Aquarium Metal Halide Bulbs

Bulbs by Brand

• Phoenix
• Radium
• Reeflux Coralvue
• Ushio

What you NEED to know about aquarium metal halide bulbs

1. These bulbs must never be handled with bare hands. the natural oils from your finger will contaminate the glass and cause heat to gather in that area and effects the bulb. If you happen to touch it just remember to clean off any finger prints or marks and use a paper towel or tissue provided with the bulb to handle it.
2. Metal halide bulbs run very hot and you should never touch one after the bulbs has been burning for any period of time.
3. If you ever turn off an metal halide fixture, and then turn it right back on and nothing happens, don’t panic. Wait a few minutes and try again – the bulb needs to be cool to fire.
4. Metal Halide bulbs should be changed every 6-8 months! As the bulbs age, their spectrum’s change, which can cause algae growth, and intensities weaken, which can slow coral growth.

Types of bulbs

There are 2 main types of aquarium metal halide bulbs; SE and DE. SE= Single Ended bulb. This is the same type of bulb you see in your house with a threaded end that screws into a mogul base. DE= Double Ended bulb. This is a bulb that is connected at both ends in which the current is fired into the bulb. Generally speaking and from a hobbyist point of view DE bulbs are more efficient than SE bulbs since they are fired from both ends and dont lose energy from the threaded connection.

Color Temperature

Metal halide bulbs come in a variety of color temperatures, but the ones that we typically deal with in aquariums range from 6,500k-22,000k. The low end of the spectrum, 6,500k-9,000k, will be the highest PAR and have a yellowish tint to the color. Color temperatures in this range are mainly for planted tanks, but can be used to reef systems just the same. However, if you planned to use this color range for a reef, you may have to supplement actinic lighting for the corals to show their true colors. 10,000k is said to be the closest match to natural sunlight and will appear to be white when placed over your aquarium. Temperatures in the 12,000k-14,000k have a bluish tint and is said to be the best range for coral growth without actinic supplement. Everything above 14,000k will get bluer and bluer the higher the number gets. Spectrum in the 20,000k range will be very blue and is said to be very good for SPS coral growth.

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