Hello,
I'm in the process of building my first reef tank, and it looks like I found a great deal on a tank setup that includes an Odyssea all in one light fixture with a 175W metal halide and 2 65W PC bulbs. I'm buying this used off of craigslist and the guy who is selling it suggested that it's time to replace the MH bulb.
Soooo....I was cruising the web looking at replacement bulbs, it looks like aquatraders has 175W replacement bulbs in three flavors: 10,000K, 15,000K, and 20,000K. Marine depot also has a number of 175W MH bulbs, including 5500K, 6500K, 12,000K, and 14,000K
I understand that the 20K's are bluer and simulate sun shining through clouds (thanks for the sticky Geekdafied), and that the 10K is a more yellow light. But
I was wondering what the implications of these differences are. Are there certain corals that prefer one end of the temperature continuum over the other? Is it just a matter of aesthetics, i.e. I like my tank to look bluer etc. Is one K rating more favorable (or unfavorable) for algae growth? What are the benefits and trade offs here?
Thanks so much!
