Suggest ATI T5 bulb that wont grow algea.

[chicago]

Help me out.. I have banks of LED one my tank.. looking to hit some T5 bulbs.. What T5 ATI bulbs limit or are the least likely to gown algea. I have some going now like the purple plus and blue .. but thinking they are right now contributing to my algea outbreak i have going on right now..

 

[Doctorgori]

I dunno, put it this way: thinking the wrong bulbs cause algae is like thinking candy causes cavities
sure both things are true but you won’t get cavities if you brush your teeth and you won’t get algae if you do proper maintenance.
I got a frag tank right now lit with 6500K bulbs....
FWIW I like purple plus, how many bulbs you running?
Eitherway I just get one Purple plus in a 6 bulb fixture, 1 blue special, 3 blue plus, and 1 actintic

 

[Bpb]

Probably the true actinic, but they can all grow algae.

 

[A. grandis]

Combination of nutrients and light will grow algae.
Higher kelvin bulbs are easier to deal with.
I never liked Purple bulbs. I think they are the only bulbs I won't recommend.
You will be fine with most bulbs if your nutrients are in check, even the 65Ks.
Let the system get used to your bulbs and at the same time deal with the nutrients.

 

[chicago]

Thanks . For the feed back.. purple plus just to well purple... for my taste..

 

[Doctorgori]

Combination of nutrients and light will grow algae.
Higher kelvin bulbs are easier to deal with.
I never liked Purple bulbs. I think they are the only bulbs I won't recommend.
You will be fine with most bulbs if your nutrients are in check, even the 65Ks.
Let the system get used to your bulbs and at the same time deal with the nutrients.

your know what is odd is how Purple plus balances the combined colors towards a whiter look, at least to me. I’d never light a tank with just those, but you could I would think with just the Blue Specials. Just personal taste on appearance, no other reason

 

[Bpb]

The purple+ is a visually dominating bulb. Any more than one in a bank of 8 is too much for my taste. But....one purple+ does wonders for correcting the green hue you get with a blue+ dominated layout. When I ran t5’s I liked what one purple+ did visually to compliment the 3-6500k bulbs I had running. Tamed the green/yellow just enough

 

[chicago]

thanks all.. I was using theses T5 to supplement the Radions.. deep tank with shadowing issues.. then algae started to grow like crazy.. thought it was the T5 Bulbs ... but perhaps simply nutrients went up...

 

[A. grandis]

your know what is odd is how Purple plus balances the combined colors towards a whiter look, at least to me. I’d never light a tank with just those, but you could I would think with just the Blue Specials. Just personal taste on appearance, no other reason

My T5 slots are too precious to waste with a purple bulb IMO. I just think the value of a T5 bulb in a combo is in what they actually do to the corals, not my visual preferences in the first place. This is the way I see lighting. I prefer to "like" more what the corals will use the best.
But I also understand that everyone thinks differently and have different goals for their tanks.
Your corals don't see the way you see.

 

[A. grandis]

thanks all.. I was using theses T5 to supplement the Radions.. deep tank with shadowing issues.. then algae started to grow like crazy.. thought it was the T5 Bulbs ... but perhaps simply nutrients went up...

Change for all T5s if your system is having big issues with LEDs. Sell the Radions and get a simple ATI Sunpower to cover the whole surface area of your system. Or maybe a halide/T5 system, if the tank is very tall. You will never have lighting issues again and will be able to set and forget, concentrating on water chemistry and will enjoy more your tank. Growth and colors will explode and you will be able to sell/donate fags to friends. 90% of the LED threads are to solve problems, not improve lighting. Waste of money and time in most cases.
LEDs should be supplemental lights, not the main source in the majority of the cases.

 

[chicago]

A.grandis.. that is what I was thinking and was wondering then.. is the atinic bulb the best for the health of the sps ? Or do we think the Blue Plus ? ... well.. i cant dish the 6 radions and the 6 black boxes at this point.. i wish I never got rid of my MH with T12 Supervho.. that was the best...

 

[nereefpat]

With the Radions, I would just put Blue+ T5 bulbs in and then adjust the LEDs to give the look I wanted.

 

[A. grandis]

A.grandis.. that is what I was thinking and was wondering then.. is the atinic bulb the best for the health of the sps ? Or do we think the Blue Plus ? ... well.. i cant dish the 6 radions and the 6 black boxes at this point.. i wish I never got rid of my MH with T12 Supervho.. that was the best...

I feel so sorry for those who had halides and changed for LEDs. Way too much money invested for what they have to offer in comparison. I got rid of my LEDs after 6 months trying, but I still had my old lights. Anyways...
Blue Plus bulbs have great PAR/spectrum and should be the base of the lighting IMO. The True actinic are to offer that specific spectrum in the combo and has it's place, but it is a bulb to "assist" ( to add) in the combo. I wouldn't add a True Actinic using only 2 or 4 T5 bulbs. Blue Plus is an amazing (better) addition with LEDs IMO.

 

[Bpb]

I just think the value of a T5 bulb in a combo is in what they actually do to the corals, not my visual preferences in the first place. This is the way I see lighting. I prefer to "like" more what the corals will use the best.

In that case why not just use a combination of 6500k and true actinic bulbs?

 

[bobnicaragua]

With the Radions, I would just put Blue+ T5 bulbs in and then adjust the LEDs to give the look I wanted.

I would do this.

 

[A. grandis]

In that case why not just use a combination of 6500k and true actinic bulbs?

Can be done, yes. Algae will also use that combo the best, so we would have to be extra careful with nutrients.

 

[Bpb]

Can be done, yes. Algae will also use that combo the best, so we would have to be extra careful with nutrients.

Meh. Herbivores make that a complete non issue

 

[A. grandis]

Meh. Herbivores make that a complete non issue

Not always. Depends on how much you add to the system and the biomass.
GE65K is an amazing bulb!

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

I’d run blue plus. Then adjust leds to liking. I run all blue plus on a ati sun power. I have a packed sps tank.

 

[Doctorgori]

My T5 slots are too precious to waste with a purple bulb IMO. I just think the value of a T5 bulb in a combo is in what they actually do to the corals, not my visual preferences in the first place. This is the way I see lighting. I prefer to "like" more what the corals will use the best.
But I also understand that everyone thinks differently and have different goals for their tanks.
Your corals don't see the way you see.

I dunno, whats the point if the owner isn’t visually satisfied? Agreed:, different goals: growth is always one primary goal but I’m not sacrificing my aesthetics to get another inch per year...corals have some waggle for light adaptability, I’ve done 6500k across, probably was enough blue in it anyway...Corals were ugly brown but growth wasn’t bad

With the Radions, I would just put Blue+ T5 bulbs in and then adjust the LEDs to give the look I wanted.

in a similar thread I offered a similar suggestion, you could easily reverse that using whiter T5 for fill and LED on blue channel. I personally use LED white channel as the adjustable and fill in T5 for blue and actintic

In that case why not just use a combination of 6500k and true actinic bulbs?

i’ve done that, it works

Not always. Depends on how much you add to the system and the biomass.
GE65K is an amazing bulb!

I’ve used those