Best color from T5 actinic?

therman · #1 01/07/2008, 03:41 PM

I just installed some UV Lighting super actinics and I'm not too impressed with the fluorescence from the corals. I'll keep these for their usable life, since they are mostly for aesthetics. Does anyone know another t5 bulb that they are happier with the colors from?

Thanks,
Tim

nightOwl · #2 01/07/2008, 03:52 PM

Hey Tim,
I had T5 actinics and switched them out after feeling the same way. The UV Lighting super actinics VHO IMO are a better way to go in terms of having your corals "pop" under the actinic. With the VHO the corals seem to "glow". It took a friend coming over and letting me test drive the VHO actinics to see the difference. Once I saw it on my radioactive dragon eyes I was sold.

Hope that helps

therman · #3 01/07/2008, 03:56 PM

hmm...I used to have VHOs and these don't live up to them, or royal blue LEDs for color. These remind me of the old PC actinics that werent very popular.

With the number of different t5 brands out there hopefully someone will have an option that is better.

nightOwl · #4 01/07/2008, 04:06 PM

Tim,
I think you might find that no matter what the T5 brand is they are not going to live up to the VHO super actinics. I tried three brands and they just don't come close to the actinic look from VHO. I tried Aqua Medic - Actinic (stay as far away from these as you can), Giesemann - Pure Actinic, and UV Lighting - Actinic.

Good luck

Snarlax · #5 01/07/2008, 05:07 PM

I don't understand why VHO actinics are so much better than T5 actinics as well. UV uses the same spectral formula in their T5 super-actinics as they do in their famous VHO lamp.

Perhaps intensity is the problem with T5 actinics? Can anyone elaborate on this?

Haxer · #6 01/07/2008, 05:47 PM

ANybody care to share the best PC antic bulb , i have 3 32w pc's now . I was just thinking of upgrading to T5's . Would their be a diffrence? I am also running 2 250w mh 10,000k Ushios on a 72 gal bowfront.

dsanfilippo · #7 01/07/2008, 06:50 PM

What would you guys say is the best VHO actinic bulb for color then...I was thinking of switching from my VHO actinics to T5 actinics, with my 250 W halides, but it sounds like I should stick with what I have...

flyguy7150 · #8 01/07/2008, 06:55 PM

I switched out my PC actinics, now for dawn dusk im using an actinic+/UVL superactinic t5s, and i love the colors much more. For me they seem to be more fluorescent... Here's a pic...

therman · #9 01/07/2008, 07:11 PM

Honestly I think the t5s probably give more fluorescence than the PC, but not as much as the UVL VHO actinics I used to run. The t5s seem to be an odd spectrum, such that certain greens fluoresce (the more "mint" greens if that makes sense) and others dont very much (the "bright" greens...like pokerstar/sunset polyps and glove polyp centers). I have a sunset monti that looks dull under the t5s, but bright under my ushio 10k. Go figure.