10,000 bulb and ballast - who's got the answers!

[sumpfinfishe]

My roomate Al is currently running 6500k bulb, with three attinics on timers over a 60 gal reef. Is it worth the upgrade to a German 10,000k bulb and ballast? Or is there some other good type of setup to use?

[Aquattro]

First he needs to decide what is wrong with his current setup and why he wants to upgrade. A LOT of people run 65k bulbs and think anything else is a downgrade.

[Samw]

I'm pretty new to the MH game. So, what is a 65,000 K bulb? I've only seen them go up to 20,000 K. I've heard of 6.5k K (6,500) but not 65k K (65,000). I see people talk about 65k K bulbs but never knew what they were. I just assumed they meant 6.5k K.

[StirCrazy]

65000K.. must be to purple for his liking

and he is running actinics with that also :shock: hmmm maby this is realy a Deep watter tank and he is simulating the depth of 200 feet


Steve

[sumpfinfishe]

sorry the above post has now been changed-one too many 0'hs

[EmilyB]

I think they knew....

Esthetic value, so they say.

[sumpfinfishe]

ok ok enough with the crack's, can someone please help him out?

[Aquattro]

I did help him out. He needs to answer the questions I posed in my first reply. No lighting setup is better than the other (within standard comparisons) and an "upgrade" is only worth the cost if it gives a desired result. So, what result is he after???

[Bob I]

Originally Posted by sumpfinfishe

ok ok enough with the crack's, can someone please help him out?

Might want to develop a sense of humour. I know that is tough living in Lotusland.

[Samw]

Originally Posted by sumpfinfishe

My roomate Al is currently running 6500k bulb, with three attinics on timers over a 60 gal reef. Is it worth the upgrade to a German 10,000k bulb and ballast? Or is there some other good type of setup to use?

What ballast does he have now? Could he just replace the bulb and not the ballast? From what I've read, 6,500K Iwasaki's are great for making your corals grow fast while the higher color temperature bulbs makes the corals more colorful. From what I've seen, Radium 20k sometimes are a bit too bluish depending on the ballast. So, I'm looking at 10k bulbs myself and supplementing with 50/50 PCs.