T5 bulb options

[PghReef]

Tank set up with 4 T5HO and 3 kessil 360x. Typical aquaticlife/led hybrid.

I've been running since setup for the T5 as follows
1 ati actinic
1 ati coral+
1 ati Purple +
1 ati blue+

Like the look of the tank but sometimes I wonder if I could pull better colors if I swapped a bulb out. Was wondering if I should pull the coral+ for a 2nd blue+ or actinic. Maybe even a 2nd purple + or would that be too much of the purple?

What yinz thinking?

 

[X-37B]

When I ran T5's I ran 4B+ 4C+ in my 120.
45 frag system was 3B+ 3C+.
Great color on all corals.

 

[PghReef]

When I ran T5's I ran 4B+ 4C+ in my 120.
45 frag system was 3B+ 3C+.
Great color on all corals.

Yea I know its a common combo. The kessil add the shimmer I need and run a little on the bluer side, I really don't need 2 white bulb I feelcand it might be better to run 3 blues and up the white on the kessils if needed.

 

[X-37B]

That combo produced excellent color in my 120 and I tried alot of bulbs. Anyway run what you like.
I will not run T5's ever again as I prefer Orphek blue sky and blue plus light bars. They supplement my Halides and one bar is equal to 2 T5's.

 

[PghReef]

No votes?

 

[RedReefer]

coral plus, three blue plus
or
coral plus, two blue plus, actinic

I'm currently running 4 blue plus, purple plus, coral plus.

In a four bulb fixture, I myself would only run one white or purple bulb.

 

[X-37B]

No votes?

You need other and explain in your vote.
Its not a combo most would run, imo.

 

[RedReefer]

You need other and explain in your vote.
Its not a combo most would run, imo.

Yes sir its really on the white daylight side.

 

[X-37B]

I did not notice the kessils.
If you dont need the par try running 4 actinic for color.
If you need par try 2B+ and 2 actinic. That my help with color too.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

U like blue?
U like purple?
U like white?

Look at Kelvin temp ranges and the colors. Pick a number u like. The coral will adapt anyways.
D

 

[PghReef]

So it looks like its the Purple plus I should be looking to swap out in favor of a 3rd blue bulb. I guess whatever extra the purple gives I can dial in on my kessils with the UV spectrum right?

 

[PghReef]

U like blue?
U like purple?
U like white?

Look at Kelvin temp ranges and the colors. Pick a number u like. The coral will adapt anyways.
D

I'm colorblind actually lol. But I do want some more fluorescence

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Dark blues look black to me so I get that.
Lol
D

 

[PghReef]

I did not notice the kessils.
If you dont need the par try running 4 actinic for color.
If you need par try 2B+ and 2 actinic. That my help with color too.

I have the kessils dialed way down, I need to rent a par meter but I feel like I was frying things with the kessils cranked up and the 4 bulbs I have.
Maybe do 2 actinic 1 blue 1 coral?

 

[Sean Clark]

No votes?

Not the right options so no votes.

Keep the coral+ swap out the purple+ or actinic for more coral+

 

[PghReef]

Not the right options so no votes.

Keep the coral+ swap out the purple+ or actinic for more coral+

I don't think swapping out the actinic for another white bulb would be a good option. That'd be 3 white bulbs and only 1 blue, don't most people run the reverse and run 3 blue and 1 white?

 

[Sean Clark]

I don't think swapping out the actinic for another white bulb would be a good option. That'd be 3 white bulbs and only 1 blue, don't most people run the reverse and run 3 blue and 1 white?

Well the Kessils should give you all the blue that you ever wanted (subjective). But the question that you asked was about "better" colors (also subjective).

"sometimes I wonder if I could pull better colors if I swapped a bulb out"

I belive that the Coral+ bulbs offer "beter" color for a lot of corals (subjective).

You could keep the actinic and swap the purple+ or blue+.

I can only presume from your reply that you belive more blue light will provide you with "better" colors; but that was not presented in your initial post but does explain your poll options a bit.

If you asked for more blues and not better color then I would have given you my suggestion to run more blues.

I try not to do something because most people are. I make decisions because I choose that is what I want.

At the end of the day it is your tank; you should do what makes you happy.

 

[PghReef]

Well the Kessils should give you all the blue that you ever wanted (subjective). But the question that you asked was about "better" colors (also subjective).

"sometimes I wonder if I could pull better colors if I swapped a bulb out"

I belive that the Coral+ bulbs offer "beter" color for a lot of corals (subjective).

You could keep the actinic and swap the purple+ or blue+.

I can only presume from your reply that you belive more blue light will provide you with "better" colors; but that was not presented in your initial post but does explain your poll options a bit.

If you asked for more blues and not better color then I would have given you my suggestion to run more blues.

I try not to do something because most people are. I make decisions because I choose that is what I want.

At the end of the day it is your tank; you should do what makes you happy.

I'm not sure if you run LEDs and t5 combos or strictly 1 or the other. T5 are very overpowering and if you have the t5 leaning too heavy on the white the kessils even turned to all blue at 100% would not be enough to shift the spectrum blue to your eyes. It is much easier to run t5s bluer and whiten up the overall spectrum with the less then vice versa.

Back before leds i ran 2 coral+ with 2 blue+. I liked the overall color of the tank but did find the colors of my corals to be lacking comparing to what I always saw in store tanks. I wasn't sure if the coral or purple bulbs give me anything in terms of coral health or coloration of corals that I would lack if I swapped 1 of them out.

I'm thinking maybe going 2 actinic 1 blue 1 coral

 

[Sean Clark]

I do not run both in a hybrid. I also have not run your bulb combo. All (3) stores around me run medal halides so I can not compare. They also keep the overhead lights off I assume to reduce the whites and increase the pop of the corals.

Have you seen these videos? I know they are old, but I find them informative. Doesn't help with mixing bulbs though.