best 20k bulb for sps color and growth

southstar066 · 05/08/2009, 11:16 PM

?

Toddrtrex · 05/09/2009, 12:56 AM

For 10 months I was using 2 250 XM 20Ks over my 58, and was very pleased with the color and growth -- in fact the growth was almost too good. I just switched over to the Radiums, 2 weeks ago, so it is too early to tell what I will get from them.

bigmatt · 05/09/2009, 06:10 AM

radiums in lumenbrights hands down

ct_vol · 05/09/2009, 08:09 AM

I had good growth under Radiums... I don't have any experience with any other 20K bulb... Too blue for this guy...

snorvich · 05/09/2009, 08:36 AM

I have 20K radiums on one tank, XM 20K on another. Both work well for me.

tatoofr · 05/09/2009, 09:49 AM

Radiums

ChrisKirkland · 05/09/2009, 09:59 AM

Reeflux

Orr2003 · 05/09/2009, 10:45 AM

4 400w 20k radiums in Lumenbrights here

sps1-2-b · 05/09/2009, 11:48 AM

I run 400W radiums and growth is good.

dailydriven911 · 05/09/2009, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ChrisKirkland
Reeflux

Do you have any pics of the rf 20k's? I'm looking at going this route because I hear they are brighter than the 12k's with just a bit more blue.

ChrisKirkland · 05/09/2009, 01:26 PM

They are not specifically brighter than the 12K's they are bluer than the 12K's (12K's are more of a bright white, 20K's are more of an deep ocean blue) I'll get pics for you now... FYI my camera probably will not show the colors right though... will see

ChrisKirkland · 05/09/2009, 01:42 PM

This is an older pic when the tank was young but you can see the color pretty good their a bit bluer in person, not much though...

kev apsley · 05/09/2009, 03:08 PM

Ushios, Radiums, Helios, Aqualine Buschke or BLV same bulb just cheaper

dailydriven911 · 05/09/2009, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ChrisKirkland
This is an older pic when the tank was young but you can see the color pretty good their a bit bluer in person, not much though...

Thanks for the pic! Def looking for more blue as my ushio 14k is just not cutting it...

southstar066 · 05/09/2009, 08:15 PM

Same here, looking for more blue. My phoenix is good but I want blue. Do they make radium in 250w DE ?

mg426 · 05/09/2009, 10:40 PM

XM 20 Ks here. They rock for me on Magnetic ballasts.

steelersfan · 05/09/2009, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by southstar066
Same here, looking for more blue. My phoenix is good but I want blue. Do they make radium in 250w DE ?

no

ChrisKirkland · 05/09/2009, 10:55 PM

The Reeflux on an electronic ballast are a tad bluer than my pic shows but I really love them...

MSX-Jeff · 05/09/2009, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mg426
XM 20 Ks here. They rock for me on Magnetic ballasts.

The XM 20K's are a nice looking bulb IMO, not too blue on mag ballasts. They burn quite a bit bluer on electronic ballasts (esp. IC elec ballasts).

If you are looking for "really" blue, go with radiums on HQI mag ballasts...if you want "crisp white, with just enough blue" go with the XM 20K on the M58 ballast (or IC for s "bluer" look (though not nearly as blue as the radium))

luther1200 · 05/10/2009, 12:03 PM

I have had 150w 20K XM's for the past 8 months and I am very happy with the growth I got. I am swithcing to 14K Pheonix just to switch it up a little, but I may get the 20K Xm's again at some point. I think they are a good bulb.

Garage1217 · 05/10/2009, 12:34 PM

My fav are ushio / BLV / Aqualine AB. Colors are spectacular and I have stellar growth out of my sps. Color is a more violet / white than blue. I also have / have used xm20K's & phoenix bulbs. The XM's were nice, but I like the AB's I run currently better. The color just seems to pop more with the ab's, which as someone pointed out, are the same as the ushio / BLV bulbs. I also have a set of phoenix bulbs, they make the tank look like diluted windex.

The colors in the pic below are actually pretty dead on, except the tank looks brighter in person & has a tad more of a violet spectrum to it.

Sugar Magnolia · 05/10/2009, 12:53 PM

Hmmm, I just bought a SPS 14K bulb I am not really thrilled with and have been considering going a bluer, and trying a 20k (have always used 14k). I'll look into the XM 20k. Thanks for the thread!

FishBoy38 · 05/24/2009, 12:13 AM

I have the lumenbright reflectors with coralvue e-ballasts and have been running into a problem where no matter how blue the bulb should be, almost immediately( few hours burn in on every use) it is running white with a slight blueish tint at best. I want more blue. I have magnetic PFO ballasts on a diff. tank and all bulbs run true to what they should look like on them. I have tried xm 20k, coralvue reeflux 20k (semi bleaching some corals), reeflux 12k ( beautiful, perfect color on mag. ballasts), aquaconnect 14k, sps 14K, sps 20K, and I get the same result= very little to no blue. Any suggestions? Ushio 14K? Radium 20K? Any help would be great.

dailydriven911 · 05/24/2009, 12:19 AM

No on the ushio 14k if your looking for blue...I just switched to the 20k and I'm happier but do miss the brightness of the 14k. Go Helios/evc 20k, xm 20k, radium, or reeflux 20k (not coralvue 20k) if blue is what your looking for. I personally would go with the radium.

Garage1217 · 05/24/2009, 12:19 AM

No idea, I run coralvue e-ballasts. I have spectacular color all day long. I have run phoenix 14k's and they look like diluted windex just like they are supposed to & I have run xm20K's and they look very nice all day. I currently run aqualine AB 20K's which are the same as the ushio BLV bulbs. Again perfect color all day.

The statement that your mag ballasts run them true to color all day makes no sense, as technically any mag ballast will push a bulb much harder than a regulated e-ballast, this producing a more white / bright light. That is why when you dim a MH bulb, it produces a more blue or violot color.

05/08/2009, 11:16 PM	#1
southstar066 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Beech Grove Posts: 437	best 20k bulb for sps color and growth ?

05/09/2009, 12:56 AM	#2
Toddrtrex Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Carol Stream, IL Posts: 23,162	For 10 months I was using 2 250 XM 20Ks over my 58, and was very pleased with the color and growth -- in fact the growth was almost too good. I just switched over to the Radiums, 2 weeks ago, so it is too early to tell what I will get from them. __________________ Click my name and then "visit toddrtrex's homepage" for tank pictures Current Tank Info: 210g reef and 65g reef

05/09/2009, 08:09 AM	#4
ct_vol Reefing On My Mind Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Kempton, IL Posts: 8,083	I had good growth under Radiums... I don't have any experience with any other 20K bulb... Too blue for this guy... __________________ Randy Volunteers, Blackhawks, Titans, Cubs!!!! Current Tank Info: 185g waiting to be built, 120g SPS/Anemone Reef, 120g SCA in the works, 58g mixed reef w/ 6x39w T5, 125g grow out w/ Reef Breeders

05/09/2009, 08:36 AM	#5
snorvich Team RC member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Outlander Posts: 40,953 Blog Entries: 46	I have 20K radiums on one tank, XM 20K on another. Both work well for me. __________________ Warmest regards, ~Steve~

05/09/2009, 09:49 AM	#6
tatoofr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Long Island Posts: 1,044	Radiums __________________ !20 tech tank ATI T5 Club Current Tank Info: 120 reef

05/09/2009, 06:10 AM	#3
bigmatt Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: upstate ny Posts: 193	radiums in lumenbrights hands down

05/09/2009, 09:59 AM	#7
ChrisKirkland Reef and Coral Fanatic Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Lexington, Ky. Posts: 1,739	Reeflux __________________ Chris Kirkland Reef Nerd. Current Tank Info: Getting back into the hobby.

05/09/2009, 10:45 AM	#8
Orr2003 Registered Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: WV Posts: 862	4 400w 20k radiums in Lumenbrights here

05/09/2009, 11:48 AM	#9
sps1-2-b Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Anaheim, CA Posts: 1,248	I run 400W radiums and growth is good.

05/09/2009, 01:26 PM	#11
ChrisKirkland Reef and Coral Fanatic Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Lexington, Ky. Posts: 1,739	They are not specifically brighter than the 12K's they are bluer than the 12K's (12K's are more of a bright white, 20K's are more of an deep ocean blue) I'll get pics for you now... FYI my camera probably will not show the colors right though... will see __________________ Chris Kirkland Reef Nerd. Current Tank Info: Getting back into the hobby.

05/09/2009, 01:42 PM	#12
ChrisKirkland Reef and Coral Fanatic Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Lexington, Ky. Posts: 1,739	PIC This is an older pic when the tank was young but you can see the color pretty good their a bit bluer in person, not much though... __________________ Chris Kirkland Reef Nerd. Current Tank Info: Getting back into the hobby.

05/09/2009, 03:08 PM	#13
kev apsley Moved On Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: LI, NY Posts: 4,424	Ushios, Radiums, Helios, Aqualine Buschke or BLV same bulb just cheaper

05/09/2009, 08:15 PM	#15
southstar066 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Beech Grove Posts: 437	Same here, looking for more blue. My phoenix is good but I want blue. Do they make radium in 250w DE ?

05/09/2009, 10:40 PM	#16
mg426 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: maryland Posts: 6,923	XM 20 Ks here. They rock for me on Magnetic ballasts. __________________ I found a way to make a small fortune running a reef tank. Start with a large fortune. Unofficial President of the SEACLONE haters club Current Tank Info: 125 mixed reef 110 lbs LR, 1x250watt XM 20K MH 2x175watt XM 20K MH on Magetics 2X96 watt actinic PC, 220 watt VHO actinic, 30 gallon refugium, closed loop system powered by Sequence Dart MSX 200 skimmer 38 gallon sump, Oceansmotions squirt

05/09/2009, 10:55 PM	#18
ChrisKirkland Reef and Coral Fanatic Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Lexington, Ky. Posts: 1,739	The Reeflux on an electronic ballast are a tad bluer than my pic shows but I really love them... __________________ Chris Kirkland Reef Nerd. Current Tank Info: Getting back into the hobby.

05/10/2009, 12:03 PM	#20
luther1200 Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: NJ, shore Posts: 4,376	I have had 150w 20K XM's for the past 8 months and I am very happy with the growth I got. I am swithcing to 14K Pheonix just to switch it up a little, but I may get the 20K Xm's again at some point. I think they are a good bulb. __________________ Matt, 65G reef tank Current Tank Info: 65g reef, mix of sps, lps, few softies. Hoping to upgrade within the year.

05/10/2009, 12:34 PM	#21
Garage1217 GET OFF MY LAWN Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Globally Posts: 5,863	My fav are ushio / BLV / Aqualine AB. Colors are spectacular and I have stellar growth out of my sps. Color is a more violet / white than blue. I also have / have used xm20K's & phoenix bulbs. The XM's were nice, but I like the AB's I run currently better. The color just seems to pop more with the ab's, which as someone pointed out, are the same as the ushio / BLV bulbs. I also have a set of phoenix bulbs, they make the tank look like diluted windex. The colors in the pic below are actually pretty dead on, except the tank looks brighter in person & has a tad more of a violet spectrum to it. __________________ No great genius has ever existed without some touch of madness ~ Aristotle If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it? ~ Albert Einstein I'm just as bent as ever. Hellishly so ~ Captain Jack Sparrow Current Tank Info: Systems and goodies by Lee-Mar / Coralvue / Neptune Systems / Jager / Spectrapure / Cree / Meanwell + more!

05/10/2009, 12:53 PM	#22
Sugar Magnolia Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Northern VA Posts: 17,691	Hmmm, I just bought a SPS 14K bulb I am not really thrilled with and have been considering going a bluer, and trying a 20k (have always used 14k). I'll look into the XM 20k. Thanks for the thread! __________________ Adrienne The only thing to fear is fear itself....and spiders.

05/24/2009, 12:13 AM	#23
FishBoy38 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan Posts: 11	I have the lumenbright reflectors with coralvue e-ballasts and have been running into a problem where no matter how blue the bulb should be, almost immediately( few hours burn in on every use) it is running white with a slight blueish tint at best. I want more blue. I have magnetic PFO ballasts on a diff. tank and all bulbs run true to what they should look like on them. I have tried xm 20k, coralvue reeflux 20k (semi bleaching some corals), reeflux 12k ( beautiful, perfect color on mag. ballasts), aquaconnect 14k, sps 14K, sps 20K, and I get the same result= very little to no blue. Any suggestions? Ushio 14K? Radium 20K? Any help would be great.

05/24/2009, 12:19 AM	#24
dailydriven911 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Bonney Lake, WA Posts: 550	No on the ushio 14k if your looking for blue...I just switched to the 20k and I'm happier but do miss the brightness of the 14k. Go Helios/evc 20k, xm 20k, radium, or reeflux 20k (not coralvue 20k) if blue is what your looking for. I personally would go with the radium.