Anyone run xm 10k?

[Skimmerking]

250' and 400's

[nlreefguy]

I ran 250s and i agree that is a very accurate pic of what they look like. Extremely bright lights! Just the barest hint of yellow. Definitely run actinics.

[lastlight]

ok great i'm def going with the 250 SE =)

I already know supplementation is a must though for me. I need some blue and I also want to view the tank over a 12 hour period.

Even though they are old school many people claim the 10k / uri vho combo is GOLD. I've been looking into vho and wow it costs more than t5 for the retofit kits! The tank is in the corner so what should I do for the vho or t5s? I could fit 36" bulbs on 2 sides and 24" bulbs on the others.

option 1:
single t5/vho on both adjacent viewable sides
2 total

option 2:
double t5/vho on both adjacent viewable sides
4 total

option 3:
t5/vho on every side of reflector (4 total)

vho? t5? who cares you'll sell it in a year brett?

[fkshiu]

I have VHO/T5HO on both sides of the MH pendant. The only VHO supp. bulb to run is the UVL/URI super actinic leaving the T5HO as your colour tweaker. I currently run a KZ Fiji Purple and a Gmann Actinic+ as my T5 bulbs (along with an Iwasaki 14000K 175W which has a very similar colour to the XM10K on the M80 and the VHO super actinics) and this seems to be the "perfect" combo to me.

[lastlight]

vho/t5 pairs? but for my cube i might see colour banding maybe if i don't have them on all 4 sides of the reflector? for a long tank i think it works well having them inbetween your halides.

so that would be 4xvho and 4xt5...way too much light/cost?

[Funky_Fish14]

Brett, I used to run XM's over the old 75. (They were 400W though, but yes SE/Mogul) Had a 10K bulb in a PFO HQI Ballast. That thing runs like a champ, PUMPS the light out like mad, and views as a PERFECT crisp white. No yellow unless on a CRAPPY ballast or very old bulb. Its just white. Initially when I just had the one 10K over a 33g I ran it with a 96W actinic PC and it looked pretty awesome. IMO your selection in the first post is an awesome choice. Until I decided not to go so hardcore with my reef thats what I was going to be running in a lumenarc over my 52.

Hope that helps,

Cheers,

Chris

[danzing]

I'm running a 400 watt 10k mogul lamp(XM) and a 175 watt 20k mogul lamp(XM), have noticed some yellow now that you mentioned it. Also noticed that the coral is not as colorful. it's basic colors like brown, green, and some yellow and that's it. Do other more expensive lamps produce better colors?

[i have crabs]

ive always hated 1 mh over a 36" tank i think 2 is a much better way to go unless u get some huge pendant maybe, also a 250w with a electronic ballast can do the same as a 400w on a regular ballast so ive never been sold on 400w lights but ive also never owned one,
cant remember what bulb it is but i think its a 10k xm and even with 4 22k t5's its more yellow than i like, i put it in for the massive par a 10k gives u but since the tank is gonna end up with not much sps i think ill be switching back to a more blue bulb maybe around 14k

depending what u decide i might have 2 250w's i could sell i havnt been shure if im gonna sell them or not but i dont think i need them anymore so 2 lumimax 3's and a galaxy ballast and 20k bulbs

[lastlight]

According to Sanjay's results an electronic ballast almost never performs nearly as well (ppfd) as the M80 HQI ballast running the same lamp. Use more energy true...but I'm not worried about that. By regular ballast you mustn't mean M80.

If you decide to sell your mh setup though fire me a pm and maybe it will work out for me. I'm still concerned about how often I like to view the tank. I don't want my mh on for longer than 8 hours so I already KNOW I'll have a few t5 bulbs over it.

[Dez]

Have you considered 2 x 150 watt halides instead? I was running 150 watts over my 24" tank and got tremendous growth with an acro sitting on my sandbed. Then long term electrical costs would be less than dual 250watts.

I was in the same boat and had end caps for vho's and also T5s with a ballast capable of running either, but I opted with going T5's even after I saw the super actinics on the VHO's. I'm running giessman actinic plus for actinic and it is the BOMB with just the actinics on. Anyway, hope this helps.

Des