best t5 bulb combo to propagate coral

[AKABigBlack]

hey all,

i'm currently setting up a lowboy which i intend to use to grow out some zoa's. i have an aquatic life 48" 4 bulb t5 fixture and a 48" reefbreeder led. what combo of bulbs do you think is best to grow out zoa's?

bonus question: the aquatic life fixture is dimmable, but can you dim it without a controller? is it even possible?

 

[LRT]

Id consider the dimmable illumibrite strips before I went T5. In a shallow water softy tank there just no need for much else honestly.
Set them on wifi smart strip on schedule you want and its a done deal. And you have option to run at full capacity if needed down the road.

 

[Bpb]

hey all,

i'm currently setting up a lowboy which i intend to use to grow out some zoa's. i have an aquatic life 48" 4 bulb t5 fixture and a 48" reefbreeder led. what combo of bulbs do you think is best to grow out zoa's?

bonus question: the aquatic life fixture is dimmable, but can you dim it without a controller? is it even possible?

3 blue+ and 1 coral+

 

[nereefpat]

3 blue+ and 1 coral+

Yep, or 2 and 2. Most zoas do look better under heavier blues, though.

Giesemann actinic blue is a great bulb too

 

[RedReefer]

2 blue plus, actinic, coral plus or purple (depends what viewing color you like best)

 

[jda]

If you just want to grow coral, nothing will beat GE 6500k bulbs. Looking at them is different.

 

[t5Nitro]

If you just want to grow coral, nothing will beat GE 6500k bulbs. Looking at them is different.

What about pairing 2 of the 6500 bulbs with 6 blue plus bulbs for sps purposes? Wonder if they'd still wash out a lot of the blue. I had 1 geissman 6500 in my 8 bulb fixture before. Theyre BRIGHT.

 

[jda]

There is no right or wrong answer here... mostly personal preference. 6500k are overlooked for their ability to render color in coral and grow them... not so great at illumination, but the really do make some blues and reds really pop. 6500k has spectrum that other T5 bulbs only have in minor quantities and LEDs do not have much at all. They can be yellow, so windex look lovers need not apply.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

There is no right or wrong answer here... mostly personal preference. 6500k are overlooked for their ability to render color in coral and grow them... not so great at illumination, but the really do make some blues and reds really pop. 6500k has spectrum that other T5 bulbs only have in minor quantities and LEDs do not have much at all. They can be yellow, so windex look lovers need not apply.

You using 6500 in the t5 or different type bulb?

 

[jda]

I get GE 6500k T5 HO bulbs. They are like $4-6 dollar depending on how many you buy. There are photos of some mushrooms that I grew under then in the last page or two of my re-build thread. They really make some wonderfully looking corals if you put them under some different lights to show them off... and they grow like crazy. I have some clams under them that look amazing as-is.

 

[Bpb]

6500k bulbs have a different effect than a 10k aqua blue special. The ABS and coral+ bulbs have a good bit of green in them. I prefer the appearance of a 6500k as the white choice. They appear less green. The yellow and orange just give a more pleasing rendering of true red, blue, and purple. Blue+ bulbs in a 2:1 ratio help tame the yellow plenty for my eyes. It’s a great bulb that doesn’t get enough attention. I used 2-3 of them in the mix when I had an 8 bulb fixture and loved it

 

[AKABigBlack]

thanks all, i'm going to go with 2 blues and 2 coral+. i'm not so concerned with the "viewability" of the corals under the blues, i do have the reefbreeder if i need to pump up the white.