What color t5
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Hitman
Reefing One Day @ A Time!!!
Personally for T5’s I like ATI Blue+ they have a great spectrum for lps and make them pop. In a 6 fixture I would run 4 ATI Blue + and 2 ATI Actinics if you like a lot of blue, if you want a nice blue hue mixed with a bright white then I recommend 4 ATI Blue+ and 2 ATI Coral+
jd371
Valuable Member
I have the Aquaticlife Hybrid fixture and run 2 of each for the reason stated above. The 4 Kessil 160's are on for the full 12hr lighting period giving me the sunrise and sunset feature as well, the T5's are on a 6 hr schedule coming on just as the Kessil's are at their peak intensity.
This is totally up to you and whatever you pick will probably be fine for the corals. To each their own on the colors. I would run 2x GE 6500k, 2x Actinics and 2x Blue Plus.
Stickboy15
Well-Known Member
2 blue+ them 2 actinic then 2 purple bulbs and 1 coral+ and 1 aquablue special
Hitman
Reefing One Day @ A Time!!!
BRS did a video and it depends on how long you run them. They recommend between 12 and 18 months. I run mine 8 hours a day and change then every 12 months even though I fall in the 18 month category.
They can bring out color that you are otherwise not getting. Some do not like the white/daylight color of their tank when using them, but most of those who use one or two will post about more color. There was a thread not long ago about it.
Hitman
Reefing One Day @ A Time!!!
Just a normal bulb spectrum like you would have in a shop or garage. Personally I think it would promote more algae as it’s in that spectrum more then any benefit for your corals. Corals preference is generally in the 12k to 20K spectrum. I personally for the corals and anemones I keep so the best around the 16k to 18k range. It’s all in about the coloring you prefer to view. Closer to the 12 k will give you more of a white/day light look, 16k to 18k is more what you see under water diving, the closer to 20k you get the bluer the color.
jd371
Valuable Member
They can last up to 18 months before they need changing but should be changed around 12 months is what I've been told. But recently I noticed that one of the Blue + bulbs was much dimmer than the other one and they were replaced back in March, I remember reading somewhere that the bulbs do lose some intensity over time and become dimmer. I replaced the bulbs this past weekend and the tank looks a lot brighter. There was a big difference in brightness compared to the old bulbs. After seeing the difference I am now changing the bulbs every 8 - 9 months and not running them any longer than that.
6500k is the color that most coral get in nature under the water. They will usually render the best color and growth, but are most people do not like to illuminate with them alone and mix them with actinics or other bluer bulbs.
There is enough red, yellow and green to grow any algae in even the bluest bulb - daylight bulbs growing too much algae is a long-repeated fallacy about algae and lighting.
There is enough red, yellow and green to grow any algae in even the bluest bulb - daylight bulbs growing too much algae is a long-repeated fallacy about algae and lighting.
Hitman
Reefing One Day @ A Time!!!
Below 10k doesn’t penetrate water past a few feet in the ocean. There was a spectrum study I read and for the life of me I can’t find it.
Honestly the best thing is to decide how you want your tank to look. I chose my colors as my tank looks just as blue as when in diving 50-75 feet deep in the ocean and it’s blue nothing like day light at all, it that’s how I wanted it. Everyone likes the look of their tanks differently and each spectrum will make some colors pop others washed out. Blue and actinics make 90% of the corals pop in color where more white has a tendency to was them out just like in Dana’s study.
Honestly the best thing is to decide how you want your tank to look. I chose my colors as my tank looks just as blue as when in diving 50-75 feet deep in the ocean and it’s blue nothing like day light at all, it that’s how I wanted it. Everyone likes the look of their tanks differently and each spectrum will make some colors pop others washed out. Blue and actinics make 90% of the corals pop in color where more white has a tendency to was them out just like in Dana’s study.
Only about 25-50 meters of penetration on most of daylight... not a few feet. Plenty. The study that you might have saw was from some LED company selling blues... and complete bunk and I think that it has since been taken down. This graphic is kinda misleading since it focuses on just the visible spectrum, but the point is still good.
https://manoa.hawaii.edu/exploringourfluidearth/media_colorbox/2717/media_original/en
When we were in the Coral Sea, we went out with some of the largest collectors in the area and they used snorkels and masks and did not even have any scuba gear - nearly everything that we have in our tanks was collected in less than 3m of water and even more of it was collected while wading in lagoons and waist-deep water. You could touch the bottom in the areas where I got my acros to bring home. The collectors that went deep, invested in rebreathers and other equipment, mostly caught deepwater fish since they command about 10x the money - there is no need to collect coral from over 10 meters since they all exist lower and grow faster in these areas.
You might be confusing color rendering with illumination. Sure, yellow light will make coral look washed out, but if you put that same coral grown under those lights under blues (or whatever you like), then they will look great. You need color for the blue light to "pop" and the coral will not have that color without full spectrum.
https://manoa.hawaii.edu/exploringourfluidearth/media_colorbox/2717/media_original/en
When we were in the Coral Sea, we went out with some of the largest collectors in the area and they used snorkels and masks and did not even have any scuba gear - nearly everything that we have in our tanks was collected in less than 3m of water and even more of it was collected while wading in lagoons and waist-deep water. You could touch the bottom in the areas where I got my acros to bring home. The collectors that went deep, invested in rebreathers and other equipment, mostly caught deepwater fish since they command about 10x the money - there is no need to collect coral from over 10 meters since they all exist lower and grow faster in these areas.
You might be confusing color rendering with illumination. Sure, yellow light will make coral look washed out, but if you put that same coral grown under those lights under blues (or whatever you like), then they will look great. You need color for the blue light to "pop" and the coral will not have that color without full spectrum.
Hitman
Reefing One Day @ A Time!!!
It was a T5 study I read nothing on LED’s. I understand your point but even the BRS videos on T5 say otherwise.
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/video/view/week-18-aquarium-lighting-replicating-the-sun/
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/video/view/week-19-compelling-data-using-t5-on-reef-tank/
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/video/view/week-18-aquarium-lighting-replicating-the-sun/
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/video/view/week-19-compelling-data-using-t5-on-reef-tank/
