T-5's on an Aquapod

Here's one of the lighting threads I'd mentioned, I know there are a number more like it;
http://www.captivereefing.com/showthread.php?t=1119

The problem with the curley-q bulbs is that probably more than half of their light isn't even directed into the water. The benefit of T5 lighting, while it doesn't have as high of a wattage is that you can get awesome reflectors for them with will get most of the light directed to where you want it, even moreso than with PC bulbs.

To be honest, you could probably get a halide retro'd into yoru canopy for less than you think, especially if you're at any level handy. Keep watching ebay for 70W or 150W ballasts, or even the classified at nano-reef.com. I'm sure there's also some discussion of the Aquapods over there too.

Eric

I guess my question is getting obscured. The question is more so, if you have Actinic lighting along with the daylight type, say 150w screwin that are 5000K, why have the MH lighting that creates even more blue spectrum.

Here's what I mean. Here's an actinic light that has the blue spectrum that the corals adapt to more. Now if 5000K is the same intensity as the sun at 12noon on any given day pending there is no clouds, why is a 10000K with even more actinic lighting (because I've seen them built that way most of the time) better?


A highly efficient source of long wave ultraviolet radiation






Actinic "03" Fluorescent Tubes
* Make your aquarium stand out with brilliant, color-enhancing lighting
* Standard watt fluorescent tubes
* Customer favorite


A highly efficient source of long wave ultraviolet radiation. The spectral energy distribution emitted by this bulb, 420 nm (same as actinic 03), closely aligns with that of the blue chlorophyll adsorption peak utilized in photosynthesis, so it's very desirable for use with invertebrates and plants. 180

Okay sorry, had to run a friend home because her husband was in a car accident (He's fine thank you).

The reason I say more actinic, is most of the 10000K and higher lights lean more towards the blue spectrum anyway. Now if you are adding Actinic lighting, which obviously is very blue light spectrum, why would you choose to have a large wattage blue spectrum light. I know that those lights don't put out much red spectrum, or am I missing something.

That's why I look at it as a daylight 5000K light or just above that would be better along with the Actinic lights. Now why do they say you have to have a 400w light for anything deeper than 22 inches? I aske that because very obviously you need the higher wattage to penetrate deeper into the water. I understand that. But why wouldn't you choose a lower K light to exhibit the other color spectrums of light, more so when you are using actinic lighting also, to give more of a full light spectrum? A daylight 5000K or 6500K light would give off the red spectrum because it is closer to daylight in color spectrum than a 10000K which is closer to the blue spectrum.

And sorry the other thread didn't explain anything to me. I didn't understand it very well.

The only other thing that I can put in is you can get a good reflector that would utilize as much light as you can out of those screw in if you looked hard enough or you had a good imagination to make one.

look, i think you are more informed than you think. You are right, if you already have the actinic ble p.c. running in there you dont ned to provide the metal halides that produce the same lighting spectrum. Unless, your tank is very deep, and the fluorescent lighting doesnt have enough intensity to reach the bottom of the tank, then mh bulbs would be a must. Also, it is not necessary to provide the 10,000k, 20,000k bulbs, you can go with all 6500k bulbs, but thanks to science we know that corals benefit from the blue side of the spectrum so it is more of a performance light, kinda like a way to give your corals a boost.

Okay, now the clarity shows. I wasn't sure why everyone was recomending MH all the time when it was more clear to me about the Actinic light. Sorry.

dont be, i make questions and then more questions and then more. Thats how you learn before making mistakes

Instead of starting another thread I have another question. I was looking in a Petsolutions.com magazine and found some lighting that I think may work for what I'm doing. It's a T-12 VHO light. It doesn't say it has to have a special ballast or anything like different end caps. I have an All Glass 48" flourescent lighting fixture that holds two lamps. The ballast that came with it says it can be used for T-8 to T-12 lighting. Do you think it would work for the VHO?

Here's a link to one of the bulbs
http://www.petsolutions.com/Coralife...001727-C-.aspx

And here's a link to the page
http://www.petsolutions.com/VHO+Ligh...001727-C-.aspx

Now there is a ballast at the bottom of this page but I haven't seen where I need that specific ballast.

Can you get the brand and model # of the ballast you have? A pic would be great too. It's possible it will fire the single T12.

Otherwise something like a WorkHorse 5 ballast would fire it with no problem.

E-Bay is the greatest thing on Earth!! I was looking around and have been for some time because I want to upgrade out of the Aquapod into the 95g that I have. I was looking around and found a 260w PC Lighting Unit. It is coming with two 10000k Superdaylight and two 460nm Actinic's. Now the great thing. This is why E-Bay is the greatest thing on Earth, $150.00. Amazing Huh. Anyway, should get it within the week as it's coming from Sacramento, CA. Will be getting ready to move things around in about a week or two, depending on days off. But thanks for the great information on the lighting though. We may turn the Aquapod into a SeaHorse tank. Just depends. :woohoobig: