[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by Doug

C,mon Steve, thats a pretty broad statement. Guess those of us having good success with them are not doing it correct then.

nope not saying that you can't grow under them at all. Who was it that 5 years ago used to grow acro's under NO bulbs. All I am saying here is that when your using a mixed fixture (MH and PC/VHO/T5 actinic) there is no need to go with a broad spectrum PC/VHO/T5 actinic over true actinic as you will get all the PAR you need from the MH and the add on actinics should be used just for color. now if you don't want a lot of blue get a broader spectrum, if you like the blue and the POP of the coral get the true actinic.

it is the same with my HQI 250's I used them for the corals and my VHO's for color. when I used a marine blue light you could hardly notice it when it was on, the 03 actinics actualy make my white MH look light blue.

here is an example. In my tests on my tank for PAR output. My MH put out 680 Units of PAR, my 96 watt VHO super actinics put out 91 units. you think that 91 units realy did anything? remember light is not added togeather when we are talking about intensity and thoes numbers were ate 14" (6 air 8 water) so on the bottom of the tank the VHO dropped offf to 27 where the MH was still about 480. so the coral benifited from the intensity of the MH's PAR output and the VHO was basicly nothing because of the MH's intensity. now if you are only using VHO/PC/T5 then yes you need to have some broader spectrum lights to get the PAR levels and have the blue tinge.

hope I didn't give you the wrong impression with the last post. if he would have said I am using a "all floressent" fixture I would have agreeded.

I guess one other thing I would look at is cost.. how much do you want to pay for color... and how much more color would the T5's throw out over VHO... so there is other factors as well.

Steve