Lets see some Purple Coral using T5s

[Shadowramy]

Wondering if it is possible to get a coral such as a Bal Tri-Color a solid purple using T5s???

Having some issues getting corals that are full color purple... tips are not a problem. Looking for pictures and setup of Tyree Purple Monsters, Bali Tri-Colors, Garf Bonsai and Nana's that are fully purple under T5s.

Please post you pictures and your bulb configuration.

Thanks

 

[wramy]

T5 lighting is unable to produce a complete purple coral, just the tips of corals.. One reason I stick with MH... I like my bonsai a full deep purple and T5s just arent able to produce full purple in corals.

 

[StephenInVa]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13165602#post13165602 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Shadowramy
T5 lighting is unable to produce a complete purple coral, just the tips of corals.. One reason I stick with MH... I like my bonsai a full deep purple and T5s just arent able to produce full purple in corals.

Can't say I agree with those statements. Take a look at some of the past TOTM setups that run only T-5's.

 

[wramy]

Yeah, but you wont see a full purple acro morph in any of them only purple tips, deep water corals or montiporas.

 

[StephenInVa]

Still disagree...

Szymon Jankowski’s (Szymon) Reef Aquarium July 2008 TOTM

 

[wramy]

Dont see any purple acros in that picture.

 

[Mark426]

I disagree too.

Mark

EDIT....the pic above is pretty good proof

 

[wramy]

Plus didnt he mostly use HQI bulbs and just recently change to T5s?

 

[StephenInVa]

Don't know the guy so I couldn't say. Don't see it anywhere in the article just a mention of him changing to all T-5's. It's really ok if you don't like T-5's. My corals and I don't mind one bit.

 

[wramy]

Please note in the article the tank has been up since Dec 06, that alone is less than two years.

"During the first eight months I used HQI metal halides with T5: two 250W 13,000K Giessemann bulbs and the combination of Blue Plus and Blue Actinic ATI T5 fluorescent lamps. "

Then

"Then I decided to raise the degree of the corals’ coloration, and installed BLV 20,000K bulbs in an Aquaconnect lamp."

Finally,

"The last stage in the light selection was the decision to use T5 lighting as the only light source. "

 

[Mark426]

Yes, he did have had MH at sometime.

Thats the trend, changing from MH to T5.
I have two tanks, one MH and one T5. After a year of using T5, I am converting both to T5. The advantages of MH have just become too small to continue using it except in special circumstances.

For some, change is hard to accept.

 

[wramy]

I understand that, I like T5s. I have always heard of issue of valida and nana purple fading with T5. I have yet too see a full purple acropora morph of something like a nana or bonsai with T5.

I am sure T5 are great for LPS, birdsnest and montiporas.

 

[Shadowramy]

That was my experience. I have T5s and they work great on blues, greens and reds and some yellows. Val and Nana acros I can get bright purple tips. My tyree PM, Bonsai and Bali Tri-Color just wont color up fully. I take the same frags and put them in a MH tank and they color up just fine.

The TOTM purple coral picture look too me like monti digi and a birdsnest.

 

[Mark426]

hummmmmmm....well......maybe I am learning something.

 

[Todd March]

Okay, guys, what bulbs were being used where the purple was just not coloring up? What reflectors?

T5's have many variables--particularly with bulb choices and ensuing spectrum--and I think such blanket statements as on this thread need quantifying...!

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13165725#post13165725 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Shadowramy
I understand that, I like T5s. I have always heard of issue of valida and nana purple fading with T5. I have yet too see a full purple acropora morph of something like a nana or bonsai with T5.

I am sure T5 are great for LPS, birdsnest and montiporas.

Adding a lamp with some red output like an ATI Pro Color or UVL Aquasun really helps to bring out colors, especially pink and purple.

I have a vivid pink birdsnest in my tank and running blue plus and super actinic lamps it looks steel blue. Adding in a Aquasun and UVL 75/25 make it bright pink, It is important to have enough of all the spectrum to get proper color rendering. I have a purple acro reclamation project that hasn't been in the tank long enough to have any changes on yet but if I manage to keep it alive long enough it will ge a great test case because it browned out under old halides.

 

[wramy]

"I have a purple acro reclamation project that hasn't been in the tank long enough to have any changes on yet but if I manage to keep it alive long enough it will ge a great test case because it browned out under old halides."


So then really no one has really been able to get a complete purple acropora under T5s as of yet??

 

[coral diver]

I dont know if this is the way it suppose to be this one is at the bottom 20"

and heres the light combo T5 HO not overdriven

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13167041#post13167041 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Shadowramy
"I have a purple acro reclamation project that hasn't been in the tank long enough to have any changes on yet but if I manage to keep it alive long enough it will ge a great test case because it browned out under old halides."


So then really no one has really been able to get a complete purple acropora under T5s as of yet??

I am not saying that. I aint a big SPS guy so I am not familiar with some of the specific species of Acro you are talking about But I have seen T5 tanks with some incredibe colored SPS such as Iwan Lassers. And in Iwan's case he is only using Blue and Aquablue lamps. Right now I have a Tek light on my tank for an experiment and it 2 Aquablues, 1 Actinic and 3 Blues and my pink birdsnest looks like crap compared to the Constellation with an Aquasun and 75/25 lamp in the mix, both of which provide red in the output. It makes the coral look bright pink as opposed to the dull purple color it looks right now.

Considering that T5's will put out as much or more PAR than a lot of 250 watt halides and with all the lamps available the spectrums can be duplicated so I see no reason why the critters can't be kept and have good color under T5's. We are still on a learning curve as far as the right mix of lamps to use.

 

[UrFace]

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-10/totm/index.php

If you look you will find.....