T5 s

[manners]

I'm going to buy new bulbs soon and was wondering what combination and brand I should use. I Curently have 3 actinics and 3 10kk, it looks ok and there is good growth on all lps (sps not so much) I want the most growth but also want to enhance the color. Any one have some ideas on what 6 bulb combinations I can use?

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by manners http:///t/392386/t5-s#post_3483746
I'm going to buy new bulbs soon and was wondering what combination and brand I should use. I Curently have 3 actinics and 3 10kk, it looks ok and there is good growth on all lps (sps not so much) I want the most growth but also want to enhance the color. Any one have some ideas on what 6 bulb combinations I can use?
Hi,
Half and half are the norm, if you want more blue, add more actinic, if you want it brighter add more 10K. SPS require the most light...You could go all 10K or 5 10k and 1 actinic and see if the SPS improves. Moving the SPS closer to the top of the tank will also help.

 

[manners]

I'm hopeing the new bulbs will help (they came with the fixture and I no I should have replace them) I'm gonna replace the 10 kks first then the rest in a week or 2. I have them come on 2 at a time , 2 actinics for a 13h period, 1 10kk and 1 actinic for 8h, and 2 10kks for a 5h Period. Should I have any of them on for more/less time?

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by manners http:///t/392386/t5-s#post_3483752
I'm hopeing the new bulbs will help (they came with the fixture and I no I should have replace them) I'm gonna replace the 10 kks first then the rest in a week or 2. I have them come on 2 at a time , 2 actinics for a 13h period, 1 10kk and 1 actinic for 8h, and 2 10kks for a 5h Period. Should I have any of them on for more/less time?
I always had all my lights on at once because the corals need it. SPS need strong lighting like the anemones do. T5s don't give off the heat MHs do and there is no reason to alternate them unless you have an algae problem, in that case only the corals would be affected by the less light, algae can live with very little light.
Some people try and mimic daylight and dusk, it's a personal choice I guess....but if the SPS are not looking so hot, I would run them at once and make sure you keep up on replacements because SPS are ticky.

 

[manners]

They don't alternate the come on one at a time (mid day has all 6 on) I've just been Turing the 10kk down because I'm tired of scraping the glass so much but I'm Gonna turn them on for a couple more hrs , what's the most amount of time you should have all the lights on?

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by manners http:///t/392386/t5-s#post_3483759
They don't alternate the come on one at a time (mid day has all 6 on) I've just been Turing the 10kk down because I'm tired of scraping the glass so much but I'm Gonna turn them on for a couple more hrs , what's the most amount of time you should have all the lights on?
Oh, I thought you said two on at a time...1 blue, 1 white...then turn those off and light another two...so I misunderstood. If your SPS are not happy it's a judgement call...if they are not happy because you didn't keep up on maintaining the bulbs, that's a different thing. If it isn't broke, don't fix it...if it isn't working out as desired, then tweak it and see what happens. There are no hard rules, we must adjust with how our little bit of the ocean is behaving under our care.
So if your SPS starts looking burned from too much light...reduce the light time, if they look like they are light starved...increase the light time. If they were happy until the bulbs got old...replace the bulbs and continue as before.