Which MH bulb to buy, 14K or 20K

B

beast99

Hello everyone,
I do not want to be limited to any coral for my tank, but not sure which bulb I should buy, 14K or 20K? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Michael
 
If you got a DE setup, try 14K phoenix, i'm getting really sweet color out of my corals, and also see some growth, not as much as my 10K XM's but definitely more then i saw with 10K reeflux bulbs. I see a lot of people love the 12K's, i've had them for 6 months with nothing but negative results, so maybe it's just me.
 
Thank you. Not sure what you mean by DE setup? Sorry, I am only about 4 months into the hobby. Still learning and trying to learn. Thanks.
 
Double Ended bulbs or Single Ended (mogul based). Basically the ones you screw in like a regular bulb or the one that you insert at both ends.
 
Anton, I will agree somewhat with you. I have been using the 14k DE for quite a few months but I get both color and growth. Here is what the Pheonix 150w 14k DE bulb has done for my tank growth.

This slimer has been trimmed 2 times and the top branches already have 5-12 tips on each branch in just 2 months. It is 14-18 inches from the light and most of the trimmed areas are already showing new growth.
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This thing needs some serious trimming...hint hint hint :wink:
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This was single frag about 2 inches. It has since grown to a colony of about 5 x 4 inches
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This is just a small sample of my very mixed system...I get crazy growth with no reactors and just 2 part dosing. I had clam on the sand in a 29 indeep tank with those bulbs. Only reason that I moved him was because the brain on the right side starting covering him up.

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IMO, they are great. I like the blueish hue to the tank, the color that they bring out of my corals and the growth that they have helped me achieve.

Scott
 
Man, that's a NICE setup you got there scott. Do Metal Halides comes with Double ended as well? I'm looking to buy some MH for my 6' long tank, but not sure what to go for exactly. I have a canopy, so I was thinking of getting some icecaps ballast with spider reflectors? I only want to use MH for lighting only. Also, I do not want to be limited to the corals I want to have. Do I need three seperate ballast (250w) if I want to go with 3 spider reflectors?

Scott, I notice that you are a street fighter fan? I remember in the 80s, I used enter tournaments all the times. The character I use the most is RYU.


Thanks,
Michael
 
@beast99 wrote:
Man said:
Metal Halides(MH) come both ways. DE and screw in. I have been quite happy with the DE bulb from Pheonix. I use the 150w DE MH, so have no experience with their 250w DE MH to compare.
As far as the hood. My hood stays open all the time because of heat from the lights. It is in my plan to experiment with drilling holes in the lid and see if that will help eliminate the temperature spike I get when the lid is closed on the hood.

...and yes, I do like Street Fighter. Best fighting game hands down, IMO. I beat the games with Edmond many times. Was never into the tourneys, but managed a few tourneys with my 3 sons, oldest preferred Ryu.
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