Time for MH Bulb replacement

[mutley29]

It's time to replace my MH bulbs, so in the true spirit of some one looking for a good deal i have spent all day looking for a bargain.

I have 2 x 400watt 12000k sunburst bulbs over my tank at the moment, they are quite blue, so i have no need for actinics, i think.

 

but out of curiosity i was wondering if i should replace them with 14 or even 20000k bulbs, gradually of course.

 

What would be the pro's/con's be of such a move with regards to sps growth or overall tank health?

 

what do you all use,think of your MH setups?

 

which manufacturers are the best?

 

Here are some of the sites i found with MH bulbs

http://www.coralreefecosystems.com/ltg_bulbs.asp

http://www.jlaquatics.com/cgi-bin....tart=14

http://www.happyreefing.com/MH400bulbs.html

http://www.marinedepot.com/aquariu....sp?ast=

http://www.hellolights.com/400watt.html

 

Thanks

 

Anton

 

 [crzy]

[xeon]

I use XM 10K's but next time I change them I think I'm going to try the 20K's.  I'm thinking I might like the bluer look.  I will probably buy from www.carolinacorals.com since they have the XM's and they are cheaper than anyone else I've seen.  They also carry the Coralvue's.        

 

As far as bulbs, colors and so forth... there is a very long post on Reef Central where a guy tested a whole slew of bulbs and had some interesting findings.

[mutley29]

I Have started to accumulate a few SPS frags in my tank now, so i suppose the higher K will be better suited to them ?

 

Going to need more powerheads too

 

Thanks for the info guys  [hih]

 

Anton

[AquariaUSA]

We will bring a box of XMs, and whatever ABs we have out to the WAMAS meeting for those interested. Something we have done for quite a while at other functions, and usually priced inline with other retailers. IME/O I would avoid the coralvue bulbs. The majority of reefers across the country have stuck with AB, Ushio, and XMs for consistency. Two sides of the fence regarding 10K vs. 20K. If you go with 10K, I would recommend VHO 03 supplementation. If you go with 20Ks the growth rates might not be as fast, but all depends on the system.

 

Thanks, Rich

[ErikS]

IME/O I would avoid the coralvue bulbs

I have to ask, is this due to imperical data or ancedotal evidence?

 

Here's a thread that will prove one way or another the myths/facts of the coralvue bulbs:

RC CoralVue thread

 

What is known at this point is that the CV bulbs actually put out less UV (A,B,& C) than the competitors. What is not known at this time is the overall PAR delivered by the bulbs.

[Lee Stearns]

PM Eddie about CoralVue bulbs, You couldn't print in a public forum what he'd tell you.

Tagging on the question- Rich- If one were to go with 20K vs 10K is there no need to use actinic suplements to get th eflorecent colors to show? Or would one 20K with two 10k provide aproximately the same eflorecent as the 10 Ks with vo Actinic

Lee

[eddi]

Yeah, Coralvues are not my favorite, but it could have been my fault.  However there are enough negative posts on the various boards to raise a red flag.

 

There are plenty of tried and true bulbs other than CVs, it is not worth the risk.

[ErikS]

Yeah, Coralvues are not my favorite, but it could have been my fault

 

Oops, didn't mean to imply that CV bulbs were good (or bad). As you said I think the jury is still out. I'd really like to know what caused all the problems, the color of these bulbs is great.

[AquariaUSA]

Hi Eric,

CV had issues with the envelope design. Initial PAR values were great, but I am sure that will be changing when they rework the bulb if they have not done so already. I know of at least 1 1/2-2 dozen aquarists who had serious bleaching issues when using the bulbs. 80% of them reported using light acclimation techniques, so it was not like going from a 20K to 10K 3" above the water and giving the corals a sunburn. The bulbs are cheap, but so are XMs which we have picked up since they were available. So far no problems with bleaching, great growth, and not the pricetag of Ushios or ABs which helps hobbyists keep their costs down on the equipment side. You do get a little variance on "visual color" from bulb to bulb, but in the end worth the money IMO.