T5 Lighting For SPS/LPS

[ricardo48]

Hi.

Can anyone help me decide on good bulb combination for my reef.

I have a 8x24w T5HO overhead but cant settle on decent bulb combination for colour and growth of my SPS/LPS

I have lots of SPS frags on frag rack 2" from surface. 1 torch and frogspawn coral . 1 BTA hosted by 2 clowns, plate coral and rest is softies.

I currently use the following bulbs in this order

14K
Actinic
Blue Plus
14K
Blue Plus
Blue Plus
Blue Plus
14K


I have a fiji purple on way so will probably remove a 14K to make room for that if thats a good idea?

 

[Flreefer]

Hey Ricardo,
From looking at your bulb list, it looks like you've got a lot of actinic. 5 of those bulbs are primarily actinic, and if you replace a 14,000 k with a Fiji purple, that makes 6 out of 8.
I would suggest maybe making it 4 daylights and 4 actinic. ATI makes a blue special bulb that's basically a 12,000 k bulb. Maybe use 2 of the blue plus, 1 Fiji purple, and the true actinic( assuming ethat's what you mean by actinic, 420nm). Along with 2 14,000k and 2 blue specials.
I think you would see better growth with this type of arrangement. Just a suggestion though!

 

[AquaRick]

ATI Blue Plus
ATI 12000K Aquablue
ATI Blue plus
Fiji Purple (or purple plus)
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue plus
UV Lighting 10000K AquaSun
ATI Blue plus

This is what I used when I ran my 8bulb fixture. Great color and growth on my sps dominated tank. Can't remember who I got the list from; odds are I saw Doug reccomend it on a similar thread.

 

[ricardo48]

Sticking with 4 Blue Plus / 2 14K white / 1 Actinic and 1 Purple

As recommended by Grim Reefer

 

[AquaRick]

Sticking with 4 Blue Plus / 2 14K white / 1 Actinic and 1 Purple

As recommended by Grim Reefer

Are you sure you want to go with 6 actinic bulbs? You'll see much better results with 4 daylights and 4 actinics.

 

[Flreefer]

Sticking with 4 Blue Plus / 2 14K white / 1 Actinic and 1 Purple

As recommended by Grim Reefer

The blue plus and purple are also basically actinic, having so much actinic will not help increase your growth.
But of course, do whatever you want!!!

 

[ricardo48]

Blue plus puts our same PAR as 14K daylight....im after a blue looking tank so cant do too many white or yellow bulbs.

 

[AquaRick]

Blue pluses are awfully blue; regardless of PAR. If you want growth you need more than just 2 daylights in an 8 bulb fixture.