20K XM HQI versus 12K reflux HQI

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lceman225

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I currently have mostly soft corals and LPS in my tank, but i also have a few SPS (monti caps, green slimer, purple millie) and a corcea clam. Do you guys think the 20K XM would be ok for them to grow nicely, or should I just stick with the 12K reflux. I am not using any supplement actinic lighting and dont think the 12k reflux is giving my softies the spectrum it they need to grow.
 
Actually, moving higher than 10k is moving away from the optimum spectrum for growth. 12k is usually a good compromise between the growth of 10k and the bright colors of 20k.
 
Is this double ended?

I just switched my double ended to Phoenix 14ks and I really like the look and the PAR is really nice (which is more important then spectrum)

The XM 20ks look good but the PAR isn't great.
I ran them for about a year.

http://tinyurl.com/37m94c
 
what wattage and ballasts to is important to know .... 12k 250 watt reeflux got low marks compared to 400 watt 12k reeflux...my next bulbs will be phoenix 14k or geismann 22 k
 
I run the 250 12k reflux on a Hamilton HQI ballast. It looks really good, but im not getting a lot of growth on my softies. although my sps are showing some good signs of growing. I might just need to get some actinic supplements.
 
Actinics are for 'looking good' not growth. Rather than lighting, I would wonder if you have some allelopathy going on- although it's usually the softies that produce compounds that limit the growth of SPS, not the other way around.

Are you running carbon?
 
yeah 250 watt reeflux 12k got low marks for par...you might want to either lower your lights to increase par or change bulbs. I run the same bulbs i choose color over growth. Next year I am going to try phoenix 14k as i hear they get good growth and color
 
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