orthokardia
New member
How many T5 HO should I use on a 55 gal tank for SPS? What mix of bulbs is best?
T5 recommendation
- Thread starter orthokardia
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Pickupman66
New member
Bart, on muy 75, u used 4 vho bulbs. Totaled 440 watts. I would say, 6 to 8 bulbs. Btw, will have an icecap 660 and vho endcaps for sale here very soon. Even have 46" bulbs
Sooo, False Ideals has a 55 gallon for sale, sells it and then Bart starts looking for bulb recommendations for a 55 gallon tank. Coincidence? I think not.
Jason's recommendations are good. The only thing I would add is if you are cramped for space the true actinic bulbs are quite faint and I could not tell the added anything to my color. Having said that, I've got a 48' true actinic bulb if you want to try it.
Jason's recommendations are good. The only thing I would add is if you are cramped for space the true actinic bulbs are quite faint and I could not tell the added anything to my color. Having said that, I've got a 48' true actinic bulb if you want to try it.
poolkeeper1
New member
True Actinic
True Actinic
+1 On the Actinic being a less than effective choice of a bulb. I think they are pretty useless JMO
Bill
True Actinic
+1 On the Actinic being a less than effective choice of a bulb. I think they are pretty useless JMO
Bill
orthokardia
New member
that luckyfish is a quick one. i got the reef ready 55 for a frag tank. BTW: I need 48" reflectors. I will use egg create on a PVC frame with a bare bottom. The tank is 21" tall. I was going to make the frame about about 10" tall. this would put the frags about 14" from the light. I am planning on doing a retrofit using icecap 660. the 660 is suppost to get VHO output from the bulbs, but will only support 4-4'. I have a universal ballast I cout use for the other two if needed. more questions.
1. would 4 80w bulbs be enough at 14" and if not should I make the stand taller or go with 6 bulbs
2. when you say the actinics are more faint of less effective do you mean the put out less light usable by corals or is the human eye less sensative to that part of the spectrum causing them to appear more faint? the goal is frag growth and "true" frag color. It does does not matter to me as much how the frags appear to be colored in this tank.
thank you all for the help thus far and I will keep you up to date on progress.
THX,
-bart
1. would 4 80w bulbs be enough at 14" and if not should I make the stand taller or go with 6 bulbs
2. when you say the actinics are more faint of less effective do you mean the put out less light usable by corals or is the human eye less sensative to that part of the spectrum causing them to appear more faint? the goal is frag growth and "true" frag color. It does does not matter to me as much how the frags appear to be colored in this tank.
thank you all for the help thus far and I will keep you up to date on progress.
THX,
-bart
Jason S
New member
The true actinic is not going to be as bright to our eye as a blue plus, but what we can see is not always what matters. True actinic spectrum penetrates deeper in the water column.
I have seen the best visible color using all blue plus for actinics, but the best growth/ color combo using a mix of the two.
I have seen the best visible color using all blue plus for actinics, but the best growth/ color combo using a mix of the two.
poolkeeper1
New member
If you want growth run all 10K bulbs, The Corals will look blah but they will get better growth under 10K than any other bulb.
Bill
Bill
Jason S
New member
Agreed.
orthokardia
New member
lowes has 6500 K T5s for <$3/bulb. are they better than 10k's? whan you say look blah do you mean the coloring of the coral itself or just how it looks under the lower temp lighting? If I pull a frag from the 10k tank and put it in the display under a radium will it look the same as the parent or do they actually loose color?
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