What kind of lights do I need to get my corals to glow?

[Jrod4]

I was at a frag swap this past weekend and all the people there had these amazing looking corals, they were all glowing and looked really nice, specifically a frogspawn I bought that looked blue and yellow under their light.

Under my light it is brownish green and red. My light fixture is an older corallife T5 HO, 30inches long with 4 bulbs in it. 2 blue bulbs and 2 white bulbs(dont know the exact names or brands of each but they are older, sat around in the garage for several years).

My question is what kind of light do I need to get this glowing look? I dont know how else to describe it but the colors look amazing. Can I only do this with LEDs? Can I buy T5 bulbs to achieve this? My corals that I bought this past weekend all look healthy and great, but they dont look as cool as they did under the lights at the frag swap.

 

[jdezek]

You can use T5's just need the right bulbs. Your probably due for replacement on your bulbs. They say every 6 months to a year for the bulbs.

 

[Jrod4]

You can use T5's just need the right bulbs. Your probably due for replacement on your bulbs. They say every 6 months to a year for the bulbs.

You're probably right.

Which bulbs do I need to get for this look? Is there a specific brand or type? I dont think my 30 inch fixture is a popular size either...

 

[jdezek]

Look up ati bulbs. Hear good things about them. You want to try for a full spectrum of different colors.

 

[ganjero]

People use blue LEDs in the frag swaps to increase sales and prices, they look "cool" as you said.

You can use actinic T5 bulbs to achieve this but Royal Blue and Violet LEDs are extremely good at making corals glow

 

[PEPECUN]

Go for the T5´s ATI bulbs.... I recomend you (2)Royal Blue, (1) Aquablue Special and (1) Coral Plus, or (2) Royal Blue, (1) Blue Plus and (1) Coral Plus, but may be its too much blue.....You´ll love them !!

Regards from Cancun, Mexico

 

[Daddie05]

Go for the T5´s ATI bulbs.... I recomend you (2)Royal Blue, (1) Aquablue Special and (1) Coral Plus, or (2) Royal Blue, (1) Blue Plus and (1) Coral Plus, but may be its too much blue.....You´ll love them !!

Regards from Cancun, Mexico

I bought 4 coralife (2 actinic 2 White light 10k) before I found out that they weren't that good. I just ordered 4 ATI (2 coral plus 1 purple plus and 1 blue plus). Hopefully these 8 t5 will give me great lighting.

 

[that Fish Guy]

Go for the T5´s ATI bulbs.... I recomend you (2)Royal Blue, (1) Aquablue Special and (1) Coral Plus, or (2) Royal Blue, (1) Blue Plus and (1) Coral Plus, but may be its too much blue.....You´ll love them !!

Regards from Cancun, Mexico

Problem is his Fixture uses 30 Inch Bulbs so unfortunatly he is stuck with Coralife Bulbs.

I had the same thing happen to me on my 29 Gallon.

Not only are the Lights less powerful than the ATI but the color looks horrible.

I just set up a 20 Long so I could save money on Lights since I already had the 30 Inch Fixture.

Color was nasty and it grew a ton of Algae.

I got a Kessil A150 20K Actinic Deep Ocean Blue and now I have no Algae at all and my Tank "Glows"

It looks like a Frag Swap and is my Favorite Color which I named "Frag Swap Blue"

Get the Kessil LED and Your Corals will Pop like no other.

All Blue T5 has nothing on all Blue LED.