SPS Lighting/Coloring Question

[Graffiti Spot]

I have found the best colors come when I run my t5s with half blue plus and half coral plus type bulbs. I would defiantly say you should see improvement with two coral plus and two blue plus along side your leds.

 

[ReeferNtraining]

I don’t run T5 supplements, but if I did, I wouldn’t drop anything. Why did you? Too much par?

Nice colors! I’m in envy of all you guys’ colors.

As for HW syndrome, lol, I’m looking for better color throughout the tank. Not just those three. As Mentioned, I’m just seeing a lot more greenish colors in almost all of them. If blue spectrum triggers green growth, that would make complete sense based on my lighting profile for the last 6 months.

To the AI question, I drop the LED’s when the T5’s kick on due to PAR. I’ve burned/killed many a stick in the past from too much PAR. Don’t want to repeat that mistake.

 

[ReeferNtraining]

I have found the best colors come when I run my t5s with half blue plus and half coral plus type bulbs. I would defiantly say you should see improvement with two coral plus and two blue plus along side your leds.

Got my fingers crossed!

 

[ReeferNtraining]

BigR WD grown under a warmer spectrum. blue+/coral+/6500k bulbs. Looks a tad dull when all lights are on, but it is a good spectrum to bring out the pinks in this coral

under blues

What type of bulb is the 6500k? T5 or MH?

 

[dadnjesse]

6500k is the Kelvin of a bulb, the color spectrum, could be T5, metal halide or LED

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

How high is your lighting above the water?

 

[ReeferNtraining]

How high is your lighting above the water?

About 10”

 

[flockaveli]

What type of bulb is the 6500k? T5 or MH?

T5. I ran in it a mixture with the other bulbs

 

[ktn87]

Get one of those orange coral viewing glass and see how your WD looks. Most of the nice pictures you see are taken with orange filters on.

If you want to get color out of your WD try running heavy blues. On my tank I have a T5 Hybrid with 4 ATI Blue+ and a Radion XR30 Pro. The Radion is running 100% UV, Violet, Blue, Royal Blue and all the other channels are off. I'm getting ideal coloration out of my WD but it only looks like the pictures when I have my orange glasses on.

 

[Big E]

Coral + will help bring out pink and red in the corals. Try to focus on getting most of your white from the T5's as most LED boxes are slanted with a 3 to 1 ratio of blue/violet to whites, so it's easier to control the 400-450 range as the leds have plenty.

The whiter bulbs will give you more in the 470-600nm range and you have much less of a chance of frying corals.

 

[AdamB]

This is my AI settings. The flatline in the middle is when my T5’s are on. Any suggestions appreciated....

What’s your ai lights ranges peaking at before t5s are on?

 

[ReeferNtraining]

Coral + will help bring out pink and red in the corals. Try to focus on getting most of your white from the T5's as most LED boxes are slanted with a 3 to 1 ratio of blue/violet to whites, so it's easier to control the 400-450 range as the leds have plenty.

The whiter bulbs will give you more in the 470-600nm range and you have much less of a chance of frying corals.

That’s what I’m looking for. More reds, pinks, and oranges. I’m now running 2 Blue+ & 2 Coral+
Your comments make me wonder if I shouldn’t run all Coral+ in the T5 and use the LED’s just like I am. I believe I’m getting plenty of UV & Blue from them...

 

[ReeferNtraining]

What’s your ai lights ranges peaking at before t5s are on?

115 UV, 105 Blues & Violet

 

[Big E]

That’s what I’m looking for. More reds, pinks, and oranges. I’m now running 2 Blue+ & 2 Coral+
Your comments make me wonder if I shouldn’t run all Coral+ in the T5 and use the LED’s just like I am. I believe I’m getting plenty of UV & Blue from them...

At the very least put the Coral+ on the inside if you do go with some blue+. Some people prefer the slightly more blue look by not going all Coral+. One particular red pigment won't be excited unless you have enough in the correct range(570-590). You can see here with the Dsred if you don't have enough in that excitable range it doesn't matter what you do, the reds and pinks on some acros won't pop.

 

[jda]

Like all of the trick-light A. Tenuis, you are going to get different colors based on the wideness of the spectrum range that you grow them under, then the type of light that you use to illuminate (pop) them. The most intense will probably be under more daylight to grow and then RB only LED to illuminate. Just growing under RB diodes will not render as much color as wider spectrum. Trying to illuminate/pop them with Blue+ T5s will not do what RB didoes will.

You might like any one of these better than another, but they will all look different.

 

[ReeferNtraining]

At the very least put the Coral+ on the inside if you do go with some blue+. Some people prefer the slightly more blue look by not going all Coral+. One particular red pigment won't be excited unless you have enough in the correct range(570-590). You can see here with the Dsred if you don't have enough in that excitable range it doesn't matter what you do, the reds and pinks on some acros won't pop.

BigE, again, great information and exactly what I’m trying to learn and understand. I did put the Coral+ on the inside. Blue+ outside.
How do you ensure you are hitting that 570-590 range? After reading your post, I looked for the specs on the Coral+ bulbs and they just say it’s roughly 15k temp. The LED’s in my primes are listed below and this is what it showed...

 

[ReeferNtraining]

Like all of the trick-light A. Tenuis, you are going to get different colors based on the wideness of the spectrum range that you grow them under, then the type of light that you use to illuminate (pop) them. The most intense will probably be under more daylight to grow and then RB only LED to illuminate. Just growing under RB diodes will not render as much color as wider spectrum. Trying to illuminate/pop them with Blue+ T5s will not do what RB didoes will.

You might like any one of these better than another, but they will all look different.

My first goal is growth and I feel happy about where I am with that. Second goal is what I’ve brought up here. I am not concerned about what the tank looks like (bulb/color wise) while I’m at work all day. I kick the T5’s off at 6pm and ramp down the LED’s on Royal blue the rest of the evening. So to your point, evening color is my goal. Get growth and excited pigments (as BigE put it) during the day and then enjoy the colors in the evening. Thanks for the input!

 

[flockaveli]

 

[ReeferNtraining]

Thanks! So if I’m understanding that chart correctly, those bulbs aren’t doing much for the 570-590 range BigE references. Correct me if I’m wrong.

 

[SeaDweller]

Thanks! So if I’m understanding that chart correctly, those bulbs aren’t doing much for the 570-590 range BigE references. Correct me if I’m wrong.

Maybe, but that’s a small range being referenced. It’s between green and yellow. basically, you need decent full spectrum lighting and change it to how you want to view it later during the night, etc. I think you’re overthinking it.