sen5241b
Reef enthusiast
I've heard new MH bulbs need to 'burn in'. Is this true?
MH burn in
- Thread starter sen5241b
- Start date
daugherty
part time reefer
yes mh bulbs usually need about 100 hours on them before they get their true color. most companys will give you the burn in time.
yote
In Memoriam
+1 James
ccCapt
Reef Hacker
I've also heard the same thing, but in the 20 years I've used MH lighting, I never noticed a difference from when the bulb was brand new or had 200 hrs on it. If there is a color shift, it must be very slight....it's not a change I ever noticed. In fact, the only time I ever noticed a shift in color was when I used those cheap $10 Ebay MH bulbs.
daugherty
part time reefer
the only one that i noticed it on was a hamiltion 14k is was a dark blue when i first got it then it got lighter after a month or so
dcantucson
Reef pro
On a related topic. Which K rating do you guys prefer? 10,000, 14,000 or ? And why? I have a new fixture which has 10,000K, is that the best for coral growth? It's kinda white. Thanks!
ndepratt
Equipment Junkie
honestly a tough subject, believe it or not. K rating, and correct me if I'm wrong, is the intensity (color basically) of the light when it reflects off of objects, but the K ratings aren't the same across the board.... so that makes things tough. It really depends on the type of bulb you want (brand basically) and what ballast you're running it on. Different ballasts will run bulbs slightly different colors.
Take a radium bulb for example. They're a pulse start bulb from Germany. On a standard electronic ballast they have a deeper blue color (too blue in my opinion) . Ran properly on an M80 HQI ballasts (330W if i recall correctly) they're a crisp white with a nice hint of blue.
If you're using just MH, then a 20K XM, radium, SPS, yada yada will look awesome. If you're using actinic supplements, then you might consider dropping the par to a 14 or 15K lamp (reeflux's 12K is the same as a 14/15K) to get better growth. If you're using HQI, then I would just spring for the phoenix 14k, great growth, great coloration. (I can post some pics from google if you want to see coloration pics)
Unless they changed something, stay away from the XM 15K, it's crap.
Take a radium bulb for example. They're a pulse start bulb from Germany. On a standard electronic ballast they have a deeper blue color (too blue in my opinion) . Ran properly on an M80 HQI ballasts (330W if i recall correctly) they're a crisp white with a nice hint of blue.
If you're using just MH, then a 20K XM, radium, SPS, yada yada will look awesome. If you're using actinic supplements, then you might consider dropping the par to a 14 or 15K lamp (reeflux's 12K is the same as a 14/15K) to get better growth. If you're using HQI, then I would just spring for the phoenix 14k, great growth, great coloration. (I can post some pics from google if you want to see coloration pics)
Unless they changed something, stay away from the XM 15K, it's crap.
dcantucson
Reef pro
ndepratt-I have the Current Outer Orbit fixture with 2-250 MH and 4-actinic (2 on each side). You would recommend 14K for color and growth then, right? Also do you sell the kind which I should get on your site? Thanks.
I know what you mean about it being a tough subject. I tried to do research on the topic and it seemed everyone has a different opinion. A lot said 10K was best for growth and 14-20K was best for color.
I know what you mean about it being a tough subject. I tried to do research on the topic and it seemed everyone has a different opinion. A lot said 10K was best for growth and 14-20K was best for color.
yote
In Memoriam
Dcan,I'm basically running the same fixture that you are,except I got 3X 250s and 8X T-5s.
I HIGHLY recommend 14K in the Phoenix bulb.
daugherty
part time reefer
i love the hint of blue look. i would go with the 14k also. right now with my bulbs i have 4 aquablue+ and one 6500k an 75/25, 2 aquablue specials. its really white but with a blue tint ill get a pic of it if i can find my camera
ndepratt
Equipment Junkie
definitely get the phoenix 14k, spectacular bulbs.
http://www.custommarinecreations.com/250w-double-ended-hqi-phoenix-b250.html
link might change in a few days, getting ready to unveil the new version of my website, which is why I'm not updating the current one :P
http://www.custommarinecreations.com/250w-double-ended-hqi-phoenix-b250.html
link might change in a few days, getting ready to unveil the new version of my website, which is why I'm not updating the current one :P
Bifferwine
I am a girl
In general, the lower the K rating, the faster coral growth will occur, but the more yellow/brown the coral will look. Higher K ratings bring out corals' colors magnificently, but corals don't grow as fast under them. I prefer 12K, as it seems to be a nice medium between growth and looks.
dcantucson
Reef pro
Thanks everyone. I think I'll consider changing out the bulbs.
