Time to change bulbs - Need Advice

[Sunny]

Hello everyone. My bulbs that came with my T5 light fixture (Aquaticlife HO T5) are 6 months old and it is time to look for replacements.

I currently run

(4) 39W, 36 in. T5 HO Bulbs with 420/460nm output
(4) 39W, 36 in. T5 HO Bulbs with 700+nm output

I was thinking about the following two combinations. I need total 8 bulbs.


Can you guys chime in as to which one is a better combo or suggest something that you feel is better.

Two - Giesemann 39W Pure Actinic 03 T5
Two - Giesemann 39W Actinic Plus T5
Two - Ice Cap 39W 12000K Midwater
Two - ATI 39W 12000K Aquablue Special T5

OR

Two - ATI 39W Blue Plus T5
Two - ATI 39W True Actinic 03 T5 HO
Two - Ice Cap 39W 12000K Midwater
Two - Giesemann 39W 11000K Aquablue Plus T5

Also any ideas on Ice Cap 14000K Deepwater??

Thanks for looking ..

Sunny

 

[JRWOHLER]

14K Deepwater is OK. Twilight is OK too got both Icecap bulbs.
I would suggest
Two - Giesemann 39W Pure Actinic 03 T5 Great color
Two - ATI 39W Blue Plus T5 think is better then Ice Cap bulb from other reviews have not installed yet Very good par
Two - Ice Cap 39W 12000K Midwater(or UVL equivelent they are same bulb) or ATI Aqua Blue SP Good par
Two - Ice Cap 39W 10000K or UVL aquasun. Super good par.

 

[pgordemer]

This is very close to a 14K look. I use this in my 8 bulb T5 unit.

ATI Blue Plus
UVL Actinic White
ATI Blue Plus
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Actinic White
ATI Blue Plus or ATI Aquablue for a more white look
ATI Blue Plus

 

[Sunny]

Thanks for the replies. I cannot put 8 bulbs one after another. I have a 8 bulb fixture (3 feet bulbs).

The are in 2X4 formation. How can I arrange that???

 

[JRWOHLER]

Giesemann 39W Pure Actinic ATI 39W Blue Plus
Ice Cap 39W 12000K Midwater UVL aquasun
ATI 39W Blue Plus Giesemann 39W Pure Actinic
UVL aquasun Ice Cap 39W 12000K Midwater

Something like that?

 

[Sunny]

James

Yes something like that. However I am limited to 8, 3 feet bulbs in the fixture. I am also planning to add another SLIM Current USA T5 fixture with 2 4 feet bulbs. SO I will have 10 bulbs in all ;D.
On a 150 G it will be good to have.

Now, I know I can buy these online. Do we know of a LFS that stocks ATI bulbs?

 

[Audi0s]

I know manhattan aquariums does, they had some larger bulbs too. I cant say enough good things about the blue plus. It made a huge difference on the Nova Extreme I had, and even more when I upgraded to ATI. Great pop from the corals.

 

[JRWOHLER]

AO stocks them. FYI I would use some of your old bulbs for a few more months. Generally I rotate half my bulbs every 6 months.

 

[Sunny]

I was able to pick some up from TBAQUATICS (Brian) tis evening. I changed all of them for now.
I definitely see a difference with the dusk/dawn light-up (actinic and ATI blue plus). Will se how it looks in the morning with all the bulbs turned on....

 

[Sunny]

Here is an update so far.

I only have 2 ATI blue plus and 2 Griesmann Pure Actinics on (dawn) right now. I see a lot of pink/red. It looks like the corlaine on the back glass is suddenly VERY pink.
Is this normal for these bulbs??

 

[Audi0s]

Yea, my coraline goes very pink. My purplish/pink black cap basslet almost goes blue under them.

 

[JRWOHLER]

Coraline tends to change a bit by the color of the lights it is under.