Quick metal Halide Question

[Ram_Puppy]

My 175 watt XM came in today, just before I had to leave for work, so all I had time for was to test fire it. I kept it on for five minutes and was supprised at how 'yellow' the light was coming off it. Was this just a matter of the bulb not getting up a full head of steam before I had to go?

Also, I was planning something like this for acclimating the tank to it:

Day 1: 1 hour exposure
Day 2&3: 2 hour exposure
Day 4&5: 3 hour exposure
and so on.. up to about a 10 hour MH photo period (i run the power compacts 12 hours a day.)

That would give a sunrise/sunset effect in a way of 1 hour on either side of the halide being on.

Sound good? and the color of the light? just that I didn't leave it on long enough?

[R_S_C]

20k or 10k xm bulb? my 20k are definitely blue until they warm up. don't know about 10k.

[Ram_Puppy]

10K sorry,,,,

[prof]

New bulbs should be 'burnt' in. Turn it on and leave it on for at least a couple of hours. 10K should be bright white.

MH bulbs need time to warm up every time they come on. It is a good idea to always run them for an extended period of time every time you turn them on (1 hour or more). You will shorten the lifespan of the bulb if you allow the power to cycle on the bulb, i.e. turning it on and off or power loss/fluctuation.

You did not hurt your new bulb but let it burn in before you put it in service.

[StephenA]

My 10K's are bright white to yellow. What kind of light did your tank have before the MH

[dan]

when i first ran mine i ran them for 1 hour a day for a week, than 2 hours a day for a week and so on. i had corals that i did'nt want to burn. everything worked out fine. i leave my 1- 20k 400w on for 8 hours and my 2- 10k 250w on for 6 hours. are you going to do sps? what size tank?

[Ram_Puppy]

it's on my 30 gallon hex, and the only corals (and life in general besides crabs, pods and worms) are a star polyp, colt, xenia, and rhodactus.

I ran the bulb for an hour today when I got home, outside the tank, and then hooked it up, for one hour over the tank.

THanks guys, after running a while the yellow diminished. The lighting before (and still) was 120 watts of power compact, 10K and actinic (50/50 split)


THis should give me approximately 9.8 watts per gallon, enough to do stonies up top and softies down low I hope.