HQI or PFO

[ACROPHORIA1]

HELLO MY NEW QUESTION TO ALL IS WHAT LIGHTS WOULD YOU CHOSE IF YOU WERE ME?MY TANK TO BE 175RR OCEANIC BOWFRONT,I AM DEBATING ON USING 3 400W 6500K IWASAKI W VHO ACTINIC,OR AQUALINE HQI 3 250W 10K W POWER COMPACTS.AS OF NOW MY TANK IS A 72 BOW W10K USHIO,2RO ACTINICS,I REALLY LIKE THE COLOR OF MY CORALS,MAINLY SPS NOW,AND DONT REALLY LIKE THE COLOR OF 65K BULBS,TO YELLOW FOR ME.I HEAR THAT HQI BULS LAST LONGER.WILL IT BE ENOUGH LIGHT FOR 175?

 

[31-2c]

First of all, Please do not post in all capitol letters.

As for your question.

How deep is your tank? If it is really deep, I would go with 400w 10K's. If it isn't that deep, then go with the 250w 10K's. I would supplement with some VHO or PC Actinic bulbs.

Just my opinion

David

 

[ACROPHORIA1]

so sorry didnt know it would be a problem,tank 72x24x281/2.

 

[31-2c]

With that depth, I would go with 3 250W 10K's and supplement it with a few VHO or PC Actinic bulbs.

Another option would be to go with 3 400W 12K's. I hear these give off a wonderful mix of blue and white. With this set up, you may not need any actinic supplementation.

David

 

[newreefman1]

HQI. Youll know why when you get em.

 

[ACROPHORIA1]

anyone else have any input?

 

[ACROPHORIA1]

anyone????

 

[dendronepthya]

The 250W HQI is AWESOME. I just replaced my 400W halides with 250W Aqualine Busche HQIs(Aquaspacelight), and the difference was amazing. The bulbs I had before were getting a little old, but these new 250's look twice as bright.

I was using 400W 12K's when I made the switch.

 

[Anonymous]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by dendronepthya:
<strong>I was using 400W 12K's when I made the switch.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Thats why the big difference. Those blue metal halide bulbs put horrible PAR/lumens.

For a 175 Oceanic 3 250W HQI's or 3 400W 55K, German, or Iwasaki bulbs would be needed.

 

[Vicente]

My system is 60" X 32" X 32" (266 gal). I did the same research you are doing now. My choice, 2-250W 6500K Iwasaki with spider reflectors and 2-96W Power Compact actinics. Go to Aquarium Frontiers archives and look for Sanjay Joshi article on 250W and 400W metal halides, the best one yet.

 

[M.E.Milz]

A quick note on the 400watt Iwasaki 6500K bulbs. If you use the PFO EYE ballast, which is a mecury vapor ballast designed for these bulbs, you may not need supplemental actinic lighting. I just test fired a set of these bulbs and I was amazed at how crisp white/blue they were. Absolutely no comparison to the Iwasaki 250watt 6500K and magnetic ballast combination (Hamilton Universal set-up) that I am currently using. Although I still plan to use PC actinics with these bulbs, I really wonder if it is necessary.

 

[b.crabby]

I run the 400w 6500k pfo eye and i'm not impressed with the yellow color these bulbs put out. This just goes to show you, don't take opinions off the board, experience them yourself.
Everyone has a different opinion of what crisp white is. And everyone raved about how great these lights looked. In defense of my bulbs i did read a few articles and they are said to have a high par rating and my sps seem to like them.

 

[Vicente]

My ballast is a PFO EYE, this is the only one I have used so far with the Iwasaki's

 

[ACROPHORIA1]

thank you all but the 250 HQI wins
better output better color
more energy efficent
blah blah blah blah blah!!!!!!!!!!!!