halide bulbs

[DMBillies]

I have 2 coralife 150 W HQI pendants over my upstairs tank. For whatever reason they came with 10,000K bulbs, which are just too yellow without supplementing. Since I'm using pendants and want to keep the top open (trying to dissipate as much heat as possible) I can't easily supplement. I'd like to go with a higher K bulb with no supplementation. How high should I go? It seems like the options are mostly for around 14-15K and then 20K (unless I'm missing something). Would it be best to go all the way to 20K? I'm worried that 14K is going to still be too yellow, while 20K is going to be more blue than I'd like. Maybe I'm wrong...

Since I've never bought halide bulbs before I was hoping to get a run down of the different brands (how well their kelvin ratings compare to what they actually look like -I've heard some bulbs tend to run a little more toward yellow compared to others with the same K, any problems you've experienced with particular brands, value/price, etc.).

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[KAiNE]

14K Phoenix are the best DE bulbs.... or so I've heard.
I use SE's.

On SE's I used XM 10K's at first and had one that was very yellow. I recently changed to ReefLux 10K's and they are much whiter/bluer.

 

[greystreet41]

yea, it's just a personal preference...supposedly you get better growth from 10k, but better coloration from 20k. Thus, I'd go in the middle. 10ks without blue supplement would definitely drive me crazy. 20ks are just too blue from what I've seen IMO....good luck

 

[danieljames]

i run 150 de pendants as well brian. I started with the ushio 20k's. Nice color, but the water column was a definate blue. I switched over to the phoenix, and the coloration was almost exactly the same on my coral as with the ushio, but the water column was not nearly as blue. The phoenix has much better par than the 20's. i just got an iwasaki 65k yesterday. If you want, your more than welcome to check out the phoenix and ushio bulbs i have over your display. I think the ushio's color shifted a bit though (it's older than the phoenix). I'll be in downtown nashville around 3'ish, and then in green hills this evening. I see your in ashland city...i'm out here as well. We could meet up out here if it's easier and you wanted to see both lamps color yourself.

 

[gflat65]

I third the Phoenix 14K. I ran one in my 250W and it was nice. My tort pulsed blue. I was running VHO's, though, and that was too much blue. I may end up back on the Phoenix's or the Ushio 14K (if they even make a DE for that-gotta check, just heard about them in the SPS forum a few days ago). If so, the VHO's will only run for a little time each day for my viewing pleasure.

 

[fishdoc11]

Without supplimentation I would vote for 20K bulbs(made by a reputable manufacturer) on HQI ballasts. That should burn them a little "whiter".
Chris

 

[ndfootball5489]

I really like the look of 20,000k bulbs personally. that is what i have over my tank. A 20,000k 175 SE bulb and i love it

 

[danieljames]

pm'ed brian. My iwasaki arrived broken. The Helios 20k's apparently have more par than the radium 20k's (per sanjay's tests) that i mentioned in the pm.