Metal halide bulbs and fixture

t00lfan · 11/04/2010, 12:07 AM

starting a 90 gallon.. Was looking at Icecap reef illuminations fixture. What brand 150w bulbs shoul I get.Was thinking about 14000k range. Heard phoenix is good brand. The for t5s can fiji purple with a pure actinic b ok?

nnewhouse · 11/04/2010, 06:41 AM

Sounds like you have a great plan. What are you trying to accomplish with your lighting? Looks? Coral growth?

Hocky · 11/04/2010, 09:08 AM

I run phoenix 14k's with actinic supplement and I like it.

t00lfan · 11/04/2010, 11:14 AM

Well I Have couple nanos that have mostly sps lps and a few softies. l want a lil more of the blue look to tank but I don't want to impede growth either. I cant wait 2 get this 90 up. Finally I can own a tang!

Chris27 · 11/04/2010, 12:23 PM

If you're using both MH and T5's, use a 10000K MH with purple T5's, that way you get great growth from the 10000K's and a nice blue color for aesthetics.

skins4jared · 11/04/2010, 12:27 PM

I personally like the "blue light" look. I run 15K Hamilton MHs and compliment with 50/50 actinic PC bulbs. The colors really pop and my corals have been growing great for over two years with that bulb combination.

szymek · 11/04/2010, 12:56 PM

I'd go with pheonix 14K! absolutely amazing bulb and balances growth and color really well. Keep in mind those bulbs tend to look more blue than other 14K bulbs that I've seen.

I'm not sure how many T5s you have. but i'd go with ATI blue special (12k) and rest blue plus (20k).

seapug · 11/04/2010, 12:58 PM

If it's a standard 90 gallon I'd highly recommend going with a 250W fixture, especially if you want a more blue lighting scheme. The high Kelvin temp 150W bulbs just lack the PAR you need to reach the bottom of a standard 90 gal, unless you're plan is to make a lower light tank for LPS or mushrooms. The 250W 20K bulbs have a lot more punch.

14K Phoenix bulb is about the bluest MH bulb there is. I personally prefer the 20K Ushio. They are a nice blue, but not quite the extreme "cotton candy blue" of the 14K Phoenix. The KZ Fiji Purple T5 is a really interesting bulb and combines very nicely with pure actinic, but if the fixture has room for only two T5s and you use one Fiji Purple and one Actinic, there's going to be a very noticable "dividing line" in the color of the tank. I know this because I've tried it on my tank. It can be a good or bad thing depending on how your tank is situated and what you're trying to achieve.

11/04/2010, 12:07 AM	#1
t00lfan Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Milwaukee Posts: 149	Metal halide bulbs and fixture starting a 90 gallon.. Was looking at Icecap reef illuminations fixture. What brand 150w bulbs shoul I get.Was thinking about 14000k range. Heard phoenix is good brand. The for t5s can fiji purple with a pure actinic b ok? __________________ Ocellaris are clowns, and so are people. Current Tank Info: 90 gal. mixed reef tank (SPS, softies, LPS,3 Clams)with 10 gallon fuge and 30 gallon sump. Lighting 2 250 MH 20k radiums with 4 t5 HO ATI(1actinic 1purple and blueplus)

11/04/2010, 11:14 AM	#4
t00lfan Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Milwaukee Posts: 149	Well I Have couple nanos that have mostly sps lps and a few softies. l want a lil more of the blue look to tank but I don't want to impede growth either. I cant wait 2 get this 90 up. Finally I can own a tang! __________________ Ocellaris are clowns, and so are people. Current Tank Info: 90 gal. mixed reef tank (SPS, softies, LPS,3 Clams)with 10 gallon fuge and 30 gallon sump. Lighting 2 250 MH 20k radiums with 4 t5 HO ATI(1actinic 1purple and blueplus)

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11/04/2010, 06:41 AM	#2
nnewhouse Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 75	Sounds like you have a great plan. What are you trying to accomplish with your lighting? Looks? Coral growth?

11/04/2010, 09:08 AM	#3
Hocky Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 55	I run phoenix 14k's with actinic supplement and I like it.

11/04/2010, 12:23 PM	#5
Chris27 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 4,452	If you're using both MH and T5's, use a 10000K MH with purple T5's, that way you get great growth from the 10000K's and a nice blue color for aesthetics.

11/04/2010, 12:27 PM	#6
skins4jared Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 5	I personally like the "blue light" look. I run 15K Hamilton MHs and compliment with 50/50 actinic PC bulbs. The colors really pop and my corals have been growing great for over two years with that bulb combination.

11/04/2010, 12:56 PM	#7
szymek Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Oakville, ON Posts: 49	I'd go with pheonix 14K! absolutely amazing bulb and balances growth and color really well. Keep in mind those bulbs tend to look more blue than other 14K bulbs that I've seen. I'm not sure how many T5s you have. but i'd go with ATI blue special (12k) and rest blue plus (20k).

11/04/2010, 12:58 PM	#8
seapug Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 4980 ft. Posts: 7,954 Blog Entries: 1	If it's a standard 90 gallon I'd highly recommend going with a 250W fixture, especially if you want a more blue lighting scheme. The high Kelvin temp 150W bulbs just lack the PAR you need to reach the bottom of a standard 90 gal, unless you're plan is to make a lower light tank for LPS or mushrooms. The 250W 20K bulbs have a lot more punch. 14K Phoenix bulb is about the bluest MH bulb there is. I personally prefer the 20K Ushio. They are a nice blue, but not quite the extreme "cotton candy blue" of the 14K Phoenix. The KZ Fiji Purple T5 is a really interesting bulb and combines very nicely with pure actinic, but if the fixture has room for only two T5s and you use one Fiji Purple and one Actinic, there's going to be a very noticable "dividing line" in the color of the tank. I know this because I've tried it on my tank. It can be a good or bad thing depending on how your tank is situated and what you're trying to achieve.