What do you think, HQI or older Mogul

[michaellong]

I have a 150 Watt HQI Pendant hanging over the waterfall I am starting tomorrow night. I started to think , actinic , wattage , etc. Am I going to want corals? Wait - this is a fish only display - or isn't it? So - I have decided that I will try to make it work for both. I found a OLD matal halide system, (2) 250W 10,000K halides with 2 40W Coralife Actinics. Here is my issue. I changed the bulb in the smaller HQI pendant and it looks 10X brighter than the old fixture I have. Out of the 3 tank operation, these tanks are 27 and a hlaf inch square. I am only making 2 of them reef ready. The pendant lights the 2 boxes brilliant. The new bulb I put in is HQI 14K. My question would be, what is better for the corals and life in the tank. The newer 14K pendant or the older full canopy system with screw in bulbs. My friend tells me a 150W HQI is much brighter and more lux than the older style bulbs. The fittings are there and its already hanging. Should I use iut and rely on the 14K to provide all the lighting, or do those 40W old coaralife actinic 40 watters need to be on the coral. Something tells me the HQI is the way to go. I just don't wand insufficient lighting in the actinic spectrum. Any advise before I get the ball rolling tomorrow? Also, that shelf looking coral on the home page, slightly left in the picture, looks like small shelves and grows in plates. Does anyone know the name of that species? Thanks!

[jay13]

Dr. Sanjay Yoshi used to have a site that you could compare all this in. I can no longer find it on the web. I played with de vs. mogul in the 250w range for a long time. Ballast that drove the de bulbs was the biggest pitfall i came across. Both de and mogul bulbs in an appropriate wattage will light any area with enough par, color on the other hand is where most cannot make a decision on which to choose. Icecap electronic ballasts and comparable ballasts do not give de bulbs the color that a true hqi ballast does in my opinion. I had icecaps and instead of buying new ballasts and bulbs i changed back to mogul, but in 400 watt. I am very happy with that choice and will stay with moguls, although phoenix 14k de bulbs on a true hqi ballast are beautiful. So lighting in regards to par will probably not be a problem, at least in 250w. In 150w i cannot say it is enough as i have never gone that small in wattage. A borrowed par meter can answer that question, and if it is enough par for you and you like the color it gives your tank then your quest is over. Good luck!

[michaellong]

Thanks, I guess I was stunned with the output. This is just a 150HQI , This is a Sunsystem BluewaveIII , and it is only 150. However the bulbs I can't look at. The 250W halides mogul are bright, but don't seem as bright. I just thought perhaps the newer HQI were a boost up. I hear what you are saying about the 400. I have the 2 250W 13K on my 120 with 2 96 Power Compact for the actinic, and I love that. I just need really a 2 x 2 area lit for this application. I think I'll go with the HQI and see what happens. If I don't like the 14K I can always jot-back to the 2 halide system. It is just amazing how this pulls out the actinic spectrum

[capbbw]

150HQI