Need help picking out a good halide bulb

[gotseamonkey]

My current halide bulb needs replacing and I'm wondering if you guys can help me pick out a good bulb? So far the ones I'm mostly interested in is the Phoenix and Ushio. My friend has the phoenix, says it looks really nice but for some reason I want to try out the Ushio. Any ideas? The more blue it is the better IMO

[zhenya]

Are you interested in double ended or mogul base bulbs, what wattage? And, what exactly you are keeping in your tank?
Meaning what type of organisms are in your tank, some require less and some more of PAR.
I've had Phoenix 14K bulbs (DE) on my tank for about eight month and really liked it;s coloration. It's sort of poor's man Aquaconnect.. However, I decided to go with 10K bulbs for bit more growth and switched to Ushio's bulb. I've never used their haigher Kelvin bulbs, though. Another good bulb with decent intensity and coloration is megachrome bulbs 14.5K. I used 250w mogul based version for couple of years with very good results over my old 75g tank.

[gotseamonkey]

Hey Zhenya I'm currently keeping a bunch of different zoos, an acan lord, frogspawn, xenias, cloves, and a few mushrooms. I mainly want to keep it LPS. Think I'm about to get the Ushio with 14k. My tank measures 19" high and the light hangs 23" high. Let me know what you think! I'm not too familiar with PAR value...

[charlie]

A 14K bulb should be fine for any of the corals you have, maybe even a 15K or 20K, none of the corals you list are high lite corals. But you still have not mentioned what wattage bulbs that you have!!!!

Check out this link:
Sanjay Joshi links

Some good reading on PAR

[reeferguru]

Lighting is such a key component in the hobby, however their are other factors that weigh in as well in the overall success and eye appeal of your tank.
In terms of light, their are variables that you may or may not want to consider, especially if you are maintaining corals. Terms such as CRI, PAR, PUR, Lumen, UV-A, B and C, LUX, Full-Spectrum and Kelvin will be synonomous with light in the hobby. The bulbs you choose and the CRI, Kelvin and Wattage are pertinent factors but only provide part of the answer to the equation.

Dr. Sanjay Joshi has written numerous articles and performed twice as many studies on light. His insight has broken many barriers in the hobby and technical advances in the hobby as a result of lighting have enabled us to maintain corals for a longer duration, with more vibrant coloration and elevated growth.

It seems that zooxanthellae in symbiotic coral tissue assimilate light from the blue/purple end of the spectrum more efficiently, though corals tend to grow quicker with light from the other end of the spectrum. Also, the fluorescing of many corals seems to be more vibrant under higher kelvin lighting. Unwanted microalgae growth is elevated under red, lower kelvin bulb coloration... So pick your poison!

Corals require different light intensities as well for optimal growth and health. Corals such as most Acropora and Montipora species require high intensity light, whereas others such as many Zoanthids, LPS and mushrooms require less light.

Again, light is only part of the equation as I mentioned above. Turbidity, dissolved organics, water flow, alkalinity, iodine, calcium and magnesium levels also need to be considered in the health, color and growth of your corals.

So, in selecting the right bulb for your tank, you may want to research and do some serious thinking to help you to select the ideal bulbs/ for your aquarium to be as vibrant as possible.

Check out XM, Phoenix and Aqualine Buschke bulbs.