Xanium X2's

[StirCrazy]

ya.. I am not going to run out and buy them I just saw such a hype being made over them that I wanted more info.. like you said I am going to be waiting about 6 months, but I fugure that will let me look at the different types of bulbs better and compare them some more.. HQI is nice (and still at the top of my list) but I have some isues withit in the way of mounting it in my hood. If I can find another bulb that will give me close to the same amount of output and still look good I just might get that instead.
This also goes to show how screwed up this lighting isue is.. hell Dr. Ron advocates PC's over MH.

I usaly do my research and then make a desision but this is one area that truley has me screwed up. Hell do I even realy need MH? from what I have been reading laitly I could just add another two 96watt PC's and be fine. there have been several dessusions out there I have been reading that are saying that the MH crazy has been way over stated.. is this going to stop me from buyng some sort of MH system.. problably not..

the Tests do look interesting on thease new bulbs so far. Dana Riddle is suspecting that the 15000K bulbs are actualy 40000 to 50000K, I never realized how screwed up the markiting was for bulbs.
also I have learned that the Xanium are a new asian entry into the market so the might be something to watch.. mabe we will starrt seeeing better bulbs at cheeper prices? mabe not...

Steve

[Troy F]

do we go with bad colour, but good growth
No, you go with what is pleasing to you. For what it's worth; the Iwasaki bulbs look just fine with a little actinic supplementation.

or do we go with nice colour and ok growth
Again you go with what best suits your intentions. If you can afford to replace bulbs more frequently and don't care how fast your corals grow; buy a higher kelvin bulb.

if we want to provide what is best for the corals shoulden't we all be using 5500K bulbs?
Nope, we'd all be using the Iwasaki bulbs or not keeping them at all ;) .

[Delphinus]

I want to second Troy's thoughts ...

Don't make it too hard on yourself! Go with whatever floats your boat. I think the best thing to do is, try something for a year or six months, and decide how you like it. If you like it, continue; if you don't, then try something else. Don't worry if it's "99% right for you" or "98% right for you." I think you'll need to experiment around a little in order to find the solution you find best.

The hype surrounding the Xanium bulbs does make them sound promising, but in a few months time we'll have a pretty good idea of what people think of them... So I guess it depends if you want to take the risk of being on leading edge of the evaluation process, or step back a bit and let something prove itself in the field first.

I do hear promising results with people who mix bulbs. Anthony Calfo's book on coral propagation describes what he thinks as a promising solution and it seems to be a mixture of 20kK's with 10kK's or 6.5kK's. I've heard people on RC trying this as well and liking the results. So Steve you may be onto something with your idea of mixing the bulbs like that....

[DJ88]

Dana Riddle is suspecting that the 15000K bulbs are actualy 40000 to 50000K

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">If they are this K then they are getting out of the blue temperature range and will be more violet than blue. At 39000K the color noticeably shifts into the violet spectrum.

FYI. FWIW

[ 12 April 2002, 08:05: Message edited by: DJ88 ]

[StirCrazy]

ya, from the picutres I have seen there is a large violet hue to he look of these bulbs
(that is the 15000K ones)

Steve

[stephane]

IMO if you go whith Iwasaki stay in the 250w
they are realy bright (more PAR than most 400 watt and easy to get them bluer whith actinic

an on the xanum I tink all those photo from jim norris on RC are false no one in my life could ever make me tink that this is real

a 400w Iwasaki are no way that yellow when supplement with 7 VHO actinic this guy photo here are only bulshit
IMO

Here are pictures of day one picture 2813 is my 120 on the left and 65 gallon on the right. This picture the 120 has 2 400 watt 65k sakis and 7 110 watt vho actincs. The 65 gallon has two 400 watt x bulbs from hellolights. Picture 2814 is full shot of the 65 gallon and picture 2815 is a full shot of the 120gallon.
Jim

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">

[ 15 April 2002, 00:30: Message edited by: stephane ]

[stephane]

this the pic of my tank 2x saki 250 + 4 actinic NO 40W drive by a ice cap I know that 400W are a litle biit more yellow but 7 actnic
definitivalie someting is rong there

[Doug]

Cmon guys. You would think its a sin to try, let alone want a decent light at a decent price, esp for us.

Have most of us not tried them all. My 400 65K is yellow, not white, no matter how many times people tell me its white. My 250,s were a very nice crisp white & I wish I had not got rid of them, but thats not the case. So I am just talking 400,s here.

10K, very nice, but $200 a bulb,cmon. :eek: At $130/bulb, its worth a chance to test these. Like we have not wasted money on our tanks before. :D Heck they can sit on the shelf with the others I have tried, if they turn out to be crap.

Sure my 400 watt 55K, thats currently running is white & cheap @ $80, but its not what I, nor my corals are looking for. I have posted many times how good the corals look and grow with a 400 watt 12K plus 65K n/o supplementation. Thats the look I want without all the hassle.

I thought of 20K plus HQI or electronic ballasts, but I am tired of changing and giving away ballasts, etc. I was going to try them on my PFO ballast until the new bulbs came out, so I figured why not.