Old MH bulb?

jfingers8 · 02/14/2010, 07:51 PM

Will old bulbs cause some sps corals to lose their color?

createyourown · 02/14/2010, 07:57 PM

yes mine did

jfingers8 · 02/14/2010, 09:20 PM

anyone else?

cagey · 02/14/2010, 09:27 PM

MH's are only rated for 9-12 months of use and then lose intensity. MH is for the intensity. Old bulbs are OLD.

scuba guy ron · 02/14/2010, 10:00 PM

i replace mine every 6 mos. does this mean i can go to 9

Toddrtrex · 02/14/2010, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scuba guy ron

i replace mine every 6 mos. does this mean i can go to 9

Really depends on what bulbs/ballasts you are using, and if you are over-driving them.

grigsy · 02/14/2010, 10:25 PM

It is a good idea to replace your MH bulbs every 9-12 months. The rated life of a MH bulb will be longer but the spectrum will shift long prior to that. This will cause more unwanted algae to grow and reduce coral growth.

cloak · 02/15/2010, 12:13 PM

I've been running a 175 watt XM 20,000K bulb for almost ten months now on an older Hamilton magnetic ballast. The colors look good, it's just that growth seems to have stopped within the last two months or so. No problem with unwanted algae though.

02/14/2010, 07:51 PM	#1
jfingers8 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: MA Posts: 562	Old MH bulb? Will old bulbs cause some sps corals to lose their color?

02/14/2010, 10:00 PM	#5
scuba guy ron Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 1,455	i replace mine every 6 mos. does this mean i can go to 9 __________________ Ron Current Tank Info: 6yr old 37 Gallon Column mixed reef

02/14/2010, 07:57 PM	#2
createyourown Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 194	yes mine did

02/14/2010, 09:20 PM	#3
jfingers8 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: MA Posts: 562	anyone else?

02/14/2010, 09:27 PM	#4
cagey Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Elmwood Park, NJ Posts: 37	MH's are only rated for 9-12 months of use and then lose intensity. MH is for the intensity. Old bulbs are OLD.

02/14/2010, 10:25 PM	#7
grigsy Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Santa Cruz, CA Posts: 2,307	It is a good idea to replace your MH bulbs every 9-12 months. The rated life of a MH bulb will be longer but the spectrum will shift long prior to that. This will cause more unwanted algae to grow and reduce coral growth.

02/15/2010, 12:13 PM	#8
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	I've been running a 175 watt XM 20,000K bulb for almost ten months now on an older Hamilton magnetic ballast. The colors look good, it's just that growth seems to have stopped within the last two months or so. No problem with unwanted algae though.