I've got a Current USA Outer Orbit 60" fixture with two 250W MH bulbs and four 54W T-5s. I bought the fixture off of craigslist last October and have been running it since about November. I've just added corals in the last month or so (LPS, derasa clam, and a few SPS frags) and I'm not loving the color I'm getting out of them so far, although it has only been a few weeks, but most of the SPS frags look brown and I'm not seeing much blue and red out of my LPS stuff (frogspawn, hammer, red brain, candy cane).
I think it's likely that the bulbs are pretty old, so I think it's time to replace them. The bulbs with the unit are 10,000K PowerPaq HQIs. I'd like to go up to a 14,000K spectrum for a bit better color on the corals.
Should I replace the lights only with the PowerPaq brand HQIs to avoid any issues with the ballast or can I mix and match brands to get something a bit more reliable and with a longer shelf life?
Also, with the burn-in times, should I change one light first and then the other a month or so later, or can I change out both at the same time?
Should I also be looking to replace my T-5's?
Thanks in advance for the advice.
I think it's likely that the bulbs are pretty old, so I think it's time to replace them. The bulbs with the unit are 10,000K PowerPaq HQIs. I'd like to go up to a 14,000K spectrum for a bit better color on the corals.
Should I replace the lights only with the PowerPaq brand HQIs to avoid any issues with the ballast or can I mix and match brands to get something a bit more reliable and with a longer shelf life?
Also, with the burn-in times, should I change one light first and then the other a month or so later, or can I change out both at the same time?
Should I also be looking to replace my T-5's?
Thanks in advance for the advice.
