Best T5 Bulbs by Brand

i<3reefs

i<3reefs

Member
I'm currently using
Giesemann Powerchrome Pure Actinic 54W 48 inch x 2
Current USA 48 Inch 54W T5 HO 10K/Daylight x 2
I'm curious if there is a better combo of bulbs for a 4 bulb Tek system. I'm currently running softies, however if possible I would like to have a couple montipora caps at the top of the aquarium.
 
wangotango

wangotango

Active Member
Geisemann are pretty good, but ATI will give you more PAR. Try (2) ATI Aquablue Special and (2) ATI Blue Plus.
-Justin
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Get rid of your Current bulbs. They're garbage. I have current lights, HATE the stock bulbs.
Look into WavePoint's lights. They're REALLY nice. I put in two 420nm actinics and 2 12000K daylights. HUGE difference.
ATI's are nice bulbs too, but twice the price as the WavePoints around here.
 
alvin

alvin

Member
I'm getting my Wave Point T5 Retrofit Kit tomorrow, so I'm excited to see how these look in my 110 gal tank.
It comes with 2 12K bulbs, and 2 of their blue wave 460nm.
 
racingtiger03

racingtiger03

Member
Anyone here heard of a figi purple? It's suppose to be for popping oranges and reds (which is most of my tank). Would it be a bulb to turn on with my daylights or come on with actinics? Reason I ask is here is what I am planning for my setup..
2x ATI Aqua blue plus
2x ATI True actinic
1x figi purple
I don't really like the blue look of the higher K bulbs, but love the output of the ATIs and feel like the figi might be enough to balance it out. I have a lot of red and orange in my tank.. so this is crucial for me. Any input or other recomendations?
 
wangotango

wangotango

Active Member
The KZ Figi Purple and ATI Procolor are pretty similar, and they're also pretty reddish in comparison to what you're running now.
I used to run:
ATI Aquablue Special
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Procolor
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue Special
You could just put the Figi in place of the Procolor and have it run with the other daylight bulbs.
-Justin
 
racingtiger03

racingtiger03

Member
sounds good, and the ati blue plus is their actinic isn't it? Do you have any pictures of your tank with that setup? Also the figi purple or the pro color should work with the daylights and not the actinics right?
 
wangotango

wangotango

Active Member
Originally Posted by racingtiger03
http:///forum/post/3192762
sounds good, and the ati blue plus is their actinic isn't it? Do you have any pictures of your tank with that setup? Also the figi purple or the pro color should work with the daylights and not the actinics right?
ATI also has an actinic bulb, the Blue Plus is just a bulb with a lot of blue spectrum in it. It has really good PAR compared to an actinic with similar color so a lot of people use them rather than actinics.
My avatar is probably the closest thing I have (it's less blue in person).
I would run it with the other daylights, but it's really up to you. Try it on both and see which way you like better.
-Justin
 
racingtiger03

racingtiger03

Member
well I think I've changed my mind to more of the hagen Glo bulbs actually. I ran by the LFS today, and they have them on all their big tanks (as well as the one bulb i already have myself). I will be getting them for a good price, and he recommended keepign the one life-glo I have as my primary, two power-glo's and two marine glo's for the actinic side but like ATI it is a deep blue spectrum bulb peaking in the actinic range. I think those 5 will be sufficient and I will be saving quite a bit :). Thanks for the help tho
 
racingtiger03

racingtiger03

Member
I have yet to try ATI but wanted to report back on the Hagen's. I did get them because the price was right and there was no shipping cost from the LFS. The improvement over the stock current's to the eye was minimal. Only a touch brighter, but since I went from 2 10k to 2 18k bulbs that in itself is shocking that it got brighter! I am running the 2 power-glos 2 marine-glos and 1 life glo. My corals are loving the new light, and after a week some have already started coloring up much better. My digitata has started growing much better (actually a visible amount of growth each few days now!). My duncan seems to have slowed down in its growth a bit as far as head size, but now the it is branching out and that may have something to do with it.
summarized - if you can get ATI for about the same price go for it. since my LFS carries hagen and i got a deal on them I took it and am happy with the results. :)
 
kraylen

kraylen

Member
From someone who knows reef lighting, I just wanted to say there is no way you can compare hagen bulb quality/par to ATI.... its like Daewoo and BMW. Hagen GLO series T5 items are actually THE lowest quality besides ---- that is available.
 
racingtiger03

racingtiger03

Member
that's a pretty stout statement. Nobody had anything negative to say about them 2 weeks ago *shrug*. I can't speak for par ratings at all as I was unable to find any, the spectrum looks good, and my corals have responded really well to them. Next year when it's time to replace I'll try ATI, but for now anything was an improvement over the currents :p The LFS even has the GLO's in all of their large display tanks and they look great as well. I am definitely not saying there isn't better. But I don't think they are one of the worst. Going from a 10000k current to a 18000k glo and seeing an increase in brightness was enough for me to "see the light" on that, because as you and I both know, 18000K should put less light at the sandbed than the 10000K.
 
racingtiger03

racingtiger03

Member
Very understandable from all I've read! I can't wait to try some out next time I have the extra money for bulbs. For now I just HAD to get rid of the stock currents and these were definitely an upgrade for cheap :)
 
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