T5 Bulb Choices

C

chemi19

New member
I have decided to buy the Reefgeek 4 bulb T5 Very High-Output Retrofit Kit with Icecap ballast but I have no idea which bulbs to use.

The options for bulbs are as follow:

• 54W 12000K Aquablue Special T5 HO Fluorescent
• by ATI

• 54W Blue Plus T5 HO Fluorescent
• by ATI

• 54W Pro Color T5 HO Fluorescent
• by ATI

• 54W True Actinic 03 T5 HO Fluorescent
• by ATI

• 54W 3000K Daylight T5 HO Fluorescent
• by General Electric

• 54W 6500K Daylight T5 HO Fluorescent
• by General Electric

• 54W Aqua Flora T5 HO Fluorescent
• by Giesemann

• 54W 6000K Midday Sun T5 HO Fluorescent
• by Giesemann

• 54W 11000K Aquablue Plus T5 HO Fluorescent
• by Giesemann

• 54W Actinic Plus T5 HO Fluorescent
• by Giesemann

• 54W Pure Actinic 03 T5 HO Fluorescent
• by Giesemann

• 54W Fiji Purple T5 HO Fluorescent
• by Korallen Zucht

• 54W 10000K AquaSun T5 HO Fluorescent
• by UV Lighting

• 54W 12000K Actinic White (50/50) T5 HO Fluorescent
• by UV Lighting

• 54W 75/25 14000K AquaBlue T5 HO Fluorescent
• by UV Lighting

• 54W Super Actinic T5 HO Fluorescent
• by UV Lighting

This is going in a 72 gallon bowfront and I plan to keep mostly softies and LPS.
Please give me some suggestions as I am clueless on what to use!

Thanks
 
You really have to first ask yourself what kind of look you want on the tank. Do you want a bluer look with nice colors in your coral or do you want a whiter look with really nice coral growth. There are all kinds of different combos so you can achieve a happy medium etc. etc. but you really need to decide what you want to achieve first and then we can recommend you a combo.
 
I think better to buy LED products,
I have a friend he bought a LED light 36" 11 for his 36" tank.
It looks very nice & it provide 12000K & 463mn for blue with moon light.
 
Ya lets see some pics and growth shots of the LED tank. I think there are much more conventional ways, and cheaper ways to go about lighting a tank.
 
For 10-13K look:

Ati Aquablue special
Ati blue+
Ati Aquablue special
Ati blue+

Or for a 20K look:

Ati blue+
Ati blue+
Ati Aquablue special
Ati blue+

Lots of PAR and great color either way.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13843265#post13843265 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reefer07
You really have to first ask yourself what kind of look you want on the tank. Do you want a bluer look with nice colors in your coral or do you want a whiter look with really nice coral growth. There are all kinds of different combos so you can achieve a happy medium etc. etc. but you really need to decide what you want to achieve first and then we can recommend you a combo.
Click to expand...

I would like to have probably something like a 14K where I can have a balance of some blues but also growth of coral.
 
I am sure logzor and the other person have good ideas. If you want to look into geissman they are good bulbs too. I run a 4 bulb fixture with 2 actinic plus, 1 aquablue, and a midday. It is actually a little on the whiter side but still appealing. Plus when I have the 2 actinic running it is really really blue. If you check out grimm reefers post about T-5 bulb pars it can also give you a good idea about different bulbs as well.
 
I like the look of Reefer07's combo, very similar to what I'm running - 5 bulbs - blue pus, midday, blue plus, aquablue, and UVL 75/25.

for 4 bulbs consider this:

blue plus (ATI or Gman Actinic Plus)
Gman midday (UVL Aquasun for more pink look)
UVL 75.25 (not with the Aquasun though, go with an Aquablue here with the Aquasun)
blue plus
 
Does anyone have pics of their all ATI Blue+ tank? I've been running 2 Blue+, 1 super actinic, 1 aquasun, 1 aquablue, and 1 GE 6500. I really don't like the pink of the aquasun, and I don't really like the strong purple of the actinic either, but I do like the change in my corals' greens. I have the 6500 in there for PAR and diversity of kelvin, but I don't particularly like how it washes out the benefits of the Blue+ bulbs. So I'm thinking of going either all Blue+ and when I can afford it overdriving 4 bulbs to increase PAR, or doing 4 blues with 2 aquablues.

Will I see a dramatic reduction in growth? How do corals react to only blue light over a long period of time, mainly in regards to colors of the corals? Does running an all blue tank reduce bubble algae? Does it get tiring after awhile to not have the lower kelvin spectrum in the tank to see the corallines?
 
Oh yeah, I forgot to ask about the Pro Colour bulb from ATI. Is anyone running one? I think The Grim Reefer said he was taking his out awhile back due to unwanted algae growth. I wonder how 4 blues would look paired up with 2 Pro Colours; would they pop colors from both bulbs, or would they wash eachother out?
 
In my tek 8 bulb. I am running 2 blue 4 white and 2 purple. I like the color it gives off.

I use Giesemann bulbs and love them.
 
They are nice. I tried just 1 true actinic (purple) in place of 1 of my actinic + and I just couldn't do it. I really can't get into the purple look even though it probably makes the color pop really really nice. I should prolly bring myself to it though as I did on my 10 gallon tank. Just something you have to get used to I guess.
 
Bear in mind T5 doesn't seem to have the same dropoff of PAR with higher K that MH has, so it perfectly OK to pull out the 6500 and replace it with say a 15K.
Putting two procolours in with 2 blues is going to give you horrible colouring. Just lots of red, purple.
 
I swapped some bulbs last night with older bulbs. Now I have 3 blue+, 2 actinic, 1 aquablue. The color is much better. With just the 6500k bulb on, the tank looked just awful, very strong yellow-green. Interestingly enough, the 6500k mixed with the blues didn't do too much damage to the overall look. But the Aquasun, I'll never ever use this bulb ever again. Just this 1 single bulb in my tank and the nice strong glowing colors from the blues and actinics is completely flattened and washed out. Awful! Is the Pro Color similar? I was thinking of doing 3 blues, 1 actinic, 1 aquablue special, and 1 procolor. But I don't want the pro color if it's going to kill the contrast of my glowing colors.

If you don't believe me about the aquasun, put some nicely colored fire and ice zoas under a blue+, then add an aquasun and watch the blue centers become whitish and the burning red skirts turn to muddled brownish orange.
 
wayne in norway,

Do you like the look of the Pro Color in a more diverse mix of 6 bulbs? How would 5 blues and 1 pro color, or 4 blues, 1 actinic, and 1 pro color look? Would it still have the same problem of blending to all red/purple?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13845239#post13845239 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SunnyX
For 10-13K look:

Ati Aquablue special
Ati blue+
Ati Aquablue special
Ati blue+
Click to expand...

I'm really liking this setup... nice and simple. Would you say this setup is good for growth as well?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13852147#post13852147 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by yeldarbj
I like the look of Reefer07's combo, very similar to what I'm running - 5 bulbs - blue pus, midday, blue plus, aquablue, and UVL 75/25.

for 4 bulbs consider this:

blue plus (ATI or Gman Actinic Plus)
Gman midday (UVL Aquasun for more pink look)
UVL 75.25 (not with the Aquasun though, go with an Aquablue here with the Aquasun)
blue plus
Click to expand...

I vote +1 on this one . but I would use a Aqua Blue Special or Aquasun in place of the GMan middday .I would def keep the 75/25
 
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