Mike M. Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 Below is a full tank shot I took with a Reeflux 20K(left half) and Aquaconnect 14K(right half) 400W lamps. Both lamps driven by a Coralvue eballast. No opinion here, I just look for comparison photos from time to time and they are hard to come by. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+cyrus Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 Mike I'm looking at doing 14k all the way across my tank. I have mostly softies still with little plans for sps. Do you think that will work or would I be better to switch it up? (4 bulbs btw.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike M. Posted August 27, 2010 Author Share Posted August 27, 2010 The 14K Aquaconnect is certainly a "whiter" light compared to the Reeflux 20K on the left. Probably just matter of taste since you are not thinking of getting SPS fever. I am not a softie expert by any stretch of the imagination so I would have to defer to anyone else's opinion what would be best for your tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbnj Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 Is it just me, or does the 14K bulb side (right) look more blue than the 20K bulb side (left)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teresa Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 I agree - the right side (where the yellow tang is heading) looks more blue to me as well. Are we crazy? btw thanks for posting the comparison, I've been debating if my new bulb will be a 14k or 20k (I've got 10k now and I'm not happy with the color of the corals) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike M. Posted August 27, 2010 Author Share Posted August 27, 2010 You aren't crazy. That's why I didn't make any big statement with the opener. Now, the Aquaconnect is not burnt in yet. It has four hours of burn on it so it may not be up to full output. That being said, that Reelux 20K sure looks yellow. It has about four months burn time. The Reeflux 20K may provide good growth despite its 20K designation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offroadodge Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 YES, DEFINTLY the 20K is ALOT more white. Thats what my 20K Reeflux look like. Im fixn to expirement with K values also, i may post a pic here of the 2 -vs- eachother. The difference is that the Reeflux 20Ks are a full spectrum 20k from 10K-20K where as all other bulbs target a specific K value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisfowler99 Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 My 250W Reeflux 20Ks are whiter than I was expecting as well...interesting to see a 14K that looks bluer. I'll be curious if it maintains that color. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mcallahan Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 My Reeflux 20K's are crisp white. I ran 14K hamiltons before them and IMO, the two looked the same. I saw great growth off both bulbs, but the 20K's are cheaper so I'm sticking with those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikedelgado Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 Thats an awsome looking tank and both bulbs look great but I like the bluer one better. I have tried reflux 12k and 20k's in 400w on coralvues and I thought the 12k's were bluer(which I prefer).I still have a new set of 20k's but I prob wont ever use em .Right now I am using ushio 20 k's and am very satisfied with the look. I just wish I could discover something cheaper that I liked the same and held their color rendition as long as the ushios. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike M. Posted August 27, 2010 Author Share Posted August 27, 2010 The Aquaconnects are definitely not cheaper. Nice lamp though. Makes me want a PFO HQI ballast! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisfowler99 Posted September 2, 2010 Share Posted September 2, 2010 Are you still running the Aqua Connect bulbs today? Has the color changed? Aquarium Specialty has the 250W and 400W Aquaconnect bulbs for 25% off...I'm probably getting close to time to change out my bulbs and was thinking about moving away from the Reeflux 20ks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike M. Posted September 2, 2010 Author Share Posted September 2, 2010 Yes, they are bluer than the Reeflux stil and I have both lamps over the tank now. Go for it. They are a cool lamp and that's a great deal. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhart032 Posted September 2, 2010 Share Posted September 2, 2010 yea the aqua connect bulbs are high dollar bulbs but i have read about the growth that people get from them are second to none. I like the look of the 14k better, i tried a reflux 20k in my tank and i did not like the color either did my corals. they were used to the phoenix 14k i guess. but i went back to the 14k.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisfowler99 Posted September 2, 2010 Share Posted September 2, 2010 Ordered a pair...not much more than replacing the Reeflux 20k, with the discount. We'll see how I like them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbnj Posted September 3, 2010 Share Posted September 3, 2010 I'm seriously considering the 14K Plusrites....$10.26/bulb, Phoenix-like color, and supposedly great PAR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisfowler99 Posted September 3, 2010 Share Posted September 3, 2010 $10/bulb?!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbnj Posted September 3, 2010 Share Posted September 3, 2010 Yeah, there's a whole, lengthy thread about them on RC (and other forums): http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1703568 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike M. Posted September 3, 2010 Author Share Posted September 3, 2010 Do it! Take a before photo. Install the $10 lamps. Run the tank 6 months taking a photo every 4-6 weeks. Let us see and maybe we can all throw away our $65-135 lamps. I'd love to see a demonstration of a healthy tank under less expensive lamps. Do it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike M. Posted September 3, 2010 Author Share Posted September 3, 2010 I made it through about ten pages of the ebay bulb thread. Interesting. I think I'm sticking with the spectral and output data available on the web to support my choice in lamp. I don't mean in any way that you couldn't keep a tank under those lamps and I think it would be cool to see a six to twelve month journal of a tank lit by a set of these Plusrite bubls. It might shed some light on low cost ways to operate within this hobby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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