Want to add Actinic Supplement, what's a good choice?

[Kinetic]

I have a frag tank that I recently swapped out a AB 20K 250watt HQI with a Phoenix 14K 250watt HQI.

I know the PHeonix 14K is basically like a 20K, but for some reason I'm getting a lot more growth but losing some of the color that I was getting before.

I had a brown colony that went tri color on me with the AB 20K, but now is back to it's old brown ways...

Growth is great with the Phoenix though, which is why I don't want to change it.

This is for my frag tank in the basement, so I was just gonna do a ghetto retrofit of some sort, maybe even place tubes across the top.

The tank is a 40g breeder, so it's 36" across.

Should I go for some T5 actinic lamps? PC?

[delsol650]

MOst people with MH's use T5s or some type of overdriven bulbs

[Kinetic]

yeah, I think I'm going with T5's, but I know there's Actinic 03, Super Actinic, etc...

and was wondering if anyone with specific retrofit kits could recommend one.

[delsol650]

http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5_Fluorescent/Sunlight_Supply/Tek_2_Retrofit_Kits/

http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5_Fluorescent/IceCap/SLR_Retrofit_Kits/

[jkreefer]

Deffinetly the ATI Blue plus. Way better than any actinic you will buy. Do a search and you will find others that will agree

[rommelgin]

Have you considered VHO's? I could be wrong but dont they give more 'color pop' than t5's?

[delsol650]

I use those too on my Tek System

I was referring to Overdriven VHO's as well as in regards to the other bubls...

[rommelgin]

Charles, how noticeable is the difference with the vho's and t5's? Sorry kinetic, i dont mean to jack your thread.

[Kinetic]

no problem, i'm interested as well =)

[northbay-reefer]

VHO if you can, but if you go T5 then use the ATI blue plus

[maxdout]

ive got a 40b with uri super act vho and love it. its on a arro ballast right now but i'm saving for a IC ballast which would put out even more blue ;)

[tuberider]

If you're going to lay them on the tank "Ghetto" style, I'd go with VHO you don't have to worry about cleaning a reflector. I personally feel there is not a T5 bulb out there for T5 that can beat the UV actinic for the beloved "pop" (I hate that word for some reason).

[Kinetic]

thanks for the recommendations / suggestions guys =)

I'll go do some detailed research on the options. And yeah, I might do it "Ghetto" style since it's just a prop tank in the basement.