rprisock
11-04-2006, 12:04 AM
Well my tank has been up and running for about 18 months but the metal halides have just turned 12 months. It was past time to change out the bulbs and I finally made the switch today.
I have a 180 display tank with 4 vhos (2 white and 2 actinic blue) bulbs. Supplimenting the VHOs are 3 250watt MH canopies with double ended bulbs.
The bulbs were 14000K and I loved the look. However, now I've switched to 10000K just to try something different but also thinking / hoping that the cooler temperature spectrum would provide a more rapid growth rate for my SPS corals.
Interestingly enough, my few frags of SPS corals didn't do much for the first 6 months they were in the tank. I got a little impatient and introduced them when the tank was approximately 6 months old. I kept reading to wait a full year but, like I said, I got impatient. Most of the corals appeared healty but exhibited slow to little growth. In the past few months, the corals just seemed to start growing. Nothing changed that I was doing (e.g. no additives, no equipment changes of any consequence, same frequency of water changes).
I'm not certain, and not sure anyone else is, what magical happens to a reef tank after about 12 months that corals just seem to start thriving. Any ideas?
Ok, back to the lights. I replaced two of the bulbs tonight with the 10,000K USHIO bulbs. I left the 3rd canopy with the 14,000K bulb just to see the difference.
Well, the difference is drastic. The 10,000K bulbs of course being much more yellow in appearance. Not a bad look but not the vivid blue hue I got accustomed to with the 14,000K bulbs.
I'm eager to observe and see how the SPS corals respond to the change. Like I said, I hoping for more rapid growth but only time will tell.
Anyone else notice any big difference when they changed temperatures of MH bulbs. It would be interesting to hear your observations.
Happy reefing :)
I have a 180 display tank with 4 vhos (2 white and 2 actinic blue) bulbs. Supplimenting the VHOs are 3 250watt MH canopies with double ended bulbs.
The bulbs were 14000K and I loved the look. However, now I've switched to 10000K just to try something different but also thinking / hoping that the cooler temperature spectrum would provide a more rapid growth rate for my SPS corals.
Interestingly enough, my few frags of SPS corals didn't do much for the first 6 months they were in the tank. I got a little impatient and introduced them when the tank was approximately 6 months old. I kept reading to wait a full year but, like I said, I got impatient. Most of the corals appeared healty but exhibited slow to little growth. In the past few months, the corals just seemed to start growing. Nothing changed that I was doing (e.g. no additives, no equipment changes of any consequence, same frequency of water changes).
I'm not certain, and not sure anyone else is, what magical happens to a reef tank after about 12 months that corals just seem to start thriving. Any ideas?
Ok, back to the lights. I replaced two of the bulbs tonight with the 10,000K USHIO bulbs. I left the 3rd canopy with the 14,000K bulb just to see the difference.
Well, the difference is drastic. The 10,000K bulbs of course being much more yellow in appearance. Not a bad look but not the vivid blue hue I got accustomed to with the 14,000K bulbs.
I'm eager to observe and see how the SPS corals respond to the change. Like I said, I hoping for more rapid growth but only time will tell.
Anyone else notice any big difference when they changed temperatures of MH bulbs. It would be interesting to hear your observations.
Happy reefing :)