Need advice on Metal Halides

[saltyguy]

I am going to upgrade from 260 watt pc to 2x250 watt MH, and want to know if I should go with 14K or 20K bulbs. I plan on Retro fitting the MH"s with 2 65 watt actinic blue PC's and wonder if 20K with the actinics will be too blue. Would love to get some feedback.

 

[reefer123]

go with the 14k, i have 2x250 watt halides with just the 14k bulbs and no other light, over a 65 gallon, and it is perfect.

 

[salisbury a d]

I upgraded to MH a year ago and i just bought my first replacement bulb. I had a 10k, but i decided to get 20k this time. I personally think its a bit too blue and i might go for something less next time. But then again i do have two 95 watt vho actinics with it.
If you buy mh bulbs from hamilton technology then test them out immediately, i had to return a few because they didnt work.
Adam

 

[murph145]

yeah id say do the 14K's with or without actinics u would be fine...
i got 2-250W 20K HQI DE bulbs over my 100 gallon tank and it was a lil too blue for what i like but i evened them out by adding almost 200W of 10K PC lighting it gives it a more realistic effect now....

 

[nm reef]

I've seen a few tanks running 20K's and personally I don't care much for the look. I run 2x400 10K MH's and 2x110 VHO actinics. My actinics come on a hour before and stay on a hour after my MH's.....the 20K MH's I've seen look a lot like my VHO actinics only....a nice dawn/dusk effect.....the 20K's I've seen are like my VHO actinics...way too blue for me.

 

[murph145]

i agree NM a lil too blue but luckily i had some 10K PC's layin around that kinda help add yellow back to the tank i think next time ill switch to the 14K's with a mixed PC combo see what that does

 

[jer4916]

i have 4 attinic blubs in my tank and 2 400watt 20k mh's and i LOVE the color of my tank...its more of a white then a blue...but ..its personal pref.
i would suggest 20k myself
~Chris

 

[oceana]

i also love 20k. but without any actinic. if i ran actinic it would be much much to blue.
i use radium bulbs. i have seen other brand bulbs and they where to blue for me.
figures i would chose one of the most expensive bulbs lol
20k does make it rather hard for me to take pics however. but that could just be my camera

 

[escape2thewater]

Originally Posted by oceana
i also love 20k. but without any actinic. if i ran actinic it would be much much to blue.
i use radium bulbs. i have seen other brand bulbs and they where to blue for me.
figures i would chose one of the most expensive bulbs lol
20k does make it rather hard for me to take pics however. but that could just be my camera

I run radiums too. You gotta hate when its time to replace them! I have a hard time taking pics with them on too, its always very blue, like if it was only actinics. It looks nothing like that in person though. I might try diffrent bulbs next time too, ill have to think about that one.
Escape
:happyfish

 

[jambi0n]

yeah the 14's are perfect from what i heard, and the 20's are just too blue. i'm going to be upgrading to the 14's hopefully next month if the paycheck allows it...
also, has anyone mixxed them? maybe a 10k and a 14k or a 20k, or is that bad?

 

[jer4916]

my 20k's seem more white then blue....but thats just me