HQI Color Options

[paulhines]

I'm planning on a couple of 400wt HQIs for my new 150g (along with some T5).

I've only seen 10K and 20K options for bulbs. In reading a lot here, the 14K temperature looks to be very highly recomended.

Should I go with the 10 or 20K, and if so, which one. I could get 20K and put 10k and actinic bulbs in the T5...

Advice?

 

[Ceak]

by HQI do you mean Double-Ended (DE) bulbs??

If that's what you mean I would stay away from those... The 400W DE bulbs are unstable and not very popular so there isn't much variety in terms of bulbs and ballasts... You should stick with SE(mogul) bulbs...

Do you really need 400Watters? If so I hope you plan on getting a chiller...

It all depends what you like, if you like the blue look then go with Radiums 20K (on HQI Ballasts) or XM 20K (on M59 Ballasts) or Reeflux 12K (on electronic Ballasts)

If you like the white/natural look the go with XM 10K or Reeflux 10K on any ballasts. Note that when using 10K lamps yuo will want to add supplemental lighting to your tank (Actinic T5 or VHO)...

HQI ballast usualy run brighter and give out the most PAR, more PAR gives you more growth, the downside is that HQI ballast will kill off your bulbs quicker (specially the Radium) and generate more heat...

Electronic Ballasts will run bulbs bluer, dimmer but also cooler (ie more stable) and will give your bulbs the longest life...

M59 Ballast are somwhere in between the two, and they are ideal for XM 20K bulbs.

You could easily get away with 2x 250W on a 150G...Might not need a chille rthis way... If yuo absolutely want to ahve DE bulbs then 250W is the way to go and a good compromise between white and blue would be the Phoenix 14K bulbs, running them off an HQI Ballast you give you the most PAR (HQI ballast don't kill off DE bulbs as quick as they do with SE bulbs, in fact they are ideal for DE bulbs)...

Hope this helps!

 

[twon8]

i have heard the pheonix's don't look as good running on hqi's as they do on electronics, if you prefer a bit of blue.

 

[SEAMONSTER]

I have recently switched from 2 14K 150 watt hamilton double ended halides to 2 20K 150W Hamilton double ended halide bulbs over my 60 gallon reef. I am also running 2 55 watt actinic power compact flourescents. The overall color is very nice! Surprisingly, it is not that blue (Still looks white with a blue tone) Brings out the colors of sps, lps and fish really well! For example, my staghorn was turning a little brown under the 14k bulbs. The growth tips were turning green too. Now, under the 20K bulbs the original color (light shade of tan with white polyps with blue growth tips) are coming back! The spectrum from this type of lighting is wide and it is great for the corals!

 

[paulhines]

A couple of omissions...

My 150g tank is 48"x 24" x 30" high (deep). The "need" for 400w was based on advise that anything over 24" of water depth should have 400w.

I am planning on keeping sps, clams, etc. Would like high light.

And I do mean double-end DE, as I heard they had better penetration into deep water. Would a 250w DE HQI penetrate nearly as well as a 400w SE mogul? If so, I would have the bulb color options and not as much heat.

And yes, I plan on a chiller (leaning towards 1/4hp inline). I have 4 x 54w T5s in the canopy now, and with a fan blowing across the water, and with the AC set on 78F, my tank is staying at 80F.

Thanks for the advice so far!!!

 

[jman77]

I would do 250 SE bulbs in LIII reflectors powered by 250 HQI ballasts. You get a nice 10k bulb and throw some Super Actinics into the mix , and it grow some good stuff and look nice. I have DE's and to tell you the truth, if i had to do ver again i would of gone SE's. I've had SE's before in like them better.

Also, you should try having some PC fans blow across the water in the sump, or aquarium to bring your temps down.

 

[njfish77]

tagging along, i am very interested
-Sqeak