Judging bulb age

Stephen73ta · 08/17/2009, 02:16 AM

I am running two 150 w 10k bulbs right now. I bought them used. Is there anyway to tell how old the bulbs are? My sps are bleeching and i cant seem to figure out the problem. My birds od paradise bleeched in one day. ahh..

Mopar Reefer · 08/17/2009, 02:23 AM

How far up in the tank are your sps? Could be too much light. Did you upgrade from T-5's PC's or CF's? If so, you would need to acclimate them to the stronger light.

redfishsc · 08/17/2009, 06:37 AM

+1 on what Mopar said.

Also, if you had halides before, what color temp were you running? If you had a higher K bulb (14,000 or 20,000K) and then changed to 10K, this might also cause a problem.

serpentman · 08/17/2009, 09:22 AM

A PAR meter will give you an idea on what the bulbs are putting out.

pugbreath13 · 08/17/2009, 09:27 AM

I've never used this as a gauge but when I change the bulbs after a year the center tube is usually dark/black. I have a 250w on my frag tank for 6 months now and the center tube looks frosted.

ERICinFL · 08/17/2009, 09:30 AM

Any time you change bulbs, it's a good idea to move them up a few inches from your tank, then move them closer to their final spot over a week or so. That'll give your corals a chance to adjust to the new bulbs. If you can't raise them, shorten the photo period a few hours (example: 10hrs. to 6hrs. then increase an hour every few days). Unfortunately, it's hard to tell a used bulb's age, just by looking at it. You basically have to trust the person you buy them from.

BeanMachine · 08/17/2009, 11:33 AM

Yeah, considering I bought a used fixture about 6 months ago that came with two brand new pc lamps for it in the box.

Well, when I finally changed out the PCs last week, that NIB lamp working for about an hour before it went out.

Obviously the lamp wasn't new, but they guy I bought them from told me they were.

Stephen73ta · 08/17/2009, 12:16 PM

my sps are about 6" below the water and the lamps are sitting 12" above the water level. i think i might try moving them lower. idk i feel like they are dead already, can sps be recovered after they bleach?

Toddrtrex · 08/17/2009, 12:53 PM

What were you running before hand?

Do you have the UV shield in place?

Stephen73ta · 08/17/2009, 01:42 PM

UV shield is there. this is a fairly new tank, so i started out with the MH lamps. i'm not sure what lights they were under before me. i'm trying to find out now.

08/17/2009, 02:16 AM	#1
Stephen73ta Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 178	Judging bulb age I am running two 150 w 10k bulbs right now. I bought them used. Is there anyway to tell how old the bulbs are? My sps are bleeching and i cant seem to figure out the problem. My birds od paradise bleeched in one day. ahh.. __________________ 29 Gallon 20x13x15" Acrylic/Rimless, Coast2Coast overflow, Mag 5 return pump Current Tank Info: 40g Rimless Starfire Cube, external C2C Bean Animal Overflow

08/17/2009, 06:37 AM	#3
redfishsc Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Wake Forest, NC Posts: 3,696	+1 on what Mopar said. Also, if you had halides before, what color temp were you running? If you had a higher K bulb (14,000 or 20,000K) and then changed to 10K, this might also cause a problem. __________________ "The measure of a life is not its duration but its donation." Corrie Ten Boom “The tyrant dies and his rule is over, the martyr dies and his rule begins” -- Søren Kierkegaard Current Tank Info: ghetto grad school reef.....11g rimless tank, 36X9X9, lit by Cree and Rebels scobbled together. Stocked mostly with free stuff I got from panhandling my fellow reefers.

08/17/2009, 09:22 AM	#4
serpentman part time superhero Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Deep in the Heart of the Snowbelt (NE OHIO) Posts: 5,698	A PAR meter will give you an idea on what the bulbs are putting out. __________________ BS in Marine Bio ('96), First SW tank in 1992. Current Tank(s) 300g SPS with 90g frag tank and 40 anemone tank - decommissioned 46g LPS/Softy Cube 300g FOWLR under construction - decommissioned

08/17/2009, 09:30 AM	#6
ERICinFL Rejisturd Mimbur Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Brevard County, FL Posts: 1,346	Any time you change bulbs, it's a good idea to move them up a few inches from your tank, then move them closer to their final spot over a week or so. That'll give your corals a chance to adjust to the new bulbs. If you can't raise them, shorten the photo period a few hours (example: 10hrs. to 6hrs. then increase an hour every few days). Unfortunately, it's hard to tell a used bulb's age, just by looking at it. You basically have to trust the person you buy them from. __________________ Ummmm... yeah... don't touch the Mag Float. Sorry kids, your college fund is gone, but the tank looks SWEET right? Current Tank Info: 150gal mixed reef. ER CS135, 65gal sump/fuge with a Mag12 return. (2) Korillia 4s, (1) modded MJ1200, two SunSun 3200gph powerheads. 250+lbs LR.

08/17/2009, 12:16 PM	#8
Stephen73ta Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 178	my sps are about 6" below the water and the lamps are sitting 12" above the water level. i think i might try moving them lower. idk i feel like they are dead already, can sps be recovered after they bleach? __________________ 29 Gallon 20x13x15" Acrylic/Rimless, Coast2Coast overflow, Mag 5 return pump Current Tank Info: 40g Rimless Starfire Cube, external C2C Bean Animal Overflow

08/17/2009, 02:23 AM	#2
Mopar Reefer Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Fort Walton Beach Posts: 465	How far up in the tank are your sps? Could be too much light. Did you upgrade from T-5's PC's or CF's? If so, you would need to acclimate them to the stronger light.

08/17/2009, 09:27 AM	#5
pugbreath13 Moved On Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: The former United States Posts: 466	I've never used this as a gauge but when I change the bulbs after a year the center tube is usually dark/black. I have a 250w on my frag tank for 6 months now and the center tube looks frosted.

08/17/2009, 11:33 AM	#7
BeanMachine Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Orange, CA Posts: 11,200	Yeah, considering I bought a used fixture about 6 months ago that came with two brand new pc lamps for it in the box. Well, when I finally changed out the PCs last week, that NIB lamp working for about an hour before it went out. Obviously the lamp wasn't new, but they guy I bought them from told me they were.

08/17/2009, 12:53 PM	#9
Toddrtrex Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Carol Stream, IL Posts: 23,162	What were you running before hand? Do you have the UV shield in place? __________________ Click my name and then "visit toddrtrex's homepage" for tank pictures Current Tank Info: 210g reef and 65g reef

08/17/2009, 01:42 PM	#10
Stephen73ta Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 178	UV shield is there. this is a fairly new tank, so i started out with the MH lamps. i'm not sure what lights they were under before me. i'm trying to find out now. __________________ 29 Gallon 20x13x15" Acrylic/Rimless, Coast2Coast overflow, Mag 5 return pump Current Tank Info: 40g Rimless Starfire Cube, external C2C Bean Animal Overflow