Need Some Expert Advice On MH Lights

faeck

faeck

New Member
I currently have 3 - 250W Ice Cap MH with 14500K Giesemann Megachrome Whitish Bulbs over my 175 gallon aquarium (29" deep). The aquarium looks too white for me, so I will pose a couple of questions:
1. How do you think it would look if I changed out just the center light with a 20000K bulb??
2. How do you think it would look if I changed out just the two outside lights with a 20000K bulbs??
2. What brand of bulbs would you recommend & why??
I would appreciate any and all advice given...Thanks, Frank
 
scsinet

scsinet

Active Member
I like the Hamilton lamps myself.
Your scenarios with 20K bulbs will look unique to your tank, so anything anyone tells you is going to be more opinion than anything else...
Here's what I would suggest. Why not buy one 20K bulb and try it in the center. If it doesn't look blue enough, then buy another one, and move them to the outside.
I think overall it will mix in okay and give you an even light, but how specifically the combination of your tank will look I couldn't tell you.
Another thing you can try is to find a local reef club. You can probably find someone there who will sell (or even lend) you an old 20K bulb they've replaced, which will give you an idea, then you can buy new bulbs if you like what you see...
 
psusocr1

psusocr1

Active Member
IMO
either change all them or dont change them.. i have tried the one bubl 10K and one bulb 20K and and also one bulb 10 K and one bulb 14 K the difference is WAY to noticible and the tank looks really dumb because it doesnt mix together like you think it would giving it a VERY unevan effect..
WHAT I WOULD DO IS.....
if you dont care about growth as much (since 10K kick but at growing) then go with a 14 or 15 K bulb with supplementation lighting
iw ould keep the bulbs you have and add two 6 foot URI super actinics
then if you still dont think thats neough blue for you add two four footer ontot he two six footers..
iw ent through the same problem , i didnt want to sacrifice growth so i kept the 10K XM's and added 4 six foot URI super actinics and it made it soo blue that i actually went to only two 6 foot actinics instead of the four...
hope that helped
 
zman1

zman1

Active Member
Originally Posted by FAECK
I currently have 3 - 250W Ice Cap MH with 14500K Giesemann Megachrome Whitish Bulbs over my 175 gallon aquarium (29" deep).

I would not change those High Quality, High PAR bulbs out. Those are ones I want to get - next time around - (the coral version)... If you think it's too white, how about adding VHO actinics. I have 20K 250WMH now and they are too blue for me, I changed the VHOs out from actinics to aquasun to counter the blue. To each, his own...
 
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