T5's for the most eye popping color?
- Thread starter xcaret
- Start date
sfsuphysics
Supporting Member
I really like the ATi Blue plus bulb, it's actually very bright for being a blue bulb and will accent halides.
Also a nice one is the UVL Super Actinic. While no where as bright as the ATi, it gives that more traditional "purple" actinic look, and does cause a different level of fluorescence than blues. What you could do, what I did
, was simply do 2 & 2 and have 2 ballasts and have an initial ramp up in intensity then eventually ramp down... i.e. actinics, then blues, then halides, then halides off, then blues off, then actinics off.
Also a nice one is the UVL Super Actinic. While no where as bright as the ATi, it gives that more traditional "purple" actinic look, and does cause a different level of fluorescence than blues. What you could do, what I did
, was simply do 2 & 2 and have 2 ballasts and have an initial ramp up in intensity then eventually ramp down... i.e. actinics, then blues, then halides, then halides off, then blues off, then actinics off.
CookieJar
Guest
sfsuphysics said:I really like the ATi Blue plus bulb, it's actually very bright for being a blue bulb and will accent halides.
Also a nice one is the UVL Super Actinic. While no where as bright as the ATi, it gives that more traditional "purple" actinic look, and does cause a different level of fluorescence than blues. What you could do, what I did
+1
I run 3 ATI Blue + and 1 UVL actinic (no halide) and colors really pop, but you had better like the blue look since it's very blue.
northbay-reefer
Guest
+1 on ATI blue+
xcaret
Guest
I fired the T5's today and man they are bright, I used one Icecap, old 660 but it's bad, have to send it ti IC for service so I had to borrow my brother's. One of the T5's is an ATI Blue+ the other ones I think TRU? can't really tell, branding is almost gone. The ATI is BRIGHT+blue and I think one of them is URI/UVL Actinic, it has the golden metal caps.
I was thinking the regular T5 ballasts to run them by pairs to slowly increase or try to mimic sunrise/sunset as Mike states but since the IC overdrives the bulbs I want to see it first hand.
I have to say that today while looking for the harness for the IC I spent almost four hours looking for it, all the time it was where I left it but did not care to really look; in the sump. Then I got mad because the ballast does not fire, must have a short because couple bulbs fire and immediately shuts off.
Today I drained the tank after a few days of testing it for leaks around the bulkheads; no leaks so now to put together the PVC drains and return.
Anyone have input on KZ Fiji Purple?
Thx
I was thinking the regular T5 ballasts to run them by pairs to slowly increase or try to mimic sunrise/sunset as Mike states but since the IC overdrives the bulbs I want to see it first hand.
I have to say that today while looking for the harness for the IC I spent almost four hours looking for it, all the time it was where I left it but did not care to really look; in the sump. Then I got mad because the ballast does not fire, must have a short because couple bulbs fire and immediately shuts off.
Today I drained the tank after a few days of testing it for leaks around the bulkheads; no leaks so now to put together the PVC drains and return.
Anyone have input on KZ Fiji Purple?
Thx
CookieJar
Guest
I had the Fiji Purple along with 2 ATI Blue + and 1 UVL Super actinic. i'll preface my opinion with that I'm partially color blind, so YMMV, anyway, I found that the Fiji purple made it a lighter color temp than with 3 ATI Blue + & ULV Super actinic, but not as light (i.e. low color temp) as when I had 1 Aquasun, 1 ATI Blue + & UVL Super actinic. the Fiji brought out the reds a bit more, if I recall correctly. Hope someone else chimes in for you. I know Robert @ Neptune told me he doesn't use the Fiji's since they get overpowered by the other bulbs and they're more expensive.