The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
Which was the right call.
The T5 Q&a Thread
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TropTrea
New member
If your comparing meter reading when using the Atinics you are extremly correct Grim Reaper. Most PAR meeters do not measure the light in 420 nm range, and if they do it is extremly low. However Chlorophyll has primarly need for light at 417 nm and Chlorophyll b primarly requires light at 437 nm. The pure Atinic bulbs do produce the most light at these specific frequencies.
Now the other issue is these are not the only frequencies Chlorophyll require which is why additional lighting is required. Other chemicals require different wave lenght light up to 485 nm still primarly in the blue range for the human eye. But there is also a band of Frequencies in the 625nm to 655nm range that are required and these are in the RED Range.
But this leaves a big gap of frequencies between 490 nm and 620 nm that are measured to increase the PAR but have very little benifit to corals. On the other end of the spectrum if you had two light bulbs producing light at the 415nm to 490nm range and the 620 nm to 660 nm range you would have a tank that would only show blues and reds with some purples. Basicly the yellows and greens would be washed out.
I do agree that the use of a PAR meeter is today one of the most econmicialy way to eveluate light bulbs in a given system. However if doing a spectrum anylisis were feasable it would give us much better data on what is ideal as well as give us a better to please an individuals eye.
Because of the difference between individuals taste in lighting I realy try to visualize it in to specific areas. First the science of getting the right Wave lenghts to get the coral to gow and clor up to its max. And the ART of filling in the missing frequencies to mak it appealing to an individuals eye. This Art is realy the big variable as what one individual may love another may not.
Now the other issue is these are not the only frequencies Chlorophyll require which is why additional lighting is required. Other chemicals require different wave lenght light up to 485 nm still primarly in the blue range for the human eye. But there is also a band of Frequencies in the 625nm to 655nm range that are required and these are in the RED Range.
But this leaves a big gap of frequencies between 490 nm and 620 nm that are measured to increase the PAR but have very little benifit to corals. On the other end of the spectrum if you had two light bulbs producing light at the 415nm to 490nm range and the 620 nm to 660 nm range you would have a tank that would only show blues and reds with some purples. Basicly the yellows and greens would be washed out.
I do agree that the use of a PAR meeter is today one of the most econmicialy way to eveluate light bulbs in a given system. However if doing a spectrum anylisis were feasable it would give us much better data on what is ideal as well as give us a better to please an individuals eye.
Because of the difference between individuals taste in lighting I realy try to visualize it in to specific areas. First the science of getting the right Wave lenghts to get the coral to gow and clor up to its max. And the ART of filling in the missing frequencies to mak it appealing to an individuals eye. This Art is realy the big variable as what one individual may love another may not.
jermahin
New member
Hey Grim,
Been sorting through this thread over the past couple weeks. Somewhere in the there I was motivated to replace my middle of the road lamps with new ATI's. I have 2-36" 4x39w fixtures over my 6' LPS and Softies tank. I recently purchased: 2 - Blue plus, 1 Purple Plus and 1-Aqua Blue Special for each. The appearance is a little too blue and washed out for my liking. My question is. Would replacing the Aquablue with a GE 6500 give more of a crisp, natural appearance? Or do you have any other suggestions working closely with the lamps I have?
Thanks, I've been enjoying the thread. You are definitely dedicated.
Been sorting through this thread over the past couple weeks. Somewhere in the there I was motivated to replace my middle of the road lamps with new ATI's. I have 2-36" 4x39w fixtures over my 6' LPS and Softies tank. I recently purchased: 2 - Blue plus, 1 Purple Plus and 1-Aqua Blue Special for each. The appearance is a little too blue and washed out for my liking. My question is. Would replacing the Aquablue with a GE 6500 give more of a crisp, natural appearance? Or do you have any other suggestions working closely with the lamps I have?
Thanks, I've been enjoying the thread. You are definitely dedicated.
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
Difference is actinic lamps don't offer much in the higher blue spectrum while the Blue Plus have output from blue/green all the way down into the UV range, Set a pair of transition lens glasses near a blue plus lamp sometime.
I like to give corals all the spectrum of light but they will grow just ducky swell with blue and green. Best growth I ever got was on a system was my first. I started with 2 Actinic Plus, 2 Pure Actinic and 2 Aquablues. I added a GE in place of an Aquablue and liked the colors better but thought it was to white. I ordered more actinic plus lamps and swapped out the pure actinics for them. I ended up breaking the GE so I had 4 actinic plus and 2 aquablues in the system and within a few weeks the growth had exploded. Pretty obvious the actinics weren't adding anything the Actinic Plus weren't. I ran that combo for a few months until ATI came back out with the Blue Plus and it made sense to order in the lamps, those five footers were pricey to ship
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
GE might go too far the other direction but it's all a matter of personal taste. A KZ Koral Light (NOT new gen) might be a safer choice.
rtparty
Raise The Reef!
I don't think there are any spec T5 ballasts that run only one bulb. I might be wrong but I have never seen on. You would have to use Workhorse ballasts.
rtparty
Raise The Reef!
My opinion is if you already have them, run them. I wouldn't buy them though. They aren't proper T5 ballasts and they under perform.
rtparty
Raise The Reef!
Again, there are NO spec T5 ballasts that just run one bulb, at least from what I have seen. If there was, Reefgeek would probably carry it.
If you want to run just one bulb, you have to use a non-spec T5 ballast like Workhorse.
jermahin
New member
Grim,
Would the UVL Aquasun be comparable to the KZ Coral light? Found a good deal on these that would save me some cash compared to the KZ's (considering I'm already in over $150 on the other lamps purchased)
Thanks again
TropTrea
New member
Difference is actinic lamps don't offer much in the higher blue spectrum while the Blue Plus have output from blue/green all the way down into the UV range, Set a pair of transition lens glasses near a blue plus lamp sometime.
I like to give corals all the spectrum of light but they will grow just ducky swell with blue and green. Best growth I ever got was on a system was my first. I started with 2 Actinic Plus, 2 Pure Actinic and 2 Aquablues. I added a GE in place of an Aquablue and liked the colors better but thought it was to white. I ordered more actinic plus lamps and swapped out the pure actinics for them. I ended up breaking the GE so I had 4 actinic plus and 2 aquablues in the system and within a few weeks the growth had exploded. Pretty obvious the actinics weren't adding anything the Actinic Plus weren't. I ran that combo for a few months until ATI came back out with the Blue Plus and it made sense to order in the lamps, those five footers were pricey to ship
Grim If your refering to the Giesman Atinic plus its plot from the manufacturer shows very little light in the 417 nm area but a considerable amount of light in peaking at 450 nm. It make me wonder if this is the same bulb that years ago was marketed as a 450nm Atinic? Yes this bulb will give better results than a pure 420 nm atininc bulb in the longer frequency blue range required by corals however in my mind it is lacking a bit in the 417 nm range. A combination of these bulbs with pure Atiinics would probably create a good balance.
Now ATI's bulb seems to have a very simular manufacturers plot to the Geisman Atinic Plus. Makes me wonder if this is the same bulb with the esception of the stamp on it. I am a found believer and user if this ATI blue plus bulb especialy in combination with ATI's True Atinic especialy in the dawn to dusk circuit. What the combination of these bulbs should be though is deabatable considering you have individuals with 2, 3, 4, and even 5 bulbs on there dawn to dusk circuit. Also different indicidual taste in the color varies some like like an almost pure atinic look while other like a whiter look even in this time period. Mu feeling is a minimium of one each of these bulbs should be used in the dawn to dusk period. If more than one Atinic is used in this period than the total of all bulbs on should have at least as many blue plus bulbs.
Now you get to the part of filling in the reds which the corals need as the next priority. There are many options here including ATI's purple plus, and aquablue special not to mention my east favorate GE's 6,500K. The combination here I think is trying to get enough red to keep the corals happy while still at the same time matching the eye preference of the individual.
The real had fact is I have so many tank where different people will look at them and give completly oposite comments. Johnny says it is too blue, Jack says it is not blue enough, and Herman thinks it is too red or yellow.
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
Nooo. Different animal, its pepto pink instead of blue/white
A Current 10K would work.
kripas
Member
Hello Grim and rtparty.Question Im currently using 3x 250 watts 14k phoenix hallide and 3 ati aquablue plus and 1 ati purple plus 80watts T5 combo.I have pink, red,orange and some green corals. I want to pop the color of my corals. Can I replace one of aquablue plus to Ge 3k or 6500k ? Or whats other option there.So the settings right now is:
Front to back
Aqua blue plus
Purple plus
Aqua blue plus
Aqua blue plus
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Front to back
Aqua blue plus
Purple plus
Aqua blue plus
Aqua blue plus
Sent from my iPhone using My fingers
rtparty
Raise The Reef!
Are you using the Blue Plus or the Aquablue Special? They are two VERY different bulbs.
If it were me I would throw an actinic in there for dusk/dawn stuff. You have all the light you need from the halides so the T5s are just a bonus.
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
Those graphs they market the T5 lamps with are about as accurate as a stick figure drawing of a man according to a couple people who have put them under a Spectrometer. I have a visual spectrometer that acts somewhat like a prism and I would agree with their assessment. You do understand the reason the lamps are named Blue PLUS is because they have blue PLUS actinic Phosphors, right? ATI first brought out the lamp and depending on who you talk to had some issues and stopped buying the lamps from the manufacture who's name escapes me right now. Giesemann stepped in and picked up the line of lamps but had to rename them, thus Actinic Plus. When ATI resumed selling lamps they had them made by Sylvania. If you look at the lamps lit up you'll notice one end of the Giesemann wont illuminate as close to the end on one side because they use a "Cold Shoe" where the ATI doesn't. At least last I checked that was still the situation.
As far as red goes the corals don't HAVE to have it. Depending on the coral they might do better having red and the colors usually look better but remember water filters out red spectrum first so anything deeper than about 15 feet (if memory serves) won't see any red light
kripas
Member
Im using Aqua blue plus, i think its just too blue.
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