Switching from 10k to 14k

[jjackson]

I am thinking about switching from my 250W SE 10kXM to 250W SE 14k Hamiltons.

Has anyone made this switch what were the pros and cons... I mean obviously less growth but did you get any better coloration, I also have 440W of Actinic VHO over the tank and was going to see about possibly switching 2 of my 4 bulbs to daylight VHO to get some more red spectrum... anyhow if anyone has any input it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[itz frank]

the 14ks won't actually give you better coloration. It's just how it's percieved when more of the blue color spectrum is added from 10k to 14k.

 

[jjackson]

I know it will take a white to actually alter the colors of my corals but I have noticed that the corals under my center brace are alot better colored, much richer in color so I think that I am possibly bleaching my sps some... I also have a friend that has 14k over his tank and when we moved his corals back into his tank they seemed to color morph.... changing spectrums can cause that... there is a TON more blue in the 14k than the 10k as of now I have nothing in the blue spectrum... the other thought was to add some T5 blue+

 

[Horace]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7721872#post7721872 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jjackson
as of now I have nothing in the blue spectrum...

This is not really true. If you look at most 10k Spectrum charts, the blue spike is actually pretty large on most bulbs. Your getting blue light, its just being drowned out visually by the other colors. Blue gets washed out VERY easy. Your eyes dont see it, but it is there.

I also somewhat dissagree that the colors wont/cant change when you change to a diff kelvin bulb. Different kelvin bulbs most certainly bring out different colors in your corals. Its more than just how they instantly look different under a different color...the color of the coral does often shift pending the spectrum of light it receives. This often takes 2-3 weeks to occur though.

 

[jjackson]

I think I read the plot correctly but I am not a physics major... The 10k xm on my ballast dont have a very large spike in the blue spectrum in fact I think it is very little.... I was just hoping to see if anyone had made this type of switch and been happy or unhappy... I am very pleased with the color of lighting I have now... no yellow to it but it is the corals that are more colorful under the center brace that makes me think I need to drop my par a bit... and I think by going to 20k that would be too much.. I am thinking 14k might be about right.

 

[Horace]

You just dont know how yellow it really is . After adding more blue you will be amazed how much better everything looks

 

[jt_redmist]

I'll give you my opinion on this exact same switch. I was running the XM 10K with two vho actinics. Growth was good, but I didn't care for the color. I then went with the Hammis 14K and two vho actinics, and it was very blue. The growth is also very poor. I switched one of the vho to an aquasun, and the color is much better now. Will I use this bulb again? No. I like the color, but the growth to me is just terrible.

 

[Sullivmw]

I made the exact same switch about 9 months ago, from XM 10K 250W SE on Icecaps, to the 250W 14K Ham SE. I liked the color better for the tank, noticed very minor changes in the color of the corals, but the growth slowed way, way down. My Zoo's changed to a much deeper colors, some of my LPS's changed to a deeper color, but most if not all of my SPS's remained about the same.

In another month or two, I am going back to a higher PAR bulb, most likely back to a 10K. The growth is just a little slow if you are used to the 10K bulbs like a XM.

 

[Ti]

I swapped from XM 10K to hamilton 14K.
Colors got better, in my tank at least.

 

[jjackson]

I am pretty well grown in so I was thinking that I would like to rally color everything up... like I said it seems like corals not under center brace are somewhat bleached.... not bad just not as rich as those under center brace...

 

[reefdood]

Color is all opinion anyway. I've seen a tank or two in my time that had really awful looking lighting. Thing is, the owner(s) loved THEIR tank color. And those same people may one day see a tank that they like the color of better.

I love the color over my 30 gal... 2 three foot 50/50 VHO, 1 three foot actinic VHO, and a 175w Hami 14k. I HATED the Hami by itself but that is prolly due to low wattage whan used alone.

You CAN get good growth from bluish bulbs but you have to use higher wattages. You could get good growth from less wattage bulbs of lower spectrums. IMO

 

[jjackson]

I am not talking about asthetic color of the lamp but color of my sps.... deeper colors not as washed as some of mine are... I know people are going to say there are many more factors besides light but in my case I think that alot has to do with the 10k beating down on them... I can frag a piece 2 times put one under center brace and one in the open and the one under the center brace will be much richer in color....

 

[jay24k]

Hamiltons imo are very dim compared to a 10K XM. You will see a big difference. I would personally try the phoenix DE bulbs or switch to a 400 watt XM 20K. The 20K has a good par similiar to the 250 10K plus the bluer spectrum.

In my experience, I've seen then 20K's bring out alot of green in corals. I bought a very large colony out of a 20K tank that is a purple pillow. Under 10K's it has purple and green. Under his 20K's it is solid green so be prepared for different colors. However, other colors do pop.

So my recommendation is,

Phoenix 14K DE bulbs or a 20K XM 400 watt if you want good growth/color.

Or do what I do and add 320 watts of Super Actinic VHO's to give it a bluer look.

 

[jjackson]

I already have 440W of Super Actinic VHO... but I am still missing the higher blue wavelengths... I have heard the hamiltons are very dim I have 3 250W retros right now... I guess I could look into the 400W 20k but I too have seen the greens really come out under those... I am not really to worried about growth just coloration at this point.

 

[jay24k]

You could try a magnetic ballast as they tend to overdrive the bulb. If you aren't worried about growth, I'd possibly do the 20K XM then. I personally liked them better then the hamiliton. Lighting is a real tough thing. Took me like 2 months before I bought my 10K's.

 

[jjackson]

yeah I think I chimed in on your 10k post.... I have been very happy with them just like I said it seems a bit washed my tank is pretty grown in now and I am thinking about just switching... who knows if I dont like it I can always go back....

 

[jjackson]

the 20k doesnt have the spike in the blue that I am looking for... it is closer to actinic

 

[Syris]

I switched from 250w XM 10KSE to Ham14k last year on my old 75g. I didnt notice a drastic color change in corals but I did like the look of the tank better. Downside is I felt the Ham14k shifted spectrum/intesity rather quick (~8months) SO now Im back to XM 10K

 

[Zoom]

I try many bulbs also use the 14 Hamis with the IC ballast The 14K Hamis have very decent par with the IC ballast they have very poor par with the M58 Magnetic ballast. The thing is what you like to do in your tank you like the corals to be happy and growing or you like the way your tank looks to your eyes.
I like my self to have a happy median i like my corals to look all happy with very good polyp extension and and the tank to look good the my eyes.
Here how i saw the tank and sps corals with different bulbs all bulbs 250W
Iwasaki 6.5 K this bulb is very yellow and not to appealing to the eyes but the corals love it they grow and have very good healthy look to them.
10K XM this bulb "i still use" now is a hard bulb to describe some tanks do good with them some not the color of corals is ok the color and growth of the tank is ok i'm not to fun with the bulb but it is nothing better out there right now.
AB 10K I like this bulb a little better than the 10K XM but it is more $ and i don't think you get that much better bulb for the extra $ you spend.
14K hamilton.
I had this bulb for almost six months before on my tank, i some what like the color of the tank it has a blue wash out look to it but my corals hate this bulb i never had a bulb that the corals had so much dislike to the bulb all the coral had very limited polyp extension and the growth just stop completely and like you i have a center glass brace and most of the corals under this brace just start to look bad i had to move some of them over to left and right side of the tank so they got a little more light .


I still said we need a good all around SE bulb and we don't have it yet I hope when the Iwasaki come out with the new 15K 250W bulb that may be the bulb we all been waiting for..

 

[beeker]

i run an iwaski 175w 14k on my 20 gallon high, growth is definatly a lot better than an XM 15k 175 but the color is yellow white to the eyes, even with two T-5 actinics you still can't see any blue in my tank, but the colors on the corals just look a little more pastel not as bright but the growth is a lot better and so is polyp extension.

ill probably stick with this bulb unless i find one that has more par and still is in the 14k temp range, i wish this bulb wasn't so yellow to my eyes but after 2-3months of running it, i can tell it's better than the bulb i had before so ill keep it around just for the growth.