Best 4 bulb T5 combo for SPS

[Acroporaguy]

Hello everyone,

I have an ATI Dimmable Sunpower running 2 ATI B+ and 2 C+ lighting my 20g SPS tank. With all the talk around blue lighting (e.g. Jason Fox running all blues), I was debating changing out one of the C+ for another B+, but would that be too blue? I also have a crocea clam, would the blue lighting impede its growth? Or should I just stick with my current combo?

Thank you.

 

[piranhaman00]

Hello everyone,

I have an ATI Dimmable Sunpower running 2 ATI B+ and 2 C+ lighting my 20g SPS tank. With all the talk around blue lighting (e.g. Jason Fox running all blues), I was debating changing out one of the C+ for another B+, but would that be too blue? I also have a crocea clam, would the blue lighting impede its growth? Or should I just stick with my current combo?

Thank you.

I would personally switch out the C+ for AquaBlueSpecial but I like white!!

Do what you like, the blue windex tanks out there look terrible and fake. Dont do what everyone else does.

When I ran 4 bulbs I ran your exact combo and loved it! But as mentioned recently switched to whiter spectrum. Cant go wrong with any T5 combo though really.

 

[landlubber]

best combination for coral growth is 4 blue+. if you don't like the aesthetics of that you make exceptions 1 bulb at a time.
i ran an 8 bulb ati and ran 1 purple plus, 3 actinic and 4 blue+.

 

[Tamberav]

Hello everyone,

I have an ATI Dimmable Sunpower running 2 ATI B+ and 2 C+ lighting my 20g SPS tank. With all the talk around blue lighting (e.g. Jason Fox running all blues), I was debating changing out one of the C+ for another B+, but would that be too blue? I also have a crocea clam, would the blue lighting impede its growth? Or should I just stick with my current combo?

Thank you.

Big E runs half blue plus half coral plus last time I looked and I can’t argue his results. This is all I needed to convince me to do the same. I love it so far. I added a led bar to get my evening pop.

Build Thread - Big E Rimless 80g Sps

My Sps dominant reef is a work in progress , but here's some recent acro shots.

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Ligershark]

im not sure about sps specifics but i use 3 blue plus and 1 purple plus

 

[bobnicaragua]

2 coral plus and 2 blue plus are great for sps. No need to change anything, unless the current tank color bothers you.

 

[Acroporaguy]

I would personally switch out the C+ for AquaBlueSpecial but I like white!!

Do what you like, the blue windex tanks out there look terrible and fake. Dont do what everyone else does.

When I ran 4 bulbs I ran your exact combo and loved it! But as mentioned recently switched to whiter spectrum. Cant go wrong with any T5 combo though really.

I agree, I prefer a more natural coloured lighting spectrum, I was just unsure if the coral would do better under more 'blue'. Maybe I'll just stick to my current combo Thanks!

 

[Acroporaguy]

Big E runs half blue plus half coral plus last time I looked and I can’t argue his results. This is all I needed to convince me to do the same. I love it so far. I added a led bar to get my evening pop.

Build Thread - Big E Rimless 80g Sps

My Sps dominant reef is a work in progress , but here's some recent acro shots.

www.reef2reef.com

His thread on RC was actually the reason why I chose the B+ C+ combo in the first place! Maybe I'll just stick to my current combo. Thank you for your input

 

[Acroporaguy]

best combination for coral growth is 4 blue+. if you don't like the aesthetics of that you make exceptions 1 bulb at a time.
i ran an 8 bulb ati and ran 1 purple plus, 3 actinic and 4 blue+.

Is the all b+ from your own personal experience? Thanks.

 

[landlubber]

Is the all b+ from your own personal experience? Thanks.

When i ran t5 i had a dimmable so it would ramp up to an actinic look for the start and end of the day but I preferred full spectrum lighting for the hours the fixture was at peak intensity.
8 blue+ bulbs seemed to make the tank appear a hint bluer than i wanted so i added a purple and some actinic to boost some of the color on the fish.

 

[Midrats]

I run six coral plus.

 

[nereefpat]

I was debating changing out one of the C+ for another B+, but would that be too blue?

Personally, I think 3 B+ and 1 C+ is a great combo for a 4 bulb fixture.

 

[Whispers]

I use 2b+ and 2c+ Has always been the best combo and radions only blues

 

[hcoop]

I also run half B+ half C+. Technically Coral plus is a standalone bulb since it’s 50% blue plus, 40% Aqua blue special and 10% Purple plus. Mine is an 8 bulb fixture but same difference when it’s half and half

 

[Whispers]

I also run half B+ half C+. Technically Coral plus is a standalone bulb since it’s 50% blue plus, 40% Aqua blue special and 10% Purple plus. Mine is an 8 bulb fixture but same difference when it’s half and half

Do you think the c+ bulb is enough spectrum or should I put some whites on the radions?

 

[JMetaxas]

3:1 ratio of B+ to Coral+ is my recommendation.

 

[hcoop]

Do you think the c+ bulb is enough spectrum or should I put some whites on the radions?

I have the ati powermodule hybrid so I use 4c+ 4b+ and then found the radion AB+ program and used those percentages to set my leds. If it were me I’d use the b+, c+ and put the radions on the AB+ program and adjust the whites depending on what you like.

 

[Bpb]

Do you think the c+ bulb is enough spectrum or should I put some whites on the radions?

Why spend all that money on radions if you aren’t going to run white diodes? You could easily save several hundred bucks and just get Orphek or
Reef brite blue strips

 

[Whispers]

My par is over 600 when I do I prob never needed the t5s

 

[Stephen]

I run a blue plus, coral plus, purple plus, and super actinic over my 30 gallon deep blue rimless frag tank in a ATI dimmable 4 bulb fixture. I keep bubble tips and clams in the tank. There's also a ORA bird of paradise in the tank and other SPS frags. All are doing great. The light is only covering the front 2/3 of the tank. I have mangroves growing in the back 1/3.