T5HOs

Hey guys I'm in the market for new bulbs. I have fish right now but in September I want to start corals. My tank is a 75 and I have a six bulb fixture. I wanted to know what colors should be great for a beginner like myself.

Sorry for my absence by the way. Been very busy!

I'm watching this cause i need to replace 6 of mine too!

What kind of look do you like? Do you want it more white or blue?

I would do at least 1 actinic and then the rest will depend on the color you want. Blue+ gives a nice 14k-20k look and has pretty good PAR. Aquablue special give a 12k look but ive never seen them on a tank in person. The 10k ones are too white for my taste, better suited for a planted or fish only tank IMO.

I like the blue look better. Should I put any purples in?

skip the purples - they are fun to try, but I really don't think they add much - especially if you are someone who prefers a "bluer" look ... in my opinion

I'm with joanne.....skip the purple have you looked anywhere yet? ebay? Premium Aquatics?

and..........welcome back!

Saltcreep tried one purple and it looked funky. RCA just tried one too and quickly changed his mind. If you like the blue look then i would use one or two actinic bulbs and the rest blue+. That will give you a 14k-20k look and nice PAR

Thanks everyone. Barb it's good to be back. Been workin too much and doin all that summer stuff.

Ya already found this thread I made for ya But I thought I'd throw it here too for reference

T5s and choosing bulb combos based on PAR - Where to start

In the end - pick the colors that make you happy - and that make your corals glow!!! hehe the more they glow the more awesome a reefkeeper all your non fish nerd friends think you are

Haha! My boss just bought a already establishes reef tank from a guy in PA. It lookes great even after the three hour ride. I was instantly jelious. But then I remembered everything in that tank wasn't his, well it is now but it isn't. Even though this hobby is expensive and hard at times everyone else you see that has a beautiful tank makes you want to keep going and appreciate what you have, and look forward to what it will become.

yeah, i really disliked the purple plus. but that being said...

I really dig my UVL True Actinic which is a slightly purple bulb. it blends in very nicely with my actinics and I really enjoy the touch of color it gives without being too red. The red spectrum in the purple plus bulbs is what is displeasing to our eyes IMO.

I went with the 2 stock actinics, 1 blue plus, 1 uvl super actinic in a 4 bulb setup and it's very blue. It was intended to supplement my 14k halides.