I haven't seen the light

[travis74]

I have somewhat been dreading to post this question. I am in the info gathering stage of transforming a 29g fresh into a reef, and what do you suppose has happened? With all this new found knowledge I have become a danger to myself.
I would like to eventually have both LPS and SPS. Great. MH and PC combos? Get it. So here's the question...
Other than aesthetics, what is the purpose of an actinic bulb? For arguments sake, what would be the result of putting 4x65w 10,000k PC over a set up like this?
From what I've gathered in reading so far, PC's lack intensity to reach the necessary depths, correct?
I know that discussing the qualities of light is a quagmire, I'm just trying to resolve all my stupid questions here rather than subject my wife and tank to a litany of failed experiments.
Thanks for your patience

 

[cmor1701d]

Actinincs add blue to the color of your 10k (white) lights. It is aestheticly better looking and allows you to have the dawn/dusk effect. That means that the actincs come on an hour before the 10k lights and stay on an hour longer. In a 12 hour photo period the actinics would be on for 12 hours and the 10k would be on for 10 hours.

You should be able to keep some sps high up in the tank with that light.

Check out championlighting.com for some ideas.

 

[melosu58]

Blue is the part of the spectrum that makes it to most corals in the real reef. Hence the blue actinic light. IMO it is well needed and essential for a good reef tank. You can get some bulbs that have different ratings that have different shades of blue in it.