Anyone run xm 10k?

[lastlight]

Which bulb?

[Skimmerking]

i would go with a 20-14 K Brett and 15 " is nothing for a 20" tank.

[fkshiu]

I ran XM10Ks on M80s for a over a year. White with the barest hint of yellow. I wouldn't have run them without actinic supplementation but I like the bluer look personally. They are truly PAR monsters, though, on an M80. I would suggest a slow adaptation period to prevent bleaching.

[marie]

I'm lighting a 29" depth and the light has no problem keeping the bottom well lit so It would be like you having the lights 18" above the water on your 20" tank....I don't think you'll have any problems lighting the whole tank with one bulb from that height




hmmm, from that height above the tank your whole house will be well lit

[lastlight]

Did you guys run 250s or 400s?

[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?