Question about 14k lighting

[stroid]

would it be safe to say that a 14k bulb has a white color with a blue tint? I switched from a 10k to a 14k last night and I really didnt like the more white/yellow look...my actinics help but the 10k was a really nice color in my tank made the corals look great.

 

[james s_]

Stroid;68757 wrote: would it be safe to say that a 14k bulb has a white color with a blue tint? I switched from a 10k to a 14k last night and I really didnt like the more white/yellow look...my actinics help but the 10k was a really nice color in my tank made the corals look great.

You may need to give the bulb time to burn in a bit.It shouldnt be a yellow tint.The yellow tint's are more around the 5600k range. What brand bulb is it?

 

[stroid]

Hamilton 14k 175w

 

[showtime305]

It's always seemed like the 14k bulbs start off with a really blue tint and eventually burn into the white with blue tint. I've never seen a bulb go from yellow tint to blue tint.

 

[stroid]

maybe Yellow isnt the right color to describe it with..I would say it looks more like natural sunlight would shinning into my tank maybe its white. My corals just seem to look alot more dull not nearly as vibrant as with the 10k's maybe when i get home from work today the bulbs would have lit up a bit more.

 

[stroid]

delete my posts please..didnt mean to hijack thought it was on topic.

 

[schwaggs]

14K should be more blue than 10K. Are you saying the 14K looks more white than the 10K?

 

[stroid]

I would say the corals arent as florescent....I really dont think I am nailing the color I am seeing. I feel like with my 10k bulbs it was a nice comfortable color that is pleasing to the eye. Ill try to snap some pictures when i get home but I am not sure you will be able to tell a difference. I did notice my few yellow zoas were really yellow looking under these lights. Could the bulb be old?

 

[stroid]

I traded a bulb i had for it I believe it was an item from the BOC from Champion lighting. my 10k lights definitly seemed brighter

 

[stroid]

well I will check things out at home and ill try to get a picture. Maybe I just need to adjust from the 10ks to the 14ks.

 

[schwaggs]

The 10Ks that came with my fixture were very white. The coral colors were very flat in my tank. When I changed to 14K bulbs, the light was much bluer and the coral colors seemed to pop more.

Maybe the bulb you got really isn't a 14K bulb?

In any event, if you like the 10Ks, why change?

 

[stroid]

the bulb clearly says Hamilton 175w 14k Blue on it so im pretty sure it is what it says. I switched because I have heard of better growth using a 14k and my 10k bulb was getting really old and needed to be switched out. I may hook up my other bulb tonight and look for differences. I wish i had two fixtures that way I could test both at the same time lol

 

[stroid]

i had a picture on my cell phone from when the tank had teh 10ks

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here is a photo with the 14k without actinics on

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here is a photo of the 14k with actinics on

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Best I can do with my cell phone my girlfriend has my digital

 

[stroid]

well i had them off all night then back on during the day i will try it now

 

[stroid]

Nope no difference...I think the bulb may be messed up there is no way this is the right color.

 

[dorian965]

yea, thats not cool. somthing is screwey.the first looks like 14k's and the second apears as 10k. i have run both and never seen that. i even used hamilton 14k's. very nice blue-white light. not sure what would be causing it but its definatly not right.