It seems that all metal halide lighting now, only come with HQI bulbs. Unless you buy a retro kit and build your own hood.
I have always used metal halide lighting on my tanks! I like the shimmer in the water and the corals seem to like it over fluorescent lighting.
With that said which bulbs are better? The HQI or mogul base bulbs!
This is only my opinion, but I fell that the mogul bulbs are the better choice! I have never used the HQI bulbs, but have heard stories of bleaching, burn spots on corals and that the light does not spread out in the tank as well. Along with corals getting UV’ed to death!! What has your experience been with halide lighting! And with the T-5 lighting hitting the market Like an F-5 tornado are halides going to the wayside! What do you use on your tank?
February 7th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
Hey Scott, good to see you built this blog! I have seen first hand how bad the hqi bulbs can be, I have cooked a lot of corals with them. I took your advice and got ride of them and went to the mogul base bulbs too! I have not had any problems sense changing bulbs! thank for the great advice!
Jim
February 7th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Hi Jim
good to here from you! thanks for posting on my blog.
February 9th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
Hi Scott, I just like to give my small opinion on HQI bulbs.
So far most of the corals I have in my tank have been doing very well under my 2-250W 15,000K XM HQI bulbs I got from you and 4-65W compact fluorescents. I believe that many corals may do just fine under this type of bulb and many that will not as Jim had mentioned. I currently have 1 med brown Flower pot, 1 small red Flower pot, lots of brown and purple xenia, Green Zoeanthoids, burgandy and watermelon mushrooms that are out of control (love it), Starburst polyps, Candy cane, Brain coral (Wellsophyllia) Frogsprawn, Green cup and Trumpet corals. So far everything has been growing, spreading and expanding. I will say I lost a fungia and a small trachophyllia don’t know for sure why,but I admit that I’m very new to this and have much to learn. I like my lights now and don’t plan on changing them any time soon. Tanks been up and running for a year this month.
Thanks for everything and see ya soon. Scott G