need help choosing t5 bulbs

Surfer Boy

New member
i have been researching like crazy and cant make up my mind. i ordered the tek 48 inch 4 bulb t5 fixture (total of 216 watts). i decided to go with 2 x 15k, 1 x 22k (both from aquascience, i read these are the best) now for the 4th bulb i was thinking about a pure arctinic or a blue actinic for max color. what do you think? i want my tank to have a slight blue coloration as well. any suggestion and which brand bulb should i choose? thank you Peter
 
If you are going to judge the quality of a lamp based on PAR output Aquascience are not the best.

As far as your lamp selection goes which 15000K lamps are you talking about? For some reason they call two different lamps 15000K.

The 15000K Special is an Ice white lamp.
the 15000K Duo is about the same as an Aquablue. Bright white with blue tint.
I would run 1 of each and throw in a UVL Super Actinic or Geisemann Pure atinic for the 4th lamp.
 
I've read that ATI bulbs are very good. I would go for the pure actinic, it will couse your corals colours to show up best.
 
ok so the the UVL Super Actinic or Geisemann Pure atinic, peak at 450 nm or 420nm? are they blue or purple? i do want a blue tint to my tank so i guess these will be good as long as it doesnt make my tank look purple and i do want my corals to glow. i was also reading that the ATI t5 actinic 03 blue are extremely good. what do you think?

ok so from your advise i am mostly going to go with

1 x aquascience 15k special
1 x aquascience 15k duo
1 x aquascience 22k
and then either uvl super artinic, geisemann pure artinic , ati t5 actinic 03 blue or a ATi pure actinic

i do want the tank to have a blue tint and no yellow at all but i dont want it to look purple either. which do you think would be my best choose?
 
I would go with the UVL. On its own it looks violet/blue but ran with the blue you will see blue, or at least I do. You shouldn't see yellow at all. The Special lamp didn't have a hint of yellow to my eye and I am very good on colors. I would say overall you will have a crisp white look with a blue hue.
 
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