time to replace MH bulbs , what brand to get?
- Thread starter Mpls reefer
- Start date
thanks for the help, went into the website, the bulbs look very nice for the price, wasen't sure what the difference was between the 10.000k and the 12.000k bulb, right now i have 10.000k and like the white.
i'm assuming the 12.000 has a little more blue to it?
i'm assuming the 12.000 has a little more blue to it?
dont know what kind of ballast your running but i found that the AB bulbs are supose to rock with the pfo balasts i have. think i found the info about the bulb and balast config in one of sanjay's articles... "hope i spelled his name right." he did all kinds of other comparisons about spectrum and intensity and what bulbs worked best with what ballast.. if your looking for quanitative data... :idea:
I happened to like the 12k Reeflux bulbs, sure they might not put a good par out, most bluer bulbs fall into that catagory, but they are IMO the "perfect" color blend of light, they're mostly white with some strong blue leanings meaning no need for actinics (with Lumenarc type reflectors that's probablematic anyways unless you have a wider than normal tank). Although I don't think I've seen any offical numbers of PAR from Sanjay or any other source.
My first one is going to be replaced soon, as soon as the stupid FedEx truck gets here from NY, but I ordered a couple, the 10k one as well just to get an idea if it's a nice color.
My first one is going to be replaced soon, as soon as the stupid FedEx truck gets here from NY, but I ordered a couple, the 10k one as well just to get an idea if it's a nice color.
i read the report and the AB bulb is sold as a 10k but in the advertisement on customaquatic it says there actualy a 14k. funny that this bulb was rated as the best quality and the highest par value by sanjay. dont realy care what k they are they look nice on most tanks i see are claimed not to need suplementation, which is a major bonus.
seriously, i need to ask this question.
first let me start by saying that i see no difference between general electric, sylvania, and generic supermarket light bulbs when i turn them on.
now for my question:
do you actually think there is a difference between one 14k bulb and another? xm, oshio, reeflux, some chinese no-name brand.....
most of you know, i use 10 dollar 14k chinese bulbs, and they seem fine to me. i don't see any difference at any LFS or tank pictures on the web.
am i missing something, like invisible rays of light these bulbs may not be putting out? or do you guys just feel better spending alot of money on your bulbs? i don't mind spending on bulbs, but i need concrete proof they are better. how can i find out?
first let me start by saying that i see no difference between general electric, sylvania, and generic supermarket light bulbs when i turn them on.
now for my question:
do you actually think there is a difference between one 14k bulb and another? xm, oshio, reeflux, some chinese no-name brand.....
most of you know, i use 10 dollar 14k chinese bulbs, and they seem fine to me. i don't see any difference at any LFS or tank pictures on the web.
am i missing something, like invisible rays of light these bulbs may not be putting out? or do you guys just feel better spending alot of money on your bulbs? i don't mind spending on bulbs, but i need concrete proof they are better. how can i find out?
I'm sure if you had a side by side comparison between a Phoenix, Hamiliton, and your $10 Chinese one you will probably notice some difference. Now who's to say what is "better" that's hard to say without pro-equipment.
However I would be willing to bet that those $10 bulbs are not held to the high quality as the others, sure you might have had good luck with them, but on a bulb to bulb basis, there could be some difference.
As to the general question of is there a difference in brand? Absolutely, each brand makes them to different specifications, 10000K does NOT have anything to do with the blackbody spectrum of a 10000K object
Otherwise a 10000K bulb would be quite blue. But its those little spikes and peaks due to different amounts of a particular chemical that makes them different.
If you're happy with $10 bulbs and have had no problems, I would say by all means continue on! I only wish they were sold a couple years ago, I probably wouldn't mind them on my softie tank instead of the t5s I put up there
However I would be willing to bet that those $10 bulbs are not held to the high quality as the others, sure you might have had good luck with them, but on a bulb to bulb basis, there could be some difference.
As to the general question of is there a difference in brand? Absolutely, each brand makes them to different specifications, 10000K does NOT have anything to do with the blackbody spectrum of a 10000K object
Otherwise a 10000K bulb would be quite blue. But its those little spikes and peaks due to different amounts of a particular chemical that makes them different.If you're happy with $10 bulbs and have had no problems, I would say by all means continue on! I only wish they were sold a couple years ago, I probably wouldn't mind them on my softie tank instead of the t5s I put up there
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