Lighting for 300 Gallon, BULBS?

jhallewell · 08/10/2006, 02:50 PM

I have a 300 gallon reef tank with one 400 watt halide in the middle with two 150 watt halides on either side. I need to buy new bulbs. I believe that I had 14K bulbs. The LFS has a deal on 20k bulbs. These look whiter than the 14K that I am running now. Will 20k be to blue, because I like the crisp white look. Whats the best bulb for the crisp white look 14k or 20k? Thanks for the help.

REEF-DADDY · 08/10/2006, 02:58 PM

14k will be whiter in moast cases. What brand are you looking at?

rigleautomotive · 08/10/2006, 03:03 PM

crisp white is 10 k.the higher thr kelvin rating the bluer the bulb

zemuron114 · 08/10/2006, 03:06 PM

i would do 400 in the middle and 250s on the sides and run 12-14K with actinics... but i like the blueish color more then white..

I actually switched out one of my actinic T5 with a 10K T5 because i thought 2x250 15K bulbs and 4 80 watt T5 was to blue. That one bulb gave it a much crisper look...

you can't go wrong with 10K's, but most look yellow to me... i like the 12Ks 20K is not even close to be white...

Volcano1 · 08/10/2006, 09:08 PM

Have phoenix 13k all around and I'm happy, a little blue, great par.

08/10/2006, 02:50 PM	#1
jhallewell Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Atlanta Posts: 30	Lighting for 300 Gallon, BULBS? I have a 300 gallon reef tank with one 400 watt halide in the middle with two 150 watt halides on either side. I need to buy new bulbs. I believe that I had 14K bulbs. The LFS has a deal on 20k bulbs. These look whiter than the 14K that I am running now. Will 20k be to blue, because I like the crisp white look. Whats the best bulb for the crisp white look 14k or 20k? Thanks for the help.

08/10/2006, 02:58 PM	#2
REEF-DADDY Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: CT Posts: 3,164	14k will be whiter in moast cases. What brand are you looking at? __________________ Steve 280 Gallon BB mixed reef PM bullet 3 powered by a PCX-70,400w HQI Radiums,Tunze Wavebox,AC III Litermeter III,PCX-70 pushing 2 Eductors,Geo 624 Ca Reactor,125 sump, Dart Return Current Tank Info: 280 SPS reef

08/10/2006, 03:03 PM	#3
rigleautomotive Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Northeast Pennsylvania Posts: 3,705	crisp white is 10 k.the higher thr kelvin rating the bluer the bulb __________________ Dan Rigle President, * Reef Conservation Society TOTM December 2010 Coral Magazine Sept/Oct 2012 Current Tank Info: 180 gal SPS dominated display, 3 X 250 watt Radiums , lumenarc III minis , with VHO actinics, ETS downdraft skimmers, closed loops and 2 Tunze 6105 & 7095 controller,DIY calcium reactors DIY custom built sumps,since 1992

08/10/2006, 09:08 PM	#5
Volcano1 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: North Central Illinois. Posts: 1,233	Have phoenix 13k all around and I'm happy, a little blue, great par. __________________ . Current Tank Info: 420,96x36x28,100 sump,100 Cheato fuge,4 luminarc large x 400 se Radium 20k , wavebox x 3, 3 - 6105, 1- 6200, Volcano 1864, , Aquatronica Touch controller, Turbo Aquatics L8 Gen 4 ATS

08/10/2006, 03:06 PM	#4
zemuron114 Moved On Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Pilgrim State (Mass) Posts: 4,039	i would do 400 in the middle and 250s on the sides and run 12-14K with actinics... but i like the blueish color more then white.. I actually switched out one of my actinic T5 with a 10K T5 because i thought 2x250 15K bulbs and 4 80 watt T5 was to blue. That one bulb gave it a much crisper look... you can't go wrong with 10K's, but most look yellow to me... i like the 12Ks 20K is not even close to be white...