Got one of the new AquaMedic Ocean Light 250W HQI pendant fixtures from hellolights last week, with a 15,000K bulb. It is a great fixture, one of the smallest I've seen at 11"x10.25"x3.25", and a relief to be able to choose from a selection of standard bulbs. It came with a separate ballast which hellolights said had a fan, but it doesn't look like it. It has good ventilation though, so I think it should be ok. They also gave me a free digital timer with the purchase, a nice bonus. The light is bright, with much more blue, hopefully this will slow the hair algae. It came with a nice adjustable hanging kit and the light itself is really light (3.5 lbs) since the enclosure is aluminum and the ballast is separate. The cycle is now 12pm to 9:30pm, but I may change it up since the new timer can be programmed to do a different cycle every day of the week.
It's been up for a few days and so far everything has made the adjustment ok. The clam seems to especially like the more actinic spectrum and it seems to open more fully. The bubble coral is coming back from another period of atrophy as well. I don't think the frog spawn likes it quite as much as the old yellow light, but it still opens up well, and it is so huge now I don't think slowing it's growth a little will be bad.
The clownfish have been laying eggs at a steady rate, never more than a few days between cycles. There have been at least 7 or 8 rounds now, and in the last one, some of them hatched after the light came on. I haven't tried saving any of them again, but I may try again since I think they hatch just before the light comes on at noon.
Posted by Mike at April 24, 2006 02:08 AM