HQI color temp advice

[1fish2fish]

OK here's the deal...

 

I've decided to take the plunge and pick up a 150 watt HQI pendant for my 4 gallon round tank. My question is about color temp. Am I correct in thinking htat 20000 k bulbs are more for aesthetics than anything else? I was thinking a 10000 k would meet the needs of the animals (provide good growth) and should be blue enough so that I don't have to supplement with actinic.

 

Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated.

[matt the fiddler]

150 for 4 gallons? dang

 

 

10K is good for all. 65K will be fast growth slow color. 20K will be high color slow growth. clams and sps like 65-10 K as it is closer to the surface water conditions

 

that wattage might be overkill though

[1fish2fish]

LOL ya, 150 is a bit excessive. I'm going to pick up one of the round pendants from Aquatic Ecosystems for $150. Even though it has a magnetic ballast I think it's an awsome deal. It'll also look good over my round tank. I'll probably either use shade cloth or several layers of screen to dim it a little. I'll also probably give it some decent distance above the tank. Especially for the first while. If it ends up being an issue I can always retro it to a 70 watt and hold on to the 150 parts for future use.

 

At the moment I only have a 27 watt 7100 k quad and a 9 watt actinic.

 

I think 10 k will be the way to go. It should be white enough that I can skip the actinic supplementation.

[Jahkaya]

for that size tank, I would go for a 20k. More than enough light. I think the 10k will not be blue enough. maybe try a 14k.

[Littleoceans]

Originally posted by 1fish2fish

OK here's the deal...

 

 

Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated.

 

Ummm.... your tank should be nice and dry from evaporation by the time you get home for the day! YIKES!

 

IMHO I would suggest a 75watt MH tops... any higher and I think thats a major waste... GOOD LUCK!

[corey0613]

10K will be no where near blue enough to skip the actinincs. i would have to recommend 20K or 14K. have you ever seen a 20K in person??? they are much less blue than when you shoot with a camera, so if pics online are all that you have seen, they really arent accurate to seeing the tank in person. i have a 20K XM HQI bulb and it looks like a 10K with actincs, a very nice while/blue light. i think you would like it. it is 250W and is above my 25 gal and my corals grow plenty fast for me. clams are recommended by many experts to be under 20K, and if you check out alot of lighting fixtures just for clams, they will come with 20K.

 

 

its really up to you. both will be beneficial to your corals, and if you only have 4 gals you probably dont want your corals growing too fast.

 

i would have to agree that it is probably somewhat a waste for a 4 gal tank!

[Jahkaya]

Why is it a waste? one always upgrades. I don't care how small your tank is 150 watts is still only 150 watts. Soem corals may never saturate and gorw 100% under 150 watts even in a 4 gallon. I think it's a good investment so if you ever want to upgrade to a bigger tank you will already have the the light. I would recommend the 20k's for such a small tank and be very dilligent on Topoff.

[1fish2fish]

Oh yeah, auto topoff all the way.

As mentioned, we always upgrade eventually. A part of the reason for buying this item is so that when I do decide that I want something larger I don't have to go out and buy a completely new MH system.

[Kelpie]

Just how do the 14K compare? Are they available in 70 watt HQI?

[Undertheradar]

only thing close is the TUNZE 15,000K if you want a 70watter. Good luck, I had to search high and low to find the last two in the US from what I understand.