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superman1981 
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 Topic: T5 Bulb Combination?
Posted: June 30 2015 at 11:43pm |
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I'm planning on picking up a 40 gal breeder on Petco's $1 per gal sale because I already have a 36" 4 bulb T5 fixture to go with it. The question is, which 4 bulbs should I use for the best color and growth? In the past I always ran it with two 10k and two actinic. What other combinations should I consider and why?
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kody72
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Posted: July 01 2015 at 9:48am |
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ATI bulbs listed
Front-Blue+
Purple+
True atinic
Back- Blue+
If you want more white look just swap out the true atinic
Edited by kody72 - July 01 2015 at 1:39pm
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Adam Blundell
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Posted: July 01 2015 at 12:27pm |
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Whatever is on sale. Or, two blue, two white.
Adam
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Krazie4Acans
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Posted: July 01 2015 at 12:36pm |
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What are you planning to grow in your tank? Is it's softies and zoa/Paly then just about any combination will work. If you're going for LPS/SPS then you are going to need to make sure there is at least one bulb in a white (ish) spectrum (Purple+, etc). If your going for High color then Blues are going to be important. If your looking for growth then the whites are going to be the key. It all depends on what your trying to do. Kody has a good combo to start with. I personally don't like the Actinic and would put another blue+ in there but it's all about preference.
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superman1981
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Posted: July 01 2015 at 3:37pm |
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I'm planning on keeping whatever I can find for cheap :) But it will probably contain a mixture of softies, LPS, & SPS.
I also have a couple of 70w MH's I could add in, but am hoping to get enough light from the T5's because I really don't want to deal with the heat from the MH's... but they're always an option.
Hopefully Mark will see this and jump in. If I remember correctly, he's an advocate of the pink freshwater bulbs instead of 10k bulbs. Are these the same as purple+, or are they different bulbs?
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: July 01 2015 at 8:16pm |
Interesting that this would come up.  In the Coral Farm I currently have two 40 gal breeders each lighted with individual 36" 4 tube t-5 fixtures sitting end to end, which makes for an easy comparison. Coincidentally, one is like Kody72 suggested and the other is like Krazie4Acans wrote with a white tube. The difference between the two is quite striking. Even just the one one white tube seems to wash out the "pop". My suggestion is, for great growth, place the tank near a window for some amazingly powerful sunlight, then after sundown enjoy the beautiful colors created by three varieties of blue and one purple or pink tube. In my opinion and others that see it, this combo make colors "pop", especially the blues, greens, purples, reds and yellows. It looks as good as the most expensive LED fixture could do.
For Adams benefit, I've got to say that the Blundell Buttons growing next to some Pink Birdsnest under this light, takes my breath away. Let me know, by phone/text, if you want to see it in person. It's located in south SLC.
Aloha, Mark  808-345-1049
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