Help with New Bulbs

[jw1977]

It's time for new T5HO bulbs. I have a 6 bulb fixture. Can someone please tell me exactly what color temps to buy? I like a really blue look for the actinics and no yellow look when the other lights are on. Thanks.

 

[geoj]

 
For the day light go with
T5 Aquablue Plus Powerchrome Bulbs, The D-D Aquablue Plus is regarded as the number one bulb for marine and reef aquariums and is exported all over the world.
A special 60:40 combination of 6000K and 22000K (approx) phosphor blend.
 
 
For Actinic go with
T5 Pure Actinic Powerchrome Bulbs, The D-D Pure Actinic T5 bulbs emit a pure actinic spectrum for maximum fluorescence from your corals.

 

[nuro]

how many switches do you have? i mix up my spectrums per on/off switch...eg. one switch for true actnicts, one switch for high spectrum daylight bulbs, and one for mid spectrum. that way you can mix and match what goes on when... mimicing sunrise/sunset etc.

 

[wangotango]

ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue Special
ATI Blue Plus
KZ Figi Purple
ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
 
That should be on the bluer side and give you really good PAR too.

 

[meowzer]

 
Quote:
Originally Posted by WangoTango http:///forum/thread/379615/help-with-new-bulbs#post_3300201
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue Special
ATI Blue Plus
KZ Figi Purple
ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
 
That should be on the bluer side and give you really good PAR too.
 
 
WangoTango.....have you heard of anyone having issues with reddish algae after switching to figi purple bulbs????
 

 

[gio28]

Quote:
Originally Posted by meowzer http:///forum/thread/379615/help-with-new-bulbs#post_3300203
 
 
 
WangoTango.....have you heard of anyone having issues with reddish algae after switching to figi purple bulbs????
 
me...well...its a possibility....ever since switching to T5 (3 ATI blue+, 1 fiji purple) I have noticed increased algae growth all over the place. just throwing that out there. but yeah WangoTango's bulb combo he recommended would look really good I think.

 

[jaxfishgirl]

purple bulbs are known to increase red aglae? I was thinking about putting one purple and one blue, but not if it's going to increase "red" algae.

 

[meowzer]

Yeah JAX...I have been having an issue with this "red"....first I tought it was cyano....now I know it is not cause I had cyano before
 
the algae grows in the sand, is kinda mixed with a little hair algae, which binds it together, and grows in clumps....I can pick a clump up and remove it

 
I have been doing this every day BUT I think I am making progress...I HOPE

 

[wangotango]

The Figi Purple is a pretty popular bulb, so if that was the cause I would expect to hear more about it.

 

[jaxfishgirl]

hmm, i may skip out on buying the purple bulb until I do more research on it.

 

[spanko]

Go to the first link here.
 
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=T5HO+Information

 

[jw1977]

I only have two swithces. I'm battling a hair algae problem so I don't want anything that could increase a algae problem.

 

[meowzer]

 
Quote:
Originally Posted by WangoTango http:///forum/thread/379615/help-with-new-bulbs#post_3300469
The Figi Purple is a pretty popular bulb, so if that was the cause I would expect to hear more about it.
 
 
LOL...so that would be a NO...you have not heard of this???
 
Someone told me they heard this can happen...and I know you are into lighting pretty good SO I figured you might know
 
WELL I am not taking the lights out anyways...lol....
 

 

[nikesb]

ill take a shot at this fiji purple thing.
the fiji purple bulb has more red wavelengths in it than any other bulbs. Its the missing spectrum for t5s.
the red wavelength is what many algae use to grow. Its like an accelerating drive for them. thats one of the reasons why we change our bulbs out every year, bulbs tend to shift spectrum and eventually help algae grow.