[ben]

have any of you used BLV bulbs and what were your experiences?

cheers
ben

[Simon Garratt]

What do you want to know Ben..?

My prefered brand with the 10K being may favourite.

A revamp was issued two years ago with the latest version having a more crisp white than the 2006's slightly yellow white. Reliability is exellent and colour shift is minimal over the normal periods accepted before change is due (i run mine for around 12-14 months before changing)..

If you want to see whats possible, have a look at the latter pages on my site covering my 2003 reef which was run on 3x250W 10K BLV's backed with 4x54W narva blue actinics.

from This page onwards

regards

Si.

[ben]

i know its personal choice but are they too yellow without the narvas, or do you just prefer it very blue.
how do they compare to the reeflux without actinic?

[Simon Garratt]

Visibly, the BLV's are alot brighter than the Reeflux's imo (although that is no reflection of PAR)...but im guessing they are higher in PAR as well...(remember BLV have been around a long time and have years of R&D for you to trust that they know what they are doing).

Are they too yellow without actinics?...personnaly id say yes, but it all depends what your priorities are and what you are trying to replicate/what your corals need.....Do they need a deeper water spectrum, or shallow water spectrum?

I'd say that the BLV's on thier own replicate light feild around the 2-5m range to be honest..

regards


Si.

[ben]

might be worth a go on my next bulb change then

[chriss]

Always had them when I ran 250W's, still got one in the middle. No complaints,nice light, good color.

Chris

[Si Clark]

I have four sat on my desk at work just delivered I will be fitting them tonight I did realy like to the output of the 12k reeflux when it first went on but I feel it has loss parr and is now running more blue I did look at price for 4 new 10k reeflux's but its nearly £240 for me where as I got BLV's for £169 from a company called Lamp Spec.

Reason I have gone to BLV 10k is because of Si G's tank the colours he currently is achieving are superb(And yes it does pain me to say that )

[Simon Garratt]

Quote

Reason I have gone to BLV 10k is because of Si G's tank the colours he currently is achieving are superb(And yes it does pain me to say that )

hanggggg onive jjjjjust ssppppppat my teaaaa ovver theeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee keyboarrrrrrdddd...


..............

Ok thats better....

To be honest Si, i recon they are looking a tad washed out at the mo due to an alk hiccup.....but Ive now tilted them to where we had them yesterday and theres a deffinate improvement in intensity at the back....Ill just have to wait and see what the affects are at the front now..


Si.

[Si Clark]

Andrew, on Aug 13 2008, 10:07 AM, said:

Is the money he's saved on those new lamp, going to be buy you a new keyboard?

Here's hopeing you are'nt suffering from any other symptoms of shock!

With amount of frags I have give Mr G its the equivilant of a complete computer

[Simon Garratt]

Quote

its the equivilant of a complete computer

Not my one it aint Si...

close...but not quite..


Si.

[ben]

ive gone for a reeflux in the end, main reason is i was told they might be too yellow on their own, and i dont want to suppliment with blues if i can help it.

[ben]

400w. thankfully the heat dosnt get too high. but there is a 14" gap between the water and the bottom of the reflector which probably helps

[ben]

Andrew, on Aug 13 2008, 02:10 PM, said:

If i'm up your way later, can i pop in for a nose at your tank.
I really need to get my new tank ordered and seeing a few of similar diamentions i'm hoping will help my decision!

yeh but it aint pretty at the moment, so no sarky comments

phone first to arrange an appointment

[Ross1]

I heard there isnt hardly any differenec in PAR between the BLV 14 K and 10K is this correct?

My bulbs need changing. I've had BLV 14 K for a year,but would like to try something with higher PAR to up the growth abit more,but not sure what to go for. It's a minefield!

[Andrew]

The XM10k's that coralculture sell have one of the highest par for a lamp! ( but they are'nt cheap)