T5 Lighting May Be For You
- Thread starter gregt
- Start date
drk70
Premium Member
I have a 70g tank with a 6 light T-5 retro. I was running 1-sun, 2-aquablues and 1-actinic. It had some of a yellow tint but not too overpowering. I just switched some bulbs around to 2-aquablues, 1-blue plus and 1-actinic. I like this look better than with the sun but I'm going to try 2-aquablues and 2-blue plus and see what that looks like. I think it may be too much blue for my liking.
Don't know if this helps but here is a older full tank shot with the sun bulb in the mix.
and here is a recent tank shot with the blue plus added and sun removed.
BTW if you wonder why I only list 4 bulbs it is because I run the 2 outside bulbs an hour before and and hour after the four center bulbs. I have 2-blue plus bulbs in there and when those are on the corals really glow bright and the tank is completely blue.
Don't know if this helps but here is a older full tank shot with the sun bulb in the mix.
and here is a recent tank shot with the blue plus added and sun removed.
BTW if you wonder why I only list 4 bulbs it is because I run the 2 outside bulbs an hour before and and hour after the four center bulbs. I have 2-blue plus bulbs in there and when those are on the corals really glow bright and the tank is completely blue.
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
Nice looking tank DRK!
Try 2 blueplus, an aquablue and a sun and see what you think.
I preach the benefits of the sun or day light in the mix because reds, yellows and oranges look real with the sun or daylight in the mix.
Try 2 blueplus, an aquablue and a sun and see what you think.
I preach the benefits of the sun or day light in the mix because reds, yellows and oranges look real with the sun or daylight in the mix.
drk70
Premium Member
Thanks Grim Reefer. I will try that. It doesn't hurt when I'm switching bulbs around to try it anyway.The Grim Reefer said:
I was actually thinking of changing my whole light sequence around. I was thinking of bringing the 2 blue plus on an hour before the 4 center lights which would be 2-aquablue, 1-sun and 1-actinic and then leaving the blue plus bulbs on also. Then leave the blue plus bulbs on and hour after the other go out. Then I run lunar lights the rest of the night. That may give me the best of all the bulbs.
Hope this is helping Jamison. Gives me other ideas also.
ratherbediving
New member
The Grim Reefer said:
That's what I have-- very happy with that color combination, though I don't have much to compare it to, I guess.
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
I thought you removed the sun in the second pic.
rjwilson37
New member
Very Nice, I thought they were all pretty nice pictures. It is hard to capture a picture of your tank the way you see it, our eyes pick up so many more colors than our camera's can. I had someone from our Reef Club over to pick up some Macro Algae and he said the pictures do my tank no justice and I take some pretty good pictures to capture what my tank looks like. You really need to see what looks best for you as well as it being benificial for your corals health and growth.
Good Luck!
I run 2 Aquablues 11k, 1 Blue Plus and 1 Actinic 03 for my tank, which is a very white/Blue look more towards the blue side, but a very clear and nice look. My corals grow very well and seem very healthy as well as me getting alot of color.
Good Luck!
I run 2 Aquablues 11k, 1 Blue Plus and 1 Actinic 03 for my tank, which is a very white/Blue look more towards the blue side, but a very clear and nice look. My corals grow very well and seem very healthy as well as me getting alot of color.
superswimmer
New member
I run with two GE Suns...yechkk... way too yellow looking! I got them for free so i was like.. eh what the hell. I will get two aquablue and 2 blue plus when i change the bulbs at Xmass time.
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
The 3 Blueplus and 1 GE is a mix I would like to see. Not sure if it would look too blue but it's about the only T5 combo I never tried.
The Grim Reefer said:
Yeah... looking around here on all the T5 posts, that combination was basically the only one I couldn't find. I don't know how it will look, but it might turn out to be pretty good.
drk70... thanks for the pic offer, that'll be great!
Cheers -- Jamison
Obi-dad
Active member
I have run for some time 3 blue+ and 1 sun on my Icecap (run 8 hours) and had 2 more blue+ on a Triad (run 12 hours). This is similar to the Radium look, but brighter and whiter (and hard to take a photo of - comes out more blue than meets the eye, I will have to do some photoshop work to adjust). Even with only one 'white' bulb in the mix, still whiter than you would think (whiter than a Radium MH).
I recently changed to 3 blue+ and actinic on the Icecap run (12 hours), and 1 sun and 1 aquablue on the Triad (run 6 hours). I like this much better. The 3 blue+ and actinic look better than a Radium IMO, and the two 'white' bulbs on in the middle of the day look whiter than the look I had before. Even though you would think 3 blue+ and an actinic would be only blue, these bulbs produce some light in the rest of the spectrum, so when you have a bunch of blue bulbs , all overdriven, there are enough of the other wavelengths to make my yellows and reds look nice too.
I am getting a couple of the superblue bulbs Grim spoke of and will be taking photos before and after the change. To be continued.
I recently changed to 3 blue+ and actinic on the Icecap run (12 hours), and 1 sun and 1 aquablue on the Triad (run 6 hours). I like this much better. The 3 blue+ and actinic look better than a Radium IMO, and the two 'white' bulbs on in the middle of the day look whiter than the look I had before. Even though you would think 3 blue+ and an actinic would be only blue, these bulbs produce some light in the rest of the spectrum, so when you have a bunch of blue bulbs , all overdriven, there are enough of the other wavelengths to make my yellows and reds look nice too.
I am getting a couple of the superblue bulbs Grim spoke of and will be taking photos before and after the change. To be continued.
hey guys,
how long are you leaving your lights on? I've been doing my blue plus for 12 hours and both the blue plus and aquablues for 7 hours due to hair algae problems. I'm now cutting the blue plus to 10 hours to perhaps solve this algae problem. Nitrates and phosphates are 0, confirmed by 2 test kits. My tek lights are about 3 inches off the water too. The 2 clowns are healthy. 5 frags of sps and 2 frags of zoo's are healthy and growing. Using Ro/di water as well. A tad bit frustrated here. Thanks in advance.
how long are you leaving your lights on? I've been doing my blue plus for 12 hours and both the blue plus and aquablues for 7 hours due to hair algae problems. I'm now cutting the blue plus to 10 hours to perhaps solve this algae problem. Nitrates and phosphates are 0, confirmed by 2 test kits. My tek lights are about 3 inches off the water too. The 2 clowns are healthy. 5 frags of sps and 2 frags of zoo's are healthy and growing. Using Ro/di water as well. A tad bit frustrated here. Thanks in advance.
Obi-dad
Active member
I solved my algae problems not by cutting back light, but by reducing nutrients through keeping chaetomorpha in a fuge. Cutting back light affects the corals too, not just the algae, and doesn't really address the nutrients problem.
I keep 4 bulbs on for 12 hours, and two on for 6 hours.
I keep 4 bulbs on for 12 hours, and two on for 6 hours.
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