Mogul v. HQI - Aquarium Advice

MadManMac · 12-11-2005, 10:15 PM

Even I have chimed in on this one before, but I want to get the real smarties out there to tell me why I should go with one over the other. I am looking to put 3x250 over a 175 bowfront. Right now I am leaning towards HQI becasue of the length of the bulb and need to know if that is a stupid reason to go HQI over mogul.

Brenden · 12-11-2005, 10:28 PM

I am not a smartie but here is my 2 cents. The HQI bulb is shorter that the mogul. What do you mean by length of the bulb? I went from 14k 250 mogul retros to 250w HQI sun replicators. The replicators are much brighter than the mogul. Not sure what you want to achieve? I also lost a lot of my blue hue with HQI (I was warned). I know you like that from earlier post.

MadManMac · 12-11-2005, 11:22 PM

When I say shorter, I mean less length of the bulb not the wavelength. With three of them in a 72" hood, I thought a smaller bulb would allow for more air flow and more actinic blue light to make up for the loss of blue. I love blue. I am going to go from 1 250w 20,000K mogul to possible three or three HQI 20,000K. Is the heat the same between the two? I thought the physics would said even though different, the same amount of light will produce the same amount of heat or something like that. Is the loss of blue due to the HQI or is it the change in bulb temp?

Brenden · 12-12-2005, 04:07 PM

The bulb is shorter but by the time you add the two ends you are back to the same length. The HQI bulbs are brighter but I am not sure about heat per bulb. The sun replicators generate more heat but they give off a lot more light. I have noticably more heat but I also have 500 more watts. If you like blue I would stay away from HQI. I lost a lot of blue. I would say a 20k HQI bulb is comparable to a 14k mogul in blue tint.

Hara · 12-12-2005, 04:23 PM

Actually, the "lost blue" is more dependent on the brand of bulbs that you buy, not on being "HQI".

As far as which is better, I can't tell you. I can tell you that I have a 175 bowfront with the 3-250 watt HQI bulbs over it and I love it.

Brenden · 12-12-2005, 04:42 PM

Enlighten me Hara...Which bulbs will retain more of the blue? I have coralvue bulbs now. What bulbs do you run?

oyf709 · 12-12-2005, 10:09 PM

i think HQI save more energy or longer life time either one, cuz it does go on right away.

gsxrguru2 · 12-17-2005, 10:57 PM

I've got Phoenix 250w HQI 14k's and there is definitely A LOT of blue, much more than i am used to from a bulb in that wavelength

Brenden · 12-20-2005, 01:58 PM

I may purchase some phoenix bulbs and alternate them between the coralvue bulbs. Do you think it would make a noticable "zebra" effect? Anyone know of a bulb with a bluer hugh than the phoenix bulbs?

IndyReefMan · 12-20-2005, 03:51 PM

Quote:

I've got Phoenix 250w HQI 14k's and there is definitely A LOT of blue, much more than i am used to from a bulb in that wavelength

I second that. I have (2) 150w Phoenix 14,000K bulbs and they're just as blue as the stock Coralife 20,000K bulbs that came with the fixture. But, they are much brighter and have more PAR.