Actinic White and 20K MH Question

[brewercm]

Has anyone tried this combo out?
I was wondering what actinic white VHOs would look like with the 20k 400watt MHs I'm running. Right now I'm running super actinic VHO basically just for the dusk/dawn effect.
I've been thinking about running either the 10K or Actinic Whites for VHO but don't know what the difference in the two are. Or would I be better off going to 10K Halides with the super actinic VHO.
This is on a 75 gallon if it makes a diifference.

[Brett Wilson]

I'd try the 10K XM's. those have amazing par, almost as much as an iwasaki. I'd also suppliment with actinic R's if you like VHOs.
Those radiums were sure pretty, they just dont last long enough.

-Brett

[brewercm]

I was thinking about the 10K XMs. I'm just worried about too much heat and light over the 75 with those rather than the 20K XMs I was planning on getting. The lights sit about 8 to 10 inches above the water level now so that may help with heat issues.

Even as old as those bulbs are they still really got my corals to color up more nicely than the sakis with actinic supplement. But they do need to be changed out, hence the decision I'm attempting to make now.

[Brett Wilson]

Two 10Ks would be awesome over a 75. I don't think that would be too much light at all, even at 8-10". The 250 Saki's you had would be close to the par of a 400 10K I bet, but I could be wrong. I havent seen the numbers of a 400 XM, just bulbs like Aqualine Busche and the like.

Be sure to leave the glass in those pendants (if you are using them), it will help lower the amount of heat they give off tremendously.

[brewercm]

I ended up selling the pendants and using the standard reflectors. I did add to the canopy when I put the 400 watters on the tank because the 250s were only about 4 inches off of the water. They didn't heat it up too bad and still arean't, I'm using one of the Wal-Mart clip on fans to get air flow through it and it's an open back canopy.

Maybe I'll see if anyone has a 10K 400 watter I could try out and see if I like the look or stick with the 20K halides.

[R_S_C]

here's my tank with 250 20K XM and 65 10K PC. i like the way that the 10K suppliment balances out the 20k XM bulb.

http://www.maast.org/modules.php?set...view_album.php

[Jimnorris]

Actually both JimD and I tried this combo. I used six 400 watt 20,000k bulbs and supplement them with VHOs 10,000ks. Now we both found that the URI VHO bulbs were orange-pinkish and not a true white. (JIMD had to point this out to me!) The coralife 10,000k VHO bulb was white!
Jim