Which 20k 150W HQI

[pewpewlazerbeam]

Thinking of upgrading my stock HQI that came on my 29 Biocube to a 20k bulb.

Is there a particular brand to stay away from or are they all the same?

 

[returnofsid]

I've used the 14K Ushio, and it SUCKS!! It's a 14K and more yellow than blue. I've had A LOT of people suggest I switch to the 14K Phoenix. Ushio is great, with 250W bulbs, but the 150W seem to really SUCK!

 

[pewpewlazerbeam]

K?14K and more yellow than blue. I've had A LOT of people suggest I switch to the 14K Phoenix. Ushio is great, with 250W bulbs, but the 150W seem to really SUCK![/QUOTE]

 

[Krish]

I ran a Phoenix 14k before and loved the color. Was almost as blue as a 20k xm bulb I had one time ago.

 

[pewpewlazerbeam]

SO the phoenix 14k seems to be the bulb of choice?

 

[returnofsid]

K= Kelvin. The lower the number, the more yellow, the higher the number, the more blue.

 

[pewpewlazerbeam]

No no i wasnt asking what k is, stupid cell phone. I was asking what you thought the best 150w was.

I want as high of contrast as possible.

 

[returnofsid]

Define High Contrast please. Typically, when choosing bulbs, the color spectrum and PAR is what you want to base your decision on.

 

[pewpewlazerbeam]

Some lights I have seen highlight the differences in color between a coral. Ie make the orange parts more orange and the blues more blue.

 

[returnofsid]

Gotcha. Yeah, some lights make the colors "pop" more than others. I have seen very good results, with the Phoenix 14k bulbs, though I've never used one myself. That'll be the next bulb we put in Angie's nano.

 

[Krish]

Here's a really cool interactive site you can mess with changing different bulb brands and kelvin ratings on a particular tank where it allows you to compare 2 different bulbs side by side on a split screen. Also, it will give you their par ratings etc. These are 250w comparisons, but will still give you an idea.

http://chrismorris.ca/250wcolour/

 

[pewpewlazerbeam]

Thats a cool website. Thanks

 

[Krish]

Thats a cool website. Thanks

No problem! Hope it helped some

 

[Brie]

I use Phoenix 14k as well, and the Elos display here in the shop also runs it. They're awesome bulbs, and bluer then most 20ks. There really is no "standard" amongst bulb producers, so even though they say its a 20k bulb, doesn't mean you actually get 20k light out of it. Its pretty stupid. The Phoenix "14k" is prolly the closest to a nice 20k as you'll find.

 

[Brie]

Here's a really cool interactive site you can mess with changing different bulb brands and kelvin ratings on a particular tank where it allows you to compare 2 different bulbs side by side on a split screen. Also, it will give you their par ratings etc. These are 250w comparisons, but will still give you an idea.

http://chrismorris.ca/250wcolour/

Damn Krish, that is an awesome site! Thanks for posting that.

 

[Krish]

Damn Krish, that is an awesome site! Thanks for posting that.

No problem!!

 

[dtd87]

I'd go with the Phoenix also looks amazing

 

[iroll253]

I like both the 14k phoenix and 20k radium but theres a price diff

 

[SpecialTang]

The website is cool but it is 250W bulbs so very hard to compare. Like others have said the quality of the bulb change with the watts.

I think you should really take your time and understand what you are looking to get out of your bulb. Color, Growth, or both? Of course a 29 BioCube is not that big and you should do just fine, however if you read up on it you will see some people get too much par and it can bleech your corals.

How blue do you want your tank?

Do some research so you are happy with your choice, I know I took everyone else's advice when I bought my first set of bulbs and I regret it.

 

[saltwaterfishes]

Wow...awesome website!!!!
I'm running SE, 250w, Radium in my 45g without actinics....I really like the color.