10k mh is 10k mh right?

So I broke my mh bulb adding new live rock on fri. Bought a xm 175w 10k bulb to replace a coralife 175w 10k bulb.
The difference in the bulb is huge. the xm is way more yellow. I'd say its more like a 5k. My green mushrooms don't glow with the actinics on. The tank just doesn't look the same.
Might the same manufacturers bulb even have differences bulb to bulb?

 

Yes, there are mild to severe variations in the making of metal halides. I once lit up an area with 24 metal halides and their were about 3 or 4 that were not even close to the same color. I was told to get light bulbs with the same lot number to ensure the color would not shift too much. And remember this was using halides that were all from the same manufacturer.
So, I realize that this is a little too late for you, but other people might read this before they go and purchase new bulbs.

Jim

 

Sounds like a defective bulb - return it for another.

 

Yes, you could have a defective light. Although there are not many LFS that will replace it unless you can prove that it was bad to begin with.
Here is a link that will show you the color differences ( to the naked eye ) Of the same wattage bulbs with the same kelvin rating that really don't look the same at all.
http://metricksystem.com/chris/250wcolour/

Jim

Did I just say naked :-X

 

I saw somewhere that XM 10k bulbs were possibly the worst 10k bulbs you can get. I'll try to find a link to the discussion I saw and post it later today.





Edit: Nevermind. It was the XM 15k's they were talking about.

 

Friend of mine just put 250 watt XM 10 k bulb on his 120gal and it looks great. It's a very white light with deep penetration into the tank. He likes the bulbs so well that he's putting two more on it. I keep telling him we'll be able to see his tank from the moon if he keeps it up.

 

wow 2 more 250w? thats alot lol thats like what 7wpg?...hope he acclimates is tank to the new light lol

 

xm brand bulbs take longer to burn in and last longer than most bulbs
it usually takes 100hrs of burn in for the bulbs to whiten up
the xms on an e-ballast really burn at 12k color which is actually bluer than the coralifes' so just give it some time