Screw-In Power Compacts

[yossarian]

Screw-in power compacts are becoming very popluar and are popping up everywhere (e.g., Home Depot). Some put off some pretty intense lighting.
My question is, has anyone used these as an inexpensive alternative to MH's or regular LFS power compacts?
I plan to supplement with two VHO super actinics and use the PC's as my "white light."
Are they too yellow?
A company called TCP sells 42 watt 6500k screw-ins, about the same size as a regular light bulb, for under $15 (see goodmart.com). They should last 2 years or so, cost pennies to run, and don't get too hot. At this price, I can load-up with bulbs in the canopy, in-between two actinic VHO's.
The alternative, for me at least due to height restrictions in the canopy, is to run regular power compacts, or to re-build the canopy for MH's.
What do you think?

[musicsmaker]

What size tank is it? Some people, me included, use those lights as the primary light source on nano tanks. They are great, but to answer one of your questions, yes they look yellow. Actinic light seems to balance it out pretty good.

[musicsmaker]

By the way...

<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>To Reef Central</b></i></big></big>

[yossarian]

It is a 200 gallon, 7 feet long, 2 feet wide. I will be running two 6-foot VHO actinic bulbs. I was thinking of adding at least 4 or 5 of these screw-ins.
Even the 6500k screw-in bulbs are yellow looking?
I thought it sounded too good (and cheap) to be true.

[mantisshrimp]

My lFs sells 50/50 screw in pCS made by Custom Sealife(I think that's the brand)

[Jagermeister]

Maybe check out the Verilux screw in compact bulbs. I think they're about $20 a piece and are supposed to put out a spectrum extremely close to natural sunlight.

[yossarian]

Thanks for the info. I think the Verilux are rated at 5100k, whereas the TCP's are 6500k. Granted, a lot of these manuafacturer ratings are simply made out of whole cloth, with no basis in realty. But if the ratings are right, the TCPs should be just about spot-on for natural white light.
In any case, I don't think it is worth the risk to experiment at this point. I found a nice retrofit, three 175 MH's with two VHO actinics. Tried and true. I'll make it fit (I'll build a new canopy if I have to).
But then this is probably going to require a chiller. . . Oh well, the kids can try to get scholarships.

[ejmeier]

FYI - "natural white light" ie. the sun, is actually yellow. :) The sun at noon puts out roughly 5500k. I actually don't mind the yellowish type of sunlight in a reef tank, so long as the water is kept crystal clear. (I have some daylights on my FOWLR and the water is also slightly yellow and it looks terrible!)

Also, I have done extensive searching for screw-in PCs and have found that the following site has a 65 watt 5500k light, a bit pricey though at $29.
http://www.fullspectrumsolutions.com/compact.htm

[MauiReefer]

i believe CoralLife makes the screw in 50/50's, I just got a few for my 5 minibow, does an awesome job on such a small tank, I am soon setting up a 2.5 minibow, for ricordia only..:lol:

Jared