want to get lumenbright but....

[anemoneguy]

i dont know if upgrading to lumenbrights if i should stay with de bulbs or go to se. do the se and de both need to be a certian height? ive heard 16 inches. i really like using an iwasaki 250 14k in the center and 10 ushios on the ends. just want to make sure the de would reach the bottom being so high up. my tank is a 180,72x24x24.any thoughts would be nice. esp. from anyone with pics of their de lumenbrights. tx

 

[sgarron]

Doesn't make a difference. You have lot more bulb choices in SE though. Especially if you ever decide to go 400w. Also 9-12 inches is plenty.

 

[JRaquatics]

SE bulbs have more choises in color and manufacturer. The light output will vary minimally between SE and DE in LB reaflectors. You will have to have them at least 15 inches off the water surface though.

 

[sgarron]

Is that 15-16" a LB thing? I've always rum Lumenarcs 9-12" depending on the spread I wanted.

 

[ganjero]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12840647#post12840647 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sgarron
Is that 15-16" a LB thing? I've always rum Lumenarcs 9-12" depending on the spread I wanted.

Yes its a LB thing they are more powerful.

 

[sgarron]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12841396#post12841396 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ganjero
Yes its a LB thing they are more powerful.

Really, from what I have read about them, people raise them up that high to try to get a full 24x24 coverage. They seem to be a more focused beam rather than a more spread out beam like a Lumenarc. They are nice but, I still prefer the Lumenarc. I don't think the Lumenbrite would cover my 30x30 cube, quite like a Lumenarc.

 

[ganjero]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12841484#post12841484 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sgarron
Really, from what I have read about them, people raise them up that high to try to get a full 24x24 coverage. They seem to be a more focused beam rather than a more spread out beam like a Lumenarc. They are nice but, I still prefer the Lumenarc. I don't think the Lumenbrite would cover my 30x30 cube, quite like a Lumenarc.

That's were LBs beat LAs. You can raise them high enough to cover a 24x24 area and the PAR numbers will still be the same or sometimes higher than the lumenarcs at a lower position. why is this good? Less heat in your tank.
Some people just dont have the space to hang them higher, so those are the cases were LBs are not recommended and LAs are the best choice.

It pretty much depends the space that you have and what do you want to achieve.