Need info: I just changed my MH bulbs
 

My Ushio 10K bulbs were getting old, so thought I should change them out now. I had brand new hamilton 10K bulbs, that came with the fixture so I put them in.

WOW ARE THEY YELLOW!!! Compared to the Ushio's of the same K, they are so much more yellow. Just wondering how long of a burn in does an average bulb take, I don't want to take them out if they will whiten up. But if they stay this way, well then I just can't do it.

Any input is appreciated.

Ham's should be around 2 weeks if that, Ya they do get yellow after using USHIO's

Yeah, but they are really yellow. REALLY UGLY LOOKING RIGHT NOW!!!

You think they will lighten up with 2-3 weeks burn in? Ushio 10K's were really white, basically no yellow... I don't mind a bit, but my pink squareback anthias looks orange!

But I can say the polyp extension on some corals looks even better, maybe they like this light.

I have never seen a 10k that was not too yellow for my taste. I don,t think it will get better with time.

I would switch it for a 14K Pheonix.

i remember having a venture 5500K and man that was white

Hi Daniella3D,

Have you tried Ushio 10K... I can say I love them, virtually true white, no yellow. At least not compared to the Hamiltons.

I just want to know if the Hamiltons will lighten up some... I do know bulbs need a burn in time, and with this time the color value changes. But if they don't improve, then I won't like the color.

I had Pheonix 14K, very nice... But I found the tank too dark overall.

5500K and it was white? wow, hard to believe at the K level. Would be cool to see, and you must of had tremendous growth!!!

It is drastically different than the Ushio. Just not sure if I want to wait a month and see, or just go out tomorrow and buy new bulbs.

If someone can give me an estimate of how much these Hamiltons may change, then it may be worth keeping and seeing.

Ushio are my favourite 10K bulb. Crisp white without much yellow. Hamiltons, I don't like, too much yellow. I ran Hamiltons once for a month and couldn't stand the colour anymore so i switched back to Ushio. Sorry I couldn't give you better feedback but I don't think you'll ever like them.

Ah man, not what I wanted to hear! I will run for a month and see if the burn in changes the color, but as you said, I probably won't like them, after having Ushio's. So do I really then wait a month? Is it worth it?

thanks for your experience.

I thought that mostly all bulbs LOSE their blue spectrum and get yellower as they age.

Also, I think people see colour spectrums differently. I used to run ushio 14ks and loved them because I thought they were a very chrisp white. :)

It might take as long as 2 weeks but I think you'll know after 2 or 3 days whether they're going to do it for you or not, ie., no need to suffer through a whole month.

Been a long time since I ran Hamilton's .. like .. I might have been in my 20's still .. wow I don't think I needed to realize that. Anyhow. Ushio's are probably my favourite 10k lamp. Phoenix 14k might be something you want to try out as well but not much is going to touch the Ushio for PAR in the 250w range, they're really one of the better ones.

Do you know what ballasts are in that fixture? Might make a difference for lamp selection.

It is the hamilton Belize, and the ballasts are electronic hamilton brand.

Yes. The Hamilton's will only get yellower as time goes on. If you don't like them now, it will only get worse. Most bulbs won't burn true to the Kelvin printed on the box. 10,000K is white, but most 10K bulbs look yellow on most ballasts. Of course every ballast will burn every bulb a little different.

Again, not what I want to hear... I am picking up the phone right now and getting some more Ushio's. Thanks everyone.

Ah rats, no one is open yet... So I am thinking, and YES it hurts!

I was running Ushio 10K, and I loved them, very very white. I didn't like the Pheonix 14K as it was not as bright and too blue.... What do you all think about Ushio 14K's? I am thinking they will probably be brighter than the Pheonix, but never seen them. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

I would go with what you like (ushio 10k), since each bulb is quite different and the only way to get exactly what you had and what you like is to buy the same thing.

I agree most are different, i had a 175W 10K on my last tank that must have been 12K or above. I've been using 250W XM 10K's with a PFO ballast on my new tank, and they are bright white, Don't look yellow at all to me, white, but not yellow. For the record my room is painted yellow, so probably would offset any "yellow" look that comes from the bulbs. It's like painting, same color in 2 differnet rooms looks night and day different.

Great info... No LFS have any bulbs, but did find 2 XM 250W 10k's, and for a good price so I got them. They will have to burn in, but when googling most are stating what you said... They are very white, so I am giving them a try, if no good then back to the Ushio's and I will have to order them.

Well, the XM 250W 10000K bulbs have been running for a few hours now. In no way have they completed the burn in period, but I can say I like this brand.

Compared to the Ushio 10000K's, which were really really white... The XM I think has a better spectrum of light. The bulb isn't as intense, but the overal spectrum is nicer and the coral, rock and fish look nicer. The tank overall looks boutiqish, elegant. If you know what I mean.

I look forward to seeing what these bulbs end up putting out after a week or so. If these bulbs keep improving with the burn in, I think I will have a new favourite.

This doesn't add up. 10K is 10K. If the Hamiltons are noticibly different then either they -or the Ushios- were not, in fact, 10K.

An analogy might be that you say the room is 20 Degrees C but the room is actually only 15 degrees. 15 is 15 and 20 is 20.

Of course, people can perceive colours differently but at the end of the day, 10K is....10K !

The only thing I can think of is that the way the bulbs are specified is loosy-goosy which might explain it but otherwise....

Afraid that's your explanation right there. If you look up Sanjay's lighting results he measures colour temp and just about none of them are actually what they say they are. It's just a product name but two different brands and what they label the same thing (10k 14k 20k whatever) could be very different alongside each other.

Well that is the problem, there are NO standards that manufactures follow. I have used Pheonix, Ushio, Hamilton, Coralife and now XM... They are all different even though they were all the same (so called) rating/K

I guess that is why there are so many threads of bulb choices, as you can spend alot of money trying to figure out what you like.

When I had my 155BF with SE 250w MH I decided to give it a good on eBay for some bulbs. I forget the brand name of the bulb but I got what they classified as a 14000k and I must say they where a very nice white, not yellow at all. I am looking at getting 2 new MH fixture and I plan on ordering 4 new bulbs from the eBay seller I got the last ones at 14000k and also a 10000k & 22000k or actinic to see what that is like.

Update: Well the XM bulbs overall are very nice... the 10K's have whitened up quite nicely. I will say they are not as intense/bright as the Ushio's, but again now my upstairs doesn't look like a grow-op from the outside.

The XM's have a nicer spectrum of light, nice intensities without overpowering or washing out the tank.

Just thought I would let you all know.