Question about changing MH ballast

[daniella3d]

Most important thing for the yellow is lack of nitrates and phosphates:

I have no problem keeing yellow under my 250 watt 14k MH.

http://reefbuilders.com/2008/09/03/g...-vivid-bright/

Originally Posted by Casey8

You are lucky with your corals, I have 2x400W with 2 actinic but all my yellow sps corals are still turning green color, I just can not keep them yellow. I have googled and found out that it is because I don't give enough light for them I really don't understand.

[Casey8]

Do you mean my tank has too much nitrates and phosphates ? ... I have never tested for them. I didn't know the yellow is the hardest to keep their color.

[isaac1]

Each t5ho bulb is 54 watts what is 54 times 6 is 324 watts

[isaac1]

O lol ya i see ur point

[apexifd]

Originally Posted by Casey8

Do you mean my tank has too much nitrates and phosphates ? ... I have never tested for them. I didn't know the yellow is the hardest to keep their color.

yellow should be the easiest to keep, as long as you can keep the nutrient low.

few things that you can do are:

over skimming
less feeding
more frequent water change
macro algae
mangrove
less fish
bio-pellets
zeo-vit
etc etc etc

or plumb your tank straight to the ocean.

I personally didn't change water for 4 months, and everything keeps their color well.

[Casey8]

Originally Posted by apexifd

yellow should be the easiest to keep, as long as you can keep the nutrient low.

few things that you can do are:

over skimming
less feeding
more frequent water change
macro algae
mangrove
less fish
bio-pellets
zeo-vit
etc etc etc

or plumb your tank straight to the ocean.

I personally didn't change water for 4 months, and everything keeps their color well.

Thanks for your advice, but ... if everybody says the yellow is the easiest one to have, for me it is the opposite. All the frags I have bought lately with lots of different color, all of them turned out perfectly the way it should be, except the YELLOW and I love yellow ...

[StirCrazy]

I went 5 years on my MH, magnetic ballast and then sold them.. sure they are still going.

as for MH being better than LEDs depends on how you look at it.

I am both a MH fan and LED fan, for pure low cost, simplicity and power I would go with MH, but LEDs don't throw heat use a little less power and if you build or buy them right you can change the color. MH you can move from tank to tank, a custom LED setup only if the tanks are close to the same size.

so basically if you don't mind high evaporation, possibly needing a chiller, and are ok with spending a few more bucks a month of power for the chiller and lights then stay with MH.

Steve

[Casey8]

I may have to stick with MH for a long time. I am actually quite happy for what I have, just a little regret that I should have bought 2x250W instead of 400W... yah a little bit pricey to change bulbs and pay for the hydro too, but my 2 air conditioners running in the summer time cost more than anything else.

[lastlight]

course if you are in the basement and need that heat, run radiums and don't need to adjust your colours and need more than 2 feet of front-to-back...

you might just find a friend in halides =)

[Casey8]

Originally Posted by daniella3d

Most important thing for the yellow is lack of nitrates and phosphates:

I have no problem keeing yellow under my 250 watt 14k MH.

http://reefbuilders.com/2008/09/03/g...-vivid-bright/

Thanks a lot for the link. I am learning a lot from reading it tonight.