Want more actinic. Actinic+ or Pure Actinic?

[Hog Head]

I need to build a hood and I want more blue in my light. I really like the growth I am getting out of the 10k Ushios so I was thinking about building in some T5's or VHO's into the hood. I know alot of you guys like the 14k-20k range but the growth I have gotten out of my acro in the last 6 months blows me away unless that is normal and I am just new to sps. I don't know much about the VHO's except they are larger than the T5's. Ialso don't know much about the Pure Actinic except that it is more of a purple and it would be washed out a little by the MH's when they are on. Any recommendations or preferences?

 

Here are a couple of pics showing the growth with the 10k bulbs.

 

February, a few pieces of acro on the right plus a small BN you can hardly see.

 

August, same location and all growth. No new additions.

 

Is that normal growth pattern for acro?

[ReeFit]

The pure gives u more pop. The plus has better growth combination. I personally run both pure and plus. I also have vho. U get a bit more power out of them but they are not worth it if u can do t5s

[CA2OR]

Re: Want more actinic. Actinic+ or Pure Actinic?

 

You can do what I am doing and go all LED for actinics. I am pulling my PC's out of my fixture and installing LED's.....NOTHING pops like LED

 

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[Mandinga]

that is some serious growth...stick with the 10k's if you want crazy growth...If you add pure actinic T5's you will really like the look, you will get better color, and you will maintain the same growth.

[impur]

I have a pure and + actinic and IMO its a great combo. Really makes colors pop.

[Jay]

Call me old fashond but I like the looks of 110 watts URI superactinic plus 14k 250 watt halide....like xm or radium. The t5 fixtures just dont make em pop like the vho. But that was back 3 years ago when t5s had flooded the market.

 

J

[grassi]

How can you clean that giant glass with that little magnet? lol

Nice tank! Do you have close ups of the right side?

[Smann]

Congrats on going for growth over "looks" and yes thats normal with 10k. If you have room to mix them up and add a 12k with the T5's in the evening you'll like the view. I'm going with 10k 400w during the day and 12k 250w evening with T5 aqua blue/actinic cycling until lights out. You wont notice much change with T5's when the 10k's are on they're just to bright.

 

I'm going to edit my response, dont change anything, whatever you are doing its right on, lights and water. A T5 or VHO in the evening probably wont hurt/change anything

 

Cool, about time........Just say NO to "blue"

[Hog Head]

How can you clean that giant glass with that little magnet? lol

Nice tank! Do you have close ups of the right side?

 

Too funny its a feeding clip.

 

Here's the right side.

[finch6013]

the uvl super actinics are very similar in color to the tried and true super actinic VHO bulbs.

[WAVES]

Get a Maristar 2 in a few months, double the T5's

[Hog Head]

Get a Maristar 2 in a few months' date=' double the T5's[/quote']

 

The Maristar I have is less than a year old. My wife would kill me if I upgraded it already. It would also be way cheaper to just add some more T5's.