Best PAR, Best look without actinics...??

[BCT182]

On my 90 I had a 20k XM Single end 400 watt and I liked it, mostly... It was a little too blue for me.

On my new tank I got a Reflux 12k 250 watt DE on the new IceCap ballast, and I hate it. My tri-color looks brown, and it looked icey purple under the XM 20k. The 12 makes all my corals look more brown.

Is there a decent 250 watt bulb that will really make corals POP without being to blue? Actinics or any other supplimental lighting is NOT AN OPTION. I also am concerned with growth and I know you lose PAR as you move up in K's. I would rather have slower growth than brown pieces on crap.

Any suggestions would be greatly apprecaited

 

[fly guy]

i think my 10k xms without actinics make corals pop just fine. I do prefer white light though.

It of course doesnt exaggerate the colors like blue bulbs, but the true color is there.

if your corals look brown under 12 k reeflux, you might want to invest your efforts into the excess nutrients and or phosphates in your system that are causing your corals to be brown instead of looking for new bulbs to cover it up

Im not saying that to dig at you....im just saying it because it is true and tryng to help.

 

[Beakerbob]

I like my 14K SE Hamiltons or the 14K DE Phoenix bulbs. I have them in seperate tanks without actinics on at the same time. I use the actinics now only for 2 hours in the AM before MH and 2 hours in the evening after the MH's turn off.

 

[Scooterman]

You loose lots of par drastically after the 10K's but the color part is all personal choice if that is so important! I have RF10K's in the new IC's & like it but maybe your coral needs time to adjust.

 

[trido]

The phoenix 14K DE's are a great stand alone blue/white bulb with alot of par. Apparently their life span can vary greatly depending on your ballast though. On my icecaps they only lasted 7 months. I am looking into an artical written by Sanjay stating that they last over a year. Ill post it when I find it if your interested.

 

[BCT182]

Cool, post it! Thanks

As for the brown, its not a color shift of the corals tissue nor is it a nutrient issue as I pulled them out of one tank and put them in the other and saw the difference. Not days or weeks but minutes. Brown under 12kS and blue Purple under 20ks

 

[Jan]

I've read that the 14K Aquaconnect is an excellent 250 watt white/blue bulb with the PAR similar to Pheonix 14K. Somewhat less blue looking though. I just bought one to try it out but I haven't put it on my tank yet. I'll post again after I do that.

 

[roscoe]

Brett are you sure its the lights? I have the same 12k reeflux bulbs and all the corals that are not brown has its natural color. For instance my purple bonsai I have a peice that is brown but coloring back up nicely and the small colony it came off of is solid purple in the same tank and lighting and everything else that is blue and purple is just that. I beleive it takes like 100hrs for your new bulb to break in so wait it out a little b4 you purchase a new bulb. If you want I can bring my other bulb that has already been broken in for you to try. Just my 2 pennys what ever that worth:lol:. LMK

 

[DonW]

Pretty much any bulb is going to change what your eyes see in terms of coral coloration. Everyones eyes are different as are the corals. I like 20K xm because they make brown corals look good.
The only way Ive found to get a idea of true color is to a take a picture at night with the flash.

Don

 

[Herefishyfishy]

I am looking for a good flash that doesn't make my corals look brown

 

[DonW]

I am looking for a good flash that doesn't make my corals look brown

Take a picture of a colored object in the dark, I used crayons like the camera shop suggested. Then compare the pictures colors to what you see with the lights on.
Unfortunatly they were a good match, so my brown corals were really brown and I had to stop blaming the camera.

Don

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Thanks Don, I was just kidding Brett, left handed.

My tri-colors are also fickle. They change shades "in a flash" and seems that rapid alkilinity changes triggers it off as much as lighting changes. I have three different shades from the same colony in the same tank with the same bulbs. Depends on how long they have been left alone. The longer left un-touched un-changed, the brighter the colors.

 

[steven11]

Brett, let your tank settle and the corals adjust. But in the end, you are just going to have to pick the lesser of two evils.

 

[roscoe]

Brett, let your tank settle and the corals adjust. But in the end, you are just going to have to pick the lesser of two evils.

well said there steven!

 

[trido]

Here is the artical. I'd bet you will read it before me. I have to go cook now.

 

[jake65]

heres a link to some light comparisons...http://chrismorris.ca/250wcolour/

 

[BCT182]

thanks everyone for the great info and advice. I feel you guys really offered some great insite and I think I know what I'll do now.

 

[dailydriven911]

The phoenix 14K DE's are a great stand alone blue/white bulb with alot of par. Apparently their life span can vary greatly depending on your ballast though. On my icecaps they only lasted 7 months. I am looking into an artical written by Sanjay stating that they last over a year. Ill post it when I find it if your interested.

I liked the look of the Pheonix 14k as well. Very blue for the first couple weeks then it brightened up a bit...see sig

 

[DisturbedReefer]

I always liked Pheonix 14k for the DE. JMO

 

[roscoe]

I think I might try the pheonix 14k for my next bulb but I don't know about the life span though.