this application, since I can't just lower the lights all the way into the water, lol.)
- Reeflux 10k's (It is my understanding that these bulbs are very similar to the 12k's, but a little bit brighter. Some people complain about a pinkish cast to the light, which wouldn't please me. I have heard good things about growth under these bulbs.)
- XM 10k's (Thse get rave reviews on the PAR front, but many people complain of a yellow cast to the light. I would like to hear experiences of results with these bulbs w/o actinic supplementation.)
- Ushio 10k's (I don't know much about these at all)
- Ushio 14k's (Supposedly similar to phoenix 14k's, but a tad brighter and a little less blue. I have no experience with these in person, so I don't know.)
Any help, anecdotal experiences, etc, especially with the reeflux bulbs would be very helpful. Basically I want the best growth I can get out of a crisp white light with just enough blue in it to mask the yellow visually. Suggestions?
So, it is bulb-buying time. For the past 14 months, I have run 14k phoenix bulbs. (on the 20L these lights used to illuminate) The tank contains a mixed bag, but the focus is on light-loving SPS such as tabling and staghorn acros, and some LPS such as acans, duncans, and euphyllids on the lower levels of the tank, along with a cluster of 5 Tridacnids.
I like the Phoenix bulbs overall, and got good results with them, but would prefer something a little less blue this time around. The Phoenix bulbs seem to cast a bit of a monochromatic wash over my tank that, while not unpleasant, isn't quite what I had hoped for.
Before using the phoenix bulbs in these fixtures I have used Coralife 20k's (too dim, too blue), Coralife 10k's (very bright, but just a wee bit too yellow), and Iwasaki 6500k's (WAY too yellow but holy crap the growth was amazing). I do not have space for actinic supplementation, so whatever bulbs I choose must be able to stand on their own in terms of aesthetics and in terms of the health of my livestock.
After much reading, spending some time playing with Sanjay Joshi's site, looking at pictures, etc, I find myself frustrated at the lack of good data for 150w HQI (DE) bulbs. Judging from pictures I have seen, I really like the look of the Reeflux 10k and 12k lights. This tank uses the 400w version of the Reeflux 12k's, and I absolutely *love* with the cast these bulbs give his tank. They seem to have just the right color of light for me, visually speaking. However, I can't find *any* data on the 150w versions of these bulbs, in terms of PAR, anecdotal coral growth, anything... I am acutely aware that sometimes lamp manufaturers make a phenomenal 400k bulb, and then later make a 150w version in the same color temperature which is terrible. I don't want to make that mistake.
So, somebody please help me. What follows are the choices I have narrowed down to. Feel free to add to my list and make suggestions, post pictures, etc.
- Radium 20k's (Perhaps a bit too blue, but I have never seen one in person. Concerned about low PAR)
- Phoenix 14k's (These are what I am currently using. They are good bulbs, and corals respond well to them, but they look too monochromatically blue for my eye. This is what I will get if I get too frustrated trying to find an alternative)
- Coralife 10k's (I have used these in the past. Very good growth, and very bright, but a tad yellow.)
- Reeflux 12k's (These have the best look too them in photographs. Crisp white, bring out colors. I can't find, however, even a single anecdotal report of how people have fared using these in the 150w version on magnetic HQI ballasts. I also hear bad things about abysmally low PAR in the higher wattage versions, which somewhat concerns me. If I were choosing 400W bulbs, I wouldn't worry too much about PAR, but I am growing light-loving species under 150w bulbs. PAR does matter in this application, since I can't just lower the lights all the way into the water, lol.)
- Reeflux 10k's (It is my understanding that these bulbs are very similar to the 12k's, but a little bit brighter. Some people complain about a pinkish cast to the light, which wouldn't please me. I have heard good things about growth under these bulbs.)
- XM 10k's (Thse get rave reviews on the PAR front, but many people complain of a yellow cast to the light. I would like to hear experiences of results with these bulbs w/o actinic supplementation.)
- Ushio 10k's (I don't know much about these at all)
- Ushio 14k's (Supposedly similar to phoenix 14k's, but a tad brighter and a little less blue. I have no experience with these in person, so I don't know.)
Any help, anecdotal experiences, etc, especially with the reeflux bulbs would be very helpful. Basically I want the best growth I can get out of a crisp white light with just enough blue in it to mask the yellow visually. Suggestions?
Last edited:
