DE MH bulbs color?
- Thread starter mujtba
- Start date
mujtba
Member
they are fairly new.. but i dont think there is any change in color..
1. it is 250W DE bulbs.. I dont see any hint of blue in it.. so I am assuming it is 10K?
2. so what K should I get that will be blue?
3. If i get a 14K MH bulb or higher K, will that do it? also, will I need my actinics with it then?
4. Is this good:
20K 250watt HQI Metal Halide Bulb - EVC Tech
5. Could you plz explain the difference to me between Ks?
could you guys please answer all questions?
1. it is 250W DE bulbs.. I dont see any hint of blue in it.. so I am assuming it is 10K?
2. so what K should I get that will be blue?
3. If i get a 14K MH bulb or higher K, will that do it? also, will I need my actinics with it then?
4. Is this good:
20K 250watt HQI Metal Halide Bulb - EVC Tech
5. Could you plz explain the difference to me between Ks?
could you guys please answer all questions?
squidd
Active Member
Originally posted by mujtba
1. it is 250W DE bulbs.. I dont see any hint of blue in it.. so I am assuming it is 10K?
>>> Maybe.. But it might be a 6700K or even a 5000K for all we know, Having a "baseline" to know where we're strating from and what brand will help tremendously in choosing a direction to go...
Should be written "on" the bulb itself ...<<<
2. so what K should I get that will be blue?
>> Higher than whatever it is you have for sure...BUT some bulbs in the same K can have different "looks" so knowing what brand you have will help as well...<<<
3. If i get a 14K MH bulb or higher K, will that do it? also, will I need my actinics with it then?
>>> That also depends on "what you had" ...."what you get"....and "what your looking for"....If it's too blue after you change you may want to switch them to 50/50s or even 10Ks to "whiten" the tank back up... or "you" may like the tone..or "you" may want even more blue...The "Blue Look" is really more for "your" benifit than the corals...<<<
4. Is this good:
20K 250watt HQI Metal Halide Bulb - EVC Tech
>>>There are better.. . but alot depends on what your looking for ..price, PAR or curb appeal...With a little "searching" on your part , you should be able to come up with some "color chart comparisons" of different MH bulbs to help you narrow down your choices in "color" and then compare brands vs. ballast to get the most PAR for the buck...<<<
5. Could you plz explain the difference to me between Ks?
"K" is a measure of color "tempreture" over a band of radiation wavelegnths...The PAR or photosyntheticly available radiation is what the corals are interested in...the resultant "visual" band width (or color) is what you seem to be interested in... While higher "K" bulbs will tend to be more blue, that is not always the case especially when comparing different brands and/or running them on different ballasts...<<<
could you guys please answer all questions?
>>>"Some" of the questions can only be answered by you...<<<
1. it is 250W DE bulbs.. I dont see any hint of blue in it.. so I am assuming it is 10K?
>>> Maybe.. But it might be a 6700K or even a 5000K for all we know, Having a "baseline" to know where we're strating from and what brand will help tremendously in choosing a direction to go...
Should be written "on" the bulb itself ...<<<
2. so what K should I get that will be blue?
>> Higher than whatever it is you have for sure...BUT some bulbs in the same K can have different "looks" so knowing what brand you have will help as well...<<<
3. If i get a 14K MH bulb or higher K, will that do it? also, will I need my actinics with it then?
>>> That also depends on "what you had" ...."what you get"....and "what your looking for"....If it's too blue after you change you may want to switch them to 50/50s or even 10Ks to "whiten" the tank back up... or "you" may like the tone..or "you" may want even more blue...The "Blue Look" is really more for "your" benifit than the corals...<<<
4. Is this good:
20K 250watt HQI Metal Halide Bulb - EVC Tech
>>>There are better.. . but alot depends on what your looking for ..price, PAR or curb appeal...With a little "searching" on your part , you should be able to come up with some "color chart comparisons" of different MH bulbs to help you narrow down your choices in "color" and then compare brands vs. ballast to get the most PAR for the buck...<<<
5. Could you plz explain the difference to me between Ks?
"K" is a measure of color "tempreture" over a band of radiation wavelegnths...The PAR or photosyntheticly available radiation is what the corals are interested in...the resultant "visual" band width (or color) is what you seem to be interested in... While higher "K" bulbs will tend to be more blue, that is not always the case especially when comparing different brands and/or running them on different ballasts...<<<
could you guys please answer all questions?
>>>"Some" of the questions can only be answered by you...<<<
squidd
Active Member
DE (double ended) bulbs need a seperate fixture with a UV protective glass cover...
I thought you already had this thing up and running...???:notsure:
You cannot run a 175 bulb on a 250 ballast...
175 bulbs are SE (single ended or "mogul" style as are SE 250s)...
DE 250s are a different animal compleatly...
I thought you already had this thing up and running...? :thinking:
So what do you have...SE or DE ...??
I thought you already had this thing up and running...???:notsure:
You cannot run a 175 bulb on a 250 ballast...
175 bulbs are SE (single ended or "mogul" style as are SE 250s)...
DE 250s are a different animal compleatly...
I thought you already had this thing up and running...? :thinking:
So what do you have...SE or DE ...??
ebsochin
Member
Just my opinion, but I have 2 HQI DE 250W Ushio bulbs 10,000 K and 4 160 W VHO actintics and it gives as an awesome look to the tank. If you go with the higher K for the MH then you will get a blue look with the lighting. Most 20K bulbs are quite blue. As Squidd said, if you went that way you may want some white to balance it out. It really is all up to what you want the look to be. HTH.
mujtba
Member
dam.. i have 250 DE MH bulbs x 2. With the 250W ballasts already UP AND RUNNING!!!
it is in a canopy. all i have is some glass covers as spash protection.. what do I do about the UV shields?
can I buy DE bulbs with UV shield in it??
BUT i have some soft corals which do not look so healthy..
do you think its a UV problem? thats why I was thinking of putting a lower Watt bulb in there...
please advise...
it is in a canopy. all i have is some glass covers as spash protection.. what do I do about the UV shields?
can I buy DE bulbs with UV shield in it??
BUT i have some soft corals which do not look so healthy..
do you think its a UV problem? thats why I was thinking of putting a lower Watt bulb in there...
please advise...
squidd
Active Member
Can you post a pic of your set up or perhaps explain the "splash guards" a bit more...
How do you have the bulbs mounted in the canopy...? What are you using for reflectors ....?
Are they in their own seperate "pendant/fixtures"...?
Is that the glass "splash guard" you are talking about...?
If so that "IS" the UV shield...
If it's different let me know...
How do you have the bulbs mounted in the canopy...? What are you using for reflectors ....?
Are they in their own seperate "pendant/fixtures"...?
Is that the glass "splash guard" you are talking about...?
If so that "IS" the UV shield...
If it's different let me know...
mujtba
Member
ok i mounted the reflectors on the top of the canopy. the reflectors are in their own fixtures.. meaning, there is 1 for each bulb, and total of 2 reflectors. . then in the reflectors are the bulbs mounted in their sockets.
on top of my tank are glass covers which I got from LOWES.. i dont think it has UV protection.. its just being used as a splash guard. it is your typical glass.
so how do I go about getting UV protection?
on top of my tank are glass covers which I got from LOWES.. i dont think it has UV protection.. its just being used as a splash guard. it is your typical glass.
so how do I go about getting UV protection?
mujtba
Member
ok i mounted the reflectors on the top of the canopy. the reflectors are in their own fixtures.. meaning, there is 1 for each bulb, and total of 2 reflectors. . then in the reflectors are the bulbs mounted in their sockets.
on top of my tank are glass covers which I got from LOWES.. i dont think it has UV protection.. its just being used as a splash guard. it is your typical glass.
so how do I go about getting UV protection?
on top of my tank are glass covers which I got from LOWES.. i dont think it has UV protection.. its just being used as a splash guard. it is your typical glass.
so how do I go about getting UV protection?
squidd
Active Member
Originally posted by mujtba
ok i mounted the reflectors on the top of the canopy. the reflectors are in their own fixtures.. meaning, there is 1 for each bulb, and total of 2 reflectors. . then in the reflectors are the bulbs mounted in their sockets.
on top of my tank are glass covers which I got from LOWES.. i dont think it has UV protection.. its just being used as a splash guard. it is your typical glass.
so how do I go about getting UV protection?
That's what I thought you were talking about...just glass covers on the tank...
Now the question arises (comes back) can you post a pic of the "fixtures/pendants" you have..?
Most all DE "fixtures" (pendant/reflector/socket) come with the glass shield on the face...
Do your fixtures have a slot for UV shields...? Are they missing...?
Did you get this used...?
Is there a way to affix glass plates over the fixtures to provide UV shielding ...?
mujtba
Member
i dont have any pics yet, but ill try to describe it..
basically what i did was strip this:
AquaMedic Ocean Light 48" 2 x 250W plus 2x54W T5 - Black
you can search it up for a pic... we cant post external links...
so it has no glass covers on it..
i just ordered some UV glass... im gona have to find a way to mount it.. using L brackets...
basically what i did was strip this:
AquaMedic Ocean Light 48" 2 x 250W plus 2x54W T5 - Black
you can search it up for a pic... we cant post external links...
so it has no glass covers on it..
i just ordered some UV glass... im gona have to find a way to mount it.. using L brackets...
beachlife
New Member
The "Blue Look" is really more for "your" benifit than the corals...<<<
Sorry squidd I have to disagree with you there..... The blue (actinic) benifit the corals alot... Espesially with talller tanks. the blue (higher end of the spectrum) penetrates more deeply in sea water..... They are also good for bio-chemical reactions that take plase in the tissuse of photosynthetic organisms......
Some people that have the best of marine lighting (Including myself) still use the more blue bulbs......
While I understand where you are coming form there are not nearly as important as the "whiter" sprectrum daylight bulbs I stilll think they are good to include in a lighting setup.....
Plus the dawn to dusk effect greatly benefits corals by simulating more natural lighting.....
Just my imput....
john.
Sorry squidd I have to disagree with you there..... The blue (actinic) benifit the corals alot... Espesially with talller tanks. the blue (higher end of the spectrum) penetrates more deeply in sea water..... They are also good for bio-chemical reactions that take plase in the tissuse of photosynthetic organisms......
Some people that have the best of marine lighting (Including myself) still use the more blue bulbs......
While I understand where you are coming form there are not nearly as important as the "whiter" sprectrum daylight bulbs I stilll think they are good to include in a lighting setup.....
Plus the dawn to dusk effect greatly benefits corals by simulating more natural lighting.....
Just my imput....
john.
squidd
Active Member
Well as long as we're "disagreeing"..."Actinic" refers to the wave legnth the bulb opperates in which is what gives it the "penatrating" as well as flourecent effect...
The "blue" you see is just the result of the MFG process and phosphors used to create the wavelength..
There are white actinics as well as blue...
MH bulbs run pretty much the full spectrum (including the actinic wavelengths) sending much more photosynthetic radiation to the depths than any PC or VHO actinic ever will...
The K ratings are based on the dominant spectral wavelength and the visual colors are a byproduct of wave reflection...
There are 20K bulbs that "visually" are whiter than some 14 and 15K...
Again the "blue" is for your benifit ...The corals are interested in the PAR...
Although I agree the "Dawn and Dusk" lighting does make a nice visual effect in blue, it could be duplicated in the white (10k) spectrum as well as a "single, double, triple, double, single MH setup and have no difference in coral growth...