10k vs 20k Aquarium Light Look

[aquaticlog]

I've been thinking a lot lately about a 20k vs a 10k look. For many years I ran the Windex 20k look on my reef and I really enjoy the fluorescence, but then the fish come as an afterthought. On my new tank I've been experimenting with a stark 10k look and I like it a lot - first time I saw someone run it was Sanjay at his 500g and seeing it in person was simply stunning - you could see all the fish at their best and yet all the corals featured solid and vibrant coloration which was impressive even under daylight.

I've shot a quick video to compare the two looks of my two tanks, but was curious what the R2R community thinks and prefers. Let me know.

 

[bestfishes]

Visually, I like 10k during the mid day. But to address unnecessary algae growth and promote coral growth, I have the majority 20k in the AM and PM. You get the best of both worlds using this method imo.

 

[rtparty]

The Windex 20k look is completely over rated and over used IMO. I love having all blue LEDs morning and night for a short time but the fish look like crap.

I run 20k Reef Brite bulbs on my setup. I think it looks more 14k than 20k TBH and I love the way it makes things look.

If anyone has excess algae growth with 10k lighting, they don't have enough herbivores in their system. Also, the best growth IME comes from the old 6500k halides. It was unreal how fast some corals grew under them. They just didn't have great coloration most of the time.

 

[Pntbll687]

I ran 14k halides before switching to LED.

I have kessil and run it more of a daylight look looks good to the eye, probably somewhere between 10-14k look. Ramp up and ramp down times are more blue than peak daylight time.

Just go with the look YOU LIKE, not what others say looks good.

 

[areefer01]

The Windex 20k look is completely over rated and over used IMO. I love having all blue LEDs morning and night for a short time but the fish look like crap.

One could argue, and they may not be incorrect, that we can thank social media and a certain vendor performing light tests with custom recommendations for this...

 

[aquaticlog]

Where would you put the Radium 250k bulb + proper analogue ballast under? Is that a 14k look or more 12k? I remember that Phoenix gave us true 14k, but Radiums are still considered the Gold Standard.

 

[t5Nitro]

I switched from LEDs to 400 watt 20K radiums. It has more of the 14K look when I was in the hobby running 250 watt 14K phoenix bulbs compared to the new LED look. And people wonder why it's so difficult to take photos of their tanks with the new lighting. Camera can't even adjust for a kelvin so high.

The only LED I would try currently would be from ATI.

 

[rtparty]

One could argue, and they may not be incorrect, that we can thank social media and a certain vendor performing light tests with custom recommendations for this...

LEDs are to blame for this. Started 10-12 years ago

 

[All_talk]

I too ran 14K Phoenix MH before switching to Kessils, now I run most of the period with a similar color with bluer ramps on both ends. I did run 10K MH before the Pheonix 14K came out, like others have said, coral colors were not as nice, but the growth was better.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

20k should be purple. 14-16k is blueish to my eyes.
I am color blind though and dark blues look black to me.
D

 

[areefer01]

LEDs are to blame for this. Started 10-12 years ago

Well we can disagree a bit. We always had blue to some degree. Especially with some MH combo's using the svho and ice cap ballasts (actinict). I feel Ecotech's paper, AB+, social media, and BRS investigates modified all favor the heavy blue, black light formula.

Not saying it is wrong but just my take on it.

 

[rtparty]

Well we can disagree a bit. We always had blue to some degree. Especially with some MH combo's using the svho and ice cap ballasts (actinict). I feel Ecotech's paper, AB+, social media, and BRS investigates modified all favor the heavy blue, black light formula.

Not saying it is wrong but just my take on it.

Very true but none of us were running only actinic VHO over our tanks back in the day

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Leds are capable of not being blue I ran leds for years with good success and the shimmer is great too.
The blend of wave light lengths I get from t5 just can't be duplicated. Why I went back.
D

 

[Waters]

I like the 20k look only at sunrise and sunset.....I move closer to 12-15k midday.

 

[Big Smelly fish]

I like the daylight look. I run either 10k or 14 k Hamilton bulbs along with actinic t5 now. But 10 k was what I used when I first got in MH years ago.
but I have mornings and evenings niw where I run only actinic, pretty blue and while I do like the look, nothing better then the look of whites.