EVC 14k. Two thumbs up..

[OCDP]

I know it's only been a day of running the bulb, but wow... really nice 14k bulb ! I am running the 250w HQI bulb. This sucker burns HOT! .. my 14k Hamilton was no where near as hot as this.

I highly recommend it.. so far, the perfect combination of blue/white.. gives no yellow hue at all. A nice sharp, white/blue. Enough blue to have my corals pop. My zoanthids look fantastic, as well as some new SPS pieces, but I am still waiting for them to regain some colour as they were just fragged, etc..

I think I've found my new fav.. I have yet to compare this to a Phoenix 14k. I have only heard good things about them as well.

Anyways, if your looking for a new bulb, the EVC 14k is a darn nice bulb.. I'll post updates as it burns in, but I am confident it will still look just as good if not better...

Scott

[Psyire]

Cool.

I ran the 250w SE version and really liked them as well. I recently switched to the Reeflux 12K SE's and I find them very very close to the same. The Reeflux have a 'hint' more yellow. I don't mind either though. I just wish I had some PAR numbers to compare... then I would know forsure what to run. lol

[Delphinus]

Can you post some comparison pics? Try to get a shot similar to one you've already taken under your Hamilton, and then post both?

[OCDP]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

Can you post some comparison pics? Try to get a shot similar to one you've already taken under your Hamilton, and then post both?

Psyire, I know what you mean.. I'd like to know the PAR comparisons as well..

Tony, I can post some pictures in a few hours here.. once I am home I'll take some pics. Just be warned, my camera skills are declining... I just don't have the patience and time to get super sweet photos. I have come to the conclusion though that my camera is not all that great haha...

Stay tuned.

[Delphinus]

According to Sanjay's site http://www.reeflightinginfo.arvixe.com/ the EVC 10k tops out at the scale of 250W DE's (at least with the "sheilded", I didn't bother look up "unsheilded" because I wouldn't run a DE lamp without the cover glass) with a PPFD value of 147. The EVC 14k is almost squarely in the middle with a PPFD of 66.

By comparison, the Ushio 10k yields a PPFD of 84.

He mentions the BLV Nepturion 14k, which yields a PPFD of 85. But is a BLV Nepturion 14k the same as a Ushio 14k? (I can't really tell, some people say it is, but I find the multiple brandings to be frankly a bit confusing). But if it is the same bulb, I find it odd that a 14k can beat out a 10k for PPFD ("PAR") (particularly among the same manufacturer at least). To further confoozle the matter, I asked Wendell if he had a Nepturion BLV 14k, he said no, but he had a Nepturion BLV *10k*. Which almost makes me wonder if Sanjay has a typo in his data, i.e., it's not a 14k bulb that has the PPFD of 85, but a 10k, which would explain why the numbers are so close to an Ushio 10k.

BTW, all these numbers I listed are based on M80 ballast.

By further comparison, Iwasaki 250W/6500K on a M58 ballast yields 131 (unsheilded). Iwasaki's are reputed to put out among the best values for PAR, at the expense of colour (i.e., most people find them far too yellow).

At the end of all this, I'm not sure what to make of it. Essentially, the EVC 14k rates a solid "not bad" as far as PAR goes for 14k bulbs, the EVC 10k rates a solid "holey wow that's awesome" as far as PAR goes altogether.

But is PAR everything? I don't know, in fact, I might guess probably not. More important for sure, is that the user of a lamp is happy with the colour, and happy with the level of response from the corals (colour and growth). But I don't know if a lamp that produces, say a PPFD of 140, is going to yield twice the coral growth rates that would have been produced under a lamp with say, a PPFD of 70. But then even if so, if the colours were better under the 70 lamp, then that might make it the better choice still. I don't really know.

[OCDP]

Sheesh.. it is kind of confusing. But it's all interesting at the same time.. I am happy with the 14k, but looking at other pics.. the Hamilton 14k looks a lot whiter.. it has got to be my camera. I don't find my tank very blue at all.. just a perfect mix. Pics are on the way... might post in the picture forum, so if I do I'll post the link.

[OCDP]

Posted some photos in the picture forum

[impreza]

I had this bulb but found it a bit too blue for my liking. Used it for about 1yr before it burnt out. Corals looked great and grew tons though!