Does everyone supplement their HH's

[b_james]

What is the benifit of supplementing actinics with MH's besides staggering them to similate dawn & dusk. I guess what I am asking is if I used either 14K or 20K will I still need to run my actinics at the same time as my MH's OR can I just get rid of them?

[lastlight]

tagging along. i'm considering some vhos but if i can save some $$$ why not?

[danny zubot]

I only run 1 400 watt 14K MH.

My friend runs a 250watt 14k on his tank which is the same depth, but he uses NO actinic tubes as well. Some of his corals are much more colorful than mine. There's a lot more to it though, suppliments, water changes, bio load etc. that can also play as variables in our cases.

What needs to be done is a controlled experiment with the same corals in the same tank, with and without actinics.

[OCDP]

I guess what I am asking is if I used either 14K or 20K will I still need to run my actinics at the same time as my MH's OR can I just get rid of them?

To answer your question, no. You don't have to use actinics if you don't want, I don't.. and everything is fine. You can do whatever you'd like :mrgreen:

[TheReefGeek]

You don't ever NEED actinic suppliments. They are to help make the tank look more visually appealing, and to provide your corals with more blue spectrum to simulate what happens in nature because blue spectrum light penetrates water further than other spectrums, so corals are used to getting more blue. And for dust/dawn effect as you said.

You will likely get more growth out of 10K MHs supplimented with actinic VHOs, but you are also getting a lot more par because of the 10K vs. say 14K or 20K, and the additiona watts of VHO will add some too.

That said, you are running a 230g with 150w HQIs. How deep is your tank? You should probably keep the VHOs until you upgrade your MH lighting to 400w, assuming your tank is 24" or deeper, and I believe a standard 230g is 30" tall. It also depends what you are keeping. If you want to keep just softies you are fine, but if you want anemonies, clams, LPS on the bottom of the tank, or SPS, you will need more light to penetrate that deep of a tank.

[Invigor]

manufacturers are finally getting the hang of high par with more blue colouration out of halides, but you're paying top dollar for a bulb like that. if you want best output for best bang, probe start ballast + XM 10k halides with some NO fluorescent actinic supplimentation is a nice blend and can be had for very cheap.

personally I prefer high color rendering index over "the blue look"..nothing beats a great 10k bulb with a 90+ CRI. it doesn't seem anyone gives a damn about CRI but to me, it makes a HUGE difference in the overall appearance of the tank. the downside is not a lot of mfgs advertise the CRI of their products. the only company I can think of that does, is ushio.

[digital-audiophile]

I am using Actinics along with a 14k bulb. The difference when they are on and off is not that big, but the atinics just help some of the colours "pop" with the hallides on.

[albert_dao]

manufacturers are finally getting the hang of high par with more blue colouration out of halides, but you're paying top dollar for a bulb like that. if you want best output for best bang, probe start ballast + XM 10k halides with some NO fluorescent actinic supplimentation is a nice blend and can be had for very cheap.

personally I prefer high color rendering index over "the blue look"..nothing beats a great 10k bulb with a 90+ CRI. it doesn't seem anyone gives a damn about CRI but to me, it makes a HUGE difference in the overall appearance of the tank. the downside is not a lot of mfgs advertise the CRI of their products. the only company I can think of that does, is ushio.


Iwaski has those PAR bulbs with a CRI of 96 or something crazy. From the looks of it (user reviews and whatnot), these things perform just nearly as 400 watt SE bulbs of X brands.

[McNasty]

I run t5 and mh, MH are 14k I find that with the atinic t5s on the colors are nicer and more appealing, also i have my lights come on in series, and go off in series, thus the t5 atinics come on then 20k whits t5s come on the mhs last, gives a more natural dusk to dawn effect IMO.

Lighting is what evre suits ones needs and appeal

[sergeantpilot]

I use a 250W Hamilton 14K DE bulb without actinics and I am very happy so far with the looks of the coral.