Help me pick new Halides

®eefer

®eefer

New member
My two single ended 175w halides over my 60gal are overdue for replacement.
I currently have 12k bulbs and I used to have actinic flouresent supplements but the ballasts went out and I'm not into replacing them.

I'm thinking about going with the iwasaki Aqua2 14k bulbs mainly because of all the hype and Sanjay's report. On the other hand I'm torn by a visit to Gcarrols house. His 20k's seems to be showing some of the best color I've seen, with monster sized sps colonies, growth didnt seem to be an issue at all.

The real deal is that I'm not overly concerned about tons of growth, I dont sell coral, I look at it. Are 20k bulbs the absolute best color?

Here are the bulbs I'm looking at:

14000k Iwasaki $75.95
20000K XM $59.00
15000K XM $59.00

Will I be more satisfied with the cheaper 20k XM as far as looks go? Is there a better 20k bulb for the buck?
 
Just so you know, I am back running the 14K phoenix. Thanks for the compliment though. Also, there is a guy selling a brand new iwasaki 14K in this forum. I have also heard good reviews on this bulb.
 
Yeah I think he sold it...
So how do you like the look of 14k vs. the 20k? Are your corals as bright? Did you go back just because of growth?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7637645#post7637645 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cooltank
Yeah I think he sold it...
So how do you like the look of 14k vs. the 20k? Are your corals as bright? Did you go back just because of growth?
Click to expand...
I have better true color with the 14K, better perceived color with the 20K. Also since I cut back on lighting during the summer, I needed the extra PAR.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7640199#post7640199 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DANNY G2004
I secound Jen ...Helios 20K you will love the color and the growth
Click to expand...

Where is the best place to buy them? I'm googling with limited results.
 
helios 20K here too i run the 250W 20k DE's and they are very bright and a great color!

i get them out here by my house a LFS has them in stock
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7640731#post7640731 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by murphreef
helios 20K here too i run the 250W 20k DE's and they are very bright and a great color!

i get them out here by my house a LFS has them in stock
Click to expand...

All of the LFS's I know of in south OC dont carry halides...it's sucks
 
I'm the guy who bought the Iwasaki 175 from orlenz.

Its actually a 15k Aqua2, not the 14k tested/reviewed by Sanjay.

It now sits next to a new 15k 250 XM and just blows it away. That's right. The 175w Iwasaki is significantly brighter than the 250w XM in supposedly the same color rating. The color of the corals are more vibrant from the Iwasaki - maybe simply because its brighter, or perhaps has a wider spectrum. I'd describe the output like a bright blue compared to duller blue from the 250 XM.

Either XMs in 15k really do suck, or Iwasakis are great. Perhaps both, but side by side its hands down. These are my first XM and Iwasaki bulbs in 15k, previously used Hamiltons in 10k, 14k, and 20k, and 20k XM. Expensive and hard to get, but from now on, I'll be using Iwasaki 15k exclusively. I run them with w/ actinics part of the time, and with, or without actinics, the Iwasaki works great.

My wife is clueless about reefing, but she noticed a change, said wow looks nice, what did you do? She prefered the "lower wattage" Iwasaki lighting to the XM, but couldn't explain why - just "looks better." I'm bummed to wait a whole 'nuther 9 months to switchout the 250 XM to another Iwasaki. Hopefully more retailers will carry it by then. I'll probably downgrade my 250 ballast to a 175, as I think the increased par from Iwasaki will overwhelm the measley 58gal.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7642762#post7642762 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by murphreef
ill ship them to u ;)
Click to expand...

How much are they? If you can ship them safely, I'm down. Let me know.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7643262#post7643262 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by PsychoKnight
I'm the guy who bought the Iwasaki 175 from orlenz.

Its actually a 15k Aqua2, not the 14k tested/reviewed by Sanjay.

It now sits next to a new 15k 250 XM and just blows it away. That's right. The 175w Iwasaki is significantly brighter than the 250w XM in supposedly the same color rating. The color of the corals are more vibrant from the Iwasaki - maybe simply because its brighter, or perhaps has a wider spectrum. I'd describe the output like a bright blue compared to duller blue from the 250 XM.

Either XMs in 15k really do suck, or Iwasakis are great. Perhaps both, but side by side its hands down. These are my first XM and Iwasaki bulbs in 15k, previously used Hamiltons in 10k, 14k, and 20k, and 20k XM. Expensive and hard to get, but from now on, I'll be using Iwasaki 15k exclusively. I run them with w/ actinics part of the time, and with, or without actinics, the Iwasaki works great.

My wife is clueless about reefing, but she noticed a change, said wow looks nice, what did you do? She prefered the "lower wattage" Iwasaki lighting to the XM, but couldn't explain why - just "looks better." I'm bummed to wait a whole 'nuther 9 months to switchout the 250 XM to another Iwasaki. Hopefully more retailers will carry it by then. I'll probably downgrade my 250 ballast to a 175, as I think the increased par from Iwasaki will overwhelm the measley 58gal.
Click to expand...

Great info, thank you!
I believe there was a previous discussion and Sanjay's report is actaully using Iwasaki's Aqua2 15k bulb in his research. I'm not 100% on this, but that's what I "heard", and it makes sense considering that I cant find a 14k bulb by iwasaki.

I would think if the 175w bulb blows away the competition's 250w then the $15 more per bulb is worth it's weight in Acans (or gold, whatever), considering the power consumption you'd save vs. running the 250w over a 9mo - 1yr period of time. Of course, there are also previous reports that XM's 15k "sucks", so it's possible you're not comparing apples to apples.

So far it's another great review for iwasaki's aqua2, and the Helios (which I havent been able to locate just yet).
 
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