T-5 supplement

[Zero Nitrates]

Love your set up! Frag tank right next door. What's that massive green colony on the back wall?

 

[nervousmonkey]

I tend to disagree that actinics are useless. They pump the same amount of wattage as any other bulb, but 98% of that is in a nearly unreadable spectrum by a cheap par meter standard (apogee), yet that same range is vitally important for chlorophyll A&b. To say actinics are useless is the same as saying 420 nm diodes in an led fixture are useless. But people are all fairly unified in the belief that they're vital.

Interesting!! Didn't know that. So essentially actinics are just as good as any other spectrum light. I'd always heard that PAR wasn't great with actinics but now I know the reason why. I wonder if lux picks up actinics better. Thanks @Bpb !!

 

[Lynn52]

I run a true actinic and a purple plus with my Kessil a360we

 

[Bpb]

Interesting!! Didn't know that. So essentially actinics are just as good as any other spectrum light. I'd always heard that PAR wasn't great with actinics but now I know the reason why. I wonder if lux picks up actinics better. Thanks @Bpb !!

No problem! While its true...the apogee par meter reads true actinic bulbs very very low in par, it is because their readable response range drops off sharply at 450 nanometers. And true actinic bulbs peak at 420 nanometers. And that's a very useful spectrum for growth and fluorescence, while it does appear visually dim and not picked up well by a meter.