Looking for suggestions... T5 bulb Combos

[fencer]

Ms M
How do you like the 454 nm?

[Myka]

Originally Posted by fencer

Ms M
How do you like the 454 nm?

That`s one sweet bulb. Easily replaces the ATI BluePlus at a cheaper cost, and better availability. I have been playing around with the look using the Super Actinics and the 454s...back and forth...can`t make up my mind.

[chris88]

The 454 has very low PAR compared to the ati blue plus and the kz superblue with almost an identical spectrum.

Actinic bulbs are not going to give you enough par and the spectrum is to narrow, the new blue bulbs out there will double the par and still fluoress “pop” the corals very well. 6 bulb t5 on a tank deeper then 18 inches, you need to increase the PAR buy choosing better bulbs.

[lorenz0]

Originally Posted by chris88

The 454 has very low PAR compared to the ati blue plus and the kz superblue with almost an identical spectrum.

Actinic bulbs are not going to give you enough par and the spectrum is to narrow, the new blue bulbs out there will double the par and still fluoress “pop” the corals very well. 6 bulb t5 on a tank deeper then 18 inches, you need to increase the PAR buy choosing better bulbs.

oh man you sound exactly like me a year ago. I'm sure myka might remember this but I used to yell and curse how they were a waste of a bulb. I also told her to prove it to me that they have any effect on your corals... oh i was wrong

I am actually running one now (Giesemann pure actinic) and I am getting some cool colors in that tank. Growth is great, can't complain.

[chris88]

Which bulb? the actinic or the 454 is giving you the colors?

Originally Posted by lorenz0

oh man you sound exactly like me a year ago. I'm sure myka might remember this but I used to yell and curse how they were a waste of a bulb. I also told her to prove it to me that they have any effect on your corals... oh i was wrong

I am actually running one now (Giesemann pure actinic) and I am getting some cool colors in that tank. Growth is great, can't complain.

[lorenz0]

Its actually a 421nm pure actinic

never got these colors before. Like my convexa is a nice orange/red and my green birdsnest is a cool teal color.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by chris88

The 454 has very low PAR compared to the ati blue plus and the kz superblue with almost an identical spectrum.

Please state your sources, I am genuinely interested. The PAR comparison I have seen are within 10% of ATI. I'm not familiar with the KZ SuperBlue, although I'm considering trying it out on my nano.

Originally Posted by chris88

Actinic bulbs are not going to give you enough par and the spectrum is to narrow, the new blue bulbs out there will double the par and still fluoress “pop” the corals very well.

The 454 is not an actinic bulb, it is a blueplus bulb like the ATI and the KZ, all of which are actinic and blue together. Read what I said about the UVL Super Actinic regarding PAR and PUR.

Originally Posted by chris88

6 bulb t5 on a tank deeper then 18 inches, you need to increase the PAR buy choosing better bulbs.

The bulbs I suggested were all chosen with PAR (or PUR) in mind. Of course the blue combo I suggested will have about 15% less PAR than the whitest combo I suggested.

In all honesty though, I personally don't think PAR is quite as important as many people think. Water quality, stability, and flow are the most key factors to good coloring on SPS corals imo. You can have really nice SPS under modest lighting provided the water is pristine, the parameters are stable, and the flow is optimum.

[chris88]

Here is one of the tests done on PAR with the following bulbs. I couldn't find the updated list but i will search again when i get hoime for work. I do remeber the UV 454 bulb being below 250 and you can compare that number to the bulbs below. Also look how low the actinic bulbs are.

Aquascience
Special 15K 320*
DUO 15K 334*
22000K Blue 302*

AquaZ
Sun Pro 285
Ocean Pro 323
Blue Pro 266

ATI
Sun Pro 357
Aquablue 336
Blue Plus 311
Actinic 137
(Old Style)
Pro Color 215 vs 300 for a UVL Aquasun in a later test

Current Sun Paq
Daylight 10K 272
Blue 252

D&D/Giesemann
Midday 325
Aquablue 324
Actinic Plus 264
Pure Actinic 157


General Electric
GE Daylight 340
GE3000 319*

Helios
Daylight 309
Super Blue 225

KZ
Coral Light 342
Fiji Purple 330

UVL
Aqua sun 345
Actinic White 293
Super Actinic 210
75/25 "Aquablue" 254 vs 300 for an Aquasun in a later test.

[fencer]

Thanks Chris...that is really good data.

Anybody:
1. Is PAR value additive?
2. Is PAR value more important that LUX
3. If so...what is the optimal amount of PAR required for color and growth of SPS( say in a tank where SPS sit 15in above the light source) ?

[lorenz0]

Originally Posted by Myka

In all honesty though, I personally don't think PAR is quite as important as many people think. Water quality, stability, and flow are the most key factors to good coloring on SPS corals imo. You can have really nice SPS under modest lighting provided the water is pristine, the parameters are stable, and the flow is optimum.

Probably the best statement in this whole thread

I have seen killer tanks running only 4 bulbs but they keep up with their water quality in excellent shape

eg.