What t5 combo gives a rich blue color?

Phyber

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I have some Prime HDs on my 65g. I love the colors they give, the deep rich blues and slightly purple, but they just aren't enough par it seems for my SPS despite my hopes.

I have a 6 bulb t5 fixture from a prior build. I've tried running 2 ATI Actinic, 3 ATI Blue+ and one ATI Purple+ and it seemed still too white and generally washed out looking compared to how I run my Primes now. I've put my setup below.

Will I just never get the deep color from t5's? What bulb combo would be best?

Screenshot_20191016-204749_myAI.jpg
 

motortrendz

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There is a super atinic bulb which is a deeper blue but o forget what brand. It's been a while. Why not make a retro kit and use the t5 to supplement the leds
 

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There is a super atinic bulb which is a deeper blue but o forget what brand. It's been a while. Why not make a retro kit and use the t5 to supplement the leds

it’s a little darker blue than the ati bulbs, but it will most certainly not replicate the
Blue led look. You absolutely will not get that with T5’s. It’s just the truth of it. You have to either buy more powerful leds, or manage your expectations of what you’ll see visually with t5
 
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Phyber

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My current Prime set up looks a lot like that video, but when I put the t5's on it's just washed out...can't really tell a difference between pinks, purples and reds.
 
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Phyber

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There is a super atinic bulb which is a deeper blue but o forget what brand. It's been a while. Why not make a retro kit and use the t5 to supplement the leds

I don't have a canopy and can't hang anything so I'm stuck with a tank mounted solution. Not sure how I could add my primes to my t5 fixture (a Tek unit)
 

tehmadreefer

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You can get great deep blue from t5's, hence the blue plus bulbs... all blue plus and one actinic will do the job.

Or if that too blue for ya, throw in a purple plus.
 
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Bpb

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It’s fairly common for pure led users who try t5’s for the first time to even think the ati
Bulb is “yellow” or “washed out” looking. For a seasoned t5 user, mixing blue+ and true actinic will yield an amazing dawn dusk color with absolutely ideal levels of fluorescence that will be head and shoulders better than blue LEDs will provide. And I mean to the naked eye. Not stupid vendor pictures with an orange filter and light room to artificially color in hues they WANT to accent. It’s just that the overall ambience won’t have that deep sapphire crystal blue color. It’ll be a hair more “full spectrum” looking. It takes getting used to
 

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I have seen t5 bulbs in led. I have heard the blues led gives a deeper blue color. I think the brand is arcadia, if I'm not mistaken.
 
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Phyber

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It’s fairly common for pure led users who try t5’s for the first time to even think the ati
Bulb is “yellow” or “washed out” looking. For a seasoned t5 user, mixing blue+ and true actinic will yield an amazing dawn dusk color with absolutely ideal levels of fluorescence that will be head and shoulders better than blue LEDs will provide. And I mean to the naked eye. Not stupid vendor pictures with an orange filter and light room to artificially color in hues they WANT to accent. It’s just that the overall ambience won’t have that deep sapphire crystal blue color. It’ll be a hair more “full spectrum” looking. It takes getting used to

Not to thread Jack, but if I'm not going to be happy with t5 color, and want to stay with LED, would two Kessil a360we tuna blues work for my tank and grow SPS? 36"wide x 18"deep x 24"tall
 

Bpb

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Not to thread Jack, but if I'm not going to be happy with t5 color, and want to stay with LED, would two Kessil a360we tuna blues work for my tank and grow SPS? 36"wide x 18"deep x 24"tall

Based on data out there, they should be capable of sustaining sps corals, at least high up in the tank. Growth may not be off the charts but they’ll live if everything else is in line. Really with just about any reef designed light source it’s more important to pick something that provides the correct intensity. Once you’re there, just pick an overall aesthetic/hue you like most and don’t mess with it.
The more you mess with sliders and faders and adjust spectrum to constantly change through the day, and constantly change your mind on what settings you like, or even what bulb combo you like....the more problems you create. It’s usually not the light itself that does damage or fails to work. It is more often user error from too frequent of manipulation.
 

Bpb

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same. I’m one of the weirdos that likes a true 10k appearance. Only reason I have blues is so I can view my tank for longer than 6 hours a day on weekends. I don’t even run blue supplements with my metal halides. Just for a couple hours real low on either end of the main photoperiod.
 
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