Lights???

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Clint24

Active Member
Hello everyone, I was just looking for some helpful advise from some fellow reefers!! It's time fur me to replace the light bulbs in my fixture & was wondering what uall recommended. I am going fir a mixed reef and I have a Hamilton technology fixture with 3-250 watt halides with 2 blue actinic fluorescent strips. What kelvin rating is better for a mixed reef tank---10000k/14000k/ 20000k & perhaps why? Thanks for ur time, info & advise!!


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reefer gladness

reefer gladness

Well-Known Member
I don't think there is a right or wrong answer here, IMO it's largely a matter of personal preference. I prefer a bluer tank with some actinic lighting to make the fluorescent corals pop (anywhere between 14-22k) while others prefer the more natural appearance of a 10k color temp.

It's very common for online vendors to photograph their corals under a 20k metal halide. Sometimes the buyer gets the coral at home under 10k lighting and think they got the wrong coral, the difference in appearance can be drastic. One of my favorite corals was a drab brownish color under 10k but is a stunning fluorescent orange under actinic lighting.
 
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DaveK

Well-Known Member
Reefer gladness sums it up well. Lightring is very much a matter of personal choice, and what you like.

My choice would be 10000K MH bulbs, since you also have the actinic lighting. If it was just the MH than I'd use 14000K bulbs. I find the 20000K bulbs far too blue, but some people really like the effect.

Corals tend to grow better at the lower color temps, but this isn't a hard fast rule.
 
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Clint24

Active Member
Ok thanks. Was just curious. When the tank used to be set up I had a good mixed reef and used 20000k lights so I was looking to hear other opinions. Thanks.


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ddelozier

ddelozier

Well-Known Member
PREMIUM
RS Ambassador
Color temp will affect appearance and growth...

10k= great growth, light is very white with hints of red/yellow...tendancy NOT to show colors well.
20k=Fantastic appearance, great color, lots of POP and ZING to the colors, but growth will be slow in most cases.
14k = happy medium. Lots of growth, not so much pop, but good colors.

I personally prefer 14k with suppliment actinics if possible. Depends on what you want from your tank.
 
nanoreefing4fun

nanoreefing4fun

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
Great advise from all above...

one thing to consider... do you want a lot of growth... when my tank was new, I did, 5 years latter the corals are filling the whole tank & starting to touch each other, now appearance is my absolute choice...
 
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Clint24

Active Member
Thanks for all the great advise. Since I'm starting all over I think I'll go with 14k for now & c what happens. :)


CD
 
desertranger

desertranger

Member
I have a 10K and 14K MH for my tank and when I use the 14K's my tank does not like it. Corals start to recede. When I use the 10K's the rebound and come back.
 
desertranger

desertranger

Member
my tank is about 85 gal, Approximately 48"W x 24"D x 18"H. I am running twin 150 Watt lights. It seems to me that everything does better with the 10K's. With the 14K's the tank looks pretty dim, but i am attributing that to the light being put out not visible to the human eye.



Pic with 14K's
 
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Clint24

Active Member
Nice lookin set up. My tank is 220 gal which is 30" high. I used to use 20k lights & it looked good but corals didn't grow very fast, with the exception of my rose anenomea that split/reproduced about 10 times. I have blue atinic fluorescent strips build n my light fixture along with the MH's. I think I'm gonna try something new this time around, just haven't figured out if it's 10k or 14k yet. If all else fails I'll just go back to the 20k. :)


CD
 
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Clint24

Active Member
Thanks Mike. I double checked my measurements on my tank & it's only 28" overall & a little over 24" to the top of sand. I'd love to use 400 watts halides but the fixture I have is just 250 watt & it has worked for me. I just have to place corals accordingly!! :)
I went ahead & got 14k lights, figured I could try it out. See what happens.


CD
 
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