What bulbs are you using?

Scott · Post by **Scott** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 9:20 pm

I am thinking of redoing some of the stuff on my tank. The first thing I plan on changing are the lights. I wil probably stick with my VHO's for actinic but I am changing the 20k halides for sure.

So, what bulbs do you use? Tell us about all the bulbs (MH, VHO, PC, NO T-5, ect.) that you use and any information you can include.

Thanks,
Scott

Fishfood · Post by **Fishfood** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 9:34 pm

MH run on 2 different Electronic Ballasts - ARO for both i think
2x 250 DE MH Phoenix 14k bulbs

T5 run on 1 Icecap 430
1 Five ft. ATI 11K(Aquablue) T5 80 Watts (Very Yellow by itself)
1 Five ft. CoralVue HO T5 Actinic 80 Watts

I added the T5's so i could cut back my MH. The 2 T5 bulbs aren't the brightest on the tank but they do provide a different spectrum. My T5 come on at about 3:30PM and go off at about 11PM. MH come on at about 6PM and go off around 10PM.

LoneStar · Post by **LoneStar** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 10:25 pm

I have 4 VHOs (super actinics) and 3 400 watt MHs. I rarely ever turn on the VHOs. I have had XMs, Coralvue (sp?), and sunaquatics bulbs, all of which were 20K. I prefer the XMs but the coralvue are the easiest to buy locally. I was able to get decent growth and great coloration out of each of these bulbs.

Before the 20K, I ran 6.5K bulbs. Great growth but eventually everything turned a dull brown.

Jeremy

Scott · Post by **Scott** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 12:04 am

I used to use the 6.5k 400w and then the 6.5k 250w and now the 250w 20k. Now I my growth has slowed or stopped. The colors are coming back but mostly greens. I am thinking of 10k XM's or 10k Ushio's. The Ushios are just a bit more expensive, expensive enough that I could buy a coral or two for the difference. I also use and have always used URI 03 110 watt bulbs for supplimentation.

On my sons tank I will be using 55 watt PC's for a mixed reef.

Redfish · Post by **Redfish** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 12:22 am

Three 250watt AB 10k DE bulbs in PFO mini pendants driven by PFO hqi ballasts supplemented with three five foot VHO driven by A4 ballast. VHO bulbs are two actinic and one 50/50.

MH are 8 inches above the water, vho a little closer. MH run 6 hours per day, vho run 17 hours per day.

Growth and color are great.

medikall · Post by **medikall** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 6:07 am

I am using 2 250w Single ended Ushio 10k bulbs and and uri 03 actinic. All run for 8 hours a day. I like this mix because I keep color and get decent growth as well.

sb1227 · Post by **sb1227** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 7:37 am

I use 2 Geismann 13K 150W. HQI Bulbs on Icecap electronic ballasts with 2-54W T5 blueplus actinics on the 75 gallon.
2-65 W power compacts on the 20.

Scott I think you'd be much happier going with something in the 10-14k range. Like any bulbs you just have to find a good one that works for you. I've noticed most of the ones that are generally reccommended are not necessarily the one's I'm happy with for my tank. Personally I'm sticking with the Geismann. They have the best color appearance and most balance for growth and color in my tank.

What's interesting to me is I've never seen these bulbs recommended by people.

That's ok, I swear by them.

Scott · Post by **Scott** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 10:09 am

Looking at the PAR on a M58 ballast, I think I am going with the XM 10k. It has the highest PAR of any bulb except the Iwasaki. I may also add 2 more VHO's but they may not be all 03's.

Thanks for the input,
Scott

Fishfood · Post by **Fishfood** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 10:54 am

sb1227 wrote:I use 2 Geismann 13K 150W. HQI Bulbs on Icecap electronic ballasts with 2-54W T5 blueplus actinics on the 75 gallon.
2-65 W power compacts on the 20.

Scott I think you'd be much happier going with something in the 10-14k range. Like any bulbs you just have to find a good one that works for you. I've noticed most of the ones that are generally reccommended are not necessarily the one's I'm happy with for my tank. Personally I'm sticking with the Geismann. They have the best color appearance and most balance for growth and color in my tank.

What's interesting to me is I've never seen these bulbs recommended by people. That's ok, I swear by them.

I had the Geismann 13k before for my 250 before. I still have one. I got some replacement bulbs for cheap (Hamilton 14k $50.00) and had to try them out. While changing out bulbs I broke one of the 13k bulbs. I didn't really like the Hamilton but ran them anyway becuase of the price and becuase i broke the one Geismann. I have recenlty switched to the 14k Phoenix bulbs and I like them the best, then the Geismann bulbs. With the calium reactor I have some of the best growth i have ever had. Now I can't say if i would have had the reactor while running the Geismann that they would have been good or bad. The reason i won't buy the Geismann again is because of the price. I can get the Phoenix bulbs for $30 less or something like that. Since I'm only running them for 4 hours a day I would hope they last a little bit longer.

sb1227 · Post by **sb1227** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 5:57 pm

They are a little ridiculous on the price, I figure that's why most people don't use them. I have thought of trying cheaper bulbs but have had such good luck I thought it would be a mistake to change. I had wondered about the Phoenix bulbs, they've gotten alot of good comments.
When did you add your calcium reactor? Did you notice any problems with your SPS?

Fishfood · Post by **Fishfood** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 11:36 am

Its hard to pinpoint how things are going with my tank. Under all the bulbs I have had growth. Basically encrusting since most of the stuff i have are frags, 95% anyway. I have had problems getting the reactor where I need it so its not working 100% of the time and i don't know when the last time i checked the calcium was. Months!

I had a red bug problem while i was still running the hamilton bulbs. That did a number to most of my acros. Shortly after I had that under control i decided to add the T5's and ordered the Phoenix bulbs at the same time. I think I fried a lot of things when I added the T5's. It was only two bulbs but brand knew with individual reflectors. They were both 11k bulbs to begin with. I had them going for 8 hrs a day and cut my mh back to 2 at that time, from 8. Things went bad again, then my ballast died for the T5's and I had to get it replaced. I bumped the MH up to about 4 hrs a day at that point. When i got the T5 back up i switched one of the bulbs to an actinc because the tank just looked sick with the 11ks in there... too yellow.

Now things are finally settled down a bit and I'm still getting growth and colors are coming back on things. My hot pink milli frag is really starting to take off. Right now I couldn't say if it was the MH bulbs, T5 bulbs or reactor but I know the tank is better to look at right now. I'd really like to just let things go past christmas to see how things look after about 4 months.

All in all I think the color of the phoenix bulbs was the one i liked the most. Since adding the T5 I had to go through a few T5 bulbs to get back to a color I liked.

sb1227 · Post by **sb1227** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 5:45 pm

Your corals are probably just happy to have a little stability.

They don't take lots of changes too well.
I use the blue plus T-5 bulbs, I don't really like the color as much as just actinics. I almost think they have some help in the blueing of my acros. It's hard to tell if it's just from the MH or from the combination of bulbs ,but I get amazing blue color out of alot of the acros. I have a really hard time getting greens to be happy, it doesn't seem like there's anywhere I can put them that the green comes out. Green is ok on the monti's but even my Caroliniana (sitting on the sand) has become very light with blue polyps. Even the green slimer is kind of yellow looking.
Don't get me wrong, I love the blues...

But I also like other stuff too. Sometimes it just seems like everything is turning blue.

Fishfood · Post by **Fishfood** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 7:14 pm

Who makes the blue plus? I have the aquablue + from ATI or whoever they are now adays, and I also have the coralvue actinic. It makes things blue but not that blue. The aquablue is the one that is too yellow for me. They are fine with the actinic mixed in. They all kind of get washed out when the MH comes on.

sb1227 · Post by **sb1227** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 8:12 pm

ATI makes them, and I think coralvue does too. I think mine are ATI, they were one of the first bulbs out there, but their a little hard to find. I need to replace mine and can't remember where I got them.

I really want to get a fixture and the planta bulbs to try on my 90 gal plant tank. I think it would be interesting to see how they do.

Fragum · Post by **Fragum** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 6:49 am

I got my ATI bulbs from www.reefgeek.com