Actinic lighting

[fishtk75]

I got a new current nova T5 lighting for my 75 gal. Now I have on my 120 gal are 2-250watt with 2 -110 t12 48" VHO UVL actinics. I see the T5 Actinics are blue in color and the T12 are purple in color. Question is blue or purple color better for coral? Asking as see more colors to pick now.

 

[SnowManSnow]

there are a LOT of t5 and a LOT (albeit fewer) of VHO actinic options. What brand and temp (k rating) are your halides? Also, and I'm sure you probably know this, but t5 and vho are 2 totally different SIZED lamps. If you have t12 sockets, you'll have to continue to use t12 lamps --- unless you do some surgery on your lighting system---

B

 

[Anonymous]

....T5 Actinics are blue in color and the T12 are purple in color. Question is blue or purple color better for coral?

Makes no difference, Actinic supplementation (Blue/Purple) does very little as far as Photosynthesis is concerned, it makes the colors on your corals/fish to "look" better.

Read this month's Advanced Aquarist Magazine for a good article by Dana Riddle on the subject.

Another goodie by Dana Lighting the Reef Aquarium - Spectrum or Intensity?

 

[fishtk75]

there are a LOT of t5 and a LOT (albeit fewer) of VHO actinic options. What brand and temp (k rating) are your halides? Also, and I'm sure you probably know this, but t5 and vho are 2 totally different SIZED lamps. If you have t12 sockets, you'll have to continue to use t12 lamps --- unless you do some surgery on your lighting system---

B

250w 14000K BlueLine MH Lamps. That is hoping someone know about Ice Cap 430 if I can run two T5 54 on it and as you said I will change the sockets.
I need to know about the ballast and T5's.

 

[Ben1]

People use Ice cap 430s and 660's to overdrive T5's all the time. What wattage T5's are you looking at?

 

[SnowManSnow]

i guess they would be 54w at 48" wouldn't they?

 

[Ben1]

yeah 48"ers are 54 watts, but on ice caps I have heard they are overdriven to 80watts. They also run hotter and, IMO this means a shorter life span unless you are cooling them with a fan. FWIW I havent found a T5 actinic I am very happy with. I perfered my old VHO actinic, not saying I would go back to VHO becuase I don't really care about actinic lighting.