for "POP" actinics or higher K rating?

[Edward Smith]

Let's start off with this: I like blue water. I have Reeflux 12K's over my display and love it.

I'm working on a nano and want the corals to "POP." I'd rather go with just a one 70 watt 12 or 20K bulb (heating issues) than a lower Kelvin and suppliment with actinics. Does the higer kelvins just make the water blue-er or do they also make the colors on the corals pop like actinics?


Thanks

 

[Rhodesholar]

The higher Ks are supposed to help color or the "Pop Factor". 14k seems to be a popular temp bulb these days for just that reason.

I've never run them or seen them personally, so I can't comment from personal experience or a degree of accuracy myself.

 

[Edward Smith]

^

 

[The0wn4g3]

The actinics cause the colors to fluoresce more than the higher kelvin bulbs. 20k's have a decent "pop factor" from what I've seen, with 14k's leading bluer water but not a lot of coral fluorescing.
For "pop" I'd try actinic VHO's PC's or T5's.

 

[Blazer88]

I agree that actinics add more pop than the bulbs. My tank looks ok with just my 14K Hamilton but the VHO actinics really make the corals pop.

 

[smcnally]

IMO, you're better off adding Actinics. Swapping your bulbs for higher K bulbs will kill your PAR.

 

[Rhodesholar]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9674618#post9674618 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by smcnally
IMO, you're better off adding Actinics. Swapping your bulbs for higher K bulbs will kill your PAR.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[Edward Smith]

Thanks for all the great input. I'm leaning toward using the actinics because the pop is very important but I was hoping to avoid more heat in the canopy. Then again, 18w T5's can't produce that much heat? Although, par being important, I wasn't really to worried about it cosidering its a 70w MH DE HQI bulb over a 10g.

 

[Ti]

actinics would do more

 

[msn711]

I vote for actinics. I run 14k Phoenix bulbs and while I love the color, there's no "pop" that I can see.

 

[The0wn4g3]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9674618#post9674618 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by smcnally
IMO, you're better off adding Actinics. Swapping your bulbs for higher K bulbs will kill your PAR.

This isn't always true.
The 175W XM 20,000k bulbs actually have a higher PPFD than the XM 14,000k bulbs when run on a magnetic ballast.

Check out Sanjay's reef lighting webpage http://www.reeflightinginfo.arvixe.com/index.htm

So that leads to the question, what type of ballast do you have?

 

[dannieboiz]

If you want the "POP" where the neon would glow, your best bet is VHO, Super Actinic.

If you like the "blue water" effect, T5 460nm will give you that.

Just completed my tank, took this last night. That's 1 URI Super Actinic

The tank is 48x24x24 bulb mounted 3/4 of the way in the back.

I will have a 460nm T5ho mounted 3/4 of the way towards the front when I find some time to mount it.

Here's the VHO with 2x SE Ushio 10k, just 1 VHO is keeping up with both 250w mh w/o a problem

 

[Edward Smith]

I'm using a magnetic HQI ballast. Thanks for all the suggestions.