[tech1]

Which metal halide's bulbs would be better...20,000 or 10,000

thanks

[Samper]

it's a matter of visual preference really, some corals color up better under certain k bulbs.


The 20k's are blue looking, the 10k's look more like sunlight.

[Poseidon]

For Growth? 10K

For looks without Actinic supplement? 20K

Hope that helps! LOL

[Reefland]

I have used both and the previous posts are correct, it is a personally preference for tank coloration however I did have some noticable differences when using the bulbs.

The 10k's were not as pleasing to me because we ran no actinic supplements; they looked very nice and white but I wanted to experiment with more blue in our reef. We had good growth and good coloration.

With the 20k's, the coloration was nicer to me as was the coloration on a lot of corals, but I think we have experienced less growth, which could be contributed to other things as well.

[saltjunkie]

so would the 13k or 14k bulbs be a better visual preference bulb?

[Poseidon]

Originally Posted by saltjunkie

so would the 13k or 14k bulbs be a better visual preference bulb?

Ideally YES, but I have read lots of "issues" with those particular bulbs. Some described "Sun burn" type losses, others complained of short bulb life and a visible shift in the color temp after a few months.

[zhenya]

In case you guys haven't seen this before, I'll post few links to the articles by Sanjay Joshi who I met last year in Chicago at IMAC.
I hope you'll be able to make your decisions based on the information therein.
http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/...osynthesis.htm

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issu...4/feature2.htm
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issu...4/feature1.htm
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issu...004/review.htm
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issu...004/review.htm
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issu...04/reviewb.htm

And finally a link to his website where you can research any lamp that you are considering.
http://www.reeflightinginfo.arvixe.com/index.htm

[tech1]

so if you went with 20,000 MH bulbs, how long would you leave them on, then you would turn on the actinics for how long..or would you run a regular aquarium light with the actinics the rest of the day?

thanks