bulbs

[emonemo420]

i hate being simple minded but in a nut shell...what is the best bulbs for my power compact (im pretty sure...its a jbj aqualighting system with 4 bulbs) i want good color and good lighting to hopefully in the near future get serious about getting some corals..im sick of getting them and then have them die in 2 weeks...i know these lights arent the best but anything is better then nothing...like 6k 10k blue white 50/50 blah blah blah drives me cross-eyed

 

[kaptken]

which lamps have been burning out that fast , Emo? new ones or used ones?

 

[emonemo420]

non have burnt out but and quote me if im wrong u r supposed to get new bulbs every like 6 months to a year? and idk i was just looking for future reference and maybe to get some better lighting out of my system to help grow corals...id love to get metal halide but it seems to expensive and very complicated

 

[icy1155]

I think he means the corals have been dying that fast. For power compacts I dont think it makes all that much difference between brands... personally I use ones from ebay on our tank. We have 2 different PC fixtures on our 75 gal, each with 4x65W, and I have noticed that the Montipora digitata has been growing nicely (it is in about 4 inches of water). Really I think its more about placement and flow than brand (at least with PC).

FWIW the bulbs I use cost me about $6.50 each after shipping because I get a bunch at a time.

 

[kaptken]

oh,Ok, Im sure if you are using the lamps that came with daves lights, they are due to be replaced, by now. I suppose, ICY, those are the Odysea brand lamps from ebay? they are ok, Ive used them before. or some other brand? I havent check ebay in a while.

I'll PM you some links. are they straight pin bulbs?

 

[icy1155]

Nope... they are sea life bulbs. I know they are an off brand but I like the colors better than the name brands ive seen.

 

[Jocephus]

Two weeks of inferior lighting is not killing any of the corals you have. I woould point to water quality issues. Leathers, mushrooms, zooanthids should all be fine under PC, might not grow as much, but should survive.

 

[emonemo420]

mushrooms live, zooanthids got taken over by hair algea but they werent all that great idk... im working on my tank and i plan on making water quality top priority

 

[emonemo420]

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3733+13822+12772&pcatid=12772

is this better then what i have??

http://www.jbjlighting.com/sys_formosa_dx.html (i have the 48 inch idk if its the 55w or 65w)

enough to warrant me to spend that kinda money??

 

[icy1155]

I wouldnt buy it personally... individual reflectors are really what sets t5 apart. Im guessing you mean the 4 bulb fixture in that link. If you want t5s go with something like this...

http://www.hellolights.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1369

... if you got 2 of them and then some bulbs for about the same price as that fixture you could get a set up with individual reflectors which is supposed to increase the amount of light from each bulb by like 46% or something crazy like that.