Whiter bulb than Phoenix 14K?

[jcgso]

I just bought and installed Phoenix 14Ks, but they are too blue for my tastes. What 250 watt DE bulbs would have a whiter look. I was considering Ushio 10Ks. They will be on e-ballasts and have PC actinic supplementation.
Thanks

 

[ReefDent]

The 10000K Ushios were too yellow for me. You might try changing out an actinic PC for a 10000K PC or something like that.

The ReefLux 12000K is a little whiter than the Aquaconnect (which some feel is the same as the Phoenix), but might not be enought for what you want.

James

 

[samm]

as they burn in they should lose a little of the blue tint. I would say give them some time .

 

[Jar*Head]

Reeflux 10k crisp white with a tint of blue. You may want to check it out. Im running it in my system and it look very nice. FYI, i don't run atinic supplement.

 

[Doubledown]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9635389#post9635389 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by REEFER714
Reeflux 10k crisp white with a tint of blue. You may want to check it out. Im running it in my system and it look very nice. FYI, i don't run atinic supplement.

Agreed. On electronic ballasts (which the Reeflux bulbs were designed for) the 10K burn a nice crisp white. I have a friend running Reeflux 12K on e-ballasts and they are similar blue to the Phoenix 14k.

 

[Jar*Head]

I overdrive my bulb with HQI ballast, still look very nice.

 

[Doubledown]

I overdrive my Reeflux 12K with HQI ballasts and they look great as well. They look much "whiter" on the HQI than my friends electronics.

Great bulb either way for price and longevity of use.

 

[Reef Sponger]

I would turn off the PC supplementation, save yourself some electricity and cost of replacing bulbs. As the Phoenix bulbs burn in, they get whiter. Or wait until your Phoenix bulbs burn in and change your PC bulbs to 50/50 or 11,000K.

 

[Waxxiemann]

I run 10K ushios on an HQI ballast, and they are a little too yellow. Try the Ushio 14k's I bet you'd like them.

 

[michaeldaly]

I use the 14000K BLV bulbs, they burn very white.

They are exactly the same bulb as the 14000K Ushio.

 

[hahnmeister]

The pheonix is pretty much a 20,000K w/o an actinic spike. Ushios are almost 10,000Ks.

One bulb Im shocked nobody has mentioned that I would think would work perfectly here would be the Giesemann 14,500K. Its like a sun-blue. Very nice IMO.

 

[ReefDent]

I wouldn't recommend the Giesmann on e-ballasts. They were no less yellow on IceCaps than pretty much any 10000K...

The HQI ballasts do make a difference, though, and it seems that many bulbs that are white/ blue on the HQI's are yellowish on e-ballasts.

James

 

[jcgso]

I think I'm more confused than ever. Lots of varying opinions here. I wish there was a place to see all the different lamps on.

 

[hahnmeister]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9638005#post9638005 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReefDent
I wouldn't recommend the Giesmann on e-ballasts. They were no less yellow on IceCaps than pretty much any 10000K...

The HQI ballasts do make a difference, though, and it seems that many bulbs that are white/ blue on the HQI's are yellowish on e-ballasts.

James

Uh, usually its the other way around James. HQI ballasts run bulbs whiter/warmer than e-ballasts. With the pheonix in particular. On a HQI ballast, the bulb is a pleasing crisp day-blue... but on an Icecap it looks monochromatic blue.

As for the Giesemann, I think you may have this bulb mixed up. There is a 13,000K megachrome, and this bulb is more like a 10,000K. The 14,500K megachrome is a crisp day-blue. Kind of like a Hamilton, but not as green/yellow looking. If I had to describe it, its a bit like running a Ushio 14,000K with a couple of blue+ T5s.

 

[redFishblue]

I just put in Reeflux 12K and it looks very white.
Its whiter than the Phoenix bulb to me but its been just three days.
Its not yellow at all so no need for actinics but I thought it would be bluer.
Being used to 20k's, I might switch out for a Phoenix.