Lighting qurstion

[Godfrey]

I'm buying new bulbs for one of my tanks and I'm wondering which bulbs to buy. I've got a three 96 wattbulb power compact fixture over a 55 gal tank and my tank is full of soft corals and some Lps. What's better 420 nm or 460nm or should I have both. My choices are
10000k
10000k/420nm
420nm
420nm/460nm
460nm
10000k/ 460nm
I like the bluer look to my tank

 

[jeffaquarius]

I would have 2 420nm at back and middle and 1 460 at the front. I would have 1 timer for each if they have individual cords. One 420nm will be the 1st to be ON and last to OFF. I would stagger the other 2 so that the peak simulates the noon lighting intensity. A darker blue at the back will produce a nice hue when lighter blue is at the front.

 

[Godfrey]

I have made the unit so I have two different timers so I can pretty much work it like you said. Just trying to picture it and I thought you needed the whiter light to get good coral growth

 

[jeffaquarius]

They say the white light is more on aesthetic while the blue has more effect on coral growth. I do have 1000k too which I like together with another 2 blues making 3 combinations.

 

[Godfrey]

Thanks for the input a good thing about these PCs are you can mix and match seeing there are two tubes on each bulb. So on the front I'm thinking a 10000k and a 460 nm and on the middle a 10000k and a 420nm and on the back both 420 nm then have the mid turn on first then 2 hours later the others turn on. And vise versa at dusk. I think that will give me both the look I'm going for and most important the growing power for the corals