Xenon vs Argon in a Reef?

[Menace2Sobriety]

Just curious. Doesn't seem to be any RECENT info around on this...

Xenon HID head-lights for a car are Metal Halide which use Xenon Gas as opposed to the argon gas in the Metal Halides sold as "reef lights".

Anyone done any long term experiments on corals using Xenon HID vehicle headlamp bulbs?

Reason I'm asking is because of the wider range of color temp available with the headlights. With LED's everyone runs various color temps of white... then the blue.. then some purples/UV. Well instead of running 2 big 10000K Halides why not run a couple 6500k, 8000k, and 14000k Headlights?

Is the Xenon gas not producing the proper light radiation? Or is it a situation where MH is just so cheap on places like e-bay it's not worth the risk of "testing" them?

Would be simple to hook up... cheap on electricity... replacement bulbs are a dime a dozen now adays (they were $30 each when people started experimenting with them for reefing back in 2005 ish...)

Also the Watt per gallon generalization when running 12v lighting get's tossed right out the window. a Xenon HID High Beam throws just as many (if not more) Lumens than your 400 W reef bulbs...

Menace

 

[Gorgok]

Also the Watt per gallon generalization when running 12v lighting get's tossed right out the window. a Xenon HID High Beam throws just as many (if not more) Lumens than your 400 W reef bulbs...

Lumens per watt may be similar (if you pay for it, Walmart has some cheap stuff that is half much worse), but total lumens is limited by the fact those things usually run around 35 watts. To get the same lighting as a single 400W MH you will need 11 bulbs. Based on bulk reef supply its around $80 to replace the MH, and even based on Walmart garbage (1300 lumen) its $99 to replace the set of 11 bulbs (but at 1300 lumen you would need more like 15 bulbs).