T-5 bulb combinations... how to get color...

[treesprite]

Ok, so I'm very disappointed that the acro frag I got from Mr. Coral is not showing the interesting blue color in my tank (I think his halide bulbs are 20k, but not sure) that it had in the shop. It shows an amazing pinkish purplish color under my living room lamp, which is possibly even nicer than the blue. But in my tank, it's just like white with purple tint - I need it to either be the color it was at Mr. Coral, or the color it is under my living room lamp.

 

What T-5 bulbs will make this coral more of a real color? Right now I have 1x 10k 2x 12k 1x 420nm actinic 2x Marine Glo actinic which I believe are 460nm (they were 1/2 price, otherwise...). The light from my living room lamp that makes the coral such a great color, is 1x 65k PC and 3x 40w of those bright bulbs that have a blue tint (I think they are Spectrum, but not sure).

[Big Country]

Best resource I found was a guy called grim reefer on reefcentral, has a monster thread about T-5's in the lighting section. Just log onto there and tell him how many bulbs are in your fixture and what color temp you are looking to replicate and he'll usually get back to you quickly with a bulb combo to try.

[Origami]

Grim's a great resource, for sure.

 

Forrest, you have a lot of blue already. Perhaps you need some red to bring out the pink you're seeing under your LR lights. You might try a Korallen Zucht Fiji Purple.

 

But if you're on RC, definitely look up Grim's T5 Lighting Thread.

[FearTheTerps]

+1 on the Fji Purple, good for bringing out reds

[surf&turf]

I would go with 3 ATI blue +,

2 Blue Special, and 1 fuji purple.

Edited August 31, 2011 by surf&turf

[treesprite]

Thank you for the suggestions. I'll look up the thread (is it really buried?) after I finish my WAMAS board rounds.

[gtipower]

What length are your t5 lights? Also what brand fixture with it? The combo that GrimReaper has been recommending lately for 6 bulb combinations are:

(They are all ATI brand) Blue Plus x4, Aquablue Special (12k bulb) x1, and Purple Plus x1. I run mine like this currently and love the look. It's like a 15k spectrum type look. Some people will use a GE6500k instead of the Aquablue special to get more growth. But the look will be whiter.

[treesprite]

I have 4x 36" bulbs and 3x 48" bulbs (mish mash lighting, but it works). I keep feeling like my tank doesn't have enough blue, because when I look at my window from the parking lot, the blue isn't deep. However, the tank isn't directly in from facing a window, so I guess the lamps are interfering with the mysterious blue glow look. LOL.

[Sugar Magnolia]

Here you go Forrest - http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1706461&page=452

[Origami]

GrimReaper has been recommending lately for 6 bulb combinations are:

(They are all ATI brand) Blue Plus x4, Aquablue Special (12k bulb) x1, and Purple Plus x1. I run mine like this currently and love the look. It's like a 15k spectrum type look. Some people will use a GE6500k instead of the Aquablue special to get more growth. But the look will be whiter.

 

Hmmm. Purple Plus? Until you mentioned it, I hadn't heard of it. But, then again, I'm only running T5's over my frag tank these days. From what I've just read, it's a new lamp made by ATI, filing in the gap left by their discontinuing their Pro Color lamp (which never lasted long before fading). How long have you been running this new lamp?

[trockafella]

You need a light like this... Best of both worlds.. http://www.finnex.net/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&category_id=4&product_id=126&Itemid=61&vmcchk=1&Itemid=61

I use giessemann bulbs, but it translates to the ATI version (more people know ATI bulbs) 2 Blue+, 1 Aquablue special, 1 Purple Plus. I am very pleased with my colors, the corals look good, grow good, the tank has a nice blue color, but not too blue, and the LEDs give it that extra "pop"..

[treesprite]

Not going to get new lighting when all I have to do is put the right bulbs in.

 

Thanks, Ardrienne, for the link I'm going over to read the thread.....

[treesprite]

Hahaha. I've been thinking about lights so much, that when I was telling someone what bus to take, instead of saying Ride On #5, I said take the T-5.

[Origami]

Hahaha. I've been thinking about lights so much, that when I was telling someone what bus to take, instead of saying Ride On #5, I said take the T-5.

Very Freudian.... LOL.

[FormulatedFire]

For my 6 bulb setup I went with the setup below. It really makes all the colors pop especially blues and greens.

 

ATI Blue +

ATI Purple +

ATI Blue +

ATI Blue +

ATI Purple +

ATI Blue +

 

When I bought the bulbs I also picked up an ATI Aquablue Special for more 10K to the tank, but to me the setup above really makes all the colors glow.

[treesprite]

FYI, am looking for a fixture now due to unexpected funding for it. Posted WTB.

[FormulatedFire]

FYI, am looking for a fixture now due to unexpected funding for it. Posted WTB.

 

If you are looking for new setup and plan to go the T5 route a good place to get a fixture is bulkreefsupply.com. If you get a Tek fixture from them you get 25% off the bulbs to go with it. They carry both ATI and Geissman bulbs, and you'll get free shipping too.

[treesprite]

Well, I bought a fixture from Travis yesterday - very nice fixture, I am very happy with it.

 

The down side is, that the coral I was talking about still is not showing the color.

But the amazing side is, that with the good actinics, the green polyps on my mutant IG monti are POPPIN! It looks absolutely nothing like an IG monti under this light!

 

Thank you Travis, for being willing to sell this light fixture to me.