t5 54w which ones are good

[Myka]

Originally Posted by donkey77

i like the blues mix reef
my tank is a shallow reef, 5 feet by 3 feet 12'' high

i was thinking like 4 fiji purples and something else

Wow, that's shallow...and wide! Do you have two fixtures to cover that width? What type of corals? I ask because bulbs are not created equal, some are much more powerful than others and you could cook corals with bulbs that are too powerful for the type of coral. Since you only have 12" depth, this is a real factor for you. If you have LPS or softies in this tank you're going to want to use much less powerful bulbs, and if you have SPS you could use the more powerful ones.

Fiji Purples have A LOT of red spectrum in them. Your tank will look more red than purple if you do this. Algae loves red spectrum too, so that could become a problem for you. I've found that many tanks can't handle Fiji Purple bulbs because of the red spectrum and the tendency to grow algae. If you aren't overly experienced at reef keeping then the threat of algae is more of a concern.

Originally Posted by gregzz4

IMHO, ATI and KZ are the best bulbs

Agreed! ATI are my favourite, but they are often hard to find. KZ is my second choice.