Help with bulbs

Going to purchase an aquatic life dualbulb t5 ho fixture for a 46bowfront. Will house soft corals and lps. The light comes with a 10k bulb and an actinic 420/460 bulb. I can also get a set of free replacement bulbs and have the option of changing one of them for a purple 460/620bulb.

Besides visual appearance, is there much of a difference between the actinic and the purple? Is one better than the other for coral growth?

 

The actinic will do more for all colors than the combo bulb. The combo bulb will make your reds, pinks and purples show better and provide more PAR to the tank improving growth. The purple with the white make cause some corals to brown due the high amount of spectra in the green to red range.

 

They would brown even with just a dual bulb fixture?
WOuld this be permanent or would they eventually adjust?

 

The bulb spectrum is the culprit so the answer is yes and they would not color back up without a spectrum change. I would do a purple and a blue on your tank for best color.

 

So ditch the 10k and do a blue actinic and a purple?

 

Yes, just keep the bulb as a spare in case one of your other bulbs burn out.

 

I thought the corals needed the 10k bulb, thanks for the input. I will order the light with the stock 10k and the actinic it comes with then as replacement bulbs a backup actinic and a purple!

 

Try and get a 460nm blue instead of the actinic.

 

Aquatic Life

There is the link to the 3 bulb choices I have, I am pretty sure it is the blue you are talking about that I am refering to as actinic but then again I always that a blue bulb and an actinic were the same lol

 

Another option I have was adding one of the new marineled leds in addition to the dual bulb t5ho fixture.

http://www.marineland.com/sites/marineland/products/Detail.aspx?id=4655
These come in all blue/ all white, or 50/50. I am not real familiar with anything except for watts so I am not sure if the PAR values and lumens for this small fixture would have any impact on coral growth, Im thinking its more of an accent light or night light than it is anything else.