Recommend best SE bulb

[wojo]

Its been 10 months since i installed my MHs and i feel like it's time to replace the bulbs. I currently run 2x250W no-name SE 14k bulbs that came with the retro setup along side of 2x110W Actinic VHOs on IceCap 660.

I feel like my current MH bulbs dont truly give a true coloration of the corals in my tank because they do look different in my tank than then did when i got them from the local reefers as frags

Please recommend a good bulb that will give me best coloration, price is irrelevant...

Thanks

 

[PiXieCath]

XM 15000K are nice!;-)

 

[wojo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10921553#post10921553 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by PiXieCath
XM 15000K are nice!;-)

thanks PiXieCath, wont the 15k be too blue with my Actinics? Do you have a picture with the reef under these bulbs?

 

[flyyyguy]

No offense, but XM 15 k are crap. The color is decent if you like that hint of blue, but if you keep high light corals like ANY sps, you will be cutting yourself and your corals seriously short.

Im now a 10k xm fan as I like straight white, and think they bring out real colors of the corals and excellent growth. I suggest you go to the sps forum and look for tanks that you like the color of. Ask what they are using.

You can click on myu little red house and see what the 10k's look like without actinics. Theres a FTS in the first ten pics somewhere

I will add that that 10k XM bulb can appear yellowish if you have magnetic ballasts

 

[Ehgemus]

12k reeflux:thumbsup:

 

[gary faulkner]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10922056#post10922056 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Harold Edwards
12k reeflux:thumbsup:

Or 10K Reeflux since you are running atinics.

HTH

 

[badgerlaw]

20K radiums

 

[Paulairduck]

20k Radiums or 12k Reeflux or 20K Helios for POP!!!:eek1:

Reeflux 10K and XM 10K Growth

 

[wojo]

Interesting, so 10k would give me better growth. And it will bring the color out on the SPSs as well? So the only negative side is that it's not so blue'ish as with 14 and 20k's?

 

[fishdoc11]

What kind of ballast are running the MH's with? That's huge in determining what bulb to run. Take a look at this site:
http://www.cnidarianreef.com
click on 250 watt MH testing.
You will see some pics of how different bulbs look with and without atinics and also PAR values for those bulbs on various ballasts.
hth, Chris

 

[flyyyguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10930842#post10930842 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wojo
So the only negative side is that it's not so blue'ish as with 14 and 20k's?

If you call that a negative, some would call that a positive

 

[wojo]

fishdoc11 - I run DYnamic Ballasts (DY 250MH 120)

flyyyguy - maybe you are right, i have no idea why i assumed it was negative

 

[fishdoc11]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10931053#post10931053 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wojo
fishdoc11 - I run DYnamic Ballasts (DY 250MH 120)

I'm sorry I've never heard of them. Are they magnetic, electronic or HQI?

 

[wojo]

They are electronic, here is the link to the spec sheet http://www.dynamicballast.com/pdf/250WSpecSheetRev1B.pdf

thanks for your help

 

[fishdoc11]

Ushio and XM are both good tried and true 10K bulbs for growth and color.
Aquaconnect 14K seem to be very nice bulbs. I am trying those now after running Ushios for years and like them so far(still really to early to tell, at ~ 1.5 months now))
Radiums are great bulbs but most will run them with HQI's in 250 for more PAR or run 400's.
Lots of people seem to like the Reeflux as stated above.
Some like the XM20K's.

I'm sorry but I forgot to ask what type of corals you keep. I'm assuming SPS from your equipment?

Lots of good choices for bulbs and it's really a personal preference. Look around on that site and if you can look at actual bulbs over people's tanks. That's the best way of figuring out what you like. Past TOTM's are another good place to look for ideas:

hth, Chris

 

[wojo]

fishdoc11, i keep mostly SPS, but i do have couple of softies

 

[wojo]

bump

 

[RobNJ]

I run XM 10k's and you definitely need Actinic supplementation for a nice Blue hue.... You can not beat the PAR from the XM 10K

 

[TWallace]

I recently switched from Reeflux 10k to Reeflux 12k and am loving it. The 10ks washed out the color and made many corals look bland. The 12ks are more whitish blue, which really brings out the colors in my greens and reds.

 

[TWallace]

I recently switched from Reeflux 10k to Reeflux 12k and am loving it. The 10ks washed out the color and made many corals look bland. The 12ks are more whitish blue, which really brings out the colors in my greens and reds. I run 2 54w T5 actinics, but with the 10ks you could barely even tell the T5s were on.