Quote:
Originally Posted by sphelps
You don't need a huge bulb selection to get colorful SPS. The main intensity could be produced from GE 6500K bulbs and supplemented with something else. Some colors would look better than others but that's typical no matter which way you go with the color spectrum. You don't need to spend a fortune to get good color but you have to admit that the cheapest light source won't produce the best coral color. 6 NO bulbs would cost you less than $20, 6 T5s would cost over $100.
I've heard of people keeping SPS under such lighting and it sounds completely reasonable. I've kept SPS under T5 without individual reflectors before so I don't think they would be an absolute necessity, a simple reflective housing could be sufficient.
You'll have a hard time finding pictures of any SPS tanks using "cheap" lighting, the fact is the lights aren't that expensive compared to everything else so most don't skimp the point they have the cheapest possible light.
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i believe you just contradicted yourself in the first few sentences. you said that you dont need a huge selection for great color on bulbs but yet you later go on to say that the cheapest lights dont give the best colors...so does that equal to bad colors since your using cheap NO florescent? or do you mean for $20 you can get decent colors.
this hobby is constantly developing, lighting is one area that seems to get alot of focus on it. There is a reason why most SW reefers are using MH and T5s instead of T8/T12s they just arent very efficient, for actinic VHO is the best ive seen but for lighting a full blown SPS tank it just doesn't cut it and im sure you agree. you could argue that GE 6500k + supps could be good but would you yourself go that route with SPS the investment into lighting like that would just become a disaster in the end when the SPS turn brown.
comparing T5HO without reflector to T8/T12 NO ODed is just not a very good comparison. T5HO produces much more use-able light than the same length T8/T12.
this is by no means saying the information you provided is wrong, its just not very practical in use for SPS these days. MH and T5s are more effecient at the task then the T8/T12s