Which Combo for the best Corals???

[Strickland_673]

In have a hagen GLO 2X24W,

and I have

Giesemann:
1 X AquaBlue + = 60% Actinic 40% combination (15000K)

2 X Actinic + = peaks at 450nm (22000K)

but i only have room for 2 bulbs, should i do one of each or 2 actinic +, tank is 15" deep and i would like corals at some point. i know i wont be able to have all corals, but thats down the road.

Thanks Again

[Myka]

If you have optimum flow and pristine water conditions you can easily get away with less than optimal lighting and still have great looking corals. If you keep that in mind, and you do a good job you will be able to keep some SPS corals with your light setup.

To get the most out of your light fixture though, keep in mind that 10,000K white bulbs (in general) have highest PAR, then 20,000K blue, blue plus (blue plus actinic), then actinic. Brand of bulb also makes a big difference. After running Giesemann bulbs years ago, I have switched brands many times, and am no longer a fan of Giesemann T5s. There are better bulbs out there for the same cost.

If you're really into the actinic look consider either a UVL Super Actinic which has low PAR, but unusually high PUR in comparison or a UVL 454 which is my new favourite "blue plus". ATI makes a nice blue plus with one of the highest PAR values, but they are pricey.

Korallen Zucht Coral Light 10,000K would be my favourite white bulb, and the KZ Coral Light II 14,000K would be my favourite bulb to use for a semi-white bulb. The KZ bulbs are also pricey.

I am not a fan of the AquaScience bulbs; although they are quite popular I find they don't hold their color very long at all. I have a 3 month old AS 22,000K that has faded to be whiter than a Hagen 18,000K bulb with almost 18 months on it! The AS started out much bluer than the Hagen.

So long story short, of the bulbs you listed I would suggest you use one of each, but when the time comes to replace bulbs in 8 months you may want to consider switching to different brands and spectrum.

FYI, I have the same fixture over a Zoa tank where the bulbs are about 17" from the sand (15" of water), and I can grow all the SPS I want in there provided they are placed high up in the tank. I use this tank as a QT for SPS since newly acquired SPS won't infect Zoas with any disease or parasite they may be carrying. I keep the SPS on a rack at the water surface placed as high as possible without the corals coming out of the water. Some of these are very high light Acroporas, and they do quite well in this tank considering it is far from ideal for them.