Actinic Bulbs Needed???

cashman95 · #1 11/01/2007, 08:20 PM

Hi I have two 250 watt HQI Pheonix 14k's in Lumenarc Mini reflectors, driven by Icecap ballast. My tank is 75 gallons with a height of 18". I have mostly SPS with a few LPS and Zoanthids.

I need to know if having Actinic Flourescent supplement is needed. Do the corals thrive better or is it mostly for OUR eye pleasure. I am thinking about going with a T-5 retro kit from Reefgeek. It has SLR reflectors, and using the URI/ULV super actinic 54 watt bulbs.

I have pendants for my MH bulbs now, and dont really want to have to add T-5's if its not needed.

Please help me out.

Thanks

drock59 · #2 11/01/2007, 08:40 PM

I run actinic with those bulbs but I think this is just a matter of personal preference.

reefer1024 · #3 11/01/2007, 08:55 PM

Actinics are just for looks.

ReefJunkieOK · #4 11/01/2007, 09:06 PM

Actinics can be beneficial to the coral. It is not just for looks. I will try to dig up the study that I’m citing…but the gist is that yes, actinic light is quite specific. But there are types of chlorophyll that can benefit from this spectrum.

jjmcat · #5 11/01/2007, 09:21 PM

Is it the 420 to 460nm blue chlorophyll absorption?

ReefJunkieOK · #6 11/01/2007, 10:10 PM

I'm not sure. It was part of Steve Tyree's presentation at CRASE.

jjmcat · #7 11/01/2007, 10:14 PM

I didnt get a chance to see it.

Scuba Dog · #8 11/01/2007, 10:46 PM

I always liked actinics for dusk/dawn effect.

Flyfisherman · #9 11/02/2007, 07:12 AM

FWIW - I had almost tank crash with small fire that burned out all my connections including on my HQI lamps. I had no MH on my coral for 2 weeks while I waited for a new fixture. My old PC connection with 2x96 actinic bulbs was all I had on them. Most survived and they appeared to be sucking in what they could from the actinics. Also, I've had tanks setup with mainly actinics and a MH pendant on one side of the tank. My low light side, where I would xenia and whatever else I wanted to slow growth would still thrive. Those Xenias ended up crawling up the side of the glass to get closer to the light but they were pulsing and appeared to be grabbing light.

dots · #10 11/02/2007, 08:47 AM

Older bulbs like PCs, and other fluorescent were not "full spectrum", it was necessary to have them to "supplement" the spectrum in the blue part of the range at about 460nm.

Most, if not all MHs especially DEs are full spectrum now and most still use the to help "blue" up yellow bulbs and have the ability for dawn/dusk effect.

Purests still believe the VHO actinic produces the best coloration.

They don't hurt, but yours are blue enough and not needed.

cashman95 · #11 11/02/2007, 04:12 PM

So adding Actinic wont help color my SPS up to that Brilliant look that I am desiring?

I have a friend that has all T-5 bulbs 6 on a 75gal and his SPS LPS Softs are amazing! I wish I could do that! My SPS are OK but nothing like his? We for the most part have the same setup, and use about the same additives....?

twon8 · #12 11/02/2007, 04:18 PM

i stopped running actinics on one tank 6 months ago and the other two years ago. haven't looked back.

dots · #13 11/02/2007, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cashman95
So adding Actinic wont help color my SPS up to that Brilliant look that I am desiring?

If there was one bulb that delivered all that, we all would be using it.

As far as the differences in your tank and you friends, SPS can be very finicky and different from colony to colony, specie to specie, tank to tank. Just because you have the same volume of water and dump the same stuff in, does not corelate into the same results. There are a lot of factors, both known and unknown to the hobby that effect it.

Comparing your tank to your friends will either cause you to go crazy wondering why yours is less than, or place you on a pedestal of "false" success only to fall hard and fast.

Make your tank the best it can uniquely be and try not to compete with others, it will only frustrate you in the end.

With Actinics, you will be able to see a different portrayal of your tank when only they are on. Most coral flourese under actinics, not normally seen under "daylight" conditions.

cashman95 · #14 11/02/2007, 06:48 PM

Dots, Thats probably the best piece of advice that I have heard in a long time. Esp. in the reef tank world! Sometimes you just have to stand back and let in soak in.

Thanks so much, and I MEAN IT!!!!

People and wisdom like dots are what I consider to be some of the best qualitys of this hobby!!! Again Thank You!

jjmcat · #15 11/02/2007, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by twon8
i stopped running actinics on one tank 6 months ago and the other two years ago. haven't looked back.

Same here.

dots · #16 11/02/2007, 10:44 PM

Stop please, your making me blush!! .

I'm just trying to help as others have and do help me, just remember to pay it forward.

skey44 · #17 11/03/2007, 05:56 PM

Cash
I'm thinking just let it roll and it'll come around. I wanna come check your tank out and do some trading with the "greenville 3" sometime.
I don't run actinic pipes with my 20k Radium halides and i've been really satisfied with the colors of the corals and the growth rates, but sometimes desire a little more red to pull out another visible spectrum (pink-red warmth possibly pro-color) or a dawn dusk effect. Scott's tank is looking awesome and he has really made me rethink alot of the tinkering/obsessing I do over my tank bc he pretty much just lets it go... for an sps tank.
Scott