150 DE Lighting options (10, 20, 14.5, 13??)

[andsoitgoes]

Hi all,

The recent post regarding the PAR values of the various lighting options out there and the fact that my bulb is going to need replacing at some point has made me want to figure out what I can do to replace the "yellow" coloration in the 10k Giesemann bulb currently in my 150w Aqualight Pro.

I am very much interested in the blueish tones produced - and is what I've always wanted in a tank. But I don't want to sacrifice coral growth for my asethetics.

J&L has a very small selection online for the DE bulbs - and looking at the visual representation from the PAR post (http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=254667&perpage=25&pagenumber=1) has me leaning towards the blues of the PFO 13000k, Coralvue (over 10k) and the Blueline 10k or higher

Does anyone know what would be an equivalent option in the J&L list? The Coralife bulbs are the most cost effective, but how are they in quality?

Would appreciate any advice. Thanks in advance!!

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Stay away from the Coralife Energysaver cheap bulbs. Very yellow, very quickly (10000k).

Hamilton 14000k is a what my friend TomR uses & is very happy with.

[AndyL]

If you're really not sure what you're after... Check ebay there are some sellers of some inexpensive HQI/mogul bulbs, at 10$ each its relatively cheap to try them out and see what temperature you (and your corals) prefer.

Theres a big long thread in RC's equipment forum "cheap ebay bulbs" or somesuch with some reviews / basic info.

[andsoitgoes]

Very interesting - only problem is they cover 175 and above, so nothing for the 150's - I do see there are some for 150, here:

http://cgi.ebay.ca/HQI-150W-14K-Double-Ended-DE-Halide-Bulb-for-Coralvue_W0QQitemZ320067034895QQihZ011QQcategoryZ4 6314QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

if this works out, I may have the Seahorse get some in from J&L or HR - If the above one works, it's a great price (under 50 bucks) even if it only works for a few months - and then I can test out the 14k spectrum!

Now - the question is - will this work with the Aqualight Pro ballast?

[AndyL]

My 150de (tar ballast nothing special) will fire 175 de bulbs; if you look in my frag sale post i've got a picture up with a cheap (think it cost me 5.83$ shipped) 175w 14k...

[andsoitgoes]

My 150de (tar ballast nothing special) will fire 175 de bulbs; if you look in my frag sale post i've got a picture up with a cheap (think it cost me 5.83$ shipped) 175w 14k...

HMMM - well now, that is interesting. I wouldn't be risking damage to my ballst, would I?

Which place did you order that one from? wouldn't mind looking back there and grabbing one to check it out :)

Danke!

[AndyL]

No idea on the ballast - mines been running for a fairly long time no problems.

Don't ask difficult questions ;) lights64 was the seller - not seeing any true auctions anymore though...

[andsoitgoes]

Thought I'd revive this with a few qs - PAR, PAR, PAR. I'm really interested in hearing what brands produce equal PAR in higher K temps.

From what I've seen, there are some brands (Hamilton) whose PAR drops as the K temp goes up - but XM bulbs don't?

What are the thoughts on this one?

[fkshiu]

All you need to know:

www.reeflightinginfo.arvixe.com

As a rule, PAR goes down as colour temp goes up from 6500K

[andsoitgoes]

I think I saw that page a while ago, it makes my head hurt :(

Hm, so supplementing with 10k PC bulbs would be necessary. Now, my question is can a bulb be found (14k) that has a minimal or nonexistent drop in PAR?

Especially seeing as that page has tests from almost 10 years ago, the technology has to have improved somewhat, right?

[Chaotic Cricket]

I think I saw that page a while ago, it makes my head hurt :(

Hm, so supplementing with 10k PC bulbs would be necessary. Now, my question is can a bulb be found (14k) that has a minimal or nonexistent drop in PAR?

Especially seeing as that page has tests from almost 10 years ago, the technology has to have improved somewhat, right?

You only need to supplement 10k halide bulbs if you do not like the yellow tint everything has, if you can live with it they give you the best results.
From what i've read the aquaconnect bulbs have one of if not THE best PAR for a 14k bulb. But I like my hamiltons :)

[fkshiu]

I think I saw that page a while ago, it makes my head hurt :(

Hm, so supplementing with 10k PC bulbs would be necessary. Now, my question is can a bulb be found (14k) that has a minimal or nonexistent drop in PAR?

Especially seeing as that page has tests from almost 10 years ago, the technology has to have improved somewhat, right?

Sanjay's page is very easy to use:

1. Go to "Search Performance Data"
2. Go to "By Ballast" (in your case)
3. Select "Watts = 150", "Ballast type = HQI" (for your DE bulbs), "Shielded = Both" (your unit is most likely shielded, but you get a better idea seeing both options)
4. Submit
5. The chart that pops up default ranks from highest PPFD (aka "PAR") to lowest. For example, the G-man 10K shielded bulb has a PAR of 72. Not bad for a shielded bulb. The highest PAR comes from the unshielded Icecap 6500K.

As you can see, PAR values tend to degrade as K-values go up.

Another interesting bit of info Sanjay gives you is the "CCT" column. This is the ACTUAL measured colour temp of the bulb. For example, the shielded G-man 10K bulb's actual colour is slightly warmer at 8,552K whereas the Aqualine Blushke 10K bulb comes in cooler at 12,229K.

Sanjay's data is by no means "out of date". He constantly adds to the data as he tests more bulbs and ballasts. He uses the same bulbs and the same ballasts that we use. The 10K G-man bulb he tested is the same 10K G-man bulb on J&L's shelf and the M81 HQI ballast is the same design of ballast sitting under your tank. This page is one of the too few UNBIASED + scientifically valid sources of information in this hobby.

[andsoitgoes]

This is what I get for looking at the page on my phone - Seeing this now with that info, that makes one hell of a bit of difference.

Now - what does "shielded" actually mean? From what I've understood, those are bulbs that are encased in a glass covering - right?

My only other question is that there is literally only one DE Shielded 14k bulb at 150w on this list, and most of those at the "lower" end of the scale don't actually have any CCT data.

If you go into a more common wattage, that changes things rather dramatically. For example, the G-Man 13k bulb is second from the top in the shielded ratings and actually 3 of the top 10 are over 10k...

now, the question is - if I found those bulbs/makers in 150w flavours, would I experience similar/equivalent results? If so, that just shows me where I need to go! :)

[fkshiu]

This article may answer some of your questions:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/may2004/review.htm

No CCT data means just that: he simply wasn't able to properly/accurately measure the colour temperature from the lamp for whatever reason.

The reason why PAR goes down as K-temp goes up is because most photosynthetic activity occurs around 6500K. As a result, you can't have you cake and eat it too with high K and high PAR, generally speaking. That's why people use actinic supplementation. There are a few exceptions like the Iwasaki 13K 175W bulb on an electronic ballast that has more PAR than many 250W bulbs.