VHO T5 bulb selection Questions. (1 Viewer)

[Motoristx]

I have a Mixed reef tank 135gal. 72x18x24. I'm using a T5 fixture that holds 8 48 inches long. 4 bulbs per switch. I hope that makes sense. The middle 4 are on one switch, the other 4 (2 front and 2 back) are on the other switch.

So the bulbs are 7 months old, and I've replaced the front 4 and in 6 months I'll replace the back 4. This way I've replaced 2 bulbs per switch.


wow this is sounding like a math problem... I promise it's not!

I'm not sure what I had before, but I installed these 4 bulbs: 420nm Actinic, Blue plus, Daylight plus, and Fiji purple.
Now I've got green in my sand, only in the front where I've changed my bulbs. Slightly more on the rocks then normal. Back looks fine. Water parameters are almost perfect: Nitrate 2.5 (had a sponge outbreak, I think they are dieing off), ammo 0, Nitrite 0, DKH 8, Calcium 380, PH 8, Phosphate0


So this is a 2 part question. 1st, did I choose the right bulbs, or are these bulbs causing this? 2nd, is this just a result of new bulbs, and can I expect this every time I change them?

 

[flipside]

Hmmm... Sounds like a lot of punch.

Try this if you can afford to:

8 lamp Tek or Nova Extreme

1. Blue
2. Blue
3. ATI Purple Plus
4. Blue
5. GE Daylight
6. Aquablue
7. Blue
8. Blue

For a more blue look replace the Aquablue with a blue, less blue replace the blue in slot 4 with a Aquablue.
You could also try the Actinic White in slot 2 which is one of the 4 dusk/dawn lamps, it adds a purple hue to the look.

Source: Reef Aquarium Lighting - Lamps and lamp combinations