Sufficient color

[Jared J]

I know color preference varies, some like it bluer some like it whiter but I was wondering if the bulbs that come with my fixture are sufficient for a start. The fixture comes with a 15K metal halide and 2 24w T5 super actinic 420nm bulbs. I'm guessing that's fine but an opinion from here doesn't hurt.

[crvz]

yeah, it's fine. it'll have more of a blue look to it, but there's no problem with it.

[Jared J]

what color would give the whiter look?

[wharyat]

A 10kK MH would give you a whiter look. If your fixture is a 175W MH, check out the Iwasaki 15kK.

[Jared J]

It's a 150w bulb. I'll probably change it because I like the whiter look and 15k seemed a bit high. I was just wondering what was best for the corals. After things settle down a bit I do want to add a few SPS frags and such.

[VWD]

I like the whiter color of the 10k for viewing my fish and corals, But you may like the bluer color. If you already have the 15k use it and then you can change it out later

[aquawolf]

Since you already have the T5's for actinic supplemtation I would definitely go with a 10K bulb. You will get good growth rates and still have the colors pop due to the actinics providing the blue spectrum for you.

[crvz]

Depends on the bulb, though, some 10kK bulbs are rather yellow. I find that something in the 12k-14k kelvin ratings are more in the visibly white range.

[Jared J]

That's what I was thinking. I'll use the 15k until things start settling in and growing then I may just change to something in the 10-12ish range. Thanks.

On a side note, it's kinda funny. There are some teens in my neighborhood that are always getting busted for selling marijuana. So a neighbor of mine decides to set up a 90G reef tank and he always has the blue glow from his windows around 8pm so he ends up having the cops at his house because a nosy person called and said he was growing pot. LOL

[aquawolf]

Originally Posted by Jared J

On a side note, it's kinda funny. There are some teens in my neighborhood that are always getting busted for selling marijuana. So a neighbor of mine decides to set up a 90G reef tank and he always has the blue glow from his windows around 8pm so he ends up having the cops at his house because a nosy person called and said he was growing pot. LOL

There was a thread on here once where the police actually executed a raid on a 50 year old couples house, smashing through the door and everything. All because a contractor left them a tip saying they had funny lights and he smelled a chemical smell when he was in the house.

If that happened to me the city would be buying my next really big tank setup for me.

[Jared J]

I agree. Funnier thing is there was a huge growing operation that was in operation for a while in a cornfield right behind the courthouse/police precinct yet they go after reports of funny lights in a house.