Need some quick lighting advice, please.

[mcoomer]

We're having a party at the house in about two weeks and the wife is in full "let's make sure everything looks great" mode. So, she was looking at the tank, it's clean and healthy, and remarks that it would look better with more blue in it. Now, I've been married long enough to know that I have just been given an invitation to do something to the tank to make the wife happy and if I have to spend a bit of money it will be OK as long as there is more blue in the tank. I'm gonna give her some blue!

I have two 250W MH lamps in the tank and I've always run 6500K with two VHO actinics. It gives the tank a very bright appearance, but not much blue there. Since this is a fish only tank with coralline covered live rock and a few shrooms and pods I'm not worried about stressing the tank by switching to a different color temp lamp. What would you say about going all the way to a 20000K? That would definitely put some blue in the tank and I think it would make the rocks pop with all the reds, pinks, purple and blue coralline color.

BTW...she also commented that we should add some more colorful fish. :dance:

 

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sounds like 20k's are in your near future

Chris

 

[r-balljunkie]

i dont like 20K's, unless you are running 400 watters.
its not bright enough, in my opinion.
try out a nice 14K.

i use EVC 14k's 250W x 2 with 4 x 39W T5's.

its a nice combo.


best of luck
c

 

[mcoomer]

Well, $270 later I've got two new bulbs and a blue tang. I ended up with a set of 20000K XM bulbs. They're definitely a shift from the 6500K's I was running. Without the VHOs they do look a bit dim and very blue but since I run the VHOs from sunup to sunset they're always going to be on when the MHs are on so they'll work well. Point taken on running 400W lamps though so I think when these are used up in 10-12 month I'll spring for a couple of ballasts and move up in wattage.

Mike

 

[Lofty]

Why so much wattage if you don't have much corals??

 

[r-balljunkie]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14750319#post14750319 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lofty
Why so much wattage if you don't have much corals??

+1, your chiller will be working overtime, with 2 x 400 watters, unless you have a 200 gallon sump:rollface: :rollface: :rollface: :rollface:

 

[mcoomer]

Don't you guys know that more is always better? I can't keep giving these nuggets away.

Seriously though, if everything continues to be healthy, coralline algae doesn't begin to recede, etc then maybe I won't bump up the wattage. It's just something to consider. Also, the wife took one look at the blue tang and said that she wanted something bigger so I guess it's off to the LFS again after work. It's not often that I get the blank check treatment.

Mike

 

[Lofty]

I think your wife should hang out with my wife.