are the new 15k xm screw-in bulbs "blue"?

yamaha racer · 02/05/2006, 11:33 PM

i have a 10k xm and it makes my tank really white and they have new 15k mh and i was wondering if they were blue./..like 14k?

thanks
dan

zapata41 · 02/06/2006, 12:29 AM

yes they are quite blue but very crappy par. here is a pic of the same tank, first is lit by 2 250W 10K XM on icecap ballast with no actinics, and the second pic is lit by 2 250 15K XM on ice cap ballast with no actinics.

Tim

yamaha racer · 02/06/2006, 05:44 PM

so should i go w/ the hamilton 14k than?

bigbenji · 02/06/2006, 11:47 PM

Wow, my xm 15k's are blue, but not that blue. Check the lighting forum. At the top are sticky's where someone actually posted pics using different bulbs, with and without actinics. Its a great thread.

zapata41 · 02/07/2006, 12:26 AM

well one pic was taken in the night time, the 10K, and the 15k was taken in the day time so the white balance is a little off, butthey are stil way blue compared to the 10K, and lets not mention the par from teh 15k, might as well be running a 70w bulbs with that par.;

Tim

JmLee · 02/07/2006, 02:06 AM

i use 15k Xm De's and they are crisp white with a hint of blue

DrBDC · 02/07/2006, 08:06 AM

Big problem with the XM15's is the pathetic par. It's only about 1/3 of the par of the 10,000K's and near half of the 20,000K's.

JmLee · 02/07/2006, 10:03 AM

what exactly is PAR?

DrBDC · 02/07/2006, 10:15 AM

What the whole purpose of lighting our corals is. It's a measure of the photosynthetically active wavelengths in light (in the range 400-700 nm).

JmLee · 02/07/2006, 10:32 AM

so.. how is par measured by a home aquariast?.

DrBDC · 02/07/2006, 10:40 AM

With a PAR meter!

but really it is. Here is a good link which shows bulb ballast combinations of some of the major players in the game:

http://www.cnidarianreef.com/lamps.cfm

Scroll down to the charts at the bottom to get past the pretty pictures which are useless when comparing on a monitor vs. real life. It may reflect somewhat but not really.

JmLee · 02/07/2006, 10:54 AM

hmm i see they test the bulbs with diff balasts. i wonder what mine is being DE and running on aquamedics magnetic ballasts.

DrBDC · 02/07/2006, 11:25 AM

Check here:

http://www.reeflightinginfo.arvixe.com/

clutch · 02/07/2006, 11:53 AM

I just bough giessman bulb HQI 250 megachrome .I can't find a comparison any suggestions. just recieved them but ballasts r on their way thnx

02/05/2006, 11:33 PM	#1
yamaha racer Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Gypsy Posts: 1,131	are the new 15k xm screw-in bulbs "blue"? i have a 10k xm and it makes my tank really white and they have new 15k mh and i was wondering if they were blue./..like 14k? thanks dan

02/06/2006, 11:47 PM	#4
bigbenji Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Oak Harbor OH Posts: 1,200	Wow, my xm 15k's are blue, but not that blue. Check the lighting forum. At the top are sticky's where someone actually posted pics using different bulbs, with and without actinics. Its a great thread. __________________ "But Dad, it's shark week!" Ben Current Tank Info: I have tank envy.

02/07/2006, 08:06 AM	#7
DrBDC Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Ballwin, Missouri Posts: 10,358	Big problem with the XM15's is the pathetic par. It's only about 1/3 of the par of the 10,000K's and near half of the 20,000K's. __________________ Some drink at the fountain of knowledge, some just gargle, but most are rabid. Current Tank Info: 180g sps+75 softy/lps on one system tunze's, seio's, mjmods, aquacontroller w/add ons, 2X400 XM10000 and 3X160 vho actinic, 110g sump, 110 frag tank, Geo Beckett and other stuff

02/07/2006, 10:15 AM	#9
DrBDC Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Ballwin, Missouri Posts: 10,358	What the whole purpose of lighting our corals is. It's a measure of the photosynthetically active wavelengths in light (in the range 400-700 nm). __________________ Some drink at the fountain of knowledge, some just gargle, but most are rabid. Current Tank Info: 180g sps+75 softy/lps on one system tunze's, seio's, mjmods, aquacontroller w/add ons, 2X400 XM10000 and 3X160 vho actinic, 110g sump, 110 frag tank, Geo Beckett and other stuff

02/07/2006, 10:40 AM	#11
DrBDC Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Ballwin, Missouri Posts: 10,358	With a PAR meter! but really it is. Here is a good link which shows bulb ballast combinations of some of the major players in the game: http://www.cnidarianreef.com/lamps.cfm Scroll down to the charts at the bottom to get past the pretty pictures which are useless when comparing on a monitor vs. real life. It may reflect somewhat but not really. __________________ Some drink at the fountain of knowledge, some just gargle, but most are rabid. Current Tank Info: 180g sps+75 softy/lps on one system tunze's, seio's, mjmods, aquacontroller w/add ons, 2X400 XM10000 and 3X160 vho actinic, 110g sump, 110 frag tank, Geo Beckett and other stuff

02/06/2006, 12:29 AM	#2
zapata41 Moved On Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Humboldt County, CA Posts: 2,024	yes they are quite blue but very crappy par. here is a pic of the same tank, first is lit by 2 250W 10K XM on icecap ballast with no actinics, and the second pic is lit by 2 250 15K XM on ice cap ballast with no actinics. Tim

02/06/2006, 05:44 PM	#3
yamaha racer Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Gypsy Posts: 1,131	so should i go w/ the hamilton 14k than?

02/07/2006, 12:26 AM	#5
zapata41 Moved On Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Humboldt County, CA Posts: 2,024	well one pic was taken in the night time, the 10K, and the 15k was taken in the day time so the white balance is a little off, butthey are stil way blue compared to the 10K, and lets not mention the par from teh 15k, might as well be running a 70w bulbs with that par.; Tim

02/07/2006, 02:06 AM	#6
JmLee Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hohensfels, Germany Posts: 1,545	i use 15k Xm De's and they are crisp white with a hint of blue

02/07/2006, 10:03 AM	#8
JmLee Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hohensfels, Germany Posts: 1,545	what exactly is PAR?

02/07/2006, 10:32 AM	#10
JmLee Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hohensfels, Germany Posts: 1,545	so.. how is par measured by a home aquariast?.

02/07/2006, 10:54 AM	#12
JmLee Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hohensfels, Germany Posts: 1,545	hmm i see they test the bulbs with diff balasts. i wonder what mine is being DE and running on aquamedics magnetic ballasts.

02/07/2006, 11:25 AM	#13
DrBDC Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Ballwin, Missouri Posts: 10,358	Check here: http://www.reeflightinginfo.arvixe.com/ __________________ Some drink at the fountain of knowledge, some just gargle, but most are rabid. Current Tank Info: 180g sps+75 softy/lps on one system tunze's, seio's, mjmods, aquacontroller w/add ons, 2X400 XM10000 and 3X160 vho actinic, 110g sump, 110 frag tank, Geo Beckett and other stuff

02/07/2006, 11:53 AM	#14
clutch Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 672	I just bough giessman bulb HQI 250 megachrome .I can't find a comparison any suggestions. just recieved them but ballasts r on their way thnx __________________ Dave Current Tank Info: In wall 240, Deltec AP851, Tunze wavebox,Geo618