Which bulbs for my system?

bigloggerhead · 04/18/2009, 09:15 PM

I have a 58 gallon reef ready tank that is 18 inches deep. I have SPS, some LPS, a clam, and a RBTA. My SPS have lost their color and I know its time to change my bulbs. They're about 10 months old. I am running a 250 watt DE with 4 39 watt T5's for supplementation. I just recently purchased an Ice Cap electronic ballast, the new style. I recently changed my halide bulb. I purchased a Reef Optics 14k bulb from one of my buddies. I haven't noticed any shift in color of my SPS. They may have even got a little worse. The bulb was brand new. It had only been run maybe 20 hours.

I was running a Giesemann 14.4k Coral bulb, 2 ATI Blue Plus, 1 Fiji Purple, and 1 Giesemann Pure Actinic. Does this seem like a good bulb combination? Do I have too much light on this tank? I don't think I do. But it seems like I can't get the good color I want. Any suggestions on bulb combinations will be appreciated. Also, let me know what you think of my current combo? I need the input of all you lighting gurus on this forum.

Thanx

bigloggerhead · 04/19/2009, 12:50 PM

Come on! Somebody has to have some kind of input.

Toddrtrex · 04/19/2009, 01:07 PM

How have they gotten worse? Lighter? What colors do you want? There is more to color then just light. Excess nutrients can/will effect color too.

And 20 hours isn't enough time to see a change in color.

Overall I don't think it is too much light for the tank, though it is on the higher end.

bigloggerhead · 04/19/2009, 02:14 PM

My corals have gotten browner and I doubt its nutrients. I do 5 gallon weekly water changes.

The bulb was ran by my friend for 20 hours. I've been running it now for 3 weeks and haven't seen any change. I even went so far as to cut back my photoperiod. My halide is on for about 7 hours a day now.

I'm just wondering if the setup I posted in my first post will have enough blue supplementation to get my corals to bring back those bright blues and purples or should I choose a different spectrum.

Toddrtrex · 04/19/2009, 02:20 PM

With them being brown, I would tend to leave towards a nutrient issue.

Over my 58 I have 2*250 20K XMs (( SE )) + 1*96 dual actinic PC and 1*96 50/50 PC. I am very please with my colors.

bigloggerhead · 04/19/2009, 04:10 PM

Guess I should check for phosphates then?

jbird69 · 04/19/2009, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Toddrtrex
With them being brown, I would tend to leave towards a nutrient issue.

Over my 58 I have 2*250 20K XMs (( SE )) + 1*96 dual actinic PC and 1*96 50/50 PC. I am very please with my colors.

Wow! and I thought I had a lot of light on my 50!

bigloggerhead · 04/19/2009, 05:08 PM

Here's my water parameters:

CA - 400

dKH - 8

Nitrite - 0

Nitrate - 5.0

Ammonia - 0

Ph- 8.0

I don't have a phosphate test but I plan to get one tomorrow. I'll probably have my water tested at my LFS too. I know my nitrate is slightly elevated but I wouldn't think that would cause by SPS to brown.

bigloggerhead · 04/19/2009, 08:35 PM

Anyone else having success with a particular bulb combination?

bigloggerhead · 04/20/2009, 02:48 PM

Well, I ordered my T5's today. I decided to go with 3 ATI Blue Plus and 1 Fiji Purple. I'm gonna stay with the Reef Optics metal halide for the time being. I may end up going back to the Giesemann 14.5k.

I also thought about the 14k Iwasaki DE. Anyone have any experience with that bulb?

04/18/2009, 09:15 PM	#1
bigloggerhead Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Monroe, LA Posts: 343	Which bulbs for my system? I have a 58 gallon reef ready tank that is 18 inches deep. I have SPS, some LPS, a clam, and a RBTA. My SPS have lost their color and I know its time to change my bulbs. They're about 10 months old. I am running a 250 watt DE with 4 39 watt T5's for supplementation. I just recently purchased an Ice Cap electronic ballast, the new style. I recently changed my halide bulb. I purchased a Reef Optics 14k bulb from one of my buddies. I haven't noticed any shift in color of my SPS. They may have even got a little worse. The bulb was brand new. It had only been run maybe 20 hours. I was running a Giesemann 14.4k Coral bulb, 2 ATI Blue Plus, 1 Fiji Purple, and 1 Giesemann Pure Actinic. Does this seem like a good bulb combination? Do I have too much light on this tank? I don't think I do. But it seems like I can't get the good color I want. Any suggestions on bulb combinations will be appreciated. Also, let me know what you think of my current combo? I need the input of all you lighting gurus on this forum. Thanx

04/19/2009, 01:07 PM	#3
Toddrtrex Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Carol Stream, IL Posts: 23,162	How have they gotten worse? Lighter? What colors do you want? There is more to color then just light. Excess nutrients can/will effect color too. And 20 hours isn't enough time to see a change in color. Overall I don't think it is too much light for the tank, though it is on the higher end. __________________ Click my name and then "visit toddrtrex's homepage" for tank pictures Current Tank Info: 210g reef and 65g reef

04/19/2009, 02:20 PM	#5
Toddrtrex Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Carol Stream, IL Posts: 23,162	With them being brown, I would tend to leave towards a nutrient issue. Over my 58 I have 2250 20K XMs (( SE )) + 196 dual actinic PC and 1*96 50/50 PC. I am very please with my colors. __________________ Click my name and then "visit toddrtrex's homepage" for tank pictures Current Tank Info: 210g reef and 65g reef

04/19/2009, 12:50 PM	#2
bigloggerhead Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Monroe, LA Posts: 343	Come on! Somebody has to have some kind of input.

04/19/2009, 02:14 PM	#4
bigloggerhead Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Monroe, LA Posts: 343	My corals have gotten browner and I doubt its nutrients. I do 5 gallon weekly water changes. The bulb was ran by my friend for 20 hours. I've been running it now for 3 weeks and haven't seen any change. I even went so far as to cut back my photoperiod. My halide is on for about 7 hours a day now. I'm just wondering if the setup I posted in my first post will have enough blue supplementation to get my corals to bring back those bright blues and purples or should I choose a different spectrum.

04/19/2009, 04:10 PM	#6
bigloggerhead Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Monroe, LA Posts: 343	Guess I should check for phosphates then?

04/19/2009, 05:08 PM	#8
bigloggerhead Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Monroe, LA Posts: 343	Here's my water parameters: CA - 400 dKH - 8 Nitrite - 0 Nitrate - 5.0 Ammonia - 0 Ph- 8.0 I don't have a phosphate test but I plan to get one tomorrow. I'll probably have my water tested at my LFS too. I know my nitrate is slightly elevated but I wouldn't think that would cause by SPS to brown.

04/19/2009, 08:35 PM	#9
bigloggerhead Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Monroe, LA Posts: 343	Anyone else having success with a particular bulb combination?

04/20/2009, 02:48 PM	#10
bigloggerhead Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Monroe, LA Posts: 343	Well, I ordered my T5's today. I decided to go with 3 ATI Blue Plus and 1 Fiji Purple. I'm gonna stay with the Reef Optics metal halide for the time being. I may end up going back to the Giesemann 14.5k. I also thought about the 14k Iwasaki DE. Anyone have any experience with that bulb?