Lights...

[TangoTank]

I have a 48" Current Satellite light w/ 4 pairs of 21" bulbs, 2 pairs of 10k daylight & 2 pairs of actinic and a couple of LED moonlights.

I'm buying 1 pair of bulbs a week to spread out the cost. My LFS talked me into Deep Blue actinic. It makes my tank purple & the water clarity looks lower when just the blues are on. Yuck. My other actinic is dual & I like the look... however w/ daylights on as well, the coralline does really pop under the Deep Blue & it looks quite beautiful. Decisions, decisions... Any input anyone? I possibly may get some corals down the road, I haven't decided.

 

[TangoTank]

Anyone?? I still need help please...

Just went back to LFS, asked for 10k daylight. I was given Deep Blue 10k but it said Actinic 03 on the back of the box & they aren't much brighter than the just plain Actinics! So is the tank getting the 10k lumens but just not the brightness?? I can't find anything explaining what the diff is in 10k that appear bright or like mine that appear dark & blue. Thanks!

 

[mr_X]

I would use ATI blue plus, and ATI aquablue specials.

 

[TangoTank]

I would use ATI blue plus, and ATI aquablue specials.

Ok, thks! I'll look those up. Mine are power compacts w/ square pins. So is your tank mostly a blue hue even during the day? As in not really ever bright white.

Also, I finally found what was meant by my lights having a moon light... There's 3-4 LEDs. They are so not bright that my house has to be pitch black to remotely see them shining on the sand & even then they're hard to see. Do they need to be replaced?? Or should LEDs brightness last til they burn out?

 

[carey]

I had a satellite fixture as well with those moonlights. They are always extremely dim. I didn't even bother using mine since it was pointless. :-(

 

[Nosaj81]

i like the ati coarl plus instead of the aqua blue special, but its all preference

 

[TangoTank]

I had a satellite fixture as well with those moonlights. They are always extremely dim. I didn't even bother using mine since it was pointless. :-(

Thks, Carey! You're always so helpful! Maybe you can answer this for me... If LEDs are OK for corals in SW, why don't I hear more about people using LEDs for plants in FW??

i like the ati coarl plus instead of the aqua blue special, but its all preference

Yeah, I imagine it is. I like to hear "Why." For example, I liked how my Current daylights appeared white. I'd say lookin' blue all day is probably a pref. Ugh. I hate the expensive learnin' curve of figurin' out what I like :\

 

[Nosaj81]

i believe the blue special is a little bit bluer then the coarl+ with my 4 bulb system i went with 2 ati blue+ 1 coral+ and one purple+ and i really like the colour.

 

[mr_X]

Wait a second, I was under the impression you had the current T5 fixture. I don't think you can get those lamps for your fixture.

 

[TangoTank]

Wait a second, I was under the impression you had the current T5 fixture. I don't think you can get those lamps for your fixture.

Ok, no prob. Yeah, I didn't say Power Compacts in the original post. My fixture is discontinued, I need to modernize but am not going to do that right yet. I want to see how I do & if I stick w/ this size SW tank for a year AND still like it in a year! HA!

 

[mr_X]

IMO, you'll like it a lot better with some cool new lighting...

 

[TangoTank]

So IDK if its communication break-down w/ my LFS or truly a mistake but I showed the guy a pic of my tank & told him about the light. He thinks the wrong bulb was in the box & that it should be brighter. Sooooo... I'm going to verify the bulb is not 10k & just use it as my other Actinic replacement bulb & get two new 10k. I just hate not knowing exactly what is right/correct for the tank. Obviously, if blue is best & still meets the light requirements, I'm good w/ that. But I'm afraid there isn't enough light. So we'll see...

In the meantime... Acclimating some more Blue-legged Hermit Crabs & Turbo Snails (to get some more algae battling!), a very small Horseshoe Crab (I know I'll have to re-home him some day) & Purple Firefish (Flame) Goby--I guess the official name is up for debate. I thought just a Purple Firefish but he said Flame Goby, the Firefish is the red one. Whatev. Give me the Purple one! Aye ye ye...

 

[huma-huma]

10k and actinic are completely different wavelengths of light, that being said it should be pretty easy to distinguish between them. Heres 2 photos to show you the difference in the two. The first shot is of just 10k whites. The second will be of just actinics. Hope it helps
in the second shot, my phone doesnt really pick up the purplish hue of the actinics, but its still a clear difference

 

[TangoTank]

10k and actinic are completely different wavelengths of light, that being said it should be pretty easy to distinguish between them. Heres 2 photos to show you the difference in the two. The first shot is of just 10k whites. The second will be of just actinics. Hope it helps
in the second shot, my phone doesnt really pick up the purplish hue of the actinics, but its still a clear difference

Yeah, I totally agree but what's weird is the box says 10k on front, it's Deep Blue brand and the back of the box says Actinic 03. I explained to the LFS, showed them the pic of my tank & the guy thinks the wrong bulb was in the box. But it does not explain why it says Actinic 03 on the back of the box! I'm gonna try to find some info on the bulb on the net...

 

[huma-huma]

Lol sounds like a slight mixup in the box making. Look for a model number on the bulb. Or even contact deep blue.

 

[TangoTank]

I have not taken my light down & taken it apart yet to look directly at rhe bulb. Busy, busy... but here's the box. I can't find any specific info online about either Deep Blue Actinic 03 or Deep Blue Daylight 10k that say they are 1 in the same or separate things.

Here's the back of the same box, just zoomed in & in 2 separate photos b/c it's a long & skinny box, hard to get in 1 pic.



Zoomed more


So... this *is* an Actinic 03 *YET* a 10kk daylight :\

 

[carey]

65 watts would be a CFL bulb.

 

[TangoTank]

65 watts would be a CFL bulb.

It's a power compact. My prob is that it's VERY blue, not "daylight" AT ALL. So, really doesn't look any diff than my morning/evening Actinics! My clowns don't look a pretty orange, etc. If this is the SW aquarium norm, I'm good w/ that but I think there's something awry here & I'm gonna go nuts getting to the bottom of it!

 

[Raleighfishnerd]

Deep blue has very good customer service I contacted them about a problem I had with a fixture from them and they responded the same day and sent the parts I needed the next for free.

 

[TangoTank]

Deep blue has very good customer service I contacted them about a problem I had with a fixture from them and they responded the same day and sent the parts I needed the next for free.

Great! I will call them if I can't get to the bottom of this w/ the LFS. I probably spend on avg $100 per week w/ this LFS on my SW & FW tanks as I have 7 tanks now. I hope if the bulb was wrong in the box, they'll fix it but hopefully Deep Blue will make it right if they won't. But I'm perplexed that it says "Daylight" AND "10k" AND "Actinic 03" on the same box! Ima gonna go crazy