T5 bulb question

[Marine430]

I am getting a new t5 fixture to replace the current t5 fixture I have. My question is the fixture I am going with comes with
two 10,000k daylight & two actinic. I currently have 2 ati aqua blue that I will replace the 10000k with. How long can I go with the 2 actinic bulbs before I upgrade them?

 

[40B Knasty]

7-12 months pending on how much you use the extra 2 Actinic.
For example.. I have JBJ Trinity 4x39w.
ATI 2XBLUE PLUS 9am-7:30pm
ATI 2xBLUE PLUS, CORAL PLUS, TRUE ACTINIC 9:15am-11:15am & 4pm-6pm

So the blue+ runs for 10:30hrs a day.
The Coral+ & TA run 4hrs a day. That is 2 1/2x less the run time of the 2xB+.
So if I am to swap out the Blue+ every 8 months.
2 1/2x 8months= every 16-18 months I want to swap out the coral+ & TA seems reasonable to do.

 

[Marine430]

Why do you only run the coral+ and TA at a 2hr time frame? Instead of 4 straight hrs?

 

[40B Knasty]

Why do you only run the coral+ and TA at a 2hr time frame? Instead of 4 straight hrs?

Can't remember which video it was. I have searched high and low for it again and again, but I can never find the proof for my reason. So what I am about to say will not give anyone the proof. I seen a video where they found out that the zooxanthellae has 2 peak hours of photosynthesis during the day's process of lighting a tank. Once at 10am and 5pm. 4xT5 is overkill for a 40B. So I run the C+ & TA only 4hrs an hour before and after the 2 peak hours to feed the zooxanthellae when they are mostly feeding through photosynthesis during the day. From what I seen (and trust me I wish I could find the video), but during those times the zooxanthellae was more responsive to feeding off the light around 80% of all the zooxanthellae within the coral vs during the day around 20% of it was. So I feed them with the extra light when they wake up to give them enough energy to process throughout the day, give them a base light by not over lighting them so it does not give the coral a negative impact, because to much light can be damaging also cause nuisance algae, and before they go to bed have more energy to hold onto throughout the hours of the lights being off.
My corals were not growing much. I started using Reefroids 1/2 the recommended dose 2x a week at 5pm. I started getting 2-3 polyps a month.
Changed the lighting times. This gave an additional 2-3 a month.
Giving 4-6 a month vs what I was getting before maybe 1-2 a month.
When this new way was implemented and the tank was on board of what I was now doing. I have grown out 6 polyps in 2 weeks.
I have even switched back to running the coral plus & true Actinic for a whole day's worth of lighting. I can say that it is to much lighting and the growth has gone back down to 2-3 polyps per month and green hair algae has become very heavy within the past 2 months since the change of what I feel is excessive lighting of my tank.
On a good note. Lighting the tank this way with 2x2hr peak times is 1/3 of the time I run the 2 Blue Plus. So the Coral+ & TA will last almost 3x as long. Cutting cost to bulb changing. If I change the 2 Blue Plus every 10 months due to 11 hours of run time. 4hrs of the Coral+ & TA during the day will give me close to 30 months of an effective bulb. So I won't have to replace them till June of 2019.

 

[Marine430]

Holy F just when I thought I knew reef tanks I read this info and makes me question everything I ever done! I always thought that with t5 the higher the kelvin the slower the growth. The lower the K like a 6500k bulb grows coral and algae like nobody's business. Now I been finding out that TA is the most important thing for zooxanthellae. My current fixture now has a current 420 bulb, 460 bulb, blue+ and aqua blue special. I had the most growth with current 420 bulb, 460, and 2 12,000k bulb. Switching to the 2 ati bulbs look nicer but have not noticed as much growth. My guess is the higher Kelvin. Is the only thing different.
I am looking to do 2 blue+ coral+ and TA. I think you recommend it in a post a while back!

 

[40B Knasty]

Holy F just when I thought I knew reef tanks I read this info and makes me question everything I ever done! I always thought that with t5 the higher the kelvin the slower the growth. The lower the K like a 6500k bulb grows coral and algae like nobody's business. Now I been finding out that TA is the most important thing for zooxanthellae. My current fixture now has a current 420 bulb, 460 bulb, blue+ and aqua blue special. I had the most growth with current 420 bulb, 460, and 2 12,000k bulb. Switching to the 2 ati bulbs look nicer but have not noticed as much growth. My guess is the higher Kelvin. Is the only thing different.
I am looking to do 2 blue+ coral+ and TA. I think you recommend it in a post a while back!

Yes, the True Actinic is the most important bulb. I will say it does leave a muddy purple line across the top of my live rock, but with a 40B. The height of my tank will make the bulb closer to the rock and I do have a good light fixture just not a $1k one with reflectors that disperse the light as well. I just have great lights and an affordable fixture. Plus I am trying to minimalize the amount of the red spectrum which in theory is good for assisting GHA health.
Here is a great tidbit to know. The TA bulb peaks our 430nM. Chlorophyll A & B are best produced from 400-450nM. So this is why I consider this my "feeding bulb" to the zooxanthellae. Here is the proof for that.

 

[Marine430]

Well can't hurt to try something different!

 

[40B Knasty]

If you are looking to increase the growth. Also try Reefchili or Reefroids. BRS did a video and it showed that those 2 had a positive impact. While actually others showed a negative impact. Here is a pic of 2 B+. The 2nd pic is B+, C+, B+, & TA. I have had those for a month and a half. I now have 6 total. They are low light and low in the tank slow grower. They are collected at a deeper depth. Plus they had just been fragged from the owner of them. So I expected at least 2 weeks of heal time before more growth.

 

[ATI North America]

Just thought I would share my opinion on these questions and responses in this thread. I would guess the most common question we receive is "which ATI bulbs are best for growth"? My answer is always "buy the bulbs that you find most suitable for your taste and tank color". ATI bulbs are powerful and have great spectrums, simply mix a few of them to get the color you like and the growth will follow. Too much light doesn't cause algae, nutrients cause algae. Corals can handle huge amounts of light, but not until they have adjusted to it. My feeling is you cannot give SPS too much light, you can however give it too much light too quickly. Back when I owned an LFS, I used to run dual 1000w Radiums and dual 110w VHO Actinic bulbs on a 10" deep SPS system. The corals that came in where maricultured and used to sunlight so handling what I was throwing at them was no problem at all.

I think trying to time zooxanthelle's peak times of day is way over thinking what our corals need. Corals do not wear a watch, they don't know what time of day it is, just give them good quality consistent light just like they receive in nature and they will grow if the rest of their needs are met (nutrient levels, flow, temperature, elemental needs etc). I am not saying they do or do not have peak times they very well may, but trying to time this is in my estimation not only not worth it, I think the risks are much greater than the potential rewards.

Mimic nature and successful hobbyists, this is where you will have the most success.

For what it is worth I run an 8x54w LED Powermodule from 9am till 11pm with roughly 2 hour ramps on each end and 100% the rest of the time.
I run:
2 Aquablue Special
3 Blue Plus
1 Coral Plus
1 Purple Plus
1 True Actinic

I like a crisp blue/white natural look, not the windex look of frag swaps used to sell corals so this is what I find most pleasing for my taste.

 

[Marine430]

To get that crisp white look what would you recommend for four bulbs

 

[ATI North America]

To get that crisp white look what would you recommend for four bulbs

If it was my tank I would likely choose, Blue Plus, Purple Plus, Coral Plus and True Actinic. I can't say I have tried it however, but that is what I would try first and see how I like it.

 

[Marine430]

What time cycle? Blue+ and purple first?

 

[40B Knasty]

I wouldn't call what I do over thinking. Over researching yes. I do have timers set for each light so I do not have to do much. Went to Homedepot and picked up 2 outdoor timers. 1 for the 2 Blue Plus & 1 for Moonlight LED. The True Actinic and Coral Plus I turn on when I feed in the morning and evening.
To long of a light time definitely gives me GHA. To much only feeds it more. That's how I should have said it. Yes nutrients is a major role. So is pH, CO², phosphates, light spectrum(supposedly), silicates, and a lower flow, because I have ALL softies except the war coral I picked up today and a setosa that a gentleman had kindly given me for free at the New England Farmers Frag Swap in CT. A high flow is easier to keep things from settling on the LR. There are always variables. Just need to fine tune them to have a balance that works. To much light can cause bleaching from what I have seen from what other have said and I have seen along the ways of researching. Not something I have to worry about.
I swear my wrasse wears a watch haha 2 minutes before lights go on he is out of the sand bed. 2 minutes before they go out. He goes to bed in it.
I have tried both ways with light timing. We all know every tank is different. He is having a problem with "growth." Not the amount of light to keep them healthy. I gave him the "growth" way that has worked for me. Like he said,"can't hurt to try something different." Since he and I have tried the way of mimicking nature.
For instance. I bought a Rastas frag. Healthy with 4 polyps. 7 months later only 7 total.
With Reefroids and time change. I now 5 months later have two extra frags with two polyps on them. The main colony has probably 40+ and I need to frag it again.
Radio active dragon eyes had 8. Now 60+.
We want as a lover of our own reef a sense of accomplishment seeing our corals thrive and grow. Even the true colors to come through.
Dec 2016

I will do a video or picture tomorrow of the growth. of the Rastas and R.A.D.E.

 

[40B Knasty]

Here is some results from that December 2016 picture from my last post here.
First pic has a filter, 2x B+, C+, TA
2ND pic no filter all 4 bulbs
3rd pic no filter just 2 B+
Those are the results of time change and reefroids

 

[Marine430]

Awesome thanks

 

[ATI North America]

Looks like some good growth. My only point is I think just leaving the lights on all day instead of trying to time it with specific hours said to have better zooxanthellae activity would likely result in the same growth.

For what it is worth, I used to buy FL Ricordia from a farmer who swore the best coral food was hard boiled egg yolk, might be worth a try if you are only shooting for growth.

 

[Marine430]

Would you do 2 Blue+ first then add to purple and coral plus as your day light?

 

[ATI North America]

The bulb order really doesn't matter in a 4 lamp fixture. Just put your dusk/dawn on 1 channel and daylight on the other.

 

[Marine430]

What bulbs would use as Dusk to Dawn

 

[40B Knasty]

Looks like some good growth. My only point is I think just leaving the lights on all day instead of trying to time it with specific hours said to have better zooxanthellae activity would likely result in the same growth.

For what it is worth, I used to buy FL Ricordia from a farmer who swore the best coral food was hard boiled egg yolk, might be worth a try if you are only shooting for growth.

That's the thing I am trying to say here. It is not the same growth. One out weighed the other 6 to 1. If it wasn't such a huge difference. I would just let everyone say the normal and not bother to mention,"Hey try it this way." I know I don't work for ATI or have sponsor tags, but how much more black and white can I give to a person to say," ya tried it this way and ya got not much. Now try it this way, because I over researched and stumbled on putting an effective way together that got 6 times the results."
The bulb order does matter if you are going with 2 B+, Coral +, and TA.
#1 the 2 Blue plus look best together. 1 Blue plus and coral + look good. The TA look is not so good with any of the bulbs. Having 3 bulbs in front of the TA masks the look of the TA muddy line across the LR. I use it, because of how awesome it is for the coral. Not for my own personal preference. When the tank is all grown out. Sure that thing is coming out.
#2 if the TA is upfront. It looks bad. Also less PAR from the TA. Less PAR in the front where a B+ should be first will get you better PAR to the bottom of the tank. Say if you had a clam or scoli. You are most likely not growing anything behind your LR. So keep it a higher PAR bulb up front to get better reflection off the sand bed and glass to keep the under part of the coral healthy that much more. If you have the TA upfront the PAR at the sand bed will be very low to ineffective. So keep it up high on the LR. To make it's low PAR, but great spectrum of 430nM capabilities useful. Then you won't have to use eggs and not try to be a trail blazer and go to far out of the old school way that master reefers say,"you feed your corals? I have never fed them in 50 years."