Okay, bottom line: Are Iwasaki 6,500K Bulbs really too yellow?

[J&S]

HI ALL YESTERDAY I CHANGER MY 2 400WATT 12000K TO IWASAKI
MT400DL/BH IT LOOK LITTLE YELLOW AND GREEN SO DID I ORDER
WRONG IWASAKI OR .........THANK YOU.

[Grouper]

Ninong,

You're right, it is possible that that's what the phrase means. It really would not make too much sense if these lights that are supposed to run cooler cannot be paired but the hotter-running non-HQI lights can be. If I'm not feeling too lazy I'll call IceCap and confirm [img]/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

I don't know about using just fans Ninong... I don't know if it gets as hot and humid in Lousiana as it does in Miami, but I can tell you that this past summer I had 4 fans and the AC running and the tank temperature still managed to climb into the upper 80's. And the tank was well away from the window!

In any case, keep trying to suggest other means of cooling the tank down, because at $735 for the chiller I want (need?), I'll try any other alternative...

[Ninong]

Grouper ~

I would have to say that it gets every bit as hot and humid in south Louisiana as it does in Miami. The problem with a chiller (besides the fact that they are noisy) is that the heat that is removed from the water is exhausted into the room, unless you have it vented to the outside like a clothes dryer.

Ninong [img]/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

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Irrational Exuberance!

[PerryinCA]

Well, I run 830 watts over my 90, and temp gets up to about 86 in the summer, thats not a problem, but anything over 88, and I might begin to worry. I have two fans in push pull configuration, and a closed hood. With an open hood, you likely not have as much a problem. I'll also note however, that is a relatively arid where I live.

-Perry

[JG]

I run 785w over a 58 Oceanic and don't have any problems with heat...

[Skipper]

Hi, all.....I can add something to this discussion. I have a 118gal with a 175wt 10k mogul base and a 150wt 10k HQI Ushio bulb. I live in the hot, humid south......Mississippi. In the summer my tank temperature never exceeds 82 degrees. I keep the house temp around 72-75 degrees. I do not use a chiller. I have a 4" fan on the left side of my canopy (blowing in) & a 4" fan on the right side which blows out. Additionally, there a 3 140wt VHO's, 2 40wt NO, and 4 mini pcs. The study that Ninong quoted is correct in my experience: the 150wt HQI is brighter(slightly) than a 175wt mogul bulb. The color temp on these two bulbs is almost identical......bright white. To me, both of these 10k bulbs look just like natural sunlight. I have absolutely no experience with 65k Iwasakis, so I can't offer anything in the way of a comparison. Here is a pic with the halides on:


The 150 HQI is on the left half, the 175 mogul is on the right half.



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Skipper's Reef

[This message has been edited by Skipper (edited 01-24-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Skipper (edited 01-24-2001).]

[Ltspd]

Skipper, what is the color temprature of the other bulbs on this tank. From what I read from your post you have more wattage in the other lights than the HQI's. HQI=325, others=500+ wattage. Does this make any diffrence? Logically thinking I would say yes but am unsure of the answer. Please let us know the other bulb K temps.

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Paul C
The important thing is not to stop questioning.
Einstein

[Shadetree]

FWIW,


Three 250 watt iwasaki's on IceCap ballasts


Three 250 watt Iwasaki's with two 160 watt VHO URI super actinics, all on IceCap ballasts

Scott

[Skipper]

Hey, Ltspd. You are correct that I have lots more watts of other lights. The 140wt VHO's are: 2 URI Super Actinic and 1 URI Actinic White. The two NO bulbs are Coralife Magtinics. Three of the small PCs are 5k bulbs and one is an actinic. The HQI watt total is 150. Yeah, these other bulbs make a difference in the overall effect, but I can still say that the HQI gives a natural sunlight appearance. I assume that is what you are asking, right?



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Skipper's Reef

[Ltspd]

Skipper, yea thats sort of what I am asking. I am trying to logically figure out if "k's" can be averaged. For example, If I have 150w of 10KK and 150w of 6700K do I actually have a 8350k tank. Actully the formula would be more complicated, where I would have to get the % of each bulb compared to the total then the average.

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Paul C
The important thing is not to stop questioning.
Einstein

[Doug Lowey]

Now thats a good comparison Scott. Nice pics.

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Doug
http://dlowey.homestead.com/DougsReef.html

[Grouper]

Ninong,

Given that you are looking to use the Icecap 250 watt mini-HQI system as well, what is the cheapest price you have found them for?

I have looked everywhere, and I can't find it any lower than $429 (@ Marine Depot). Considering that I have to buy two of these systems....

(I can't believe I am considering spending this much money on halide lights; this hobby does indeed throw conventional wisdom out the window, doesn't it? [img]/ubb/smile.gif[/img])

JA

[Ninong]

Grouper ~

I'm not planning on using the IceCap mini-HQI pendants. I am planning on using two 250w 10,000K HQI double-ended lamps but I am not considering the little IceCap fixtures.

What I was looking at originally was the Giesemann System 260 Moonlight (48" length) with 2x250w HQI, plus 2x30w actinic fluorescents, plus 5w/12v computer controlled moonlight... but I was a bit taken aback by the list price of $2070 [img]/ubb/eek3.gif[/img] So, I think I have gotten over than little delusion by now.

Then I started considering the AB-Aqualine Aquaspacelight (48" length) with 2x250w 10,000K HQI dbl-end lamps plus 2x24w Osram PC actinics. This is an attractive fixture that is 48"L x 11.75"W and the actinic PCs can be used for dawn/dusk effect & as actinic supplementation. This fixture is available through www.championlighting.com for $909 but you probably have to talk to Perry about it because it's not on their website yet.

However, I lucked out last week and ended up getting two brand new fixtures for FREE. (It's a long story. [img]/ubb/wink.gif[/img])
Anyway, now I am leaning towards getting an AB-Aqualine Aquastarlight fixture because it is only 48"L x 4.8"W and won't take up as much width above my tank. It comes with the same 2x250w 10,000K HQI dlb-end lamps, but instead of having 2x24w Osram PCs in the middle, it has a 25w blue incandescent moonlight that can be computer controlled. I have a price on this fixture from Champion of $679 without the center moonlight, but I am now waiting for them to find out how much it runs with the moonlight. This fixture would be better for me because I definitely want a moonlight and I no longer need actinic supplementation in the same fixture with the HQI because of my windfall last week.

OK, I guess I have to tell you what happened or everybody will be e-mailing me.[img]/ubb/wink.gif[/img]

I got an e-mail from Petopia.com telling me I would get 20% off on my first order of the new year. So I said, "Yeah, right! Drop dead... who needs 20% off." [img]/ubb/rolleyes.gif[/img] Then I noticed a post on another board saying that they had stuff reduced 75% because they were being taken over by Petco. So, I decided to check it out. Unfortunately I was too late for most of the good deals, like Turboflotor skimmers for $45 ea and Vario dosing pumps for $57 ea. [img]/ubb/frown.gif[/img]

But, I did manage to pick up about $1,100 worth of "stuff" for $220 plus only $6.99 total shpg. I was able to scoop up three Red Sea Phazer light fixtures: a 48" long Phazer II with 2x55w PCs (Osram daylights that I will change to German 03 actinics), an 18" Phazer IV with 4x15w T8 fluorescents that I plan to put over my refugium, and a 36" Phazer IV with 4x30w T8 fluorescents that I might use over my orchids (Gro-Lux tubes) or I might use over my reef tank with Coralstar tubes.

So, I unpacked all my "stuff" and noticed that the Phazer II fixture has the 2x55w PC tubes but the two Phazer IV fixtures have no tubes at all even though the website said they came with tubes. So I called them up and explained my disappointment and the girl said, "We're completely out of the tubes that were supposed to come with those fixtures. Do you think you could buy them locally?" And I said, "Sure, but they're about $12 each."

She replied, "It looks like you paid a total of $110 for the two fixtures, what if I give you a refund of $90, would that be acceptable?" And I said, "Ya gotta deal!" [img]/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img]

After I hung up, I realized that she was looking at the itemized invoice and failed to notice that I also got an additional 20% off at the bottom on the total order. Bottom line: I paid exactly $88 for the two fixtures and they gave me a refund of $90... so they paid me $2 to take them off their hands. [img]/ubb/lol.gif[/img] (For some strange reason, shipping was free on most items, including heavy stuff like light fixtures.)

Now I have a 48" fixture that is 6.7" wide with 2x55w 03 actinic PCs, plus a 36" fixture that is 10.5" wide with 4x30w T8 actinic fluorescents (if I need it), and only need to pick up something with two 250w HQI's and a moonlight. If I go with the Aquastarlight (which is only 4.8" wide), I can fit all three across the top (if I want to) with no problems... all three would be suspended above the tank and could be raised and lowered easily for acclimation and for access to the tank. The Phazer IV fixture has two tubes on one switch and two on a second switch. I would have a lot of flexibility in selection of supplemental lighting, plus a lot of flexibility in setting up a gradual dawn/dusk effect.

Later,

Ninong [img]/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img]

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Irrational Exuberance!

[Skipper]

That's cool, Ninong! How much more lucky can you get.........????? Free tank maybe......?????



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Skipper's Reef

[Marshal]

Here is my tank with 65k Iwasaki's (250 watt) and 220 VHO actinic. Just my .02 cents worth


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Vist my website.

http://careefer.homestead.com/main.html

[Ltspd]

Marshal, I like to look of your tank, espically after the VHO addition. Thanks for reference picture.

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Paul C
The important thing is not to stop questioning.
Einstein