Let's see your T5 SPS tanks!

[el_ote]

thats a really interesting video. j love the side by side comparisons. I think ill pick up an actinic for my setup

 

[RogerWilco357]

those are some awesome shots of true color corals love them all..keep up the good work guys..

 

[spspirate]

Great video! Great looking reefs!!

 

[Msmith2813]

That's a great video! I'm going to use it as a reference when I replace my current bulb lineup

 

[evmibo]

Would this be too many coral plus?

1 B+
2 C+
3 B+
4 C+
5 C+
6 B+
7 C+
8 B+

If so, I will try:

1 B+
2 B+
3 C+
4 B+
5 B+
6 C+
7 B+
8 B+

 

[jeremy]

First one should be fine. I run 5 blue 3 coral in mine and I really like it.
front
blue
coral
blue
coral
blue
blue
coral
blue

 

[Diesel]

Interesting!
This thread is so helpful for everyone.

 

[dgelz]

Great thread. Chiming in to follow

 

[Hyperion]

Any advice for a 6 bulb combo? I'm unsure of what to put lol.

 

[evmibo]

First one should be fine. I run 5 blue 3 coral in mine and I really like it.

What do you like about it? I'm split between it looking good and providing corals with a spectrum that can get them to grow and color up nicely.

 

[jeremy]

Its nice bright combo with some blue in it still and coral plus bulb is a great daylight bulb that still has blue in it. Its a combo of blue plus, purple plus, aqua blue special. I get good color and good growth with this combo. If you want whiter go with 1 aqua blue special in place of coral plus.

 

[jeremy]

A good 6 bulb is 4 blue plus 1 purple 1 coral.

 

[jeremy]

Another good 8 bulb is 5 blue plus 2 purple plue 1 aqua blue special. Or instead of aqua blue the ge 6500k but its a bit too yellow tint for me but grows stuff real good.

 

[evmibo]

Its nice bright combo with some blue in it still and coral plus bulb is a great daylight bulb that still has blue in it. Its a combo of blue plus, purple plus, aqua blue special. I get good color and good growth with this combo. If you want whiter go with 1 aqua blue special in place of coral plus.

Thanks. Yeah I like how the bulb is built on paper (~50% B+, ~40% ABS, ~10 P+). I will have to see how 4 B+ and 4 C+ look in person. I don't want whiter, so hopefully these C+ will be the ticket. Thanks!

 

[revhtree]

Good thread!

 

[buddythelion]

Yes Darwin it's that red, but that's also what the right combo of T5s do. A lot of ligting will give you that rusty brick red flat look
instead of vivid popping reds. You gotta excite the pigments with the correct spectrum and intensity to
get good reds.

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T5s excel with all colors.
My current setup is 2 Coral+ and 2 Blue+

I just noticed that you run half coral + and half blue +. Doesn't the coral plus make the tank look a bit more on the white side? I have 3 blue + and one coral + and it's already a bit too white for my preference. Might have to look into going half and half and then just adding reefbrites.

 

[Big E]

I personally like the whiter brighter look...........there's a tinge of blue in the look still. If you're coming form being used to a 20k type look it will look too white till you get used to it. You have to live with it for a while and it will grow on you mainly because your coral colors will look and pop that much better.

The colors will actually be in the corals and not just looking a certain way because of colored water throwing fake colors on your corals.

There's also another aspect that's overlooked with this combo............because you're repeating and overlapping the same spectrum you can literally put the corals anywhere in the tank. The par will be even across the whole tank also. For example, at 10" from the lights the par is the same across the whole tank........front to back and side to side under the available coverage of the lights.

You only have to concern yourself with one thing and that's how much light the acro likes par wise.......how high or low intensity affects color/growth to your tastes.

Be careful with Reef brite Blues as add ons.............they will turn acans and chalices orange and also throw off your spectrum for the Sps. If you want more blue using Leds try to use something that is heavier on the blue but also has full spectrum characteristics. Or at the very least try to mix RB, blue and violets in the strip. I'd also only run the short term for viewing pleasure.

 

[Fish Art]

I agree T5's give the best coral color and growth. I run ATI 54 watt bulbs, 3 true actinic, 3 blue plus, 1 purple plus and 1 Aqua blue special.

 

[evmibo]

Big E,

I'll be going 50/50 B+ and C+ on my 8 bulb Sunpower. I was wondering if you could share anymore pictures, perhaps FTS as well. Also, I'm assuming the overall color in your pics is more whitish with a hint of blue? From the sound of it it seems like the spectrum is about 14k?

 

[that Reef Guy]

Awesome Pictures!