bulb setup

at the moment i have 4 actinic blues i turn on an hour bfore and after main lights MH. i want to put a purple bulb in. my question is what other types of bulbs would be good for morning, day, dust time? i figured keeping actinic blues what k dont know and the purple. ill probably leave the t5s on all day including my MH.

 

Well I know the ATI purple+ bulb is actually a full spectrum bulb. It's fairly bright and highlights the reds and pinks in your tank.

For more of a dawn/dusk approach, I would think that some Blue+ bulbs would mix well with your actinic bulbs.

 

If you have the control, use 2 pure actinics for start and end then have a purple plus and a blue bulb 1/2 to 1 hour later and earlier at the end, then your MH.

 

i should put my lighting setup 1st to get a better answer. i have 4 t5 slots. i have 2 switches that controls 1 set (2) bulbs and another for the second set. all my bulbs are HO if that makes a difference.

 

was just looking at a site and im thinking 2 true actinic, blue+, and a purple+. with leaving them on all day

 

I like this idea and 2in10 has always given me awesome advice on lighting! Would create a nice transition, especially if they were all on timers.

If you want to know what a purple+ and blue+ look like together, find my thread on 2 bulb ATI combos.

 

did you only have access to two bulbs? cause im thinking the second 1 and the last 1. i dont understand useing certain bulbs in the morning and a different one at nite. i thing i could use both at the same time all day long or am i on crack?

 

OK Turn on the pure actinics at 8AM, Turn on Purple Plus and Blue Plus at 9AM Turn on MH at 10AM, turn of MH at 6PM, turn off Purple Plus and Blue Plus at 7PM and then turn of pure actinics at 8PM as an example.

 

nice i like that. im going to do that. thankyou.

 

Yea, I currently have a two bulb fixture and received my bulbs that I ordered to put in my new 4 bulb fixture. I remember trying to figure out what would be the best 2 bulb combo, so I just pictures up of each to help others out. The only bulb I didn't have access to was ATI's actinic bulb.

From my understanding, people stagger the lights to create a gradual increase in light for their tanks. Instead of going instantly from darkness to your MH and T5 lights being on, there is a gradual increase in light intensity.

I am far from an expert on lighting, but from my understanding. Reefers with metal halides use supplemental T5 lighting to add a different spectrum to their tank and/or for dawn/dusk effects.

So with what 2in10 said. The first bulbs to come on in your tank would be your two actinic bulbs. A half hour to an hour later the purple+ and blue+ bulbs would come on in addition to the first two bulbs. Then after those have been on for a bit, your MH lights will come on.

The majority of your photo period would have your metal halides on and your four T5s running. Once it approaches the end of your light cycle, you would turn off your MH lights and leave the four T5s on. Then turn off the purple+ and blue+ and only have the actinic bulbs on. Then lastly the actinic bulbs would go off starting your tank's "night" cycle.