BLUE GROWTH is our 10,000 Kelvin lamp series and – as the name indicates – is a light designed with coral growth as a priority. The lamp has a strong element of pleasing blue color, but overall it is the whitest halide light that we offer. On this warmer side of the spectrum, you will enjoy the most useful light quality for growing the widest range of corals, especially shallow water species. Coral farmers and enthusiasts of keeping shallow water coral species, anemones, and luscious ornamental plants heavily favor this lamp.
BLUE BALANCE is our 14,000 Kelvin lamp series and it is the most popular selling lamp among aquarium hobbyists at large. The balance of useful light/high PAR for coral growth plus pleasing aesthetic color and strong blue weight in the spectrum have made this lamp the mainstream choice for reefkeepers. For achieving the best balance of growth and color, and to keep the widest range of species under a single lamp color, our Blue Balance is a best bet!
BLUE DEPTH is our 20,000 Kelvin lamp series and it has been designed to bring out your corals' bold and vibrant colors. Keepers of larger polyped stony corals, such as Acanthastrea, brain, and hammer corals, are especially pleased with the intensity of color achieved in specimens under this lighting scheme. Very commonly, aquarists like to add 20,000 K lamps to a mix of warmer colored lamps for better balanced results in both color and growth of aquarium specimens.
ICECAP Inc. proudly offers a full line of high performance metal halide lamps in a Signature Series that has been engineered and approved by world leading experts, including the coral farming pioneer Anthony Calfo. With decades of experience and success in growing reef creatures, Calfo and IceCap colleagues have produced metal halide lamps of the highest qualities. Trust the time tested reputation and reliability of the industry experts.
Who is Anthony Calfo?
Anthony Calfo is a lifelong, professional aquarist that has earned international recognition as a pioneer in coral farming and reef stewardship. He has written and revised the first and most authoritative book to date on the subject, “Book of Coral Propagation.” His credentials also include authoring the benchmark text, “Reef Invertebrates,” as well as publishing several volumes of the acclaimed “C… The Journal of Aquatic, Science, Travel and Adventure.”
Serving as a thought leader, mentor, and consultant, Anthony Calfo has traveled
the world to advise aquarium hobbyists, reef conservationists, governments
and fisheries about the cultivation of reef species with cutting edge techniques
and innovative equipment, including IceCap’s featured Signature Series of products.
Metal Halide Bulbs
Metal Halide aquarium lighting systems simulate natural sunlight with point-source light from high intensity discharge metal halide bulbs. Metal halides are available in two main types, mogel base screw type bulbs and HQI double ended bulbs. Screw type bulbs can be housed in deluxe or retrofit lighting systems. Deluxe aquarium lighting systems are complete hoods that surround the metal halide bulb(s) along with any additional supplemental lighting for placement on top of or hanging above the aquarium. Retrofit aquarium lighting systems are generally metal halide bulb(s) and socket(s) assemblies that can be mounted to a reflector which is installed within an existing wooden canopy above the aquarium. Double ended HQI metal halide aquarium lighting systems utilize small, double ended metal halide bulbs that are lacking the UV protective shield. The HQI bulbs must be housed in a deluxe hood or pendant that surrounds he bulb while providing a UV protective glass lens. HQI metal halides are not sold as retrofit kits because the UV protective lens prevents your corals from exposure to damaging UV radiation. Supplemental lighting found in metal halide systems provide additional blue actinic light. The properlighting spectum as well as a dusk-to-dawn effect can easily be achieved with the use of supplemental actinic lights. Flourescent, VHO, power compact, T5 and even metal halide lamps are used as supplemental lighting for aquarium metal halide systems.
Metal halide bulbs are available in several different Kelvins, or color tempertures. 6,500K bulbs are a yellow-white color, 10,000K bulbs are a crisp pure white color, 13,000K bulbs are white with a very slight blue tint, 14,000K bulbs are white with a strong blue tint, and 20,000K bulbs are a deep blue tint. Metal halide bulbs come in several wattages from 70, 100, 150, 175, 250, 400, and 1,000 watt.
Selecting the proper wattage metal halide system depends upon the depth of the aquarium as well as the type of corals beign kept in the aquarium. 150 and 175 watt systems can be used on aquariums from 16" to 20" depth for corals requiring medium to high light levels and for aquariums from 18" to 30" for medium to low light level corals. 250 watt systems provide adequate lighting for 18" to 30" deep tanks with corals that require medium to high light levels and for aquariums that are 24" to 36" in depth with corals that require low to medium light levels. 400 watt metal halides provide the proper lighting for aquariums 24" to 36" with corals that require high light levels and 32" to 48" deep tanks with medium to low light level corals. 1000 watt metal halides provide tremendous lighting that is adequate for tanks 30" to 48" with corals that require high to medium light levels and for tanks that are 44" to 60" deep with corals that require lower light level
Replacement Bulbs
Replacement aquarium light bulbs come in a myriad of shapes, styles, output colors and output watts. Custom Aquatic stocks replacement metal halide, power compact, VHO, T12 and T8 fluorescent, and T5 light bulbs. We have selected only the finest light bulbs from the most reputable manufacturers to offer to our customers.
With all the different types of replacement aquarium light bulbs available, you need to make sure that you purchase the correct replacement lamps. Below is a brief summary of the most common types of replacement aquarium lamps that we have available. Custom Aquatic highly recommends that you consult one of our technical experts if you are unsure about the aquarium light bulbs you intend to purchase.
Lighting Glossary
Actinic: Type of bulb that illuminates in the blue spectrum. Blue light is able to penetrate deeper than other lights, which makes it the choice for reef aquarium setups.
Ballast: Part of the lighting system that starts up and limits current to proper values for the bulb. Usually built in, however, there are custom kits that allow you to choose the number, wattage and placement of bulbs.
Compact Fluorescent: Type of bulb with 2 bulbs attached to 1 base.
Daylight Bulb: Type of bulb that mimics midday tropical sun with full spectrum light necessary for photosynthetic functions of corals and other creatures.
Fluorescent: Type of bulb that is visually appealing and energy-efficient; necessary for live plants and corals.
HO (High Output) and VHO (Very High Output): Type of bulb that provides intense lighting. They require specially made ballasts.
Incandescent Lighting: Lighting that is the same as household light bulbs; suitable for fish-only aquariums.
Kelvin: Unit of measure for the spectral output of a light bulb (how much light it will produce).
Anthony Calfo is a lifelong, professional aquarist that has earned international recognition as a pioneer in coral farming and reef stewardship. He has written and revised the first and most authoritative book to date on the subject, “Book of Coral Propagation.” His credentials also include authoring the benchmark text, “Reef Invertebrates,” as well as publishing several volumes of the acclaimed “C… The Journal of Aquatic, Science, Travel and Adventure.”
Serving as a thought leader, mentor, and consultant, Anthony Calfo has traveled
the world to advise aquarium hobbyists, reef conservationists, governments
and fisheries about the cultivation of reef species with cutting edge techniques
and innovative equipment, including IceCap’s featured Signature Series of products. 
