Question about halides,mixed reef

[stingythingy45]

I have a mixed reef tank with mostly lps,leathers(one very large toadstool),zoas and caps(pics in my gallary).All this has been kept under 260 watt PC lighting.I know,not the best but it's all I've had for a while.Not much growth and the green cap has now turned mostly s gray brown.
Anyways,I recently found a deal on a set of 250 watt pendents to mount in my canopy.Question is,if I acclimate the corals SLOWY to the new light will the existing corals be fine?It's a standard AGA 90 gallon RR.I plan on starting out with a very reduced lighting schedule(4 hrs) and raising the lamps quite high of the water level.Also planned on maybe starting out with a rather blue bulb like a XM 20K.
I'm hoping to get a little more SPS in the tank and getting color and growth back.But I don't want to fry everything I have in there already.
If somebody has done this before,any advice would be great.
Also,a few pictures of 90 gallons with 2-250 pendents would be cool.
Thanks,

 

[Entropy]

I switched from 440w of VHO to 2x175w halides + 220w VHO actinic over my old 90g without any problems. I had frogspawn, hammers, a torch, zoa's, xenia, gsp, a couple of rose anemones, and a soccer ball size orange cap. I didn't have any losses and everything started growing faster will more color. The only issue I ran into was a bit more heat. I had a completely open canopy (tank was in wall) so it didn't really effect the tank, but if you have a mostly closed canopy it might be an issue.

 

[stingythingy45]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15050992#post15050992 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Entropy
I switched from 440w of VHO to 2x175w halides + 220w VHO actinic over my old 90g without any problems. I had frogspawn, hammers, a torch, zoa's, xenia, gsp, a couple of rose anemones, and a soccer ball size orange cap. I didn't have any losses and everything started growing faster will more color. The only issue I ran into was a bit more heat. I had a completely open canopy (tank was in wall) so it didn't really effect the tank, but if you have a mostly closed canopy it might be an issue.

Thanks for the info.
This will be 2-250 watt DE so a little more intense.
I'm thinking about running 14K Phoenix bulbs to try and offset some of the power as well as raise the canopy.My canopy has 4" fans at both ends and I have a basement sump that stays cool all summer.
That should help out with some heat issues.

 

[Entropy]

Actually I was running Iwasaki 15k bulbs so Par wise I bet it will be very similar (actually yours might be less). With the basement sump you should be fine. Worst comes to worst you can always put a fan on the sump to help it out.

 

[stingythingy45]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15051346#post15051346 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Entropy
Actually I was running Iwasaki 15k bulbs so Par wise I bet it will be very similar (actually yours might be less). With the basement sump you should be fine. Worst comes to worst you can always put a fan on the sump to help it out.

Good to know,
thanks.

 

[DarG]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15051215#post15051215 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by stingythingy45
Thanks for the info.
This will be 2-250 watt DE so a little more intense.
I'm thinking about running 14K Phoenix bulbs to try and offset some of the power as well as raise the canopy.My canopy has 4" fans at both ends and I have a basement sump that stays cool all summer.
That should help out with some heat issues.

The Phoenix bulbs have pretty strong par. Blue with good par makes them a popular bulb. So when you say you will be running them to offset some of the power, they are not a weak lamp in terms of output. But I agree with Entropy. Just acclimate to the higher light and you should be ok.

 

[stingythingy45]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15051574#post15051574 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DarG
The Phoenix bulbs have pretty strong par. Blue with good par makes them a popular bulb. So when you say you will be running them to offset some of the power, they are not a weak lamp in terms of output. But I agree with Entropy. Just acclimate to the higher light and you should be ok.

Ok,

I was under the impression that they were a little less par than say Ushio or XM .Thought maybe that would help with the acclimation.
Perhaps I'm thinking of the XM 1500K

 

[DarG]

The Ushio 14K is closer to a 10K lamp. Good par but a warmer looking lamp.
The Phoenix 14K is really a 20K plus lamp. They are popular because of how good the par is for a blue lamp. Personally I dont like them at all because of the color. Very monotone looking. But thats just my opinion.

The XM 15K is weaker in par I think. Not sure on the color. I dont think I have ever seen an XM 15K.

The 20K XM has a pretty strong blue look, not much par.

The Ushio 20K is crisp white/blue. nice blue tint but not a super blue bulb at all. The Phoenix is bluer. But The Ushio has probably half the measured par compared to the Phoenix by Sanjays measurments in his bulb tests.
Ushio 20K's are Beautiful bulbs unless you want a ton of blue but they are not par monsters. One of my favorites in any wattage and base type from 150 watt DE, 175 watt mogul, 250 watt mogul and DE. Very consistent and a quality German bulb but priced similiar or lower than many of the inferior quality asian lamps. Thats not saying that all asian lamps are poor. But I have personally written off the asian lamps with the exception of Iwasaki. Regardless, there are many, many very popular asian made halides that many reefers are happy with. Im just one hobbyist with one opinion.

Depends on how much of a blue look you want and how much par you need or want. Tons of choices.

 

[stingythingy45]

Thanks DarG,

You really helped enlighten me on bulb choices and colorization.
From what I've been reading about halides,you're not the only reefer that prefers Ushio 20K bulbs.