T5 Color Combo?

bdare

Salty Dude
Premium Member
Hello all,

I'm trying to help a buddy setup a new tank. He's a noobie and not planning on coral right away. At most will be looking at some LPS / softies. His tank is 48x16. I've suggested an ATI 36" 6 bulb T5 fixture.

Any suggestion for a good starting place for bulbs? Maybe a good 12-14K look to make stuff look nice?

Should I pick a different fixture? 8 bulbs seems like too much for lower light stuff.

Thanks in advance.

Ben
 
I like the ATI T5 bulbs offered at BRS. For a 6 bulb fixture (which sounds good for that tank) I'd get a couple Blue Plus, a couple Coral Plus, and a couple Aquablue Special. That's what I used at least with great success.
 
Not sure about an exact combo, but here is my opinion on a few bulbs I like.

1. Giesemann Super Actinic. Great for dawn dusk. Kinda purple and really make some colors fluoresce.
2. I prefer KZ Super Blue over the ATI Blue+. Basically identical bulbs but the KZ doesn't have the weird green tint that the blue+ does. Either are par monsters.
3. A newer bulb, the ATI Coral+ is a combo of three other bulbs that create a nice white midday light.

So i would do at least one of the Super Actinics, at least two of the KZ, and at least one of the Coral+.

He'll kinda have to play around to tweak to his liking.
 
The ATI Blue Plus (Don't know about the KZ bulb) does give some "pop" as it's a actinic hybrid. Not quite as much of a "pop" as the true actinic, but one I was personally happy with. It's all a bit of viewer's choice though.
 
other than the green tint, they look identical.
The G Super A's, really make greens, yellows and pinks pop.
Probably the closest thing to the old VHO actinics.
 
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