MH question

[dragracer]

I am in the process of setting up my "big" tank now that we bought a house and I have room for it. A freind got out of the hobby and gave me a ton of equiptment..including a MH set up........I am not sure what the bulbs are......I know they are mogul based

[hr]
ins and the ballast is for two 175 watt bulbs...........one is kind of yellow and one is bright white with a hint of blue. I am going to get new bulbs in the next couple of days......here is my question.....I have a 75 gallon which will have mostly LR and fish......maybe an occasional coral here and there but nothing too serious.......based on that......what K bulbs should I look into? Thanks guys and gals!

 

[m0nk]

Well, the K rating on the bulbs doesn't really depend on the stock so much as what you want out of the bulb. A 10k bulb will be a whiter color that promotes more/faster growth. A 14k will have slightly bluer tinting and still provide growth but at a slower rate. A 20k bulb will be even more blue and have the slowest growth rate of the 3. There are other in-between rating, such as 15k, but these are the 3 main ones you'll find. I don't even know if there is a mogul base 15k made. You might find that you like the look of one vs the other, or you may want faster growth. So it's really a personal preference.
-HTH

 

[chris22582]

Iwasaki makes a 15k in mogal 175. I have it and love it. Its very bright and crisp. Im getting good growth and color with them.

 

[dragracer]

so.......not too sound cheap or like I am cutting corners here, but what is to stop me from going to Lowes and buying a 10k 175w MH bulb for 22 bucks as apposed to the same thing from a fish store or site for 59.99? This is my first time delving into the MH world.

 

[salt210]

there is probably a difference with par values and lumens

 

[wangotango]

Originally Posted by salt210
http:///forum/post/2806670
there is probably a difference with par values and lumens
Plus color can also vary slightly with manufacturer. Even if it's a 10K lamp, Ushio might be white while XM might be more yellow.
I would stick with name brands personally.
-Justin