Lights for SPS

[BeachBum]

I am new to the forum and I am sure this has been talked about time and time again. I like to get your opinions of what lighting you think would work well for SPS. What have you tried that has given you success? I have success with many different lighting schemes, but I have not got the color I wanted out of them. I am thinking of upgrading to 20K MH with Atinic white VHOs. From my understanding, using more of a blue spectrum on the MH will support the brighter colors better. Do you believe this way of thinking?

[Tim Marvin]

10k halides with supplimental actinics.

[NaCl_H2O]

I use 10K MH with VHO Actinic in my SPS tank. Colors are good (IMO) & so is growth. The 20Ks will give you a much more "blue" look if that is what you are after, and some of the corals with fluorescence will look much better, but you will be trading that off for growth rate. Depends on what you are after?

[Reef69]

Yeah, I have 2x250 watt MHs with 14K bulbs and Im seriously thinking of addinng actinics..

[jaded]

Im happy with my 10k 250 watt MH's with T5 actinic suppliments.

[Tim Marvin]

I use the same set-up Jaded is talking about. I get good color and growth.

[JimD]

For single ended, XM 10K with with VHO actinics,,,, For double ended, Geissmann Marine 13K with VHO actinics... This is an awesome settup for DE!

[jaded]

I guess I should add that my MH are single ended (mogul socket) running on electronic ballests and the T5 are the true blues that wolf reef sells (also electric ballast)

[Tim Marvin]

I beg to differ with you Jimmy, The Geissmans were awful. They lost the punch at about 6 months. Excuse me, I just noticed you said mogul mine were DE. They did do an awesome job for the first 6 months though! I was racking my brain trying to figure out why my colors were turning green and brown at about six months, then I put in the new coralvue bulbs and after the 2 week breakin they turned a crisp white and the color was back in the corals a week or two later. Coralvue does take a while longer to break-in though. Mine were really yellow and flickered a little for a week or two and now work great. I may use something else next time I change we'll see.

[JimD]

Timmy, I AM talking about DE's! lol. What kind of ballast were you running the 13k Geisemanns on? I thought you said you loved the Megachromes!?! To get the most out of them they need to be run on a M-80 HQI. They look like dung on an electronic. My CV 10k blows, I hate it. gonna pick up a 13k Geis tomorrow!

[JimD]

Not sure on the Phoenix bulbs there Josh, I know theyve gotten rave reviews but I havent seen one lit up in person. Theyre also in the price range of the Giesemann 13k, like 99 bucks I believe is what I saw them for at Premium. People are mostly using them for tanks where supplimental actinics are not used, I dunno, I still like the look of VHO actinics and 10K's. Aquatek has a Sunlight Suppply Maristar fixture with the Giesemann 13k's on an M-80 HQI dual with T5 actinics and its just perfect!

[JimD]

Yeah, i saw that, I believe the guys from MARSH, his last post was on July 7th, I always get nervous when someone doesnt follow through on a thread, specially a sale or group order thread. Know what I mean?

[Tim Marvin]

I did love the Megachrome but it only lasted about 6 months and then the corals started changing color. I ran them on a PFO/HQI pulse start ballast. The CV are 10k and I run them on the coralvue ballast. The CV looked aweful on the PFO/HQI ballast.

[Tim Marvin]

Joshua, I haven't used those bulbs......Yet...

[JimD]

Wanna buy a slightly used CV 10K bulb? lol

[Tim Marvin]

is it DE?

[Tim Marvin]

I tried to run a CV on an IceCap electronic and it wouldn't work. I am guessing they only run on the CV ballast. I have heard some people are having problems with the CV, I just have not experienced it...Yet?

[JimD]

is it DE?

Yup

[Tim Marvin]

Sure, I'll take it.