New lighting option?

[skriz]

This could be the next generation in tank lighting...

 

[skriz]

yep, that was my thought. I doubt it will take very long for them to progress on this. Should be interesting to see how it pans out.

 

[skriz]

ha! you should hear my basement...I have four of the industrial ballasts buzzing away! those beasts are loud!

 

[roland jacques]

140 lumens per watt sounds nice

 

[FutureInterest]

Wow cool.

 

[ericmcj31]

nice

 

[fishfiend]

Has anyone heard that certain spectrum bulbs are "monopolized" in the aquarium trade? I went to grab a regular 400w 67K bulb from a local lighting shop.

I was shocked when it was $25 instead of $96 for a 20K bulb. When I asked him why this was he told me that it was because stores like his aren't able to get those temp bulbs because they aren't used for anything else but the aquarium hobby.

Think this might affect new works like this? Can anyone else verify the claim?

 

[jaustin]

those bulbs are cheap because they have low PAR. You get what you pay for in lights. I have a 20$ 20K 175w metal halide and it sucks....it has a wonderfull color though but it won't grow coral for crap. I bit the bullet and bought Iwasaki 175w mh and in two days my corals are extending their polyps further and they are begining to color up more.

That light you bought will work but don't expect it to puch light more than a couple inches into the water.

They are however great for a shallow frag tank, then again so are retired expensive bulbs.

just my .02
Jason

 

[roland jacques]

Fishfiend;156615 wrote: Has anyone heard that certain spectrum bulbs are "monopolized" in the aquarium trade? I went to grab a regular 400w 67K bulb from a local lighting shop.

I was shocked when it was $25 instead of $96 for a 20K bulb. When I asked him why this was he told me that it was because stores like his aren't able to get those temp bulbs because they aren't used for anything else but the aquarium hobby.

Think this might affect new works like this? Can anyone else verify the claim?

In a nutshell. yes

 

[roland jacques]

Many cheap MH lamps put out plenty of PAR but they look just bad. And plenty of high dollar lamps put out relativily poor PAR but can look great

 

[jaustin]

I have several lamps that look great and are cheap but they suck! The money isn't realy in the Kalven but the intensity. You can get low cost high Kalven but they won't grow coral for crap.

 

[roland jacques]

they are many sites with Par number
http://www.cnidarianreef.com/lamps.cfm">http://www.cnidarianreef.com/lamps.cfm</a>

[IMG]http://www.reeflightinginfo.arvixe.com/selectperformancedata.php">http://www.reeflightinginfo.arvixe.com/selectperformancedata.php</a>

 

[jaustin]

yeah, cheapo anything sucks realy. I'm sure there is one or two good cheap bulbs....we just haven't found them yet. The closest I found were the Plusrite brand on ebay for like 10$. Those would work for a shallow frag tank..or for keeping fries warm.

 

[roland jacques]

JAustin;156644 wrote: I have several lamps that look great and are cheap but they suck! The money isn't realy in the Kalven but the intensity. You can get low cost high Kalven but they won't grow coral for crap.

I disagree with you. Most 65k lamps that sell retail around $35 or less put out MORE PAR than the Majority of 20K lamps and probably even most of 14 k lamps that cost 3Xs more. They will push as deep as any equivalent size point light source with the same PAR. Cost has nothing to do with how deep a light will penetrate or intensity. Before their where even any 10K,12k, ... lamps made, people where growing Corals, Plant... at great rates with 65k lamps. The problem with them is the Color Spectrum and Color temp.

The things that make some High dollar lamps worth buying IMO is 1 efficiency. PAR To Watts ratio. And 2 the color, what make your corals color up and look good to you.

 

[cgill311]

dawgdude;156569 wrote: Looks like if they could knock the spectrum up a few thousand kelvin then it would be perfect.

The article said the bulbs work using an argon plasma. I'm guessing you can tune the kelvin rating by using different mixtures of argon and other gases. This is how neon lights and those cool plasma balls get their different colors.

 

[kwl1763]

It's not like aquarium market has a special patent or right to those high kelvins it's just we are the only ones who create demand for that spectrum light. Who else would need/want it!