Advice on lighting combo?

I bought a used fixture that has 4 54watt t5 bulbs. I have no clue how old the bulbs are so I'm assuming it is a good idea to just replace right?

Right now there are 2 actinic plus and 2 10000k bulbs, is this an ideal combo? Right now only have a few colonies of zoas but I'd like to begin stocking on coral not to sure yet what I want to keep.

Should I change my combo? Also, are there any good places to buy lights online ?

 

Yes, better safe than sorry.

That is the most common combo. I would replace the 10ks with some Geissman Aquablues though. they pack more punch than most 10k bulbs, so you should get some extra growth.

 

reefgeek.com or aquariumspecialty.com

I would suggest changing them if you do not know how old they are. ATI is probably the most popular brand for its high PAR values and color spectrums. I would recommend 2 ATI Blue Plus, ATI purple plus, and an ATI 12k.

 

Buy 2 ATI Blue Plus or Geisemann Actinic+, 1 ATI Aquablue Special or Giesemann 11000K, and 1 ATI Purple Plus or KZ Fiji Purple. You will want to put any LPS on the sand and bottom rocks and quite possibly under some shade. Put plating and encrusting corals in the middle to lower portions of the tank. You should be able to keep any light needing animal you want.

 

Bulbs aren't the only factor when deciding what type of corals can be grown and placed where. We don't even know what kind of fixture he has. Reflectors and ballasts make a big difference from fixture to fixture.

 

We also don't know how deep his tank is. If your tank is 4ft deep u should prob not keep coral on the sandbed with 4 t5s

Sent from my SPH-M900 using Tapatalk

 

I agree guys, but I think he has a tank that is less than 24' deep.
Hopefully he will help us out here.

 

It's a 72 gallon bowfront so I think it's 18" deep and it's and aquatic life fixture 4 bulbs http://www.aquaticlife.com/t5ho/index.html


He's also a she =-P

 

Yea, thats a decent light. I also have a 72 with a four bulb fixture...I now agree with 2in10's previous statement. You should be able to grow almost anything you want with proper placement.

 

I have a four bulb t5 retrofit kit in a canopy with individual reflectors. From front to back I run:

ATI Pure Actinic
Fiji Purple
Blue Plus
Aqua Blue Special

I love the final color. It's not too blue and the red, green, and orange pop with the actinic and purple bulb combo while providing a good spectrum for my sps growth with the blue plus and aqua blue special.