Best Bulb Combo?
 

So I have a 4 bulb HOT5 Fixture running with 2 Actinic's and 2 12k daylights

What would be the best bulb combo for a mixed reef tank?
What Brand of bulbs would you use and why?


I have been looking at changing the brand to maybe Giesemann because I heard they have some really nice actinic's

When I had a 4 bulb, I ran 2 blues (22K) 1 KZ Fiji Purple and 1 Dua White (17K). It was very nice and colors popped.

Here;s a pic- with a crappy camera- under those lights of the old tank :

http://www.mattdean.com/build/46galtank.jpg

I should mention, everything grew like weeds under those lights as well.

do the purple and blues promote growth at all or just help make colours "pop"

The different spectrums contribute, however, the white is more for growth than anything. If I could, I would run just blues and purple.

If you get a Blue PLUS, I believe that has more growth properties as the "plus", in my understanding, is an added "white".

yah im looking at some ATI specials and blue plus now

I am running ati blue plus for atinics and they are awesome!!! alot more blue than the giessman

the plus is not added white in the ati blue plus, it just means it has a wider blue spectrum then an actinic. corals use blue, red, blue green, orange, to photosynthesize with, they do not use green light. Yes you will get good growth from blue bulbs just like you will get good great from a 20,000k mh bulb which is all blue. But i would run a wider spectrum such as the folowing.

Ati blue plus or kz superblue
kz fiji purple
kz new gen or ati aqua blue
Ati blue plus or kz superblue

this will give you good growth and a nice color.

On my six bulb Tek I was using

Actinic
KZ Fiji Purple
KZ New Generation
KZ New Generation
KZ Fiji Purple
Actinic

I just changed out a couple weeks back and I am now running

Actinic
Giesemann AquaBlue+
Giesemann AquaPink
Giesemann AquaBlue+
Giesemann AquaBlue+
Actinic


I liked the colour the KZ bulbs gave a lot better but the Giesemann are very much brighter to my eye.

this combo work well on a 2 bulb fixture?

ATI Aquablue Special 12,000K
ATI Blue Plus

i want to try the ATI bulbs before I go hog wild and change out all the bulbs in my 4 bulb setup.

you bet. a bunch of people just run a 50/50 split of those two bulbs and have outstanding results.

well thats good because I have one of each on order to try in my 2 bulb fixture and I like it I will change out all my bulbs to those