Lights and SPS

Icandelario · Jul 20, 2013

Hi I'm new to sps and am wondering if it is necessary to have a combination of lighting to get those really nicely colored sps?

Seems like most people run MH/t5s or t5/LEDs and they get the best coloration.

Those the broader spectrum of light help promote better coloration of sps?

Ike · Jul 20, 2013

No, a combo is not required. Just T5's or just MH's can get you top notch colors. Just LED's still don't see capable of producing the best colors. At least I haven't seen it yet...

Zack · Jul 20, 2013

Ike said:
No, a combo is not required. Just T5's or just MH's can get you top notch colors. Just LED's still don't see capable of producing the best colors. At least I haven't seen it yet...

Ya it kinda seems to change the colors when you use led, not really a bad change at all but if you buy an acro frag grown with halide it seems to change when under led. Still bright and colorful , just different...... I use a radium bulb with no supplementaton, but I have seen people get REALLY good color with a halide and t5 or vho supplementation.

Ike · Jul 20, 2013

I have two tanks with just MH's and one with just T5's. For my money you can't beat a radium with a proper ballast for coral color.

Icandelario · Jul 20, 2013

Zack said:
I use a radium bulb with no supplementaton, but I have seen people get REALLY good color with a halide and t5 or vho supplementation.

This is Kinda why I'm asking. I've read t5 pure actinics provide barely and par, but do they do anything in terms of making the coral have nice color. Same with vho?

Running an ati 8 bulb t5 atm. Beginning to grow weary of them because everytime I get a really nice frag it comes from a MH+t5 tank, and I can never hold the color of it. I know it can be a variety if things that affect the color but looking at lights as a main culprit since all my other parameters seem to be good.

Diesel · Jul 20, 2013

I used to run AI super blue sol LED's and color on SPS was ok, not great but it was ok.
Than I upgraded to the Ecotech radions gen1 and color was a lot better also the growth was more.
Now I have Radions PRO and my SPS pop, I really don't see any difference than with MH.
Now I'm not sure about the growth but I really don't care about that, I know they will grow but maybe in a slower pace.