talkalot82 Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 So I have a sun pod 250w over my 20 gallon.. no other lighting... I have mostly polyps and zoes in this tank right now and a plate coral. Time for a new bulb.. I've had 14k since day one. And that's ok, but what about 20k.. will my corals like it better???? I know it is bluer.. also on my 14k I always fight alage like there is no tommorrow no matter what I do.. some one said a bluer bulb it slows down the algae growth. Is this true???????????????willmore actnic help???????????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 I think your algae problems are more a result of excess nutrients than lighting spectrum. I'm not sure if your fixture is SE or DE, but the best SE bulb i've found is the Radium 20k. It really makes the coral colors pop. But if you have excess nutrients you won't get the best color from your corals until you can fix the source of the nutrients no matter what bulb you go with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
talkalot82 Posted December 21, 2011 Author Share Posted December 21, 2011 It's a de bulb. But I st one time didn't have any thing in the tank. Just the egg crate bottom for months.so all I did was exchanges. Not even fish. And my rodi machine is up update on filters. But the algae still grew. So it leads me to wonder about. The light. I use really good reef salt. And it's always just that tank. Out of all I own... So it has been throwing me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePremiumAquarium Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 I have a tank running dual Radium 20k's and another identicle to it running dual 250w 14k Phoenix bulbs. They are all part of the same system so they have the same bioload, chemical composition to the water, etc. The tank with the dual 250w 14k's builds up diatoms and some other algaes far more rapidly and more often then the tank with the Radium 20K's. The corals for the most part also look way better under the Radiums in my opinion. I like the Phoenix bulbs but if I am switching them out for Radiums. Radiums are always my go to option when I am questioning what to go with next. I run a bunch of different brands, spectrums, wattages, etc. and have always been the most pleased with Radiums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReefSafari Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 The ONLY issue I had with Sunpods was that they are DE bulbs, Radiums... last I checked didnt make a 250w Bulbs in DE....I never did find a DE 20K 250w bulb that was bluer or better than the 14k Phoenix bulbs. I ALMOST tried XM's 250w DE bulbs, but was told by several sources that they fizzle out pretty quickly and need replacing much sooner than say a Phoenix 14k, but that is just what I heard, I have never tried them. It would be awesome if Radium made a 250w DE bulb, you would think they could sell a TON of them as 250w DE bulbs are pretty popular and many fixtures use DE bulbs. I have heard good things about the Blue Life SPS 20K's, but have never tried them, they seem harder to find now too... Another one that I thought of trying but was REALLY expensive is the Giesemann 250 Watt 21000K they call "Megachrome Blue"...But at $110 bucks a POP...OUCH! I would have to see them in person before dropping over a $200 on bulbs...They would have to REALLY be alot more blue than the Phoenix 14k's...Not sure if they compair to Radium 20K's or not... Another one is Helios 20K 250w DE, yet another one I have only heard things about, some say its the bluest of the 250w DE's, but thats just from reading peoples replies to other posts and such..don't even know where to get them. I did really like the Sunpod fixtures though, very clean and nice fixtures, just bulbs selection for the more bluer bulbs (20K) seemed harder to find and with no suppliment actinic lighting for the sunpods, your dependant on just the MH bulbs alone... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kriz2fer Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 Switch pendants and get radiums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePremiumAquarium Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 I agree, pendants with mogul bases and go Radiums! You won't regret it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
talkalot82 Posted December 22, 2011 Author Share Posted December 22, 2011 I got a 20k lamp on the way. So I'll see how it works in my sunpod. Though it is a different brand. So we will see . Coming from california so I'm thinking I'll get it right after christmas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReefSafari Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 I got a 20k lamp on the way. So I'll see how it works in my sunpod. Though it is a different brand. So we will see . Coming from california so I'm thinking I'll get it right after christmas Cool, what brand are they? I am curious as to what they will look like too, keep us posted and throw up some before and after pics, that would be AWESOME! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharoleb Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 So the Radium 20k do not come in DE? What is the best option for DE 250w 20K bulbs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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