10000 MHs or 13000's

[mpls man]

I'm going to be ordering my MH retro setup and was wondering if i should go with 10000 or 13000 , i'm running 2-96 watt actinics along with them.

 

[robchuck]

Personally, I prefer the subtle blue of a 13,000K-15,000K bulb with actinics, though they don't add much blue to the equation and aren't good for much more than dawn/dusk simulation. But if you are more interested in coral growth than their appearance, I would definately recommend a 10,000K bulb.
For reference, here is a picture of my tank with 2x175W Coralvue 15,000K bulbs supplemented by one 96W Actinic 03 PC bulb.

 

[jblabs]

I'm using 14K bulbs now with 330w PC 10K and I love the look. Tried 20K bulbs and it was too dim (blue), the 14ks seem to be a good comprimise.

 

[golfish]

Stay away from that 13K bulb put out by PFO. I have not read one good thing about it.
IME, stick with a good bulb like the 10K Ushio, it will look great with actinics

 

[mpls man]

any other opinions, where can you buy ushio bulbs , and about how much do they cost?? looks like a lot of people run 10,000K

 

[mpls man]

OK heres another question, I checked into bulbs and there are 2 different kinds USHIO 10,000K and XM 10,000K the difference is $10.00 . which bulb is better??:notsure:

 

[golfish]

The Ushio is a proven bulb that's been around for a long time. The XM is a newer cheaper bulb that's been out for a year or two....175 watter, right?

 

[escape2thewater]

I love my 20,000k radiums! Supplemented with 4 - VHO superactinc R's. I used to run coralife 10,000k's before though & those were nice too, but I like the 20k's better.
Good luck!
KYle
:happyfish

 

[jjboods]

Rob,
Have you had any algae problems since getting the Coralvues?
JJ

 

[robchuck]

Originally posted by jjboods
Rob,
Have you had any algae problems since getting the Coralvues?
JJ
Nope, but I did have some hair algae and bryopsis start to spread before I changed to the Coralvues. It's been about three months now since I've switched the bulbs, and the algae is just about gone.

 

[jjboods]

The guy at my LFS...that I trust...said Coralvues aren't bad, but the quality is inconsistent from bulb to bulb. And I have noticed the the color given by the bulb on the right side of my tank isn't as white and that is the side with more algae. I am starting to think more and more that the bulb(s) are the problem.

 

[golfish]

Originally posted by jjboods
The guy at my LFS...that I trust...said Coralvues aren't bad, but the quality is inconsistent from bulb to bulb. And I have noticed the the color given by the bulb on the right side of my tank isn't as white and that is the side with more algae. I am starting to think more and more that the bulb(s) are the problem.
I like the price and color of the 400 watt 20K bulbs from CV. They look just like the Radium bulb. The only problem is they don't work very well on my PFO HQI ballasts. I have had 4 of them, two worked for 3 weeks, one worked for 2 days and the other has been running for 4 days now. I hope it last a few more weeks :nervous:

 

[jjboods]

As soon as I have a spare $200, I am switching back to AB's. Saving $50 has caused me 6 months of fighting hair algae. You get what you pay for. The CV's are cheap for one reason...they ARE cheap.