What bulb combo is best?
 

I have a 12 bulb T5HO fixture and dont know what bulb combonation i should go with.

I like the bluer look but I want everything to grow like crazy, the tank is full of LPS like blastos, acans, hammers, torchs, and small clams as well. There is a small peice of birds nest and some softies like mushrooms and gsp. I also have one medium corgie finger and some black sun polyps.

What would all of you guys do for a bulb combination?

I love the ati bulbs, so im gonna say 5 blue pluse, 5 aqua blue specials and 2 uri attinic. this will give you alot of par with a crisp blueish effect.

Thanks Starry, correct me if I'm wrong but I thought that daylight in like 10-12k was a must have for corals?

Lastly does anyone have an opinion on wave point bulbs?

Kind of depends on your tank size and depth (mostly depth), but nothing that you listed here requires tons of light. Go as blue as you want. I like the KZ line... maybe 5-6 Super Blues, 4-5 New Gen, and 2 Fiji Purple. This will be a really blue look. If you go SPS down the road, lean more towards the 4-5 Super Blues, 5-6 New Gen, and 2 Fiji Purple.

I just remembered... you have clams, but they should be fine with the first combo.

I would go with 4 blue plus, 4 aquablue special, 2 purple plus and 2 URI Super Actinic.

BTW - Aquablue special is your 10-12K daylight bulb

i would do this front to back;

Blue Plus
Aquablue Special
Purple Plus
Super Actinic (or whever your sunrise/sundown slot is)
Blue plus
Aquablue Special
Blue Plus
Aquablue Special
Super Actinic (or whever your sunrise/sundown slot is)
Purple Plus
Blue Plus
Aquablue Special

If you have the ability to run only two bulbs while the remaining stay off then the 2 actinics may be worth while, otherwise they will just get drowned out.

This my vote:

BACK
12-15K (Blue special or similar)
22K (blue + or whatever)
FIJI Purple or similar
12-15K (Blue special or similar)
22K (blue + or whatever)
12-15K (Blue special or similar)
FIJI Purple or similar
22K (blue + or whatever)
12-15K (Blue special or similar)
22K (blue + or whatever)
FRONT

Personally wouldn't bother with 10K or daylight bulbs. Keep things fairly simple to begin with and experiment with new bulbs as time goes on.

I use the following ratio

2 kz superblue : 1 KZ fiji purple : 1 kz New genreation 14K

my lps chalices and acans look shmexy

I always have my SPS under at least 14K

The tank is 2 feet deep by 3 feet long and 3 feet wide. as for the light I have 4 ways of controlling it through 4 switches

BACK
1 Switch 1 Dusk/Dawn
2 Switch 2 Daylights
3 Switch 2 Daylights
4 Switch 2 Daylights
5 Switch 2 Daylights
6 Switch 1 Dusk/Dawn
7 Switch 3 Dusk/Dawn
8 Switch 4 Daylights
9 Switch 4 Daylights
10 Switch 4 Daylights
11 Switch 4 Daylights
12 Switch 3 Dusk/Dawn
FRONT

If you like blue use kz super blue. Much nicer than any ati blue bulb. Bluer and the same par. In my four bulb combo I run 2 super blue, dusk and then a kz fiji purple. I picked up an aqua science duo that is wonderful. More of a 15 k bulb. With this combo the tank is bluish white and very crisp. I believe the super blues are about 17k if I am not mistaken but have a par of about 330. Fiji purple also has a par in that range.