how many of you sps keepers use DE halides (HQI)?

[fishykidd916]

I was wondering how effective these HQI bulbs are. It seems like alot of sps keepers are using HQI's and having really good results. Most of the "reefs of the months" tanks use HQI's. Why do you prefer HQI's?

I am interested in the aquamedic oceanlight 48" 2x250 / T5 combo. Anyone have any experience with this light? Is it enough to spread the tank? my tank is 120 gal 4x2x2.

thanks

 

[danskim]

I don't have personal experience with that fixture, but it will do fine on your tank.

 

[RichConley]

I'm going to switch from my DE HQIs to SE's when I get the new tank.

 

[cwegescheide]

I've heard a lot of people say they are going back to SE actually. Dont really know why exactly. Me? I've got 250 HQI 14K Pheonix Giesemann fixture and like it over my 90 standard footprint tank.

 

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7198737#post7198737 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cwegescheide
I've heard a lot of people say they are going back to SE actually. Dont really know why exactly. Me? I've got 250 HQI 14K Pheonix Giesemann fixture and like it over my 90 standard footprint tank.

Generally, its because the SE bulbs put out about hte same PAR, and you dont need the glass shield, so in effect you get 10-20% more par.

Also, the Lumenarcs,Lumenmax, etc reflectors are MUCH better than any of the DE reflectors.

 

[SunnyX]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7198919#post7198919 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
Generally, its because the SE bulbs put out about hte same PAR, and you dont need the glass shield, so in effect you get 10-20% more par.

Also, the Lumenarcs,Lumenmax, etc reflectors are MUCH better than any of the DE reflectors.

Exactly why I switched.

I can now cover my tank with 2 SE's compared to 3 DE's before and I have more PAR now.

 

[Ti]

really depends on the set up.
For my small tank a DE pendant covers nicely, I used SE before and it just didn't cover as well unless I used a BIG reflector like a lumenarc or something.

 

[ReeferAl]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7198919#post7198919 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
Generally, its because the SE bulbs put out about hte same PAR, and you dont need the glass shield, so in effect you get 10-20% more par.

Also, the Lumenarcs,Lumenmax, etc reflectors are MUCH better than any of the DE reflectors.

Those are exactly the reasons why people first switched from SE to DE. They supposedly put out more light and the fixtures were optomized to the bulbs and hence more efficient.

I have DE because that was the hype when I st up my system. I would probably go SE if I were starting now. As far as the effect of a glass shield, on Sanjay's studies the PPFD was virtually identical for DE bulbs with a shield (required) and SE bulbs without a shield. The SE bulbs in fact all have a built-in shield- it is the outer glass envelope. If a SE bulb is used with an additional glass shield (as it should be if it is close to the water or if there is alot of splashing) then the DE light output is higher.

Allen

 

[jiggy]

im using 2 400w hamilton 14k bulbs in pendants with hqi ballasts..

 

[Cody Ray]

I like my DE system however I have never had a SE bulb so I can't make a fair statement.

 

[cthetoy]

Im going to switch from DE to SE as well next week. I am currently using a DE 10K Ushio 250 watts (shielded) with an Ice Cap Electronic Ballast. According to Sanjay it puts out a PPFD of 65. The XM 10k SE 250 watts bulb puts out a PPFD of 115 !!! Thats nearly double. At least I dont have to upgrade my ballast. Just the bulbs and the reflectors

 

[cthetoy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7198946#post7198946 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SunnyX
Exactly why I switched.

I can now cover my tank with 2 SE's compared to 3 DE's before and I have more PAR now.

SunnyX

I read your post a few months ago when you upgraded your bulbs and at first you said the color of your corals looed washed out from the XM bulbsw. Are you still having this problem? If you had a change to change out your xm 10k bulbs would you stick with XM or did you have another bulb in mind?

 

[brad]

I am no expert, but I have 2x250DE upstairs (AB 20k) and 1x400 SE downstairs (Iwaki) unshielded.

The surface area upstairs is much less than that downstairs, but the depth and volume is greater upstairs. Things definetly do better upstairs, and while I don't know if it is lighting, and it easily could be water flow, it isn't water quality (same water).

I have only had the upstairs lights 6 weeks, so again, I don't really know.

I do like how small the ocean light fixtures are. I can easily add more (and could probably get 2000 watts in my canopy without heat problems if I wanted), and can reuse them easily in a larger tank or different setup. There isn't much I can do with my Iwaki fixture (currently a PFO reflector in an old kitchen range hood), the bulb is larger than one ocean light fixture.

As ReeferAl said, I never clean my unshielded Iwaki (which is high enough it is safe from salt).

If you look at what PAR actually is, I think it is WAY over rated for measuring aquarium lighting (however it is much better than lumens). I think corals can use some of the radition shorter than the PAR range (not sure if this is proven or not), and I would be surprised if they can use everything equally in the PAR range.

I am not the only one with good growth under 20k lights.

 

[prodman]

I only have experience with DE bulbs. I use hqi ballasts and a mix of 10 and 20k bulbs it lights my 120 (4x2x2) well imo.

 

[ReeferAl]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7201889#post7201889 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cthetoy
I am currently using a DE 10K Ushio 250 watts (shielded) with an Ice Cap Electronic Ballast. According to Sanjay it puts out a PPFD of 65. The XM 10k SE 250 watts bulb puts out a PPFD of 115 !!! Thats nearly double.

That is not just a reflection on SE vs SE bulbs though. I did some calculations on 10KK bulbs from Sanjay's website. The SE bulbs had PPFD values from 47 to 115- that's a 250% difference.

When I compared the PPFD values for DE (shielded) vs SE bulbs by manufacturers who make both (on the same ballast) I found tha the SE versions would put out from 8% less to 30% more than their DE counterparts. So it isn't just a matter of 1 being better than another. You have to look at the individual bulb. OTOH, the highest SE bulb had a PPFD of 115 whereas the highest PPFD for a DE bulb was 97 (all on Ice Cap ballasts- all values higher with some other ballasts).

Allen

 

[fishykidd916]

would you say the advantage of DE's are that they may last longer and conserve space?

otherwise everything would be the same....?


thanks for everyone who replied.

 

[SunnyX]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7201990#post7201990 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cthetoy
SunnyX

I read your post a few months ago when you upgraded your bulbs and at first you said the color of your corals looed washed out from the XM bulbsw. Are you still having this problem? If you had a change to change out your xm 10k bulbs would you stick with XM or did you have another bulb in mind?

The XM10k's have been great so far. Growth has been great but im not that big a fan of the color. I personally have always run blue halides so the 10K's were really different. If you were to add enough actinic lighting the bulbs would look great. Its all personal preference.

My eyes dont like them but my corals love them.

I am currently looking to switch to UHSIO 14K's(BLV).
That is as soon as I can find the bulbs for sale.

 

[JB NY]

Yeah I have seen a bunch of people switch from SE to DE then back to SE.

SE bulb generally put out more PAR than DE bulbs. The DE reflectors can generally get more PAR out of their bulbs than the SE reflectors. But the light is more focused as opposed to a wider dispersal of light that comes from SE reflectors. So you can generally get a little more PAR from the DE reflectors but many times need more lights to get the same coverage. And when all is said and done, most times the SE was working just as well. Personally I find that it is a easy to see difference in what a tank looks like when lit with DE MH as opposed to SE. Personally I like the look of SE, it seems to give a more uniform look to the tank with respect to lighting. DE looks a little harsh as a comparison, if that makes sense.

Personally I like SE over DE, and have no desire to switch.

 

[Mark]

I used SE for 5 years, and switched to DE last year. I really like the DE fixture. I have the Aquamedic Oceanlight with 3 250's DE and T5 actinics. I'm very happy with the fixture. It's nice having the ballast remote for heat reasons. That said, now that coralife sells the aqualight fixtures with 250's, I would definitely compare them as well. At the time I bought mine, coralife only sold fixtures with 150-watt DE.

Over the last twelve months, I have really come to enjoy my DE bulbs. They seem to provide more glimmer lines, and these flashes of intense light on the coral tissues seems to benefit them. To be honest though, I had success with both types of bulbs. Both can provide great coloration and growth. There really isn't a way to define one better than the other. They both work, and it boils down to preference. Sometimes, your favorite bulb comes in one style only, or is optimal in PAR in one form or other.

For me, the benefits of DE are in the fixture, not the bulb. I like having a suspended light, with reflectors designed to keep light in the tank. It is true that the DE have a more narrow dispersal. But this is a good thing when using a suspended light fixture. It keeps the glare down. I also like the width and height of the fixture. The smaller bulbs and complementing reflectors allow the fixture to stay slim. This makes working in the tank easier, and it looks nicer.

I will say that I do have better coloration now. But I attribute that to the quality of the bulb I'm using, not the style of the bulb.

 

[cthetoy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7205125#post7205125 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SunnyX
The XM10k's have been great so far. Growth has been great but im not that big a fan of the color. I personally have always run blue halides so the 10K's were really different. If you were to add enough actinic lighting the bulbs would look great. Its all personal preference.

My eyes dont like them but my corals love them.

I am currently looking to switch to UHSIO 14K's(BLV).
That is as soon as I can find the bulbs for sale.

I couldnt find any info on this bulb in Sanjay's database. Any idea what the PPFD ratings are? I heard the the 14k bulbs people are using are not as bright as they expected.