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View Full Version : best t5ho 2 bulb combos for supplimental lighting?

foreverfortune
03-20-2009, 11:30 PM
what is the best t5ho 2 bulb combos for supplimental lighting? i am currently running 14k phoenix bulbs and am looking to put in some actinics but am unsure of what would look good for colors. i need some suggestions for what brand and color. i think i am gonna try kz fiji purple and another unknown bulb. any suggestions.
fishytime
03-20-2009, 11:35 PM
Giessmann pure actinic?
buddyreefer
03-20-2009, 11:40 PM
subscribing to this thread im in the exact same boat also, thinking fiji purple and maybe a giesemann blue plus with 10k mh.
foreverfortune
03-20-2009, 11:50 PM
reason i am having trouble is beacause there are so many variations of actinics and because i dont have first hand experience with them i dont know how they look so i am just looking for suggestions on a combo.
digital-audiophile
03-21-2009, 01:02 AM
Fiji purples are actually rather white to the eye. Alone they would not give you much blue.
mark
03-21-2009, 01:30 AM
Are you looking for actinic just to get you corals to fluoresce, planning to run as dusk/dawn?
foreverfortune
03-21-2009, 01:59 AM
Are you looking for actinic just to get you corals to fluoresce, planning to run as dusk/dawn?

both fluorescence and dusk/dawn but mainly for fluorescence and color. they will be on timers. will come on 1-2 hours before my mh and shut down 1-2 hours after my mh. i will have a 2x24 strip running on either side of my middle pendant. not sure if that would be too much supplimental but i would need 2 strips to even out the color on both sides. i was thinking kz fiji purple for its reds and another bulb for its blues but am open to suggestions
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/foreverfortune/IMG_3590.jpg
RuGlu6
03-21-2009, 02:23 AM
what is the best t5ho 2 bulb combos for supplimental lighting? i am currently running 14k phoenix bulbs and am looking to put in some actinics but am unsure of what would look good for colors. i need some suggestions for what brand and color. i think i am gonna try kz fiji purple and another unknown bulb. any suggestions.

I have 10 or 12 used T5 HO bulbs all are one year old and some 6 month old.
all are Giesemann 36" and all in original packaging nice and clean.
http://www.jlaquatics.com/info/378/Giesemann+T5+HO+Bulbs.html
You can have em all for $9 and see wich ones you like for color etc.
KZ purple is purple and you may not like it as a suplement, i bet actinics or super blues will be your choice in the end.
foreverfortune
03-21-2009, 02:37 AM
I have 10 or 12 used T5 HO bulbs all are one year old and some 6 month old.
all are Giesemann 36" and all in original packaging nice and clean.
http://www.jlaquatics.com/info/378/Giesemann+T5+HO+Bulbs.html
You can have em all for $9 and see wich ones you like for color etc.
KZ purple is purple and you may not like it as a suplement, i bet actinics or super blues will be your choice in the end.

thanks but i would be running 4 24" bulbs. the fixtures i ordered wouldnt fit 36" unless i took it apart.
buddyreefer
03-21-2009, 04:00 AM
so is the kz fpurp quite white or purp, getting two different opinions here. just want to make sure as i like a crisp white look with pop in my colors.
ElGuappo
03-21-2009, 04:10 AM
i think its quite purple. not to the eyse really, but i can see it in my coral.
lobsterboy
03-21-2009, 05:07 AM
i would go with just the fiji;s and your 14k, the colors of the corals should be noticable out of water in 2weeks. imo
JDigital
03-21-2009, 05:51 AM
I've just added Giessmann Actinic+ and True Actinic to my tank and DAMN do I LOVE them! I also have 14K MH's so I will post some photos tomorrow of how it looks with both MH's and Supplementals.
foreverfortune
03-21-2009, 12:45 PM
i would go with just the fiji;s and your 14k, the colors of the corals should be noticable out of water in 2weeks. imo

4 bulbs of fiji may be a bit too much. been reading about ati and uri, may go with one of them and the fiji or maybe the Giessmann.
foreverfortune
03-21-2009, 01:11 PM
I've just added Giessmann Actinic+ and True Actinic to my tank and DAMN do I LOVE them! I also have 14K MH's so I will post some photos tomorrow of how it looks with both MH's and Supplementals.

please do would love to see them.
JDigital
03-21-2009, 09:53 PM
please do would love to see them.

As promised. I shot these with IDENTICAL camera settings.

My Lighting Info:

Metal Halides: Bulbs - Ushio 14K (5 months old) powered by a Galaxy Electronic Ballast w/ Lumenmax3 Reflectors.

T5's: Bulbs - 1x Giessmann Actinic+ & 1x Giessmann True Actinic powered by Hagen GLO Retro Ballast w/ TEKII Retro Reflectors.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/JDigital/75G%20Continued/ComparisonFTS.jpg

As you can see, a dramatic difference. Even more than I was expecting, but it actually provided me with the color I was hoping to get.
RuGlu6
03-21-2009, 11:34 PM
The only thing is that Actinic plus will loose its blue intensity in about 6 month. true Actinics will hold it for about 9 month
fiorano
03-22-2009, 02:48 AM
i have aquaconnect 14k's with 1 54w actinic+ and 1 54w fiji purple and it looks great... much better than it did with just 2 actinic+
Myka
03-22-2009, 03:04 AM
I find the Fiji Purples to actually be quite pinkish/reddish/purple. I wouldn't want to run exclusively Fiji Purples for supplemental lighting. I would go with a UVL Actinic as they have a much higher PAR than Giesemann True Actinic. Both bulbs are 420 nm. I'm not a fan of Giesemann bulbs due to poor PAR values as well the whole bulb doesn't light up, the last inch or so on each end stays dark.
JDigital
03-22-2009, 03:25 AM
I find the Fiji Purples to actually be quite pinkish/reddish/purple. I wouldn't want to run exclusively Fiji Purples for supplemental lighting. I would go with a UVL Actinic as they have a much higher PAR than Giesemann True Actinic. Both bulbs are 420 nm. I'm not a fan of Giesemann bulbs due to poor PAR values as well the whole bulb doesn't light up, the last inch or so on each end stays dark.


I've got no problems hitting PAR values with my MH's, my T5's were purely for dawn/dusk and florescence w/ MHs. However I will be testing the PAR of the T5's.

As for the last inch, that's how every T5 bulb I have ever tried has been, not just Giesemann's.
foreverfortune
03-22-2009, 07:04 AM
As promised. I shot these with IDENTICAL camera settings.

My Lighting Info:

Metal Halides: Bulbs - Ushio 14K (5 months old) powered by a Galaxy Electronic Ballast w/ Lumenmax3 Reflectors.

T5's: Bulbs - 1x Giessmann Actinic+ & 1x Giessmann True Actinic powered by Hagen GLO Retro Ballast w/ TEKII Retro Reflectors.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/JDigital/75G%20Continued/ComparisonFTS.jpg

As you can see, a dramatic difference. Even more than I was expecting, but it actually provided me with the color I was hoping to get.


nice that made a whole lot of difference with your actinics it became more crisp and less yellow.
foreverfortune
03-22-2009, 07:08 AM
I find the Fiji Purples to actually be quite pinkish/reddish/purple. I wouldn't want to run exclusively Fiji Purples for supplemental lighting. I would go with a UVL Actinic as they have a much higher PAR than Giesemann True Actinic. Both bulbs are 420 nm. I'm not a fan of Giesemann bulbs due to poor PAR values as well the whole bulb doesn't light up, the last inch or so on each end stays dark.

yea thats the setup i may just go with and give it a shot. kz fiji purple and uri super actinic blue. read somewhere uri is uvl? or are they different manufacturer?
Myka
03-22-2009, 08:19 PM
URI = UVL just depends who you talk to. One call it one way, others call it the other way.

As for the last inch, that's how every T5 bulb I have ever tried has been, not just Giesemann's.

Giesemann's are the worst for it. The Grim Reefer on RC had some photos posted which clearly illiustrated how Giesemann bulbs were the worst for not lighting up the ends of the bulb. I have not been happier since changing away from Giesemann bulbs. I find their bulbs don't hold their spectrum very long either. That's just my experience though.