ghostface Posted August 2, 2005 Report Share Posted August 2, 2005 can anyone tell me the difference between 14k and 20k MH? Is it just colour, or will the tank be better off with one or the other? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted August 2, 2005 Report Share Posted August 2, 2005 The higher the Kelvin the bluer the light as a general rule (there are some exceptions based on manifacturer). Also the higher the Kelvin the lower the PAR (intensitiy) of the lighting. e.g. for a 5 foot tank 2x 10k bulbs may be enough, but 3x 14k may provide the same intensitiy of light. General vibe is people use between 10k-14k, suplimented with blue and 6500-10k tubes. I am using a mixture 14k and 20k bulbs. Hope that helps. Piemania Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted August 2, 2005 Report Share Posted August 2, 2005 Only colour . You are no better off, However 20K lamps Dont last as long as the higher the kelvin rating the more the colour shift in the bulbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brianemone Posted August 2, 2005 Report Share Posted August 2, 2005 at the moment i am using 20k aqualine bulbs and i will be going to 10k (to get the punch) suplemented by actinic t5's (for the colour and general light spread) comes down to what your wanting to keep and what you like the look of Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted August 2, 2005 Report Share Posted August 2, 2005 I find 10k is too yellow, 20k is too blue. 14k is a good general in the middle (but as stated above, it can differ between manufacturers) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RnB Posted August 2, 2005 Report Share Posted August 2, 2005 most of the research shows that corals grow fastest under approx 6K lighting, but they don't "glow" like they do under bluer lighting.... depends on what you "like" to look at Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted August 2, 2005 Report Share Posted August 2, 2005 under approx 6K lighting tis true as this is the closest to sunlight i believe. however major downside is this is also the Kelvin rating that most bad algaes thrive under Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RnB Posted August 2, 2005 Report Share Posted August 2, 2005 noticed that too! I have 800W of 6k lighting and noticed increased algae growth .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted August 2, 2005 Report Share Posted August 2, 2005 I think when I replace my bulbs next I'll be going with 10K. Yeah, they're noticably more yellow than my 14Ks, but they are also brighter and the 14Ks seem to be missing a lot of the reds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brianemone Posted August 2, 2005 Report Share Posted August 2, 2005 aparently the 6500k bulbs have as much of the "blue" spectrum as the 20k do. has anyone found a nice 10k bulb (not nicotine yellow) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted August 2, 2005 Report Share Posted August 2, 2005 aparently the 6500k bulbs have as much of the "blue" spectrum as the 20k do. yes perhaps, but not according to my eyes! PAR (photosynthetically active radiation) values - essentially the measure of a lamps ability to stimulate photosynthetic activity is very important. Supposedly actinics dont provide much PAR and are mainly for aesthetics? However, they are quite important if you're keeping Anemone's Within the blue band there is a chlorophyll absorption peak at about 420 nanometers, and the actinic also peaks at this wavelength. The light is then used by zooxanthellae that live within the tissue of the anemone, in turn they produce fats, sugars, etc as food for the anemone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RnB Posted August 2, 2005 Report Share Posted August 2, 2005 when diving on a reef you find examples of the same coral at deffirent levels and light intensities..... I think the issue is that they have had the opportunity to adapt to that position on the reef, when collected you have no idea where from..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeBlog Posted August 2, 2005 Report Share Posted August 2, 2005 I've been pondering the same thing for quite a while now. I am currently using the Hamilton 14K DE bulbs and HATE them. My coral growth has been weak, quite a bit of fading of colors, etc... all of which many others have complained about on RC. :evil: So, I've decided to give the XM 10K's a try. I've read many good things on various forums about these bulbs and seen many very nice tanks running them, e.g. I believe Bomber from RC uses these bulbs (??). I'm a bit partial to his tank as well since he convinced me to go bare bottom, and LOVE IT. But that is a whole different argument. At any rate, I am going to place an order with Reef Depot for some of these bulbs. Here is the quote I currently have on price: "Price of 250W XDE bulb is SGD $115 each. We give 5% discount if customers order 6 or more. Shipping quotes for 5 DE bulbs Air mail (9 - 11 days): SGD $42." If anyone wants to go in on the order, please let me know ASAP. If you have experience with these bulbs, please let me know what you think. Cheers, Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted August 2, 2005 Report Share Posted August 2, 2005 I'm a bit partial to his tank as well since he convinced me to go bare bottom, and LOVE IT. But that is a whole different argument. *shudder* At any rate, I am going to place an order with Reef Depot for some of these bulbs You mean MarineDepot? I have a couple of things I want if you do. PM me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeBlog Posted August 2, 2005 Report Share Posted August 2, 2005 No Chimera, this time I am going through Reef Depot in Singapore http://www.reefdepot.com.sg/. I've never used them before, but I got put on to them via high recommendation. So far, I must say the service has been excellent!! The prices seem to be the same or even lower in some cases, and shipping should be cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted August 2, 2005 Report Share Posted August 2, 2005 Word! I'll take a looksee - I guarantee there will be others interested in a thing or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted August 2, 2005 Report Share Posted August 2, 2005 I was running my tank on 14,000 k's but changed it a few months back to 10,000 k,s. The coral has done a lot better. The general appearance of the tank is more yellow, but the improved colour of the corals after a few months has made up for this. I've also added some actinic tubes which I don't think does anything for the livestock but has improved the appearance of the lighting. The ratio is 2 x 150 watt 10,000k MH, and 2 x 18 watt actinic. It's still not as blue as most tanks I see though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeBlog Posted August 2, 2005 Report Share Posted August 2, 2005 I was running my tank on 14,000 k's but changed it a few months back to 10,000 k,s. Hey Wasp, what brand of bulbs are you using? I was a bit worried about the "yellow" factor as well. That's why I decided to try the XMs since most people have said that they are quite white in appearance. Also, the tanks that I've seen pictures of using the bulbs seem to be pretty crisp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted August 2, 2005 Report Share Posted August 2, 2005 The 10,000 k's are Ushio 150 watt DE. They seem to be doing a pretty fair job they have been in use since just after Christmas. The only reason I bought them though was they were on special for US $59.00 each at the time. (Custom Aquatics). All up I think a lot of the argument over brand is academic. I've always bought whatever is cheapest. Not to say some are probably better than others though, also, I'm not that experienced with MH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RnB Posted August 2, 2005 Report Share Posted August 2, 2005 great prices at that site...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.