T5 supplementation?

kylie d · 10/01/2009, 01:39 PM

Hello. I'm planning a 40g breeder (36x18x16) and doing retrofit for the first time. I'm going to order 2x150 watt MH 15K retro kit. What type of T5 supplementation should I put with that? I like how you can have actinic and white lights simulate sunrise/sunset sorta. And dont actinics bring out more color in corals too?

Either way, what type and what wattage of T5's should I put with my 2x150 MH?

Zestay · 10/01/2009, 02:30 PM

theres not a right or wrong answer here in bulb selection,
you could do

2x 39 watt with indivudal reflectors..
with either ATI blue plus or
UVL super actinics.

or probably 2x24 watt if you wanted to save space and watts, however i would go with the 2x39.

however!
i think you need to do some measuring. most halide reflectors that are decent will almost cover a 40 gallon breeder with out leaving space in your canopy for t5 bulbs.

hope this helps

redfishsc · 10/01/2009, 04:16 PM

Blues and actinics will definitely bring out the color.

The ATI Blue+ is IMO the best "blue" bulb out there and puts out a considerable amount of light that is useable by the coral.

Actinics, like the UVL Super Actinic and Giesemann Pure Actinic put out MUCH less useable light than the blues, and have a violet color to them, but NOTHING makes coral colors pop and flouresce better than an actinic (the fat tube VHO actinics are actually the best looking but T5's will do it well also).

Personally since you already have a ton of light from the halides, I would use two Giesemann Pure Actinics, or one Pure Actinic and one KZ Fiji Purple, which is a blue/red combo bulb. I use a Fiji Purple in my T5 setup and it's fantastic. The Giesemann Pure Actinic is considered by some to be the best looking actinic for T5's but also one of the lowest useable light producers among our selections.

lordofthereef · 10/01/2009, 07:16 PM

You are already going to have quite a bit of light with two 150w MH over that size tank. What are you looking at keeping?

10/01/2009, 01:39 PM	#1
kylie d Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 108	T5 supplementation? Hello. I'm planning a 40g breeder (36x18x16) and doing retrofit for the first time. I'm going to order 2x150 watt MH 15K retro kit. What type of T5 supplementation should I put with that? I like how you can have actinic and white lights simulate sunrise/sunset sorta. And dont actinics bring out more color in corals too? Either way, what type and what wattage of T5's should I put with my 2x150 MH?

10/01/2009, 04:16 PM	#3
redfishsc Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Wake Forest, NC Posts: 3,696	Blues and actinics will definitely bring out the color. The ATI Blue+ is IMO the best "blue" bulb out there and puts out a considerable amount of light that is useable by the coral. Actinics, like the UVL Super Actinic and Giesemann Pure Actinic put out MUCH less useable light than the blues, and have a violet color to them, but NOTHING makes coral colors pop and flouresce better than an actinic (the fat tube VHO actinics are actually the best looking but T5's will do it well also). Personally since you already have a ton of light from the halides, I would use two Giesemann Pure Actinics, or one Pure Actinic and one KZ Fiji Purple, which is a blue/red combo bulb. I use a Fiji Purple in my T5 setup and it's fantastic. The Giesemann Pure Actinic is considered by some to be the best looking actinic for T5's but also one of the lowest useable light producers among our selections. __________________ "The measure of a life is not its duration but its donation." Corrie Ten Boom “The tyrant dies and his rule is over, the martyr dies and his rule begins” -- Søren Kierkegaard Current Tank Info: ghetto grad school reef.....11g rimless tank, 36X9X9, lit by Cree and Rebels scobbled together. Stocked mostly with free stuff I got from panhandling my fellow reefers.

10/01/2009, 02:30 PM	#2
Zestay Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: gainesville, FL Posts: 1,622	theres not a right or wrong answer here in bulb selection, you could do 2x 39 watt with indivudal reflectors.. with either ATI blue plus or UVL super actinics. or probably 2x24 watt if you wanted to save space and watts, however i would go with the 2x39. however! i think you need to do some measuring. most halide reflectors that are decent will almost cover a 40 gallon breeder with out leaving space in your canopy for t5 bulbs. hope this helps

10/01/2009, 07:16 PM	#4
lordofthereef One reef to rule them all Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Leominster, MA Posts: 5,299	You are already going to have quite a bit of light with two 150w MH over that size tank. What are you looking at keeping?