Lights (again)

[TexasTodd]

The Ushios are good bulbs IMO. The growth was the best of any bulb I've used. I had great yellows, oranges, pinks, and blues.

My purples, teals, and greens were not good under Ushios. But, these colors show best with VHO 03 so the Ushio 03 combo should be a pretty good set up. The Ushios are expensive though although I've NEVER had one go bad on me inside a year. I did see noticable changes though, when going 12 months on Ushio and then changing to a new bulb, which leads me to believe they are better switched out at something less than one year.

Todd

[GaryP]

Thanks for your input Todd. What time frame would you recommend for bulb change out on Ushios? That definitely needs to be input into my cost vs. benefit calculations.

I am planning on using at least 440 watts of VHO actinic on the new tank. I may bump that to 660 watts.

[TexasTodd]

I wish I knew Gary. I never tried any less.

I didn't loose any corals on switching out at 12 months, but the colors would improve pretty quickly upon a switchout.....a noticable change.

Todd

[NaCl_H2O]

Todd, it is definately a ReeFlux! Mark (The Other Guy) was here and saw it - he was quite surprised too since he just started running ReeFlux 12Ks (250w I think) and my 10K 400w look bluer????

[TexasTodd]

I'd return that bulb Steve. Mine are very close to an XM 10kk look.

This is what others on RC have seen too. Although I and most run them on HQI ballasts so that could change the color. No way at all would I call these "blue" looking.

Todd

[thedude]

I have a DE version of the 10k Reeflux and it looks white with a blue tint. XM bubls just look flat yellow to me and I don't care what kind of growth you get with them. You have to flood so your tank with so much supplemental lighting that it's not worth it to me. In DE bulbs, I really like the BLV bulbs and AB bulbs like Texas Todd suggested and actually like the Aqua Connect bulbs the best. The main problem with them is their Giesseman-esque price tag.

Yeah I've not seen a reeflux bulb look yellow yet. I've seen them look rather blue before burn in and if you watch when the bulb fires, it starts out HUGELY blue and whitens out as it brightens. I run a magnetic ballast.

John

[TroyPham]

i've used ushio's on my tank for years and love them. they produced the whitest of all the bulbs i tryed with no failures. i'm gonna try hamilton bulbs on the new tank but 6.5k's for growth along with t5's and vho actinics. i think with the combo is should give me good growth and color. if the hamilton's don't work well i'm gonna switch back to ushio 10k's

i currently have 3 new de ushio 10k's for $69 if anyone wants.

my lighting on the new tank will consist of

2-250se 6.5k mh 4hrs
1-400se 6.5k mh 5hrs
4-54wt t5 2 blue plus and 2 10k 8hrs
2-110wt 03 vho's 12hrs

thats my current plans.
if the 400 is to much i'll switch it to a 250