6 bulb configuration for T5 lights

[shoddyk]

Ok I am going to somehow get 6 x 80 watt bulbs under my 125 gallon canopy without taking my sea swirls out. What 6 bulb configuration should I run to get the 14k look? Will the 14k look be enough white for the corals to have good growth still?
Please post any pictures of your tanks with a 6 bulb configuration so I can get an idea of what it's going to look like. Thanks.

 

[mikekman]

Hey, 6x D&D Aquablue + will give you a 14k look. The aquablue + are rated as 11k but they look more like bluish/white (14k). They are also very bright and intense.

Not sure if they make it in the 80 watt size but if they do, I say go for it.

The company that makes it is called Giessmann (sp.?)

 

[Horace]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7470584#post7470584 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mikekman
Hey, 6x D&D Aquablue + will give you a 14k look. The aquablue + are rated as 11k but they look more like bluish/white (14k). They are also very bright and intense.

Not sure if they make it in the 80 watt size but if they do, I say go for it.

The company that makes it is called Giessmann (sp.?)

Im not sure what AB bulbs you have ever seen but AB are not blue in the slightest, they are pure white. You want to use AB 1:1 with Blue+. Even this mixture only gives a very slight hint of blue. I would abosultly NOT use all AB. Your corals will not flouresce at all IMO and it will be way too much light. Most people use 2-3 AB in a 6 bulb setup and occasionally people will use 4, but I personally think that it doesnt look very good.

 

[shoddyk]

Horace, what bulbs will give me the 14k look or 20k look?

 

[sjm817]

Right. 50/50 mix of AB and B+ is a fairly neutral look. If you wanted a more blue look, go 4 B+ and 2 AB.

 

[shoddyk]

Is the really blue color still going to give me good coral growth?

 

[sjm817]

Yes, the B+ still has a lot of PAR.

 

[shoddyk]

sjm817, what bulbs are you running in your tank. What is the configuration of your pictures in your gallery. Pic t5-1, t5-2, t5-3??? Thanks

 

[crumbletop]

You can do what I did and purchase more than 6 bulbs so you can try different configurations. I'd get some aquablues, some actinic + and a GE daylight or two to experiment with.

BTW, the Aquablues put out a fair amount of blue (not white). Here is the spectrum:

<img src="http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/specialty-lights/aquablue.gif">


Jack

 

[sjm817]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7470881#post7470881 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by shoddyk
sjm817, what bulbs are you running in your tank. What is the configuration of your pictures in your gallery. Pic t5-1, t5-2, t5-3??? Thanks

Right now....I'm running 50/50 AB and B+ (6x 54W). I have also run 2 AB, 3 B+ and 1 GE. Both look good. The pics in the gallery have different bulb combos. If I recall, the -1 is just (2) B+, -2 is (3) B+ and (1) AB and -3 is (2) AB, (1) GE, (2) B+

My bulbs are getting old and I have new ones on the way. I'm going to try 2 B+, 3 AB and one of the new UVL Super Actinics.

 

[Horace]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7470958#post7470958 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by crumbletop
You can do what I did and purchase more than 6 bulbs so you can try different configurations. I'd get some aquablues, some actinic + and a GE daylight or two to experiment with.

BTW, the Aquablues put out a fair amount of blue (not white). Here is the spectrum:

<img src="http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/specialty-lights/aquablue.gif">


Jack

Just because the spectrum has a big spike in blue does not mean it will look blue to the eye....the AB does not look blue even in the slightest to the eye.

 

[sjm817]

If you only have ABs on, the tank has a yellow look if anything. Not nice looking at all.

 

[Horace]

If you want a 14k - 20k look you will need atleast 4 Actinics of some combonation of B+/UVL Actinic. The 50/50 mix looks VERY white. There is almost no blue to the eye when all the bulbs are on.

 

[shoddyk]

Thanks everyone.

 

[crumbletop]

Just because the spectrum has a big spike in blue does not mean it will look blue to the eye....the AB does not look blue even in the slightest to the eye.

To your eye, perhaps.... :strange:

Getting more than 6 bulbs of differing types would allow shoddyk to experiment and find an agreeable look. I agree getting all AB+ would be a bad idea.

Jack

 

[Horace]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7471850#post7471850 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by crumbletop
To your eye, perhaps.... :strange:

Getting more than 6 bulbs of differing types would allow shoddyk to experiment and find an agreeable look. I agree getting all AB+ would be a bad idea.

Jack

I dont dissagree with that at all... my only point is if you want a blue look to the tank because thats what you prefer to look at, you cant simply look at the spectrum graph and tell what the bulb will look like. The AB bulb has a wide distribution of spectrum and thus results in pure white light. Yes it does have a large blue spike, but IMO, the bulb has ZERO blue tint to the eye. Even with run 1:1 with B+ there is just a slight tint of blue...that tells you how bright and how white the AB appear.

 

[crumbletop]

My point was that the ABs look blue to me. Not as blue as an actinic but they don't look white to me. There is a definate blue tint to my eye...