What do you think of this lighting schedule?

[Ram_Puppy]

Hey Guys, I am trying to figure out how I am going to light my 115, and this is my latest. the cube is 30 X 30 so the VHO's are 24" 75 watts. Halides are going to be right next to one another, dead center, 250 watts apiece. works out to 800 watts total, and 6.9 watts per gallon. I know that's not the best wat to measure, I figure the 14K hamilton has a pretty high PAR and can punch through to the bottom of the tank.

Invert wise, I am planning on keeping SPS, LPS, Softies, and T. Maxima clams,, and my rose bubble tip anemone. I figure everything else (crabs, fish, snails) can adapt.


10AM Super Actinics come on
10AM Moon Lights power off
11AM 20 K radium comes on (250Watt)
12AM 10 K Coralife 75 Watt Tri-Chromatic bulbs
2 PM 14K Hamilton pops on (250Watt)

No changes

7 PM 10K Coralife 75 Watt Tri-Chromatic bulbs
8 PM 14K Hamilton Powers off (250Watt)
9 PM 20K Radium Bulb powers down (250Watt)
10 PM Super Actinic Powers off
10PM Moon lights power on


opintions would be greatly appreciated as this will be a major financial investment, and I don't want to do it wrong. I lean towards liking (visually) a crisp white/blue light along the lines of the 14 K hamilton. but I don't want to sacrifice actinic's visible pleasures as well.

Thanks guys.

[brewercm]

That is going to be very blue with the Radium and 14K as your halides. I'd personally go with two 14Ks for halides,scrap the 10K VHO and go actinic VHO all around. Possibly even to 10K on your halides with that much actinic.
Just my personal thoughts.

[Ram_Puppy]

thanks man, What 10K do you reccomend? I have a 175watt 10K xm right now, and I think it's too yellow... that is why I wanted to do the 14K... I guess another option would be a 10K and a 20K? I am really unsure about this, there are pages that compare shots of a tank under different lights, but who is to say all monitors are color balanced the same? it's all subjective, and these bulbs are expensive!

[brewercm]

Tell me about it. I have the 10K AB bulbs which are actually a 13K bulb and was running with 220 VHO actinic and thought it looked nice. Then I changed out my mag ballats with electronic and the difference in the bulb color was much whiter to almost a hint of blue in the halides. I think the 10K XM bulb is a very nice white bulb also but once again it depends on ballast.
You might be very happy with the both halides being 14K and the vho being actinic. You're absolutely correct on the comparison chart about the bulbs though. Another thing I've found is that the 20K Coralvue bulb burns a little whiter than either the radium or 20K XM. Both of those looked identical to my eyes when I had a radium and XM next to each other.

I wish there was a perfect answer but unfortunately there really isn't.

[Ram_Puppy]

thanks man... I am still up in the air... when I e-mail places on the web that have awesome corals and I ask what lighting they have over the tank, I always hear 20K radiums... problem is, I hate the blue look over a tank, I realize many like it, and it is probalby more natural for deeper water, but dangit, it looks washed out to me... I want a birght, crisp light with blue in it, from what I hear, hamilton 14ks are the way to go, but i don't want to sacrifice the brillian color a 20K brings out either.