10K vs 14K

You need a bigger house to do that!!....plus your wife would kill you....look at you already...she doesn't want to take care of them when you are gone but she is gonna have to......but I can't complain....I have great help. And let me tell you I am a PIA;D

 

anything you have in your tank is going to do great under the 14 if you like the color. Your softies and lps are fine. All of my SPS did great under 14, I have just seen a little more of an advancement in growth. I will say when I swapped tho going from 3 month old 14k bulbs to 10 k bulbs my algae went through the roof and it has taken me about 3 months or so to get a hold on the problem. The back of my tank was COVERED in green.

 

there's a huge difference between reefer PITA's and regular PITA's. I can deal with your issues and trust me, I still feel like I'm working that ca reactor off

 

OH LORD THIS THREAD HAS GONE IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. Sorry gobywankenobi.

 

I was thinking the same thing.....back to lights please!!!

 

Not a problem Daniel. That just goes to show that we can get a little "emotionally" wrapped up in the "sciences" of our tanks......damn reefers! Anyway, I've been running 2 175w MH @10k and 2 65w actinic pc's over my 55g for 2 and a half years, obviously I switch the bulbs about every 10-12 months for the MH, a little sooner for the PC's. I had clams, some monti, and some acro. They all did awesome. Awesome enough that I was able to stock up my buddies tanks a little bit. By the way, I never had a heat issue.My tank stayed steadily around 81 degrees without a chiller. maybe it was because my lights were hanging from the ceiling over the tank? I'm in the middle of a move, and I am planning on switching over to softies(not sure yet which ones I want) and upgrading the tank size to 75g. I definatley like the bluer look, and am willing to sacrifice growth rate for appearance so i think i will switch to the 14k's. What brand is the most common for all of you? I've heard nothing but good things about SPS bulbs.

 

I would not do sps. They are actually pretty weak. If it were me I would go with some hamilton 14ks or reeflux

 

If you want growth the get some Iwakie 6500K and they will run over 2 yrs closer to 3 yrs and corals will grow like weeds . Thats the true K of natural sun . Hamilton's are just red sea bulbs and you pay a lot more form the Red Sea Corallife and Hamilton's are all the same bulb just different names . Like R/O units inside they are all the same .
If its 10K you like then look at the Ushios a far better bulb then the reeflux and Hamilton's also

 

Good information tangster (although I do like the hamilton bulb) Now that you mention it, I do have some 6500 bulbs. I'm just curious now as to what they will do and why more coral farmers don't use them.

 

We do use the 6500 at out shop and so do many growers I know also use them we went to a full hot house last summer But we still use the bulbs for faster growth and to get the corals attached quicker, Then after a few months under the bulbs and natural sun we bring the sps and may LPs up through 10 and then to 14 to 20 K and lots of super actinic depending on the coral species for coloration . With softs that matters little if any at all. But with all of our corals we photograph them all under 10 K with no actinic .
Its the cost and durability and growth factors of the old 6500k's that sell them. Not many home tanks use them any longer like the old 55K's Poof all gone ..

And if you ever went to a UShio then the Hamilitons would be a memory the ushios offer far better growth then the Hamilitons