Are actinics a must?

[antonsemrad]

Umm, 10k, and 6.5k bulbs have LOADS of actinic in them already.
If you look here You can see that there is plenty of 420nm (actinic) spectra in the white/yelow bulbs.

The fact of the matter is, plain actinic bulbs give less light per watt than other (warmer) specrta bulbs.

No actinics are not a "must". They are mainly just for aestetics.

I think that is is very true. A 10k (floresent) bulb will give more usable light (par) than an actinic, and still have plenty of actinic spectra in it already.

As for algae growth, Yes algae are better suited to the warmer spectra. But algae growth is normal on the reef, and is better controlled with nutrient manegment, and grazing(!), as opposed to light spectra.

Anyway my $.02

Ant

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

Originally posted by antonsemrad
Umm, 10k, and 6.5k bulbs have LOADS of actinic in them already.

I think that is is very true. A 10k (floresent) bulb will give more usable light (par) than an actinic, and still have plenty of actinic spectra in it already.

but still not enough to give the 'pop'....which is key in bringing out the looks of corals...which is important to me

[DrBDC]

Just to throw a monkey wrench in here, I know a local frag farmer who's frag tanks are the most colorful tanks I've ever seen. They make Iwan's(sp?) look like washed out pastels compared to the bold colorful frags he grows. BTW that's no dig on Iwans as I could only dream of having a tank that nice. But all he runs is vho actinic whites and actinic blues. I'm not sure of the growth speeds he gets but if it were too slow I imagine he wouldn't be able to provide the half dozen stores with to many corals. So obviously actinic CAN and DO stimulate growth as well as coloring.

The only problem I've seen with this is that whenever I get one of those frags, it looks beautiful in my tank for about 3 weeks as it slowly loses color. They turn not quite brown but a washed out "non color". Almost like skimmate when you collect it really wet. Then over the next 6-9 months after losing the color it slowly comes back to original, or close as it started.

On T5 actinic, I'm really really really (did I mention really )disappointed. I've found 2- 48" geisman(sp?) actinic t5ho's to be no more, if not less colorful than when I had 4X55 pc true actinic. More lumens for sure, but no more florescence. I just bought some vho ballasts and am going to go back to old school vho actinic. You can put those on Iwasaki 6500K bulbs and still have colors pop!

[iamwhatiam52]

Should the question here be "are halides a must"?

[JPMagyar]

Are actinics a must?

Ask a silly question get a silly answer . . .

Keep in mind - all that I might say is intended in the lightest of jest -

The answer is - drum roll please - NO.


BUT I used:

1000 watt 20k
1000 watt 10k
1000 watt 65k
400 watt 20k
400 watt 14k
400 watt 10k
250 watt 20k
250 watt 10k
150 watt HQI 20k
150 watt HQI 10k
VHO 10k
VHO actinic
Power Compact 10k
Power Compact actinic
T5 actinic

before I came to a final conclusion.

(Check here for my thread on 1000 watt bulb comparisons.)


My personal opinion is that the best coloration in an SPS dominated tank comes from a combination of actinic VHO with 10k MH. That's what Steve Weast uses and that's what My Tank uses today. Of course, that is highly subjective, but I believe if you look back at the last 20 tanks of the month and examine the most colorful SPS dominated tanks you will find the great majority use VHO or T5 actinic.


HTH ,

Joe