m/h......different bulbs?
- Thread starter jhueb12
- Start date
beachbumtx
Member
10K are white, correct? Or is there a blue version? I run a 20K and it is blue.
beachbumtx
Member
Well, if the 10K is white, would you still have to provide an atinic blue bulb of some sort to satify the blue spectrum needs of the corals? Or does the 10K Produce blue spectrum light that we can't see?
beachbumtx
Member
Originally posted by Jhueb12
My 10K XM is white, but not the blueish I want. I will supply additional actinics by way of PC's(about 110Watts worth). I dont know if i should go VHO acitincs instead of my PC's, would it put off a noticibly bluer hue???
The halide hoods we sell have atinic PC's already mounted on the inside. A bulb on either side of the halide bulb.
Mind you, I hav enot seen the light out put of this type of set up. Everytime I have seen MH's turned on with another type of bulb, they VHOs.
jhueb12
Member
Beach, from what i've read the 10K dont nessecarily need supplementation, it's just preference. My preference is more towards blue and i will be adding supplementation. Either my PC's of 110watts or buying VHO for 200 watts. cant hurt to add more actinic, just dont know if i want the other bulb to be a little on the blue side as well.
nas19320
Active Member
I'm running 10K XM's but also have (2) T5 Blue plus's for supplementation and so far I like the color though next bulb change I may go with a 14 K bulb. From what I have been told True Actinics spike at 420 nm which is the same for 10 K Xm's, don't quote me on that though because I'm not positive.
beachbumtx
Member
Originally posted by Jhueb12
NAS, I was wondering if anyone did such a thing too. My XM is more white/slight yellow than i bargined for, i'm hoping the atinics could balance the effect if i go with another XM
The problem I see with mixing MHs like that is that you are gonna have half the tank blue and the other half white. You are probably better off running atinic bulbs along with the two 10K MHs to maintain a balance light scheme in the tank.
jhueb12
Member
Beach, that was my thought as well...just wanted to know if somebody actually does it....I still dont know if i should supplement with VHO actincs or stay with the PC...it sounds as if the VHO would be the way to go but that raises more questions such as the ballasts people have had success with and a quality place to purchase them.
beachbumtx
Member
Originally posted by Jhueb12
Beach, that was my thought as well...just wanted to know if somebody actually does it....I still dont know if i should supplement with VHO actincs or stay with the PC...it sounds as if the VHO would be the way to go but that raises more questions such as the ballasts people have had success with and a quality place to purchase them.
PCs may be enough, but hands down, VHOs are better quality over PCs. I have PCs on one of my tanks and it is enough to grow softies, LPS and montipora (SPS). However, any other type of SPS coral will look bad because it is not getting the intensity of light needed. I am thinking of adding two VHO bulbs to the tank. It ought to help out nicely.
I am curious if one can run too much wattage on a tank. On my frag tank, I am running a 400 watt 20K MH and I am guessing about 15 watts per gallon.
jhueb12
Member
you'll get into a whole new ball of wax with the overlighting topic...many more opinions to be had but 15 watts per gallon sounds like a lot. What couldn't you keep with that lighting, absolutely nothing i would guess. Anyone have any luck with the icecap VHO ballasts? I love my icecap Mh ballasts and want to stick the icecap route.
nas19320
Active Member
I don't believe you can really have to much light on a tank. As long as you acclimate everything properly and place lower light corals lower in the tank you should not have a problem. Now wasted light, I don't know, I've always wondered if there was a photosaturation point for corals.