MH BUlbs

[drsteve2001]

Bought a odyessa 250w halide and have heard the bulbs they give u are not very good (yellow) not even sure what type of bulb it is. What are poeples opinions on the best bulb and how many K? I dont see the yellow but have never seen a differant bulb to know the differance?

 

[jackri]

The "best" is up for debate. Generally the lower the kelvin rating the more yellow it is and the higher the more blue to white you get.
You probably have a 10k bulb -- pretty standard in those fixtures. I switched my Current USA stock 10k bulbs for phoenix 14k's and it's a lot more blue/crisp looking. 20k's are even more white.
Now also as a "general" rule of thumb the lower kelvin rating gives you better growth as well. This is just a general rule of thumb as some people get amazing growth out of 20k's but there are a lot of factors involved with growth -- lighting being just one.
Hope this sheds some light on the subject

 

[btldreef]

Wait....... don't bulbs go yellow, then white, then blue as the K increases? That's what I've always experienced and read.
I had 10K bulbs - yellow
14K bulbs now - white w/ a slight blue tint.
Used 20K on a friends tank - very BLUE!
10k usually has the best growth, 14K usually brings out the color of the coral and a decent growth, 20k makes the colors pop, but you usually sacrifice growth speed

 

[drsteve2001]

it is a 15k bulb just not sure what brand the bulb is...just not sure if i should bother buying a phoenix bulb...is there a big differance between two brands of 14k lights

 

[btldreef]

Originally Posted by drsteve2001
http:///forum/post/3203665
it is a 15k bulb just not sure what brand the bulb is...just not sure if i should bother buying a phoenix bulb...is there a big differance between two brands of 14k lights
It's the stock bulb, and you should replace it.
Each brand is slightly different. Ex: coralife 10k isn't that yellow while Hamilton is almost gold.
Pheonix and Ushio are the nicest, IMO, but it is all personal taste.
There is a website floating around (might be in a reef central thread) where someone compares the colors/ look of different brands and Kelvin ratings with pics. try googling it

 

[jackri]

There can be a lot of difference between manufacturers. One bulb isn't necassarily as good as the next.
I could be wrong but I thought 20k is a lot more white and crisp.

 

[bang guy]

Originally Posted by jackri
http:///forum/post/3203676
There can be a lot of difference between manufacturers. One bulb isn't necassarily as good as the next.
I could be wrong but I thought 20k is a lot more white and crisp.
All of the 20,000K bulbs I've seen are very blue.