New Tank = New Lights

[dallassvt]

Hello,
Well my new tank is moving along nicely, cycle started and live rock curing! The tank will be a 90 Gal Bow front with a 75gal Sump/ Fuge.

Pictures to come....
Now I need to get some new MH bulbs..... What would you use?
I am looking to grow SPS and was leaning towards a 10K since I have the PC bulbs to supplement.
Fixture is:
2 250W MH HQI
Hamilton ballast
2 96W PC Actinic 03 (Hamilton bulbs & Ballast)
Thanks

 

[btldreef]

For growth, 10K is the best option.
I will warn you, from personal experience, that the PC's don't do much for yellow color produced by 10K bulbs.
I have XM and Reeflux 10K's.
The XM's are excellent for coral growth, but the color is disgusting! I supplement with 4 T5 bulbs, and it's still not enough to wash out the yellow tint.

 

[dallassvt]

I figured the PC's will be almost useless. I want to upgrade to T5's but the fixture has everything built in. I was also thinking about supplementing with a couple of LED "stunner strips" in the Actinic.
Can you have different MH bulbs in the 2 fixtures, will the light overlap or will that just look weird?
I dont like the 20K "supper blue" look

 

[btldreef]

Quote:
Originally Posted by DallasSVT http:///forum/thread/381465/new-tank-new-lights#post_3323042
I figured the PC's will be almost useless. I want to upgrade to T5's but the fixture has everything built in. I was also thinking about supplementing with a couple of LED "stunner strips" in the Actinic.
Can you have different MH bulbs in the 2 fixtures, will the light overlap or will that just look weird?
I dont like the 20K "supper blue" look

I run a 3 halide system, 2 are 10K Reeflux and 1 is the 10K XM. It does look a little odd, but I keep a LED bar in the center with the XM and that seems to help a lot. I forget the except specs of the LED bar right now, but it's more powerful than your basic moonlight strip.
I agree, the 20K's are terrible.
Have you thought about the 14K. I run a 14K Pheonix halide on another tank and I love it. I've also used Ushio's and they weren't bad.
I've also heard of people putting in 50/50's in the PCs to take away some of the blue coloration that some 14 and 20K bulbs give off.

 

[bullitr]

Just use reeflux 12 k it's a better white than yellow 10 k
I think the par reading on this bulb are very high
I can't keep fish but my corals grow really fast even on a 20 k cheap bulbs even the supposed to be slow growing high end acropora.
soon I will have a LEDs and metal halide combo!
LEDs for color
metal halide for growth.

 

[dallassvt]

I dont mind a bright white!! Cant stand the yellow!
I am going for the LED- MH combo as well, Will keep the PC too. Think I will go with the 12K MH the pc's and some Actinic LED's in the 460nm range! hope it all looks good
BTW: almost finished plumbing!! pics to come