20,000 K tank

[cheapfish1]

ok well actually thats just the metal halide bulb that came with my setup? It is a 20k 150 watt double ended MH over my 30 gal, supplemented with 26 watts or so of actinics. I have just recently read that 20 k isnt neccesarily good for a reef but will it allow my corals to still live and be healthy or should i switch to a lower K
thanks
mike

 

[reefiness]

your corals should be ok, but with a 150w 20k with added actinics that must be an extemely blue tank. you should get a 10k if you are going to use actinics to get a nice color. but i think that if you can deal with the blue i think your coral should be ok.

 

[cheapfish1]

yeah i dont think i will have a real issue with the blue as long as the corals do ok. I so cant wait to get the lights they come tomorrow or wednesday

 

[reefiness]

well the 20k will definately be ok for the coral except they will grow slower, so after the 12-18 month life which DE bulb have then i would suggest the 14k or 10k to get better growth.
and also you said the lights are coming tomorrow, meaning you havent seen the color of it?
boy are they going to suprise you when you see a 150w 20k bulb with actinics

 

[cheapfish1]

is it going to be that bad?

 

[gotzoox]

your 20k bulb is just fine. appropriate flow and good chemistry are just as important if not more important for coral growth.

 

[escape2thewater]

The 20k light will not look blue at all in person, only in pics. You will like it just fine and so will your corals. Ive been running 250w 20k radiums for about 1 1/2 years now they look great and my corals are growing like weeds so you have nothing to worry about. Good luck.
Escape

 

[db]

The color of the bulb will depend upon the brand. Some DE 20K bulbs actually are more white with a hint of blue. It really can very from brand to brand. If you are keeping a softie and lps tank than you will still have good growth. 20K bulbs can result in slow growth when you are talking about SPS.

 

[cheapfish1]

yeah i just want to keep an anemone and some zoos. O and i got it plugged it in and it looked great until the bracket gave way and it went for a swim. Letting it dry out and planning the rehang lol. No fish were harmed due to the 200 watts