Metal Halides Kelvin

[junyong84]

Hey guys,

I would be getting my MH soon.

Just want to know, which Kelvin of MH shld i get so as to get the true colour/or close to the true colour of corals, without compromising on growth and survival.

Thanks!

By the way, i would be getting 2 X 250 W MH without 2 actinic

[patrick123]

14k is the way to go.

[sunny03]

which brand ??

and are all 250w uv coated ??

[junyong84]

which brand ??

and are all 250w uv coated ??

actually i dunno which brand

Heard that white and blue spectrum is very important.

[sunny03]

hope u dont mind cos i also looking for a 250w bulb and need more info

[Terryz_]

14k is better for viewing... as it is white...

I think all SE 250w are uv coated only the DE ones are not...

[sunny03]

any prefer brand ??

if i choose to use 6500k how many 39w blue light i have to balance out the yellowish ??

[Terryz_]

any prefer brand ??

if i choose to use 6500k how many 39w blue light i have to balance out the yellowish ??

That you will have to try out yourself ler...

Think 2xt5 should be enuff bah...

Maybe BLV...

[shoelevy]

wat u mean by true colours?

true meaning same as wen u see them in the ocean?

if so then 6.5k is for u

but if u like the blueish of the ocean...20kk is for u

if u wan a mix of growth and natural colours...14kk is for u

frankly...since u not using actinic...some colours brought on by blue will not be shown vividly if u use 6.5k or 14k

so if u ask me...i'd recommend u 20kk

[junyong84]

wat u mean by true colours?

true meaning same as wen u see them in the ocean?

if so then 6.5k is for u

but if u like the blueish of the ocean...20kk is for u

if u wan a mix of growth and natural colours...14kk is for u

frankly...since u not using actinic...some colours brought on by blue will not be shown vividly if u use 6.5k or 14k

so if u ask me...i'd recommend u 20kk

would 20k be too blue? means to be tat 14k is quite a balance, but i m not so sure.

anyways, is 250W abit too high for a nomal 2ft deep tank? Will it cook the SPS and clams?

[shoelevy]

u wanna see diff between 10k and 20 k ah

u go ocean planet...get uncle to on his display tank lights...u will see a diff.

sps and clams LOVE 250W!!!

it'll be too high for only for softies

btw...i'm also using 2x250 for some softies and lps...they're very happy

[Achilles Tang]

The choice of the colour of the bulb should not be confused with visual aesthetics but should be tied in with the characteristics of the bulb in terms of the PAR, wattage and colour spectrum.

But simply, the lower k bulbs have higher PAR than the higher k bulbs, are usually much cheaper but at the expense of being yellow and hence uglier to the human eye... but corals & clams love them more in terms as they are pretty similar to the Sun's rays that reach them after penetrating a few feet of water, which changes light properties.

The higher k bulbs are visually more pleasant but are usually dimmer and therefore necessitate going up in terms of wattage to give enough PAR.

I used a mixture of 4 x 400w of 6500k and 20k... and they pack both punch and looks... my SPS corals retain very strong colours and growth under them.

[ervine]

Alternatively u can have a lower K MH bulb coupled with blue T5s... for me strangely I have a 20k MH with 10k T5s....

For me, I can see marked improvements in coral growth and colours after addition of the T5s...

[shoelevy]

The choice of the colour of the bulb should not be confused with visual aesthetics but should be tied in with the characteristics of the bulb in terms of the PAR, wattage and colour spectrum.

But simply, the lower k bulbs have higher PAR than the higher k bulbs, are usually much cheaper but at the expense of being yellow and hence uglier to the human eye... but corals & clams love them more in terms as they are pretty similar to the Sun's rays that reach them after penetrating a few feet of water, which changes light properties.

The higher k bulbs are visually more pleasant but are usually dimmer and therefore necessitate going up in terms of wattage to give enough PAR.

I used a mixture of 4 x 400w of 6500k and 20k... and they pack both punch and looks... my SPS corals retain very strong colours and growth under them.

4x400W!!!!!!!!

elec bill shooo up the sky man!

how big is yr tank?

[junyong84]

4x400W!!!!!!!!

elec bill shooo up the sky man!

how big is yr tank?

bet he is willingly to pay any amt of $ to keep his corals beautiful!

[Ancelot]

But AT, i got one doubt hope you and only you will help me answer.

Qns is:

Why use 400W? and not 250W?

Hope to hear your favourable reply asap! thanks

*Sorry if i hijack this thread!