Best t5 color combination help

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RaeRae

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I'm setting up a tank in the office. It has a 8 bulb T5 unit on it. The tank will have low end coral in it. Only LPS and Zoanthid. Can anybody help?
 
All the ATI bulbs are able to grow corals. The looks is up to you. I run 3 coral +, 3blue + a purple and an actinic. Has a nice crisp look without being too bright or 2 blue.
 
If you're only growing zoas and LPS, I'd recommend going heavy on the blue/actinic end of things. Simply because those are corals who display more of a fluorescent color than a reflective color. I would personally try something like 3 Blue+, 3 True Actinic, 1 Coral+, 1 Purple+. If that's too violet or purple for your taste, swap out an actinic for a blue+, or the purple+ for another coral+
 
Here is a link to popular ATI bulb combos. Of course giesemann makes good bulbs as well so you could do their bulbs as well. But doing LPS and zoas I would do 20k in my opinion.
http://www.atinorthamerica.com/faq.php
I used to run 6 blue plus 2 purple plus with good results, when I had a lot of zoas.
 
You will get growth with just about any imaginable ati, KZ, or giesemann bulb combo. Just won't always look pretty.
 
The heavy focus on actinic and blue+ doesn't make for weaker light. Just visually dimmer and bluer with more fluorescence. It's actually going to be pumping out a TON of PUR since nearly all of the photons will be in the 400-500 nm range
 
The ATI blue+ bulb puts out a good bit of par, if you like the blue look I would go with 6 blue+ 1 coral+ 1 purple+
 
I switched my zoanthid tank over to a ATI 6 x 24 watt fixture and use all Blue Plus bulbs.
 

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