Lighting

[Reef4Fun]

I just needed some info on MH lighting. My light has 2 150W 6500K bulbs, I really do not like the dull effect they have and I would like to purchase 2 new bulbs. I want a crisper look. Should I go with the 10000K or the 14000K ? Could some of you tell me what the difference would be as far as the colors and effects. I have a beautiful clam and more xenia than any 12 people would need, I also have mushrooms, leathers, zoas, sponges...I want to make sure I don't effect them too harshly.
Oh, I also have 3 different anemonies, one of which has been under this lighting for almost a year.

 

[phljess]

Both 10K and 14K should produce less PAR than the lighting you have at this time. You will not have any trouble with bleaching but you may have trouble if you have any high light demanding corals. From the corals you have listed I would say you should have no problem. As far as looks go, most 10K bulbs emit a crisp white light and 14K emit a crisp blue/white light. Some people do not use actinics when they use a high K value bulb. IMO, if you have actinic supplementation I would use 10K bulbs and get the blue look from the actinics. The corals should grow better under 10K. However, the Kelvin values of bulbs are very subjective and some companies 10K's might look more blue than another companies 12K's or vice versa. Here is a link to some bulb reviews and pics of what they look like on a tank. These are only for SE bulbs, I do not know if you are using SE or DEs but this site should give you an idea. I really like the stats for the XM 10k's they seem to be the best IMO. Here ya go http://www.cnidarianreef.com/lamps.cfm

 

[mcox33]

I like hamilton 14K mh bulbs

 

[firefish2020]

It all depends on the depth of your tank as well as the wattage used. A deeper tank will benefit from more PAR even if it does not look good to your eyes and makes the corals have duller color. 10K is a general compromise between growth and coloration. A more shallow tank will be fine under 14 or 20 K.

 

[Reef4Fun]

Ron, my tank is the deeper 120 gal, like yours. I have the 6500K, but do not really like the greener color it gives. I like the crisp color that JoMars has in the show tank against the wall. Would a 10K give me what I am looking for without harming any of the corals?

 

[H.crispa]

Here is what kind of look you can expect from the 14000k:

Here is the kind of look you can expect from the 10,000k:

Here is what you could see with a nicely- balanced combo of the two:

Of course, My bulbs are "12,000k" and "10,000k", but the kelvin rating is so subjective that it is almost absurd and I have gone off on more than one rant about that subject and if you are interested just do a search of my posts and look for the ones that pertain to lighting.

All that said, my 12000k bulbs appear "bluer" than most 14,000 and even 20,000k bulbs I've seen. On the other hand, my 10000k bulbs are not as "crisp" as many others I've seen so in the end the total effect of the array is probably close to what you would get with two 10s and one or two 14s.

Please pardon the glare. My camera is unable to deal with the light intensity properly, so it kind of blurrs and glares up the pictures. If you actually look at it, it's crystal clear.

Hope that helps. Personally I've confused MYSELF so I'll shut up now.

 

[firefish2020]

Yeh if it's a 120 no way I would recommend you use 150 wt 14Ks and expect much. I did it and I can tell you there is not enough PAR. I went back to 10Ks pretty fast.

 

[Reef4Fun]

okay, I will go with the 10K, if I have any problems I will just put back in the 6500s.