What would you do?

[jamesbuf]

I have Dan's (Dandy7200) old lighting setup on my 92gal corner. It consists of 2 X 36" super actinic VHOs, 2 X 24" geisman aquablue+, and a PFO magnetic ballest driven 250watt 10K XM metal halide. The VHOs are nice, but I like a little more blue in my tank and I've been going back and forth on how to handle this.

 

Option 1: I could switch the T5s over to actinic bulbs and leave the XM 10K the way it is, but I'm thinking this might defeat the advantage of being able to use the 3 types of bulbs for a true dusk-dawn effect. With both the VHOs and T5s being used as actinic. do the corals get any growth from these bulbs?

 

Option 2: The other option is to keep the T5s as the aquablue+ and switch to a 14K range metal halide bulb. I was thinking either 15K XM or the 14K Ushio. I'll still get the added PAR from the T5s to makeup for the loss of PAR by switching from the 10K XM. Plus I'll keep the 3 way dusk-dawn effect.

 

Option 3: something even better that another wamas member suggests.

 

Thoughts???

[dbartco]

#2

[zotzer]

Just having gone through the T5 shuffle, and planning on yet another when I upgrade my fixture...

 

How about first trying to swap out just one of the superactinics to a true actinic first? Geismann supposedly makes a pure actinic T5 that is supposed to be pretty nice. Sure, less par, but it looks like you have plenty to spare.

 

Would be the simplest and least expensive option if it gets you the color you are looking for.

 

edit: just noticed the superactinics are VHO...had them mixed up. Still, I'd try swapping one for a pure actinic. I think you'd probably miss the actinic pop if you went with option #2 (I know I would/did when I tried to go with all combo lamps for the extra par. Swapped one actinic back in, and was happy again)

 

Tracy

Edited November 20, 2007 by zotzer

[dandy7200]

Megachrome 250w Mogul SE Giesemann Marine 12.5k

 

Best par north of 10k on that ballast.

[jamal]

id go with number 2 as well. i was right about the light dan

[jason the filter freak]

I'm new to halides, well high end ones and I'm quite partial to the pheonix 14k

[jamesbuf]

I'm new to halides, well high end ones and I'm quite partial to the pheonix 14k

 

I actually loved the phoenix 14K on my old lighting unit, but I have a SE unit now and that bulb only comes in a DE.

 

I'm in contact with premium aquactics to see if they carry a 14K Ushio. They are telling me to stay away from the 15K XM since they have had so many returns, but that the 20K has recieved pretty good reviews. The 20K I've seen are a little too blue for my tastes. This is what they are trying to sell me:

"If you just preferred to switch to the higher quality German lamps, your

basic choices would be 14K Aquaconnect, 20K Ushio (unless I can find a

14K), 20K Megachome*

 

*they have a 14K, but they rate there bulbs on a more true scale, so 14K

is white, 20K is just a little blue."

 

All these bulbs cost a butt load though. I guess I'll wait to see if they can get the 14K Ushios. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Ushios are made in the same factory as the Geisman bulb right? I've been told this by a couple people, just wanted to confirm.

[dbartco]

I love the 14k ushios (and I run vho actinic). I tried the Hamiltons, but thoought pretty blue and the par wasn't close. But I think you are fine with the amount of par, no matter what bulb you choose.

[jamesbuf]

I love the 14k ushios (and I run vho actinic). I tried the Hamiltons, but thoought pretty blue and the par wasn't close. But I think you are fine with the amount of par, no matter what bulb you choose.

 

Where did you get your 14K Ushios? I tried marine depot, PA, aquacave, I can't find them. I've only found 400 and 175 watt 14K bulbs from Ushio.

[gastone]

James, don't want to speak for Doug, but I think he runs 400s. To my knowledge the ushio 14k don't come in a 250. Boo for us. I've looked into the AC bulbs and the nice thing is that they are reported to last for 12 months+, helps to alleviate that $110 +/- price tag.

 

Garrett.

[jamesbuf]

James, don't want to speak for Doug, but I think he runs 400s. To my knowledge the ushio 14k don't come in a 250. Boo for us. I've looked into the AC bulbs and the nice thing is that they are reported to last for 12 months+, helps to alleviate that $110 +/- price tag.

 

Garrett.

 

Will they last 12+ months even when running on a magnetic M58 ballast?

[dbartco]

yeah 400's here. I never knew they didn't make 250's. Yes, boo for that.

[gastone]

Hmmmm.... good question. From Sanjay's site the ACs give off awesome par on the HQI (duh) and pretty good par on electronic ballast, but pretty poor on the magnetic. Silly Germans not appreciating archaic technology like magnetic ballasts.

 

Garrett.

Edited November 20, 2007 by gastone

[Rascal]

FYI, Ushio does make a 250W 14K DE bulb which is great.

 

Doesn't help you though since you are looking for a SE bulb.

[rsaavedra]

James I would leave it the way it is and I would change the AquaBlue+'s with ATI Blue Plus. Do you like how blue my tank looks? I use the ATI Blue Plus bulbs.

 

 

 

My .02

[gastone]

Okay, I use XM 10k on a pfo magnetic just like you. Used to supplement with VHO super actinics, totally sucked. This is why:

 

 

Spectral plot of xm 10k on M58 ballast

 

Biggest spike is at 420 nm, same as true actinics lamps. So you are adding actinic supplementation to a bulb that has a fair amount of actinic. However like Raf said, using blue+ which are 450 nm bulbs compliments the xm 10ks very nicely.

 

I think Raf hit this one dead on. Use the VHOs for dusk-dawn, have them cut off as soon as the halides kick on. You can overlap the blue+ with the actinics and that is a nice affect as well.

 

Blah.

 

Garrett.

 

I keep going round and round myself, but I just don't see any other way to get awesome par and good coloration with the equiment that I've got. I've thought about dropping the whole system and switching over to just a 400w radium on an HQI ballast. Similar par, but darn it must suck to replace bulbs every 4 months. So for now I'll stick with the xm 10k's and T5 blue+...

Edited November 20, 2007 by gastone

[gastone]

Megachrome 250w Mogul SE Giesemann Marine 12.5k

 

Best par north of 10k on that ballast.

 

 

Dan, do you have a spectral plot of that bulb? I looked around and couldn't find one.

 

Thanks.

 

Garrett.