20,000k bulbs

[raeh1]

Been using them for a month now.

The corals are growing well but anemones, and corals don't have the colours they get under the 14,000k's

I think I change to the 14,000k's again soon.

[davidb]

I have had good results with 10K bulbs raeh... good colour and growth... mindyou I do have a blue T8 to get a bit of blue colour too

[reef]

the 20k bulbs dont have much power as the bluer you go the less light.

not great for blue/purple corals.

I am using true 14k and they dont look great but the coral colours are much better.

i doubt your bulbs are true 20k, most are just named 20k because they look blue,

what brand are they?

[raeh1]

no brand name so cheap as chips, they came with my light unit.

Get one 14,000K german bulb, and my german T5 bulbs to go in. That will inprove things.

Probably run the 20,000k above the LPS's and softies on one end of the tank, and the 14,000k above the SPS, clam and anemone

[wasp]

Good plan.

Just for what it is worth, an average 14,000 bulb will give around 1/2 the amount of light a coral can use for photosynthesis, than an average 10,000 would. An average 20,000 bulb will give around a 1/4 what an average 10,000 would.

But there are variations between bulbs, grading them for k rating is not an exact science, because the bulb actually emits a whole range of colours, the manufacturer just draws a line in the middle somewhere and calls that the k rating.