mh bulbs

[Just Jim]

I was looking at your website, and have some lighting questions. I bought a mh setup from an online dealer a few months ago and am very unhappy with the spectrum. They are supposed to be 20k reefgrow bulbs, but the spectrum is white with very little blue if any at all. I see bulbs that have a more blue tint, and was wondering what you'd recommend. Is xm a good bulb? Also is it universal mounting? The bulbs I have now have to be positioned a certain direction.

 

[MarineDepot]

Hi Goldenboy,

Thanks for your inquiry. The coloration of the bulb will depend on the type of ballast used. Most 20K bulbs will look very blue on a standard MH or electronic MH ballast, but will look white with a blue tint on a magnetic HQI ballast. Without knowing the brand of the bulb you currently have and which type of ballast you have, it is very difficult for us to tell you how another bulb will look on your setup. However, there are the general recommendations:
1) If you have a standard MH ballast or an electronic ballast and are using the MH bulbs without any fluorescent supplementation, we would recommend the Hamilton 14K or XM 15K bulbs. It will give you a white colored light with a nice blue tint.

2) If have a standard MH ballast or an electronic ballast and you like your tank looking very blue are using the MH bulb without any fluorescent supplementation, we would recommend the XM 20K bulbs. These bulbs have a fairly heavy blue tint when used on a standard MH ballast.

3) If you have an HQI ballast are using the MH bulb without any fluorescent supplementation and currently have a 20K bulb, we would recommend adding supplemental fluorescent bulbs to add more blue coloration to the aquarium.


Please let us know if there is anything else we can help you with.

Sincerely,
Joseph
Marine Depot Customer Service
www.marinedepot.com
714-385-0080