175w 14000K MH too blue

Scavenger · #1 05-23-2007, 11:48 PM

I had the hamilton 175w 14,000k's and found they were very blue but they lost a lot of that blue after burn in. I don't remember excatly how long it was though.

argileh · #2 05-23-2007, 11:53 PM

that's a bit comforting

digital-audiophile · #3 05-24-2007, 02:10 AM

What brand of bulbs? I really like the blue

argileh · #4 05-24-2007, 02:35 AM

really cheap US$15 + US$10 shipping. Got it in 5 days

http://cgi.ebay.ca/2-x-175w-Metal-Ha...QQcmdZViewItem

andsoitgoes · #5 05-24-2007, 02:51 AM

at that price and model - I'd be worried about the PAR. They'll likely burn in and turn less blue, but honestly with bulbs you get what you pay for

argileh · #6 05-24-2007, 03:03 AM

Nick,

What's the effect of PAR on corals

ron101 · #7 05-24-2007, 04:59 AM

PAR = photosynthetically available radiation

PAR is basically how much energy the bulb provides for photosynthesis. Typically the bluer the bulb (ie higher kelvin) the less PAR that is available and can lead to less coral growth and different coloration. For example, PAR-wise, a 175W 10000k, a 250W 14000k, and a 400W 20000k could all have the same PAR values.