Question about changing MH ballast

[Casey8]

I wish but no money though

[isaac1]

i have a 400 watt custom built mh with 7 built in blue atinic mini lamps there is nothing wrong with it all and it has grown amazing corals thow because it has a ballast it cost roughly 48 dollers on my electrical were as my 6 bulb t5ho cost 5 dollers and produces a much more efficent light spectrim with out the risks of fire or over heating to each there own

[Casey8]

You are lucky with your corals, I have 2x400W with 2 actinic but all my yellow sps corals are still turning green color, I just can not keep them yellow. I have googled and found out that it is because I don't give enough light for them I really don't understand.

[daniella3d]

Most important thing for the yellow is lack of nitrates and phosphates:

I have no problem keeing yellow under my 250 watt 14k MH.

http://reefbuilders.com/2008/09/03/g...-vivid-bright/

Originally Posted by Casey8

You are lucky with your corals, I have 2x400W with 2 actinic but all my yellow sps corals are still turning green color, I just can not keep them yellow. I have googled and found out that it is because I don't give enough light for them I really don't understand.

[Casey8]

Do you mean my tank has too much nitrates and phosphates ? ... I have never tested for them. I didn't know the yellow is the hardest to keep their color.

[isaac1]

Each t5ho bulb is 54 watts what is 54 times 6 is 324 watts

[isaac1]

O lol ya i see ur point

[apexifd]

Originally Posted by Casey8

Do you mean my tank has too much nitrates and phosphates ? ... I have never tested for them. I didn't know the yellow is the hardest to keep their color.

yellow should be the easiest to keep, as long as you can keep the nutrient low.

few things that you can do are:

over skimming
less feeding
more frequent water change
macro algae
mangrove
less fish
bio-pellets
zeo-vit
etc etc etc

or plumb your tank straight to the ocean.

I personally didn't change water for 4 months, and everything keeps their color well.

[Casey8]

Originally Posted by apexifd

yellow should be the easiest to keep, as long as you can keep the nutrient low.

few things that you can do are:

over skimming
less feeding
more frequent water change
macro algae
mangrove
less fish
bio-pellets
zeo-vit
etc etc etc

or plumb your tank straight to the ocean.

I personally didn't change water for 4 months, and everything keeps their color well.

Thanks for your advice, but ... if everybody says the yellow is the easiest one to have, for me it is the opposite. All the frags I have bought lately with lots of different color, all of them turned out perfectly the way it should be, except the YELLOW and I love yellow ...

[Casey8]

Originally Posted by daniella3d

Most important thing for the yellow is lack of nitrates and phosphates:

I have no problem keeing yellow under my 250 watt 14k MH.

http://reefbuilders.com/2008/09/03/g...-vivid-bright/

Thanks a lot for the link. I am learning a lot from reading it tonight.