[DJ88]

Stephane,

It is agreat looking tank and all. But you can't say that it is the bulbs and the bulbs alone that is getting the results that we are seeing in those pictures. I highly doubt it is the bulbs alone. Anyone who says coral growth and coloration is due to a bulb intensity and kelvin and nothing else is full of it IMO.

First off, there are too many factors in a reef tank to say for certain it is the bulbs. We can't do that. The more I think about this the more I think it has more to do with many things. And the end result of all the parts is a good looking tank.

Secondly,

Digital Cameras are decieving when it comes to reef tanks. They enhance certain colors and distort what the colors actually are. This is after years of digital photography. With a camera I can make almost any tank look spectacular for color and you wouldn't even notice or know I had done it. I'd say that 95% of all tank shots we see are digital or more. And every camera works differently. Enhancing certain colors, etc etc. I took shots of my tank with one camera, then with a different brand the same night. They looked like two coempetely different tanks due to the intensity of the colors in one of them. I will place money on the fact that some of the amazing colors you see in most reef tank pics are due to this happening.

Until someone can prove without a shadow of a doubt through testing waht bulb is the absolute best for coral coloration and growth all in one and can keep that bulb consistent in production from year to year for a long period of time then I will say go for it. This bulb is the be all to end all.

Until then.. nope.

The colors are enhanced with the 20000K bulbs, and the 10000K bulbs and that is it. They won't be visible, or barely visible(probably visible as they are naturally) with a proper full spectrum light that has a broad band even strength throughout the specturm to balance it out as white light. Not the peaks at violet, blue, green, red etc etc etc. Put a color under 400-470nm wavelength light and it flouresces and glows brighter then natural. That is all we are doing. Enhancing it.

Having all these fancy high kelvin bulbs is for our eyes only IMO. EYe candy as it were. Most guys see eye candy as a great looking woman. We see it as corals.. ;) There may be some benefit for having higer peaks at certain wavelengths but we don't know for sure. One expert says 400W MH is too much, another says it is barely enough. One says this bulb is best in a few months it will be another bulb. Not for purely scientific reasons but due to the fact he/she likes its look. Once again saying that it is the bulb alone doing miracles in a tank is a crock. It is the whole combination of lighting, water quality, water movement and feedings. If a person is cheap on one thing or doesn't do enough of one thing they aren't going to get the results that someone who puts the time, effort and necessary steps in does.

For example. Water quality is something you have to have for a successful reef tank. Whether that is by mechanical means(good skimmer) or natural means(large enough refugium or ATS). Along with water quality is stability. Having your water stay at the levels the corals need to grow properly is essential.

There are too many things to say that just one is doing it all.

I have seen great tanks with 250W & 400W 6500 Iwaskais, 400W 10000K's, 250W 10000K HQI's, 175W 10000K's. All different combinations. With those four combos alone you see that it isn't just one bulb that makes for a successful reef tank. It's a lot more things that that.

IMO the facy bulbs make the tank look pretty. SOme have enough energy to allow the corals to grow as well as look pretty. Some don't.

What is right? who knows. Find what you like. But don't say that this bulb will make your tank look like some of the tanks we see online nowadays. Cause it is more than just one bulb that will make or break your tank.