Your opinion on bulbs

[centerforce]

Please give me your opinion on the following two Metal Halide Bulbs
XM 400w 10k and Coralvue 400w 10k
Going to buy new bulbs to start up my reef and looking for the best out of the two

TIA

 

[cee]

What ballast?

Dave

 

[cee]

CV is going to be considerably dimmer but you'll probably like the color better (nice 450 nm spike). XM 10k's are hella-bright, but also quite yellow. XM 172 PAR vs. CV 88 PAR on a M59 ballast (probe magnetic). It's all here:
http://www.reeflightinginfo.arvixe.com/

Dave

 

[fishdoc11]

That's a lot of light for a 120 gallon. What are you planning on keeping?

 

[centerforce]

Going to have Different Corals, fish and Anonomes. I am wanting to be able to keep about anything that I want.
The Ballast is a M-59

 

[Kennetht]

I have two 400W HQI pendants on my 135G. I'm running the PFO dual HQI ballast and Hamilton 14K bulbs. I love the color, everything is growing great, and there is no yellow to be seen. All of my colors pop, and nothing looks drab. Although I am one of those anti 10K people, as I think a reef looks better with some actinic/blue spectrum.

 

[Angela Short]

I would think you could keep anything with 250's in a standard 120. Sometimes too much light is not a good thing and can burn some things as well as rules out lots of softies and LPS not to mention the heat issues and added electricity. But if you already have the 400's thats another story I know you didn't ask for that advice so back on track....
Since you are planning 400's you will get very good penetration to the sand and can go with a higher par value for better color. I run 10K XM's but my tank is 31" deep so I felt I needed the 10K to get as deep in the water as possiable with my 2 250's and 2 175's. I feel it is way too yellow and am planning on switching to the 12K or another 14K and hope the sand bed critters gets enouph light from them. Good luck!

 

[centerforce]

Yes I already have the 400's. Thanks for the advice. I will do some thinking before I make my order.