Poor man's 10K?

[StirCrazy]

Hey I was trying to find the Iwasaki home page and I stumbled on this.. you guys have probably already seen it but I thought it was interesting.

A Poor Man’s 10,000 K Bulb (http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish2/aqfm/1999/may/product/default.asp)

Also another questiong I had was.. how importand it is to get the "r" desingnation for the Iwasaki 6500K bulbs? I can get the non "R" bulbs all over here for cheep but the "r" ones are pretty tricky. (unless some one knows something I don't. I know they are at J&L but I would like to find a place on the island to get them.

Steve

[Shadetree]

Superfudge has tried this and he did not like the results at all. Here is a pic, maybe he can chime in here.
http://www.shadetree.homestead.com/files/marc2.jpg

Scott

[clintyiu]

IMO the blue film they are using filters out too much colour. There are numerous shades of blue glass available from leaded (or stained) glass shops that may do the trick.

I remember using a hand blow sheet glass called GNA that is as clear as starfire and this comes with lighter tints of blue that we could use.

[Reefmaster]

i read about something like this some time ago. i wondered if we were trying to alter the colour spectrum for the better of the animals we keep or for our viewing pleasure. if its the latter maybe a better investment for the health of the animals is a set of blue bugaboos for the viewer! images/smiles/icon_redface.gif ) (haha, mostly j/k for those not sure!)
shane

[DJ88]

I have done a fair bit of research into this Steve and found that unless you pay big bucks for a photographic grade glass filter anything else you use will burn or shift its color due to the high heat. Good quality glass photographic filters will basically offset the money you will save by using a 6500 and trying to make it blue.

here is a quote from a guy on reefs.org that tried it using 175W mh's.

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr> I've done it. Used ROSCO theatre lighting gel acetate filters.

End diagnosis: it's not worth it. Just spend the money on some good 10K Ushio's.

Reason: The filter gels bleach after a while. On my 175W 4300K Venture bulb the gels only lasted 3 months before I noticed a significant colour change in the gel. The light output is sevelely attenuated. My mind kept telling me to buy a proper bulb.

After I listened to myself I bought a proper bulb and I was thrilled with the results.

I'll never use the filter gel method again.

<hr></blockquote>

IMO spend the cash to get what works with regards to MH bulbs. Going cheap will only end up costing you more in the long run and possibly harm any corals you may decide to put in your tank. Do it right the first time and you will be much happier.

[ 19 February 2002: Message edited by: DJ88 ]</p>

[reefburnaby]

Hi,

The regular types are real 6500K lamps and the type R are labeled as 6500K, but they are closer to 10000K.

Personally, I have read up on this Poor man's 10K and it will only work if you have a very powerful light source (like a 400W 6500K Iwasaki). Since PAR is the most important number, and filtering doesn't increase the PAR (it only decreases it), the filters are only for asethetic reasons. Here's a trick you can try, rather than placing the filter above the lights, put it on your viewing glass (like one of those DIY tinted glass). Corals are happy...you'll be sort of happy and save some money at the same time.

Personally, I would just get some 6500K Iwasakis and get a couple of overdriven actinics.

- Victor