Anyone have a good source on where to buy HQI light bulbs and other replacements? (online or store I don’t care just wondering where I can get the best deal :)) Thanks guys!
I would think most LFS on our “Local Stores” link (Black menu on the top … right under the menu) would either stock or be able to get HQI bulbs. There’s plenty of online vendors, as well. Champion is real close to the Philly area, so shipping might not be too bad.
What do you mean by “other replacements”?
lol sorry, i meant atinic’s and 10K’s thats all. I know you can get them anywhere I was just wondering if anyone had a preference more on the HQI lighting, and more precisely what is a preferred brand that people prefer b/c I am getting my first HQI system this fall.
OIC … If you ask 10 people their preference on what bulb they prefer, you’ll likely get 10 (maybe more) answers.
What kind of corals do you have? What are your goals down the road with respect to (1) what types of corals you’d like to keep, (2) what type of growth you’re looking to achieve, and (3) what kind of color (both in lighting and your animals) are you shooting for.
And when you say “atinic’s and 10K’s”, are you talking about PC, T5, VHO?
Teds right about the opinions of bulbs, but since i know im one of the local guys that use and swear by HQI i can tell you some of the most popular. I use the 14K Pheonix on both of my tanks and its probably one of the most popular bulbs. Its a nice crisp white bulb with a blue tint but not overly blue. Almost all colors look good under this bulb(greens, reds, blues, etc). Another popular choice is the 20K radium bulb if your looking for a slightly bluer look. Reeflux is a very popular bulb in the mogul community and if im not mistaken they are make HQI bulbs now. There is also a lot of talk and good reviews about two newer bulbs: the SPS(south pacific sun) and the giesemann megachromes. I love the pheonix but im thinking about trying a 20K radium or maybe a 20K XM for my next frag tank.
I prefer the nice white crisp look w/ a tint of blue from what I have seen. I have also heard good things about the Pheonix bulbs. I am planning on having an nice sized anemone and my favorite two clowns 
b/c they need a new home lol. Where would you get the pheonix bulbs from if that is the route I were to go? Thanks guys!
I have 3 phoenix bulbs total on two tanks all running on icecaps and i cant say nothing but good things about the combo. The RBTA that i posted pics of in my other thread is about 25" from my 250w phoenix behind eggcrate.
You can get the phoenix from all the usual online vendors but i have always used reefgeek for my lighting. You might want to try some of the sponsors and see if they can get them for you. I know DPA has champion lighting as a distributor so you might be able to pick one up from them and save yourself the s&h.
Damn, 25"? That is awesome The first place I will check is at Charlie’s b/c that is always where I check first lol. I prefer to buy stuff there if I can and then if I can’t find it there I will go online but thank you for the recommendation b/c I was considering pheonix and hey… its obviously worked real well on your anemones lol. Thank you again!
i just doublechecked and champion does carry the phoenix so im sure DPA will be able to get you one. they get me all sorts of oddball stuff in all the time ;D
[quote=“logans_daddy, post:5, topic:1809”]
I love the pheonix but im thinking about trying a 20K radium or maybe a 20K XM for my next frag tank.[/quote]
Now I’m curious, Shawn . I usually see 10 and/or 14k’s on most ppl’s frag tanks, not the 20k’s. Going more for color on the frags and not growth?
yeah, i know the rule of thumb is 10k or 6500k for growth, but im not 100% convinced that its always true. I recall reading an AA article that grew out a dozen or so SPS under 20k, 10k, and T5 in a somewhat controlled manner. Although i think the experiment was done for another reason relating to coral pigmentation it was very clear that the majority of the the frags grew better under 20k but of course there was some exceptions. There is another really nice article i read about growth vs spectrum where the results were collected using a much more rigorous method in a labratory setting but i cant find the link for the life of me. I believe it was german and a lot of the bulbs/ballasts used i was not familiar with but it showed similar results. of course, there is a lot of evidence to support that the closer the spectrum is to natural sunlight the better the growth. IMO results are going to vary depending on species, type of ballast, and brand bulb. i just havent seen any results gathered in a method that was controlled or statistically sufficient for me. running different bulbs on identical ballasts and setups will give me an opportunity to dial my colonies in and maybe learn a thing or two.
but the most important reason is i just want pretty frags ;D
srry, here is the first link.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2008/3/aafeature1
although they make no conclusions about growth, its clear that the results very a great deal from species to species.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2008/12/aafeature1
nothing is definitive, just food for thought.
Who here wants just large ugly corals? In a coral farm going 100% for growth and then coloring them up at the end works, but most of us want great looking corals that grow fast. If there isn’t massive difference in the speed the corals grow at then go for the one where they look best.
I always liked Phoenix bulbs and had no idea Champion carried them. I’ll have to pick one up next time I go to pick up a shipment there.
[quote=“logans_daddy, post:11, topic:1809”]
I recall reading an AA article …[/quote]
What … ???
[quote=“logans_daddy, post:12, topic:1809”]
srry, here is the first link.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2008/3/aafeature1[/quote]
Oh … you’re not talking about that AA …
[quote=“Gordonious, post:13, topic:1809”]
Who here wants just large ugly corals? [/quote]
Different people have different goals, Jon. We’re not all clones, ya know.
Oh .... you're not talking about that AA ...;D
In a coral farm going 100% for growth and then coloring them up at the end worksits funny that you mention that because from what ive read and been told most farmers use 20K exlusively for the exact reason you mentioned. because a colorful 1" frag will sell faster than an ugly 3" any day of the week its more productive and cost effective to simply grow out under 20k and sell smaller frags.
Different people have different goals, Jon. We're not all clones, ya know.+1
i had little to no luck with SPS until i stopped trying to do what others have done and did my own thing. ill admit, sometimes its very hard to not want to try the new salt or the new bulb or the new additive that everyone is raving about, but in the end everyone has to do there own thing that works for them.
Awesome article Shawn, I’d love to see it with some different configurations of the T5s (cause I’m T5 guy lol). Anyone here actually have a PAR meter, would be cool if we share and do some of our own PAR experiments/measurements.
[quote=“ronert, post:15, topic:1809”]
[quote=“Gordonious, post:13, topic:1809”]
Who here wants just large ugly corals? [/quote]
Different people have different goals, Jon. We’re not all clones, ya know.[/quote]
Huh? I agree different people have different goals, but are you defending the people that like ugly corals?
Different strokes for different folks.
Art is subjective and not everybody likes Monet
[quote=“Gordonious, post:18, topic:1809”]
[quote=“ronert, post:15, topic:1809”]
[quote=“Gordonious, post:13, topic:1809”]
Who here wants just large ugly corals? [/quote]
Different people have different goals, Jon. We’re not all clones, ya know.[/quote]
Huh? I agree different people have different goals, but are you defending the people that like ugly corals? [/quote]
I don’t really understand this logic. Why would someone end up with large ugly corals? I have seen beautiful reefs with great colors under many different lamp color temps. I think it is just a matter of personal preference and experimentation to see what bulb makes your corals look their best under your tank conditions. High nutrient levels can contribute to browned out corals almost if not more than the color of the bulbs. :TWOCENTS