OP
OP
Velcro
2500 Club Member
Thanks, just trying to figure out if I am missing out by running all the blues with not a ton of red.
Why do people run 6500K bulbs?
- Thread starter Velcro
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There's a post from Dana I'll try to find. Corals (some generalists )do like a bit of red, yes.
BigJohnny
2500 Club Member
Do you know what % of bulbs "base" equates to?
Off hand I do not. I had hoping and he still mayC chime in here.
Google diesel tank. He's got a nice thread.
BigJohnny
2500 Club Member
Yes I've seen it before, it's nice. I know Adam from Battlecorals goes heavy with the 6500 Tropics, I would guess 50% but not sure. I just can't stand the look and you can get red from coral +
BigJohnny
2500 Club Member
Yea, disgusting ; )Hahaha. You hate my tank then.
Looks just like this in person.
Hahahaaa.
It's a 1:1 ratio on an sbreeflight, should be in a 16k range I belive.
PAR and PUR are man-made numbers and that many, many of the corals that we keep are shallow enough to get all of the spectrum in that bulb, then you can start to see why corals really can grow like crazy under them. I have never used 6.5K T5s, but 6.5K Halides will grow coral like crazy. You really need a lot of blue to balance them out - the corals have really nice color under them, they just don't illuminate the coral that well. I can totally see why fraggers and famers use 6.5K.
Also, when you combine that coral need some IR to move energy between PSII and PSI, this is another reason why a 6.5K with a bit of IR could help with some growth.
Also, when you combine that coral need some IR to move energy between PSII and PSI, this is another reason why a 6.5K with a bit of IR could help with some growth.
Consider this . In a true and even 65k bulb , here is Near perfect PUR
As all of the colors that coral need are present.
You don't actually need to add anything , save to experiment with higher intensitys of specific Nm of light.
We're talking coral need , not look.
BigJohnny
2500 Club Member
Most corals in the hobby are actually from around 30 feet deep and in very blue light. Regardless, corals don't grow with spectrum they don't use anyway. There is no doubt that a 6500k bulb contains a higher % of wavelengths that corals don't use than something like an ati blue plus.
Also, just because a coral is normally exposed to certain spectrums or par levels in nature, doesnt mean it is ideal for growth. Dana riddle did a study on a porites in a specific shallow tide pool in hawaii. It was getting way too much light (even though that's what it was getting in nature) and was shutting down photosynthesis for most of the day. Put that coral in a tank mimicking the light it was getting during the periods it was actually growing, and you've improved the lighting.
BigJohnny
2500 Club Member
Are you saying a 6500k bulb has higher PUR than an ATI Blue Plus or ATI Coral Plus? Sure it contains all the colors they need, but it also contains more colors they don't.
Sycoticrealm
Active Member
6500k bulbs grow coral? Never heard anyone in my 20 years of reefing growing coral with 6500k.
It only useful for maybe blending color for an addon to your current lighting that about it.
But by itself your corals will die.
It only useful for maybe blending color for an addon to your current lighting that about it.
But by itself your corals will die.
I used to really like the Iwasaki 400 watt 6500K bulb on a cheap tar ballast, especially liked with 3 actinic VHO and one daylight VHO. Looks like the ocean 3 feet deep in sunlight, really beautiful. Still have a few iwasaki put away.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/4/aquarium
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/4/aquarium
You have to look at how much of the spectrum of those tubes cover.
As long as there is not to much of one that's bad (like red and possible a couple other ) so who cases about the rest of it if it's only for visual pleasure. The only other concern is algae. But we're talking about coral here.
That Giesmann will grow most all cola just fine by itself , and limit algae and not damage the coral with a red OD.
Honestly I'd have to look at the ati c+ again. It's not very red. Likely due to algae concerns. It def hits some yellow.
A Home Depot par 38 48k led from Phillips will grow coral.
This was an industry standard.
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/iwasaki-6500k-single-end-bulb.html
It's referenced in Mr Riddles par lux article and I belive on the apogee site in the par lux section.
Sycoticrealm
Active Member
Maybe softies. It was always 10 and 20k MH.
I tried par 38 from home depot nothing looks good or last under them. I don't see how a led would do any better from home depot beside burn your corals. The beams are too narrow and focused.
But if you're talking about 6500k with other bulbs like 10k i could see it working.
I tried par 38 from home depot nothing looks good or last under them. I don't see how a led would do any better from home depot beside burn your corals. The beams are too narrow and focused.
But if you're talking about 6500k with other bulbs like 10k i could see it working.
You have to adjust the spread and meter the intensity. Like any light.
Yea, it's kinda ugly as the spectrum drops in the royal blue and actinic zone. Drops a bit in the red too. But...
And a lot of the kids are totally scared of a 10 or 14 k nowadays too.
Sycoticrealm
Active Member
T5's took over and i can't lie they do well with the right unit and reflectors. MH are still awesome but i can understand why they would think they're scary lol.
I was 16 when i got into the hobby and MH looked dangerous then.
I was 16 when i got into the hobby and MH looked dangerous then.
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