best lights for the buck

[jkburton1s]

hi im replacing my 250 watt mogul bulbs and needing to know what is the best bulb for the money. i have a 75 with 2 250s and 2 t12 vho actinics. i was thinking of swapping over to the t5 but havent decided if so yet. thanks for advice :hammerhea

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Best can mean so many things... Best bulb or best lighting system? Best color temp (again, a relative thing)? Best cost per system? Best cost per replacement? Best operating cost?

If you're looking for something more broad or nondescript, I'd say LED lighting, whether it be the Aquarium LED, a custom system, or DIY. LEDs might cost more up front, but a quality LED setup will cost less in the long run (chilling and electricity usage) and they're just cool.

If you're not sold on LEDs, I'd say T5s. They have great intensity, enough for SPS, but don't pump out as much heat or use as much electricity as MH.

To each his own though, and these are just the solutions that I like or are attractive to my reef-keeping goals. Results may vary.

 

[jkburton1s]

says replacing METAL HALIDE bulbs, not switching systems. im very happy with the setup i have now , just looking for the best bulb out there to get.

 

[rmlevasseur]

Even so, Chip is right. This question is terribly subjective. "Best" in terms of price,color, longevity? If you are looking for pure value, I've hear the plusrites on ebay are getting very good reviews. Otherwise, Phoenix and Radium are considered very highly. The best thing to do is decide what color you want, and chose the bulb from there.

 

[swissgaurd]

what type of mh are you using now
ive tried a few, i dont supplement with actinics at the same time,i run mh alone,so i need to use a 14k or a 20k

ive been running the icecap bulbs 14k for almost 1 month ,ive seen growth,color is great.price is reasonable.

i figure if icecap can make a good ballast they may have put there nowledge into the bulbs as well.

ive switched out of radium bulbs do to growth.

vic

 

[jkburton1s]

so far i have tried the origanal pulse right 14k, then moved to a xm 15k, then i got some generics that are catalina aquarium15k that looked 10x yellower than a 10k, they are junk, then i got a coralvue 14k which so far has been my favorite. so im thiking of either going to coralvue again or maybe hamiltons

 

[Cloudburst2000]

So far my fave is the 12k Reeflux MH that I am using. Give good light and a very slight blue tinge to the aquarium...not ovely blue but not stark white.

 

[Rick wieger]

i have used the reef flux and the Hamilton bulbs and am now using the blue life SPS bulbs and have nothing but good things to say the color and the growth is the best that i have seen in my main tank as well was my frag system .

 

[BigAl07]

I'm running AquaMaxx 14k DE's and I LOVE them! I like the BLUE look an these babies give a nice even blue look and give me good growth

 

[Cloudburst2000]

I'm running AquaMaxx 14k DE's and I LOVE them! I like the BLUE look an these babies give a nice even blue look and give me good growth

I'm actually getting ready to have to change my lights out. I think they are actually a bit over-due. I like my Reeflux lights, but haven't seen the AquaMaxx lights in action. Do you have any pics of what they look like on your tank?

 

[BigAl07]

In my 90g thread are several pics but honestly you can't get "True" appreciation for the colors with a camera. All I can say for sure is that my eyes like the AsquaMaxx without a doubt. AquaMaxx (I was told) was started by someone who left Phoenix to start their own company. That's all rumor though but I can tell you I'm getting amazing SPS growth and coloration with my system. Keep in mine it's also running 4x54w T5 bulbs.

 

[Cloudburst2000]

In my 90g thread are several pics but honestly you can't get "True" appreciation for the colors with a camera. All I can say for sure is that my eyes like the AsquaMaxx without a doubt. AquaMaxx (I was told) was started by someone who left Phoenix to start their own company. That's all rumor though but I can tell you I'm getting amazing SPS growth and coloration with my system. Keep in mine it's also running 4x54w T5 bulbs.

How blue are we talking about? I'm trying to decide if I want more blue than what I get with the Reeflux 12k that I currently use. And I'll take a look at your 90 thread and hunt down some pics. Thanks!

 

[BigAl07]

How blue? I don't quite know how to answer that to be honest. It's a crisp Bright blue. I'm at a loss for an accurate "Wordy" description. It's one of those thing where you buy one at a time and make detailed notes how they look new, at 4 weeks, at 6 months and again at 9 months. Mine have been in there several months now and I'm still as happy as I was the moment I put them in the tank.