Halide bulb recomendations please

[basscyn]

I have a 72" 4x250 halide (hqi) fixture I will be using soon. I bought it used and I want to replace all the bulbs. I know little about halide bulbs and the coloration they emit. This fixture has 4- T-5 supplemental bulbs as well.

Expert opinions appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[acroholic]

Chris,
The popular favorite in DE 250 watt HQI bulbs seems to be the Phoenix 14K. Gives really nice color, and I know a lot of ARC members use them. Very crisp white with a hint of blue. I used them myself when I had a DE fixture on my first reef tank.

MvM uses Phoenix 14Ks on his Solana. You might search under his name 'cause he has a good number of tank shots up on the site.

Before you buy, I'd decide what Kelvin range you want to have in your reef. I like a stronger blue in my tank, as it brings out popping colors in my corals, but some folks do no like the blue 20K bulbs have.

I am limited to the Phoenix 14K bulbs in my actual experience. So maybe some other brand DE owners can chime in?
Dave

 

[enderg60]

250w phoenix bulbs look VERY white on magnetic balasts so be aware of that before you get them.

if your future has some T5's in it and you have magnetic balasts get XM20k's and use the T5's to whiten it up a bit and get some more PAR. If you have electric balasts, then get the phoenix.

 

[grouper therapy]

http://www.manhattanreefs.com/lighting">http://www.manhattanreefs.com/lighting</a>
This is a link to sanjay where you can see the performance of different bulbs on various ballast,
Not a good site for temp color

 

[geno]

Please forgive the intrusion on this thread -- however -- I'm about to replace my 10K bulbs (3x150MH) with the 14K Phoenix bulbs.

Question: Is there an 'shock' to the inhabitants, i.e. corals?

Thanks,
-gene

 

[geno]

Just installed the 14K Phoenix bulbs (3x150) and I LOVE'EM.. They look so much better than the old 10K's that came in my Outer Orbit fixture.

Hope the corals like them as much.

-gene

 

[acroholic]

geno;317633 wrote: Just installed the 14K Phoenix bulbs (3x150) and I LOVE'EM.. They look so much better than the old 10K's that came in my Outer Orbit fixture.

Hope the corals like them as much.

-gene

Current bulbs are at best OK, IMO. I immediately replaced them with Phoenix 14Ks, and just kept the Current bulbs as backup.
Dave

 

[drnecropolis]

 

[basscyn]

Great stuff guys. This is very helpful.

I too have read a lot of positive posts here about the Phoenix bulbs...but Ares makes an interesting point about magnetic ballasts. Mine are!

And you are right. It depends on what I want. But...that poses a bit of a problem as well. I really dont kniow what I want. I mean...I think I like a more blueish (is that a word) color in a bulb. But I have not really been around a lot of halide lit tanks and asked "hey...what kind of bulbs are you running". So... I am literally taking a shot in the dark here. For all I know, I prefere a whiter look. Dunno! Havent got any experience with it. I really wanted to make the T.O.T. for this very reason...but I was tied up.

So...Grouper and Dr.N have given me some great links to research. Any more insight would be most welcome.

Thanks Guys!:up:

 

[grouper therapy]

Sailfish runs 400 watt Helios with pfo hqi ballast super color and really turn out the par for 20k bulbs. His pics are real close to the color if you want view it in the large tank forum (joe's156). I am running radiums 20k on pfo hqi ballast and they are not as blue as Joe's but they have pretty good par value also.

Sailfish's setup 526 watts at 149 ppfd
Grouper's setup 471 watts at 147 ppfd

I don't know how 250 watts rate out on these setups

 

[drnecropolis]

no prob..

 

[grouper therapy]

I went back in the thread and noticed he has de 's
Then I checked the de's on sanjay's site and those phoenix are par monsters!!

 

[dmahoney82]

I've been running Phoenix 14k's for the last 2 years and I love them.

 

[smoothie]

Is it an aqua medic light?

 

[basscyn]

Yes!

 

[smoothie]

Nice!

 

[smoothie]

About to run the 3x250 2x150 72" aquamedic rig. Going pheonix on the 250's, but can't decide on the 150's

 

[basscyn]

I havent heard any one suggest mixing it up. I know with T-5's you can play around with different bulbs on the same fixture to acheive a certain look. I have 4x250 here. Could I mix up the 14k 20k ???

Or is that wrong:unsure: