Bulb combos

I have a 36 inch 4 bulb t5 fixture. I currently have 2 10k bulks and 2 420 actinic bulbs. I prefer the look of the actinic bulbs and was wondering if the actinic puts out enough usable light to use three actinic bulbs and one 10k bulb. They are the zoomed brand bulbs. http://www.zoomed.com. As always your thoughts and opinion are greatly appreciated.

Matt


Edited by xessive force - January 18 2014 at 7:37pm

Aloha,

The Actinic wavength (420 nm) fluoresces colors. 10K bulbs typically wash out color, basically whitening the color the Actinic was fluorescing.  It's surprising but a blue-pink combination makes colors pop and grows coral really good too.
A friend and I just got ZooMed t5's for our 4 tube fixtures because they are affordable. We like either of these combinations below which really bring out coral color:

Coral Sun (Actinic 420 nm)
Coral Blue (460 nm blue)
Flora Sun (pinkish/purpleish hue)
Ocean Sun or Ultra Sun (white hue)

or this:
Coral Sun
Coral Sun
Coral Blue
Flora Sun

Flora Sun is usually considered a fresh water light tube for color enhancement and plant growth. In a reef aquarium coral respond positively to the blue-pink combination.

Actinic light is on the border of being invisible to human eyes. Though it does not look bright to our eyes, it is actually very intense. Regarding whether Actinic light is usable for coral, it was originally developed something like 40 years ago for another industry. The reef hobby discovered that it is the Actinic and blue wavelengths which reach the coral where they grow. These old pics illustrate the principle very well:

I'd also go with the ATI's... They're just absolutely amazing.

I'd go with either of the combo's for your fixture:

3 x ATI Blue Plus & 1 x ATI Purple Plus

Or...

2 x ATI Blue Plus & 2 x ATI Coral Plus

xessive force wrote: What is the best way to make sure your corals like the light choices you have gone with? To my eyes I like the blue light but want to do what is best for the tank life.

I believe those pics answer the question. Coral naturally grow at the depths where blueish light is the strongest wavelength band to reach them. Most of the light spectrum is stopped/absorbed by the water before it reaches the coral.
The reason we are suggesting a fluorescent tube that emits a small amount of red light is to enhance other non-fluorescing colors, like red, yellow, green, and orange.

Try this color combo. Coral love it. It makes colors "Pop" yet retains that background blue tinge.
Zoo Med       ATI of corresponding value
Coral Sun        True Actinic 03
Coral Blue       Blue Plus
Coral Blue       Blue Plus
Flora Sun        Purple Plus

<Edit> I forgot to acknowledge that, of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Mahalo,
Mark


Edited by Mark Peterson - January 19 2014 at 3:53pm