need lighting advice

[orthokardia]

i need advice on a couple questions. i am going from 250w to 400w MH on my tank that is 32" deep. it is a mixed reef. i also have 2xVHO actinics

1. how do i acclimate the inhabitants to the increased light level? shorter photoperiod? move those i can to lower in the tank? other?

2. i do not like the 20k look. too blue like windex water. what are your recommendations for color temp and bulb brand.

3. i got a 400w small black ballast and 2 bulbs from Carl. Great deal thanks carl. one bulb is 20k the other is XM but i do not know the color temp. it is around 10k, but that is a guess. i think this set has been around the club. it might have started with poolkeeper. the question is what is the bulb temp? pics below

pics removed for editing

4. what would a fair asking price be for a 3x250w set with used bulbs and a magnetic M58 probe start ballast?
thanks,
bart

 

[orthokardia]

<a href="http://s757.photobucket.com/albums/xx215/orthokardia/?action=view&current=011.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i757.photobucket.com/albums/xx215/orthokardia/011.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[NeveSSL]

Keep in mind that not all 20k bulbs will look like Windex water. Radium comes to mind.

I personally LOVE Phoenix 14k bulbs, but I don't know that they come in 400w variety.

Brandon

 

[ameares8]

To answer question numero uno, you can filter the light with a several sheets of screening and remove a layer every few days or so. That way, you would not need to reorganize the tank.

#2) I love the look of XM 20K's, but I run off a magnetic ballast, so I don't know if that is why they are more crisp. Ushio makes a nice 14K also.

 

[zef004]

to answer question numero uno, you can filter the light with a several sheets of screening and remove a layer every few days or so. That way, you would not need to reorganize the tank.

+1

 

[orthokardia]

Zef, screen? like windo screen

 

[orthokardia]

amears,
any chance of seeing that tank in person? do the 20k's give that bluewater look? i am running magnetic ballast also. M135

 

[zef004]

Zef, screen? like windo screen

No egg crate you can get at home depot. Should be in the lighting part of home depot.

 

[zef004]

Zef, screen? like windo screen

No egg crate you can get at home depot. Should be in the lighting part of home depot.
But window screen will work too. But egg crate is better and when your done with it you can make frag racks with.

 

[orthokardia]

thanks zef. any bulb recommendations?

 

[ameares8]

Bart you are more than welcome to come by and check out the tank. Just let me know when would be good and we can work it out. It is a crisp white/blue. I know the one Rhett has on his frag tank looks pink/blue, but I am unsure of the ballast he is running. I do know that different ballasts make bulbs perform differnetly. Also, each bulb varies a little even within the same manufacturer. It all has to do with the amount of phosphors being burned. Yeah, I have heard of people using both the window screen and the eggcrate, but like Zef said you can reuse the eggcrate.

 

[NeveSSL]

Cracks me up... reefers match ballasts to bulbs the way audio engineers match mics to preamps.

Brandon

 

[zef004]

For 400w mogul bulbs not alote out there. But a lot of coral farmes use radium with hqi ballast. To over dive the bulds And the 400w hqi is new so there only like 3 types out there right now and radium should be comeing out with a hqi400w 10k & 20k bulb by end this year it's in testing right now.


One thing is about MH is like Anthony said ballast and bulb cmbo is a big part and one thing he left out is the Reflactor like lumenbright can bring your par up to 300% lumenmax3 should bring the par up to 200%. Well I hope I helped any. If not here some info That sanjay did it's out dated but it will give you an ID on what we are talking about.
http://www.personal.psu.edu/sbj4/aquarium/articles/ballast comparison/ballast-comparison.html
or try his websit.
http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/s/b/sbj4/aquarium/aquarium.html

 

[zef004]

Cracks me up... reefers match ballasts to bulbs the way audio engineers match mics to preamps.

Brandon

Yep

 

[ameares8]

One thing is about MH is like Anthony said ballast and bulb cmbo is a big part and one thing he left out is the Reflactor like lumenbright can bring your par up to 300% lumenmax3 should bring the par up to 200%.

...oops! I forgot that part, thanks for picking up my slack

 

[orthokardia]

is anyone out there running a radium on a magnetic ballast?

 

[ameares8]

I believe Rick (Mixer911) may be.

 

[ZachB]

I really like the Phoenix bulbs as well. They provide a crisp white / blue look to the tank. Far from Windex water.

 

[orthokardia]

i can not find the phoenix in a 400w single ended anywhere.

 

[ameares8]

Phoenix is Double ended only I believe.