6500k or 10000k?

[kikimers13]

Sorry if there's a discussion that covers this I couldn't really find anything specific to what I'm wondering about.

I currently have a zoo med aquasun (t5) over my 29gal with an acintic bulb and a 10000k bulb. My main wonder is with xenias, zoas, button polyps, gsp, bta, (and in the future some lps corals will be added) would I be better with a 6500k? I don't totally understand the lighting spectrum colors and what matters where and such but I've been reading lately that 6500k is what is more widely used for proper coral and bta growth.

In the near future I really want to get much better lighting but this is a temporary fix after my lighting crapped out :headwally: and I want to make the best of a not so perfect situation...

Any input is appreciated!

 

[seanathen]

6500k will give your corals more light, but it will appear to your eyes to be more yellow and dull. Back in the day, 5500k and 6500k bulbs were all you could get for halides, and there was no choice but to supplement with blue actinics or it would just look like a yellow-ish green wash out. Now, we can get 10000k, 14000k, and 20000k in a halide bulb, which gives us the blue and radiant color we want to see from our corals. However, the more blue you go, the less actual light as measured by PAR will reach your corals. So, when it's all said and done, it comes down to looks vs getting the proper amount of lights to your corals.

To answer your question though, and I have a 29 gallon tank as well, your tank is probably not deep enough to worry about any benefits that switching to a 6500k bulb would provide. If it were me, you could do away with the T5 actinic altogether and switch your bulb to a 14k or even 20k and be just fine with whatever you want to grow in there as far as lighting is concerned.

 

[kikimers13]

Thanks! I'll consider getting rid of the acintic. I'd like there to be a little blue to the tank but I'd rather there be more actual light for things.

 

[kikimers13]

I also think if I'm really worried about having blue just adding some led blue 472nm accent lights would do the trick.

 

[seanathen]

Well, yes, LED's can add blue too. If you want blue, just go with a 20000k halide bulb. It will be BLUE blue and give you plenty of light. I have a 14000k bulb and am considering going with 20000, soon as I find an extra $ 70 in the budget!