A question for the experts on this forum...
- Thread starter pesci
- Start date
nm reef
Active Member
Originally Posted by pesci
I am in the market for a MH Light kit. The ones I am looking at are a 14000 K bulb. Is there still a need for an actinic lamp? I noticed most MH systems do not have an actinic bulb. Am I correct in assuming that the one MH bulb does the job of the actinic also?
A 14K MH lamp will provide a touch of blue....most hobbyists that use "actinic" supplimentation are looking to balance the color to their eye...the benefits to the system are minimal. What it really comes down to is what pleases your eye. I run 2 10K MH's with 2 actinic VHO's...the combination allows for a real nice dawn/dusk effect ( actinics only for 1 hr before/after MH's) and together the combination produces a brilliant /crisp white light. If I were to run 14K lamps the effect may produce a blueish tinted effect that I don't prefer.
I am in the market for a MH Light kit. The ones I am looking at are a 14000 K bulb. Is there still a need for an actinic lamp? I noticed most MH systems do not have an actinic bulb. Am I correct in assuming that the one MH bulb does the job of the actinic also?
A 14K MH lamp will provide a touch of blue....most hobbyists that use "actinic" supplimentation are looking to balance the color to their eye...the benefits to the system are minimal. What it really comes down to is what pleases your eye. I run 2 10K MH's with 2 actinic VHO's...the combination allows for a real nice dawn/dusk effect ( actinics only for 1 hr before/after MH's) and together the combination produces a brilliant /crisp white light. If I were to run 14K lamps the effect may produce a blueish tinted effect that I don't prefer.
nm reef
Active Member
That could work...what I'm actually saying is "the color of the lighting source is most often a personal choice"...and "it is often better to have two types of lighting source to better allow for a dawn/dusk effect"
14K MH lamps alone will be fine if that is the "look" you prefer.
I'm also saying I don't think I'd run "only" 14 K lamps because to me the "look" is a touch too blue for me personal taste...the light source may be fine....but I don't care for the "look".
14K MH lamps alone will be fine if that is the "look" you prefer.
I'm also saying I don't think I'd run "only" 14 K lamps because to me the "look" is a touch too blue for me personal taste...the light source may be fine....but I don't care for the "look".
T
thomas712
Guest
I happen to prefer the 10k MH bulb also, XM and Ushio give a good crisp brite light. I too like to balance the look with a couple of VHO URI actinic bulbs as well as a couple of URI 50/50 bulbs as well.
In this way I can click on the VHO for a couple hours before blinding the fish with the MH bulbs right away, then after the MH bulbs have been on they get shut off and then a couple hours after that the VHO go off.
In this way I can click on the VHO for a couple hours before blinding the fish with the MH bulbs right away, then after the MH bulbs have been on they get shut off and then a couple hours after that the VHO go off.
buzzword
Member
Pesci I do the same thing with my lighting as NM and Reefnut do; but I have 14K MH with PC actinics and PC 50/50's. This way my tank is not too blue or white. I do actually a 3 light dusk to dawn effect; actinics first for an hour then 50/50's come on for an hour then MH for 8hrs and then reverse the sequence for dusk.