i picked up a good deal a while back on a 70watt HQI fixture and 4bulbs. it's currently hanging over my frag tank with a 14k current usa bulb, and Ehhhh. i dont know if its just me but im not seeing the greatest potential, So I Think. im just seeing A LOT of water evapo. and all this talk about lights and who-ra i was wondering from experience or say... what am i looking to put over my frag tank.
ushio?
i dont care about color, just growth. any suggestions? whats Top-Of-The-Line? is the most expensive the best in this department?
thanks in advance
XM 10K for optimum par and growth. You can add actinic T5's later when the color drives you nuts.
The best growth according to this study (http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2009/5/aafeature) will come from 460nm bulbs. (14k/20k)
ahhh conflict alreaddy
I find it interesting that the paper you present suggests the greatest growth with the higher colour temperature type bulbs when the popular belief is lower colour temps for growth.. the famous Iwasaki 6500k bulb for example.
I wonder if it is a matter of brightness.. perhaps the 14k, 20k is better, but so often the output is less, that even if the spectrum is more desirable... there is so many fewer photons being pumped out in general that the growth of the lower bulb temperature choices are not equalled. I don't know what I'm talking aboust just bandying an idea.
what bulb would you recommend? and brand then? ... dayyum light confuses me
I just based my suggestion on personal experience. I used to have a 250 watt Venture 5K and the color was brutal, but the growth was amazing! (over about a year). The next bulb I installed was an XM 10K, and the intensity and growth appeared to be the same, with nicer color. I now have a Reeflux 12K, much nicer looking, but definately less intensity, therefor I assume the growth will be slower. I'll let you know next year. I also had a 150 watt 14K over my 10 gal nano, and the color and growth were both good. I now believe intensity can make up for higher color temperatures. I agree, lighting is very confusing, so I just go with the majority for suggestions and adjust to suit my needs.
Gord
A) do not shoot the messenger, i just read the report, I didn't write it...
B) The report doesn't say corals grow fast. It says a specific type of Zoox, found in one coral (not even specific to that species) grew best under 460nm light, and worst under 700nm light (20k=win, 10k=lose)... But I feel it is a reasonable argument to make that if the zoox are doing well (replicating) then the coral is likely doing well.
C) the number one bulb on the market right now, from many, many sites, from many, many users is the Phoenix 14k bulb SE or DE. Hands down the highest hype'd bulb in the past 6months... If I was sticking with MH, I'd be replacing my bulb with one for sure... hands down. Just toooooooooo many people saying "I switched and the growth exploded"... Could be people just trying to justify their purchases though... and what one person considers "explosive growth" another might considered a snails pace... it's all Einstein right.
well thanks for the input, y'all too knowledgeable when it comes to this.
i think im going to shut my frag tank down and take the 70watt hqi and hand it over my aqua medic nano wave 9. take the hood from that and the hood from my other cube and put em all together for about 100watts over my second cube. and just go back down to 2 tanks. so much tank jumping... but im still not to sure