Why do people run 6500K bulbs?

[jda]

Folks seem to not like the answer "science doesn't yet fully understand "

True, but it is SO powerful. I have a basic theory that the answer to most any important question in life is usually on a sliding scale of "it depends" to "I don't know." My other theory is that the best-of-the-best understand this paradigm, embrace it and look for the nuance and details to hone in a bit more... whereas and the less-than-the-best pick and choose what they want to find "answers" while not knowing that they are limiting themselves by doing so.

Anyway, I had a professor in college say that all science starts as curiosity and anecdotes from experience and observation. Although I might sound crass and like a big-time doocher and make people mad all of the time for saying that actual experience matters, but the post above is kinda what I mean by it. You do not need science to tell folks who used a 6.5K bulb that they are probably a better spectrum for most coral - they lived it even if they cannot explain it like Riddle did a page back... and if they are still in the hobby, they know why they went to bluer light sources over the years.

Dana - thank you for what you do and for taking the heat.

 

[BigJohnny]

@Dana Riddle

What do you believe are the best t5 bulbs for coral, appearance of the tank aside. For example if you had to run a 6 bulb fixture, which would you choose? All one bulb? A mix? I'd be interested to see what you'd put together. It's clear that the iwasaki is a favorite among halides, but what about t5s?

 

[tigé21v]

I enjoy these type of discussions. And, very refreshing for them to be "discussions", with differences in opinions acknowledged, and not leading to beratement.
Carry on, guys!

 

[A. grandis]

I finally spend some time to read and learn some stuff...

I just want to put here what I've said many times, but just for the sake of this thread.
The very best bulbs I've used in terms of growth was the Iwasaki 6500K with some actinic blue tubes.
No bulb will grow corals better than Iwasaki 6500K IMO. The zoas were totally crazy!!!
Color wise the tank looked like a tide pool though.
I had a 55 gal with 2 X 250W Iwasaki bulbs and 2 actinic blue tubes over it back in the day. Hehe!!!

Now... talking about T5s: the very best combo for growth on a 6 bulb fixture IMO would be 3 X 6500K and 3 X Blue Plus bulbs IMO.
Another combo one could try would be: 1 X 65ooK, 1 X Coral Plus, 1 X True Actinic and 3 X Blue Plus or blue Actinic bulbs.
I don't need to grow my zoas fast because they are already growing out of the water!! LOL
I've got 3 X Blue Plus, 2 X Coral Plus and 1 true actinic bulbs and absolutely love it. Perfect growth and original natural pigmentation on the polyps.

There are so many possibilities of combination for T5s!!

That story that most of the corals in the hobby comes from "blue water" isn't a rule at all!!
People can say whatever they want and keep their tanks blue to prevent excess algae growth, but they can't say that they see those corals only in "blue water".
The most amazing coral colors are found in shallower waters!! Part of it is due to protective pigments and proteins, right? So...

Grandis.

 

[Donovan Joannes]

IMHO, color definition is more realistic when a tank is lit closer to our sun light spectrum. You can see almost all shades of color under warmer spectrum, but of course the majority of us don't like the way it looks. This is how my shallow acros looks like when only my warm white channel is on.

 

[Big E]

Yea, although the reason I was saying metal halide vs t5 does matter is that usually a 6500k metal halide produces more uv then a 6500k t5 as far as I understand. They can also be very different overall. I was also just trying to eliminate variables. So why don't you run any 6500k t5s on your tank, just don't like the look?

Honestly, I really don't know how important some UV light is for grwoth........... I've never focused on it being essential. I couldn't even begin to know if I have enough using my T5 bulbs. I've always just wanted to make sure I had 400-600nm covered.

My tanks have never suffered from growth and I've used all kinds of MH and T5s over the years. I go back as far as using 5500K 175w bulbs and normal output actinic 03 bulbs. Color has been much more challenging and why I focus more on that.



My only experience with UV is when a bulb cracked and the light seared a nice bleach line across my acros. There's a lot of data on excessive UV damaging corals so I would never try to look to boost it although it's not going to happen with bulbs unless you run DE bulbs without a glass shield.

I've used the GE 6500 bulb years ago and my only experience was that it was too yellow for my tastes.........that's with only one mixed with other bulbs. I also prefer a more balanced coverage(Coral+- blue+) over the whole tank..............one bulb is only going to effect a small area and the result is mainly ambient.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

IMHO, color definition is more realistic when a tank is lit closer to our sun light spectrum. You can see almost all shades of color under warmer spectrum, but of course the majority of us don't like the way it looks. This is how my shallow acros looks like when only my warm white channel is on.

Light light light bla bla bla ,
Lest enjoy a quick hijack shall we?

What's the Yellow soft one Donovan?

 

[Donovan Joannes]

Light light light bla bla bla ,
Lest enjoy a quick hijack shall we?

What's the Yellow soft one Donovan?

Yellow carnation coral, NPS

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Yellow carnation coral, NPS

I thought so. Bold move.
Going shopping now.

 

[Donovan Joannes]

I thought so. Bold move.
Going shopping now.

I am keeping several NPS corals, this one is almost a month now. I will definitely grab either pink or red carnation if I saw one. So far I have no luck with gorgonian

 

[Deaf clown]

And a lot of the kids are totally scared of a 10 or 14 k nowadays too.

This is the realist thing I’ve read all day. I actually like the 10k look during the day. It gives that natural look. BUT when it comes down to selling coral no one wants to buy unless they fluoresce under actinic lights it seams. At least in my area.

So I went crazy and bought two sb reeflights sbars with my MH set up.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

This is the realist thing I’ve read all day. I actually like the 10k look during the day. It gives that natural look. BUT when it comes down to selling coral no one wants to buy unless they fluoresce under actinic lights it seams. At least in my area.

So I went crazy and bought two sb reeflights sbars with my MH set up.

Exactly why I like my ramping led!

The darned tank is like six or more different looks all day long.
Hellloooo! 21st century Reefing!!!

 

[jda]

This is the realist thing I’ve read all day. I actually like the 10k look during the day. It gives that natural look. BUT when it comes down to selling coral no one wants to buy unless they fluoresce under actinic lights it seams. At least in my area.

So I went crazy and bought two sb reeflights sbars with my MH set up.

This depends on your crowd, but you are mostly right that the kids do want this - get off of my lawn! The vast majority of the higher-end acropora folks want 10K, 14k or daylight photos or they will just pass right over your coral. They are not all that interested in a blue-lit, photoshopped piece and will pass on stuff like WD, Confetti and the like and let the famers and fraggers dabble with them until they get cheap (they always do). Ask any of the guys who travel nationwide to shows, they know who-is-who when guys as them to turn the blues down - it is funny to see Vivid or Jason Fox roll their eyes when somebody asks this... and some won't even do it anymore.

 

[Deaf clown]

This depends on your crowd, but you are mostly right that the kids do want this - get off of my lawn!

;Joyful this made me laugh!!

That’s how I shop. Show me a daylight pic and it’ll gauge my interest more. Just this last week someone posted a hammer for sale and I asked for a 10k pic. The dude had no idea what I was talking about. :mad: So I explained. He sends me a different pic with more white and it turned out to be a hammer I already had.

 

[Midrats]

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.

How did you miss the Iwasaki in the Nineties?

 

[mcarroll]

How did you miss the Iwasaki in the Nineties?

2017-20=1997



In fairness, (and if I remember correctly...someone correct me pls) I think 10000K and other things were out at that point and the 6500K+Actinics were becoming "old school".

 

[Velcro]

I think I've found a pretty good solution for me, visually at least. 5 blue+, 2 pure actinic, one coral plus and running the two kessil a360's at 100% color. The sharp difference in color from the kessils really makes the tank look like a halide/T5 tank. I don't know, though, if the kessil puts out a good amount of red. Maybe I'll swap one of the blue+ bulbs for another coral+ or a purple+.

 

[Midrats]

2017-20=1997



In fairness, (and if I remember correctly...someone correct me pls) I think 10000K and other things were out at that point and the 6500K+Actinics were becoming "old school".

They were still pretty popular in 1997, but you are right, the AB 10000 was chic, and I thought it was too blue!

 

[jda]

I think that anybody who was in in 1997 should know that 6.5K won't kill coral... or even in 2017. It is OK to know this kind of stuff.

XM 10K was my first 10K bulb, I believe.

I REALLY like my open top tanks with the hanging pendants, but if I had a hood or in-wall, I would most likely have 10K XM or Hamilton and VHO Super Actinics. I like that combo for growth and color more than 14K Phoneix and 20K Radium, which I currently use, but it is another 220W per 4 foot section and I could not view from top-down.

I gotta admit that this whole discussion had me looking at a 6.5K DE bulb to give a shot over one of the sections of my tank. They are harder to find now, but they are still made for planted tanks. I have a new 14 foot tank being built and I am considering having a 400W 6.5K on a light mover to supplement the 10 14K Phoenix bulbs that I will be using.

 

[Sycoticrealm]

I was 16 if you're referring to me i was new and i didn't own my own tank until 2010 "Coral wise"
I saw other use them and i was never impressed me and others were swarn to 10k and 14k MH.
6500k by itself doesn't grow it worth the **** you're just blasting it with watts and all the corals looked like ****.
We grow coral way faster now idk what you think is fast what growing xenias with 6500k bulbs lol.