T5 advice needed

[treesprite]

I hate asking when there are so many threads on the internet about bulb combos, but most aren't geared toward

 having an 8 bulb fixture over a an 18" wide 75g tank. I have never used an 8 bulb fixture until recently, and am currently using a conglomerate of bulbs from other fixtures I had. 

 

I need to know what combination of new bulbs to get, with consideration to the facts that:

- the tank is 18" wide - fixture covers the entire surface

- the fixture is about 2/3 of a cubit above top of the tank (~11.5")

- I want to go somewhat heavy on the blue, though not extreme

- the middle 4 bulbs are on one switch and the outer 4 (2 on each side) are on the other

 

I keep having to decrease the length of day because the current group of bulbs is simply too much light for a tank this size.  I am hoping the right bulb combo will allow me to run on a more normal schedule. 

 

I don't always know which color names go with which brands, so please specify.

 

Thanks.

 

 

[Stephen]

BRS recommends the photo layout. I'm using something similar with only one actinic and one coral plus but will be switching to this set up when it's time for new bulbs. 

[wildcrazyjoker81]

Been running an 8 bulb for years and there is no best layout I can tell you that. A lot has to come down to what you want it to look like. Obviously Blue+ is probably the best T5 bulb ever made so it is heavily used. So you are probably going to run 4-6 of them. Now you said you like it more blue so I am going to lean on you running 5-6 of them.

 

I would then ask what do you want the daylight hours to look like? Coral+ is a fairly white bulb (think of this as a 50% Blue and White bulb), Purple+ is the next least white bulb (think of this as a 70% Blue and the rest white), and lastly the Aquablue Special which basically has very little blue in it at all to the eye. That all said I typically run one Coral+ or 1 Purple+ in mine.

 

Lastly is UV which has two purposes in my book. First off coral fluorescence and secondly is the bulb has far less PAR so it helps to bring down the PAR numbers slightly. That said the UV bulb has the shortest lifespan so it definitely needs changing every 10-12 months. I typically run 2 of these.

 

Also worth noting do not change all your bulbs at once when it comes time. Do them in pairs over a 3-4 days each. New bulbs have a lot more PAR than old ones.

 

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[treesprite]

Does anyone use a brand other than the ATI line? 

 

Wildcrazyjoker81,  I know there is a brand called UV, but it sounds like your saying there is a specific bulb called UV. What brand is it?

 

 

 

[epleeds]

I used to use KZ bulbs and loved them. Either those or ATI and u can’t go wrong. 

[lowlizard]

you dont have to run 8 bulbs. try 6 for now so you can bring your tank back to it's normal schedule. I'm sure some 1 has used bulbs that their willing to give

[wildcrazyjoker81]

Does anyone use a brand other than the ATI line? 
 
Wildcrazyjoker81,  I know there is a brand called UV, but it sounds like your saying there is a specific bulb called UV. What brand is it?
 
 
 

I use the Giesemann bulbs and ATI. KZ I hear makes good bulbs, but never used them. Each company has a different name for their bulbs so you have to look at the spectrum to make sure it's what you want. Case in point ATI Blue+ is the same as Giesemann Actinic. And then ATI True Actinic and Giesemann Super Actinic are both the UV spectrum bulbs.

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