how important is actinic supplimentation

viet-tin

viet-tin

Active Member
Thnaks for the reply Bang. just wanted to make sure that i dont waste my money on something that isnt really needed
 
attml

attml

Active Member
The only thing that actenics affect are the look of your lighting and the coloration of your corals. Actenics tend to bring out more color in stoney corals and some soft corals but as Bang Guy said you can definitely grow corals without them.
 
nm reef

nm reef

Active Member
I like mine because they allow a dawn to dusk effect...coming on before the MH's and staying on after the MH's shut down. Combined with the MH's they produce a crisp white light...and without the MH's they cast a kewl blueish tint over everything...which provides a whole different perspective on the reef(at least to my eye)...they may not be "needed" but they sure provide some positive effects.:thinking:
 
golfish

golfish

Active Member
I'm with NM on this one. I miss having them, I might even buy a couple NO actinics for the tank since I have all the stuff to run em. I like to have em on when the MH's are off
 
golfish

golfish

Active Member

Originally posted by viet-tin
Thats what i was thinking, using the no lights. Would that really work?
sure it will, now don't get to thinkin its going to make your 10K MH's look better because you wont be able to fit enough of them over the tank to do that:nope:
 
viet-tin

viet-tin

Active Member
i know but to use them for the dawn/dusk effect. Im thinking of getting 13,000k bulbs so itll have that blueish tint.
 
golfish

golfish

Active Member

Originally posted by viet-tin
i know but to use them for the dawn/dusk effect..
Sure you can but dawndusk effect is just like using actinics, its not needed at all.
 
golfish

golfish

Active Member

Originally posted by Magic_Carp
not needed but it gives you a more natural looking tank
Hmm, that's a new one on me:)
 
dburr

dburr

Active Member
I think dawn/dusk is also easier on the fish. The lights don't go on/off all of a sudden and stress them out. It gives them a buffer if you will, not so bright.
 
sammyg

sammyg

Member
But do the actinics contribute to the lighting of the tank? I mean, do the corals use the actinic light, or would be better off replacing my actinic 03 VHOs so I have all 10,000K? That doesn't seem right...
 
dragonboy

dragonboy

Active Member
Actinics makes everything looks much better they help a lot with colors. You don't need them but most people prefer to have them cause the way it makes thing look. And if you have a higher kelvin MH you wouldn't need the actinic's. Most people keep the actinics running all day but set one hour between them before the MH turns on or off.
 
attml

attml

Active Member
i know but to use them for the dawn/dusk effect. Im thinking of getting 13,000k bulbs so itll have that blueish tint.
If you are talking about the AB 13Ks they are actually true 10Ks and fairly white (at least on the standard PFO ballast). My tank has just a slight bluish tint with 220w of VHO super actenics running with 2 -250w 10/13K ABs.
 
bigarn

bigarn

Active Member
My soft corals start to go to "sleep" about 15 minutes after mine go on. I think it helps to put them on a schedule.
Not to mention the tank looks great! :D
 
sammyg

sammyg

Member
I only have VHO - 4 x 95watt over a 45 (36") tank. So am I really only adding 190 watts of usefull light, and the two actinic 03's are just for my own pleasure? If that's the case, wouldn't I want to have all four VHOs be 10,000K? People usually say to have a 1:1 actinic:white ratio of bulbs...
Thanks,
Sam
 
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