Need some help with finding bulbs online!!

jessiesgrrl · Mar 11, 2007

I need to replace the bulbs on my Finnex. T5 HO 24", 24 watt x 4. I do not want to replace with 10k or actinics which are usually what I find them sold as- 14k or higher would be the best. I can't find a place that sells them anywhere, and when I emailed Finnex directly they said they had no idea where I could go either.

Help? If I can't find anything higher than 10k, I am going to have to sell this light. I'm way too addicted to 14k or higher for my zoas...

Laurie

jessiesgrrl · Mar 11, 2007

This ia as close to 14k as I could find:
http://cgi.ebay.com/PowerChrome-Aqu...ryZ46314QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

And it is still only about 11k I think they said...

Laurie

JGoslee · Mar 11, 2007

I found some 12k bulbs here.
http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/Replacement_Bulbs/T5_Fluorescent/
A combo of the aqua blue and the blue plus might give you a 20k look. Maybe some of the t5 people will chime in with their bulb combos.

jessiesgrrl · Mar 11, 2007

You think 3 12k and one aquablue might wind up giving the tank a 14k or so spectrum?

:hopeful:
Laurie

JGoslee · Mar 11, 2007

I think a good combo might look like this from front to back. actinic, 6500k, blue plus, actinic.

rdvab · Mar 11, 2007

Hello Lights has Actinic ,True Blue ,and Super Actinic.I use 3 Actinic and 1 Suoer Actinic on my 240,really makes the colors glow.
Ron

jessiesgrrl · Mar 11, 2007

JGoslee said:
I think a good combo might look like this from front to back. actinic, 6500k, blue plus, actinic.

At the moment it has 10k, actinic, 10k, actinic. Blue plus is the 50/50 one, right? The word actinic scares me somewhat without seeing spectrum readings- too much like all the black lights with no real value but florescening the corals...

Mannnnn, MH lights are just flat easier. I like just looking for 14k and the wattage and being zap- done!

laurie

twon8 · Mar 11, 2007

i would go with two of the ati blueplus bulbs, one aquablue and one uvl actinic.

the ati blueplus bulbs rock imo, and makes zoas look really good and grow fast as well.

twon8 · Mar 11, 2007

also might want a 3000k or 6500k ge bulb to see how it looks, maybe go with three blueplus and one of those

twon8 · Mar 11, 2007

the ati blueplus is basically the same as the geismann actinic plus, but with a bit more output.

i see reefgeek is sold out of the ati, so you might have to go with the geissmann

jessiesgrrl · Mar 11, 2007

Is it worth waiting for the ati?

Laurie

twon8 · Mar 11, 2007

i don't know, I would see if you can find it anywhere else.

also, i wouldn't change all the lights at once, one per week or so

jafoca · Mar 11, 2007

diyreef.com is where I just got some t5ho bulbs from.... Their variety and pricing seemed good, and shipping/delivery was even better!

Also, they were packed inside like 4 different boxes.

I am still unhappy with the spectrum I have going. I went with two ati blueplus and two genaric 10k's. Maybe a UVL actinic would balance it out better

twon8 · Mar 11, 2007

the blueplus have a lot of par, i think running two blueplus to every one 11k is plenty, and throw one actinic in there.

i have a 55g frag tank running one blueplus and one 6500k ge overdriven and i like the look, i plan to add one more blueplus

twon8 · Mar 11, 2007

jafoca said:
diyreef.com is where I just got some t5ho bulbs from.... Their variety and pricing seemed good, and shipping/delivery was even better!

Also, they were packed inside like 4 different boxes.

I am still unhappy with the spectrum I have going. I went with two ati blueplus and two genaric 10k's. Maybe a UVL actinic would balance it out better

i wouldn't run a generic bulb, go with ati, dnd or uvl

jafoca · Mar 11, 2007

cost is an issue... these bulbs came with my fixture, so I want to at least use them for a while...

I think with 2 10k and 2 blueplus the light is more crisp white than blue or actinic, and it doesn't seem to make the colors of my zoas pop. Yeah, maybe the 10k is sub par (haha), but I just shelled out 40$ to get the spectrum a bit closer to what I wanted, and now I can't afford anything else for a good while.

twon8 · Mar 11, 2007

def. keep them if you have them, and once you can get one more blueplus just use the 10k one by one and as spares, if/when a bulb burns out.

jessiesgrrl · Mar 11, 2007

I got 3 ati blueplus, and one of the special 12k just because I wanted one die hard as close to 14k bulb as I could get. I need rehab for 14k...

Thanks guys!

lol
Laurie