best T5 bulbs for a360x hybrid

[kaceyo]

I just got a new tank and an Aquatic Life 48" hybrid to go with it. I already have 2 a360x's and need to buy some T5 bulbs to compliment them. First, does the make/model of led's you have play a part in the decision or is it all about which bulbs you think are the best?
Also, which are you guys using to start the daily cycle with? I would think start the day with the led's as they will ramp up better than T5's.
Any ideas/advise or hybrid lighting schedules are welcome.
Thanks,

Kacey

 

[Biglew11]

I have the same fixture and LEDs. I found this helpful when choosing my most current bulbs, its it's only been about a week and ramping things up slowly so cant say I like them or not yet,
https://www.atinorthamerica.com/blog/combos-4-bulb-fixtures/
I like the whiter look so chose 2 blueplus. 1 blue special. 1 actinic

I'm using the kessils to ramp up in morning about 2 hours using t5 about 4 hours for high noon the then ramping the down 2 hours. Total light period 12 hours.

Here are some pics for ROUGH idea of what this may look like kessil at 34% intensity and 61% for color
Filtered

Not filtered

 

[Albertan22]

These vids really helped me out:

 

[Leadfooted]

I’ve been happy with my ATI’s. From my experience the more blue I pumped in the corals, the more they fluoresce. I like LED for dusk/dawn. For T5 colors, I run B+,B+,Coral +, B+. The coral plus pumps some serious PAR offsetting the low PAR from the Blue + bulbs.

 

[Albertan22]

I did 2 purple plus and 2 coral plus, but I don’t like a ton of blue during the day when the T5s are on. It really comes down to personal preference.

 

[Bpb]

I’ve been happy with my ATI’s. From my experience the more blue I pumped in the corals, the more they fluoresce. I like LED for dusk/dawn. For T5 colors, I run B+,B+,Coral +, B+. The coral plus pumps some serious PAR offsetting the low PAR from the Blue + bulbs.

If you measure them with a par meter, the coral+ actually has roughly the same output as the blue+.

 

[kaceyo]

OK, so what I am hearing is I need to figure out what each individual bulb looks like and puts out for PAR and spectrum. Is there a place that I can go online to get the basic par and spectrums of each bulb?
I will def take a look at the vids recommended by Albertan22.
Biglew11, you say you like a whiter look but that unfiltered pic sure looks very blue to me, lol. Looks good. When they say Blue+, is that the same as AB+, ie (A)TI B+?

 

[Bpb]

AB+ = a spectral setting on led fixtures first determined by “the coral lab” running ecotech radion led units.

B+ = ATI Blue + bulb
ABS = ATI Aquablue Special bulb

 

[kaceyo]

AB+ = a spectral setting on led fixtures first determined by “the coral lab” running ecotech radion led units.

B+ = ATI Blue + bulb
ABS = ATI Aquablue Special bulb

Great. I always wondered where the term came from originally. I heard it was a way to set your radion to duplicate, as close as possible, a particular T5 bulbs spectral output.

 

[Albertan22]

Great. I always wondered where the term came from originally. I heard it was a way to set your radion to duplicate, as close as possible, a particular T5 bulbs spectral output.

The ATI Blue+ bulb is the standard a lot of people measure against. It’s proven to give good growth and has that deep blue wonder colour so many people like. Kessil logic guarantees you are hitting the blue spectrum needed for coral growth regardless of your settings, so you can be assured you are already getting that. The first video I linked goes over the spectrum output of each individual bulb. The second one shows different combinations without telling you what they are until the end so you can choose the combination that most appeals to you without bias.

 

[Leadfooted]

If you measure them with a par meter, the coral+ actually has roughly the same output as the blue+.

I did a while back. If that’s the case, that means my B+ bulbs were due for replacing and perhaps my C+ was recently replaced. In other words, my PAR readings were off due to aged bulbs. I’m a little lazy about that, guess I need to re-check my PaR since bulbs have been replaced recently. Thanks for the tip

 

[kaceyo]

The ATI Blue+ bulb is the standard a lot of people measure against. It’s proven to give good growth and has that deep blue wonder colour so many people like. Kessil logic guarantees you are hitting the blue spectrum needed for coral growth regardless of your settings, so you can be assured you are already getting that. The first video I linked goes over the spectrum output of each individual bulb. The second one shows different combinations without telling you what they are until the end so you can choose the combination that most appeals to you without bias.

Great, I'll be watching that with a notebook in hand.
Thanks

 

[hoju74]

Is coral plus a good bulb to use if you like a whiter daytime color ? I seem to vaguely remember that AB special gave off a bit of a 'washed out' look.