MH Bulb Life Experience?

[Kbra]

So Ive had some bleaching and probably about dead SPS. I went through all the parameters and everything seems in check, some stuff was out like the mag and PO4 but under control now and still no improvements.

I have a coralife elite 48" 250w x 2 that came with XM bulbs. So its starting to sound like the bulbs are no good. Lasted about 9 months...
It seems like that's a realistic time, just curious what other have experience with life and maybe a specific brand that's really worth the money and that can run on my stock ballasts.

Im thinking of ordering some Hamiltons 14ks today.... Thoughts?

 

[Kbra]

is there a way to measure the quality of you bulb at a reasonable cost?

 

[EyeReef]

I tried 20k, 10k, and 14k....
I had really good experiences with phoenix 14ks..cant beat the color and you do not need to supplement them as well

 

[coral diver]

If you use a magnetic MH ballast do not expect for the bulb to last more than a year or may be less due to being overdriven, different case with the electronic ballast they will give you the exact power output and the bulb will last a bit longer but some people will compare the 2 type of ballast and say they like the lumination of the magnetic not realizing that the bulb is overdriven not unless you buy a meter that the only way you could tell exactlly.

 

[scav1180]

I need to change my 20k bulbs.. Im pretty sure im WAYYY passed my 1 year mark. maybe more than a year and a half.. who knows maybe going on 2.. lol

 

[Kbra]

but is it effecting your sps? thats the only reason why i think mine are bad... Otherwise they look fine to my eye

 

[scav1180]

I dont have high end corals.. so it doesnt matter too much for me.. not much corals goiong on at all.. lol

 

[Kbra]

i see, yeah my LPS can care less and are doing great as always but the sps is fading away. Just ordered some 14k Hamiltons today should get them monday

 

[scav1180]

Yeah, I think maybe it is effecting what corals I have right now though. so I may have to replace my current 20k's with new ones.. i'll go another 1.5 years again.. lol

 

[Kbra]

bulbs arent cheap, i dont blame you if you can get by with out them for longer

 

[orangefish]

I have a Geismann fixture with magnetic ballasts.....I run Phoenix 14k's and replace them about every 7 months. The Phoenix bulbs have the best color IMO of any 14k bulb out there. I also run two Actinic + bulbs so my tank is pretty blue.

 

[Aquafrags]

are you looking for single ended or double ended bulbs

I doubt that 8 month old bulbs are the cause of bleaching

any alk swings?

 

[Kbra]

no alk problems was a problem with PO4 but its taken care of now... Its only the SPS thats hurting, my pink birdsnest is basically gone and a few others are doing poor but the green slimmer and monti are doing fine so IDK

 

[JOSE CASAS]

Too much light Kbra.

 

[Kbra]

wouldnt the LPS be more upset about that than the SPS? I run them both 6 hrs a day and the actinics 11

 

[JOSE CASAS]

Not if the lps are on the bottom of the tank. Do you have funky algea growth all of the sudden?

 

[Kbra]

no when i had the phos problem i got a small red bloom but in general no. I have some LPS near the top as well. I know in general you space them high and low but theyve been there with no problems. SPS was doing fine with the lights for a couple months then crashed really quick like in a week.

 

[JOSE CASAS]

When you say bleaching do you mean fading or are the corals skin peeling?

 

[Kbra]

peeling and birds nest turned white from pink

 

[JOSE CASAS]

Peeling is stn or rtn and fading is bleaching. Are they stn, slow tissue Necrosis or rapid tissue Necrosis from the top or bottom?