how much atinic?

[Dorkel Marine 1]

Hi everyone. A quick question on how much blue atinic lite to use in relation to white lite. I want to put about 100 watts of PC lighting over a 27 gal tank. I'm planning on two ballasts. One for the white lite and one for the atinic lite. I'm going to have softies and a few fish.

Any suggestions appreciated

George

[Aquattro]

I addressed this in your other thread, but basically, how much blue do you like?

[Bob I]

Brad is quite correct. You do not NEED actinic supplementation at all IMHO, but it looks a lot nicer to our eyes.

I, for instance have a 50 gallon tank with a 2x96W Coralife aqualight. One tube is 10000K, and the other is a CSL actinic (I hate the Coralife actinic). The timer is set so that when I am home both lights are on. When I am away at work only the 10000K is on.

I have a few fish, and softies, zoos, and what we called LPS. I will add a picture to this post showing the tank with both lights on
http://members.shaw.ca/rcipema/main.jpg

[Skimmerking]

I thought that you need actinic on the tank for the corals to grow
i have a icecap 660 with 3 50/50 ,one vho actinic and 4 no actinic on 2 x 40w glowmats
I like that blue well its pink from the coraline....

[Bob I]

I thought that you need actinic on the tank for the corals to grow

I realise this is an old discussion, but sunlight in tropics is 6400K at noon. Does it not make sense that if you supply full spectrum lighting things will grow :question: However, I agree that higher K lighting looks a lot better to our eyes, but I don't think corals worry about that. In other words what looks better to us is better. After all we have to look at our tanks, corals can't see anything.

[StirCrazy]

I thought that you need actinic on the tank for the corals to grow


no you don't nessasarly need actinic light for corals to grow. what you need is light in the PAR range. This is the light that causes photosynthic activity in algaes, plants, and what not. But it just so happens that what we commenly call Actinic light, falls with in this range of spectrum. basicly you need light between 380nm and 780nm, and actinic falls in around 430nm. Because water filters out red and green light befor blue DEEP water corals have adapted to using the lower end of the PAR spectrum. Now if you go in the shallow reef flats you will probably more acuratly reproduce the natural light with a 10000K. I would say even a 6500K but I feel even a few feet of water is enuf to filter out some of the red light leaving you with closer to 10000K.

if you use a full spectrum light like a 6500K bulb there is a quite large actinic conponant so you will be alright just using that alone. although it will look like some one peed in your tank :mrgreen:

My theory on spectrum is to use a good 10000k and suplement to taste with actinic.

Steve

[Bob I]

[quote=asmodeus]I thought that you need actinic on the tank for the corals to grow



My theory on spectrum is to use a good 10000k and suplement to taste with actinic.

Steve

Ok this really hurts, that is twice today I am agreeing with only a word of caution. Use the right Actinic tubes. I myself have a real problem with Coralife Actinics. I replaced my three month old Coralife 96W PC already with a CSL one. :rolleyes:

[Dorkel Marine 1]

Thanks for the input guys. I suppose my question stemmed from how I've seen tanks (J&L), where they just had the atinics on and those wonderful floureseant brains, GSP, and trumpet coral shimmer with that green luminescense. So I thought hey I want that. I also thought that maybe that was a good thing to do for coral health. Listening to the responses it seems that the atinic is as some of you put it "just for taste". My main concern is that the corals I have now continue to grow and stay healthy. I can do without the atinic if it doesn't affect my corals. I also thought that with the corals in the oceans they have a gradual reduction in light as the sun goes down. So I was going to gradually add timers to my 2 tanks on atinics to try and copy that idea. But if its not that necessary I can surely put the money elsewhere.

So if the atinic is for colour and i want about 100watts of productive lite for my corals, a good way to go would be 1x96watts of white lite and when the budget allows add on a 55watt atinic but not a coral life bulb.

What is a good atinic bulb in your guys opinion. I've read that the philips products are good.

Thanks again George

[horsehunter]

rcipema what is it that you don't like about the Coralife actinic?

That it is what I have but I have nothing else to compare it to.

Thanks Frank

[horsehunter]

rcipema what is it that you don't like about the Coralife actinic?

That it is what I have but I have nothing else to compare it to.

Thanks Frank

[Bob I]

rcipema what is it that you don't like about the Coralife actinic?

That it is what I have but I have nothing else to compare it to.

Thanks Frank

I honestly don't remember anymore. I think it just lacked brightness. I have changed it for a CSL Actinic. It is brighter, but color shift some greens to Orange. Now I am just confused. :confused: