Advice on 175 Metal Halide Bulbs

[anchor10]

I have a coralife fixture over my 72 bow. It has twin 175 screw in bulbs as well as two PC fixtures. I bought it used and will be replacing the 10K MH bulbs soon. I'm looking for something bluer and less yellow -- but I still want coral growth. Anyone know a good brand and wattage, and inexpensive supplier?

[surfnvb7]

what kind of ballast are you running? (i.e. magnetic? electronic?)

what kind of corals do you mainly plan to keep in there?

[J. Montgomery]

I've got 2 x 175W MH over my 55 (as well as a 250W, with a XM 20k bulb). My ballast is a BlueWave II Dual Magnetic Pulse Start. I've got Ushio 14k bulbs in the 175s right now (you have to have a pulse start ballast - M137 - to fire the Ushio and AB bulbs). They're very white to my eye. The AB 13k bulb looks very similar. The only other bulbs I've tried in the 175W are the ReefOptics 20k (don't buy that cr@p) and the XM 20k (wasn't intense enough for me to use it alone).

[anchor10]

Thanks for the advice -- the Light is a Coralife Aqualight Pro about two-three years old... The design is different than the current models you see on line -- not as streamlined. Other than that I dodn't know what kind of ballasts I have except that they are remote and the lights come on slowly -- as I assume all MH do. I'm still trying to decide what I want to keep -- but I've seen Bill Dooley's tanks in Blacksburg and he keeps a nice mix of LPS, Leather and SPS all very happily. That would be my ultimate goal.

[surfnvb7]

for a tank that size, if you have to run 175's I think the Iwasaki 14k's or XM10k's are your best bet. both run pretty white and will look yellow after a while. neither is that great for getting soft corals to look really cool IMO. I imagine the ballast is some sort of electronic ballast, but not positive since it is a couple of years old.

the ideal set up I would go with for a mixed reef tank that size would be 2x250w electronic ballasts. and then choose a blue bulb which will run pretty soft on electronic ballasts. XM20k may be too blue on electronics, but XM15k may work pretty good since its less intense than the 20k version.

I think Hamilton 14k's and Radium's might be a bit too strong for a mixed reef of only 72 gallons.

i'm pretty sure Bill Dooley runs 250w bulbs on his 75g and his 50g if he still has them like I remember.

i just don't think 175w bulbs will be strong enough for a 72g tank your size.

[anchor10]

Thanks Al. I'm stuck with this light for a while. I just need to find out what it will do and maximize it. I think you're right about Bill's tanks. Which supplier do you use for the Iwasaki's? Also, because the light is suspended I can run it as close to the water as I need. Right now it's 3" off the rim of the tank. Would you lower/raise it?

[surfnvb7]

if you are stuck with the 175's, going with the Iwasaki's is definitely your best bet. they are by far the most intense 175w bulbs i've ever seen. they are very white, not much blue at all. so if you can, you'll want to get some actinic supplements.

i ran this bulb once, and i just wasn't impressed with the color of my soft corals. the sps corals loved the bulb, but i just felt like a sacrificed too much neon greens and purples in my soft corals as a result.

best place i know to get the iwasaki 14k is from premium aquatics.
http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merch...y_Code=mh-175w


as far as how far to lower it, before you lower it too far down, tape a piece of paper to the bottom of it or something and let it sit for a while to make sure its not so close as its getting splattered by tiny water droplets. those water droplets could make a hot metal halide bulb crack or explode which would not be good.

the height off the water is just something you'll have to experiment with to see what your corals like the best. thats something that is very hard to predict.

hope this helps John.

[ade]

John,
I have 3 x 175 mag ballast and I also have 4 x 160 VHO o3 over my 180. I have a mixed tank.
I used to run Ushio 10k and used to like them, then I went to a XM 10k and that made the Ushio look like pee water, last year I tried Reefoptic 10k and I that is puer yellow. I just in the last month placed Reeflux 12k and so far I like them, a little more blue than I am used too but I am liking it. If you want you can swing by and take a look when ever you are free and want to make the drive.
Ade

[NbMaxx13]

Originally posted by ade
John,
I have 3 x 175 mag ballast and I also have 4 x 160 VHO o3 over my 180. I have a mixed tank.
I used to run Ushio 10k and used to like them, then I went to a XM 10k and that made the Ushio look like pee water, last year I tried Reefoptic 10k and I that is puer yellow. I just in the last month placed Reeflux 12k and so far I like them, a little more blue than I am used too but I am liking it. If you want you can swing by and take a look when ever you are free and want to make the drive.
Ade

Well worth the trip as Ades tanks are some of my Favorites , and the knowledge is also worth the trip ...

[turbois300]

John,

Chad (REEFY1) just took home my 10K XM bulb and replaced his reefoptic 12K with it. We talked last night and I think that he is going to switch out his 3 12K reefoptics with the XM 10Ks. He has mostly SPS and clams so this bulb should be ideal for growth. These are 250, so I'm not quite sure if the color spectrum is the same between 250 and 175. I have a mixed reef and the 10K XM was too intense and yellow for the LPS and softies as others have mentioned above so I switched to a 12K which has a more blue hue to it but still needs some actinic supplementing. Hellolights has free shipping on all MH bulbs and I would recommend them as their service is great. I think that you would be happy with the 15K XM bulbs or Iwasaki 14K, $59 and $79 respectively at hellolights. Good luck

Stephen

[anchor10]

Originally posted by ade
John,
I have 3 x 175 mag ballast and I also have 4 x 160 VHO o3 over my 180. I have a mixed tank.
I used to run Ushio 10k and used to like them, then I went to a XM 10k and that made the Ushio look like pee water, last year I tried Reefoptic 10k and I that is puer yellow. I just in the last month placed Reeflux 12k and so far I like them, a little more blue than I am used too but I am liking it. If you want you can swing by and take a look when ever you are free and want to make the drive.
Ade

Thanks ADE I'd like to take you up on that. I think I'm the only local who hasn't seen your tanks. I work nights. Are you typically there in the morning? Also, the Reeflux 12K -- do they make the greens on the lps "pop?" My yellow lights wash that effect out more than my actinics can make up.

[ade]

John, there are a lot that have yet to see my tank so don't feel left out.
I leave my house around 5.30am and get home around 6-7pm mon-fri, I am home on w/end unless there is a reef meet.
I think that the Reeflux 12k make the green pop but that's eyes. I am also using a lot of o3 VHO's.
I will turn the O3 off and look at just the MH to see what they look like without O3 on and let you know.

turbo:- Chad was using 250 Reeflux 12k. Yes XM 250 10k is a lot brighter.

[turbois300]

Yes indeed. Thanx for correcting that. I'm looking into getting the Reef Optics 20K. Hyper runs those and he's got good color. For me its more the color than the growth. I'd love to come see the tanks sometime too!!!

Side note - are you selling any of your cardinal babies???

[J. Montgomery]

Originally posted by turbois300
YI'm looking into getting the Reef Optics 20K.

I bought a pair of ReefOptics 20k bulbs for my 175W lights last summer, b/c at ~$35 per bulb its worth a try. At first I was happy with them, but within 3 months they had lost much of their intensity, the color had shifted to yellow, and many of my SPS were turning brown My advice would be to save your money, but . . . to each his own.

[turbois300]

Yeah I've heard that about them......that is the only thing that has prevented me from getting it. Like you said I may be worth a try but I'm not sure yet. Are you SE or DE J.? I was looking at the ushio bulbs too. I'd like to take out my actinic supp so a 20K is more ideal for me but I want it to be bright also.........

[J. Montgomery]

I've got SE bulbs. Ushio bulbs require a pulse start ballast, just so you know. I've seen more than a few people buy them that don't realize their probe start ballast won't fire them. Why do you want to get rid of the actinics?

250W (XM 20k) alone:


2 x 175W (Ushio 14k) alone:


All 600W together:

[turbois300]

They are PC's and between the 2 they heat the water tremendously!! I've got a Icecap electronic balast but I'm not sure if it is pulse start or not. I really like my 12K + actinic but again.....it's way too hot under the canopy and i have it suspended even so that air gets through and the back of the canopy is open as well.

I really like your tank by the way!!!

[surfnvb7]

does ushio make a 20k bulb in 175w? (it obviously wouldn't be as good as the XM20k though)


Josh, FWIW.......the Iwasaki 14k bulb ran on an electronic 175w ballast is probably brighter and more intense than your XM20k ran on 250w believe it or not.

if you think you need more light, or the heat gets to be too much, you may want to think about replacing the ushio's with iwasaki's.

[J. Montgomery]

Originally posted by turbois300
They are PC's and between the 2 they heat the water tremendously!!

I have four 4" fans in my canopy to keep the temperature down.

[J. Montgomery]

Originally posted by surfnvb7
Josh, FWIW.......the Iwasaki 14k bulb ran on an electronic 175w ballast is probably brighter and more intense than your XM20k ran on 250w believe it or not.

I'm considering trying the Iwasaki bulbs when I need to replace the Ushios next summer.

[turbois300]

Does the Iwasaki 14K have a good blue hue to it?

[J. Montgomery]

Originally posted by turbois300
Does the Iwasaki 14K have a good blue hue to it?

I haven't seen it, but I've heard its white. I haven't really seen any bulbs in the 14k range that have the blue hue that many people allude to. Maybe thats just my eyes and the limited number of bulbs that I've seen.

[turbois300]

hmmmmm. Al ~ can you chime in here? ANy comment on the blue-ness of the Iwasaki 14K? Its looking more like 20K then I guess. I've looked at that guys bulb review here and that is a pretty good one. With only a 29 gal I'm not really that worried about enough light. I think that a 250W MH in any color spectrum should do the trick. again I just want to get rid of the 110W of PCs. I guess I could stay the same and just add fans like you J. Do you know it that will make evap even more of a issue? I've heard that fans can have that effect????

[ade]

What kind of evap are you having on your tank? You could always place a chiller inline and you don't have to worry so much about the noise of a fan and the evap. I have around 7-8 gals a week on my 180.

[J. Montgomery]

Originally posted by turbois300
I guess I could stay the same and just add fans like you J. Do you know it that will make evap even more of a issue? I've heard that fans can have that effect????

I'd suggest first trying to keep your setup with MH and PC. Try using the Iwasaki 14k for a daylight bulb (6-8hr) and the PC for actinics (10-12hr), or vise versa with a 20k bulb and daylight PC.

You can put a fan over tank through a number of different ways, including using regular oscillating room fans and clip on varieties to more sophisticated setups. I have all four of my RadioShack fans connected to a single wall plug (a variable voltage power transformer to be exact).


My AC Jr. turns the fans on at a certain temp and turns them off when the temp lowers to another set point.