t5ho or pc's for supplementation

[fishnfst]

Trying to decide how to light my new 50G... I have a 250w se mh with a 10k xm on a lumenarc mini and icecap 250w e ballast... It is a little yellowish so I wanted to add some sort of actinic supplementation.. I have a bunch of different retros lying around here and can't decide which way to go..

On hand I have a 2x55w ahsupply bright kit, 2x96w ahsupply bright kit and a 2x80 t5ho sunlight supply reflector and workhorse ballast..I was thinking about cutting down my 2 5 footreflectors to make 2 36" ones
The tank is a standard 50.. Any and all info would be much appreciated..

 

[Sparkss]

Still a little yellow, huh ?

I read that most recommend VHO for actinic supplementation. The URI actinic bulbs were rated very high... not to mention they don't require a reflector, and VHO bulbs are thich enough to basically support themselves (unlike T5s that are much better off with supports).

But if I had to choose between PC and T5, I would definitely go with T5s

 

[Vincerama2]

With 250W MH....would you even see the actinics of a fluorescent tube?

V

 

[tuberider]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9824738#post9824738 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Vincerama2
With 250W MH....would you even see the actinics of a fluorescent tube?

V

I do with my setup, 10k Ushio w/ T5 actinic, it's not powerful, but definitely cuts down on the yellow.

 

[fishnfst]

I probably wouldn't have noticed it Tom but I fired it up next to an xm14k that looks really white.. By itself it still looks quite white but next to the 14k there is quite a bit of contrast... Just figured I had the t5ho's and the pc's so I would try it to see if it improved the "look"at al..

Good question about whether or not you'll be able to see the actinics.. I don't know. Hopefully someone else will chime in with some info..