Aquablue Special vs. Aquablue Plus

[cdub]

First off let me start by saying that I run a 6 bulb T5 setup, with the back 4 bulbs being overdriven on an icecap 660. I am trying to get a color combo very similar to a 20k radium bulb and currently I run 5 blueplus and 1 super actinic on my tank. To those not familar with overdriving T5 bulbs the blue plus when overdriven burn a lot whiter than they look in a standard fixture. My tank color is close to where I want it, I would just like to pick up a little bit of red/orange/yellow out of one bulb which has led me to the Aquablue Plus by Giesemann and the Aquablue Special by ATI.

Does anyone have experience with either of these bulbs? It will be overdriven and I'm trying to avoid a very yellow/white bulb which throws off the overall color of my tank.

 

[jennm]

The ATI Aquablue Special is a 12,000K lamp. So it's a daylight - white with a good bit of blue in it. Info from ReefGeek.com:

Combines the properties of a Blue bulb with a full-spectrum daylight bulb producing a color temperature of approximately 12000K. Great as a stand-alone bulb or in combination with an Blue Plus or Actinic Blue 03 bulb.

The ATI Blue Plus is a blue lamp.

Combines the properties of a Blue bulb with a Actinic Blue 03 bulb producing a unique spectrum that encourages both bluing in SPS corals and fluorescence in capable corals. Also helps balance out a washed-out/yellow hued tank.

The Giesemann Aquablue Plus is an 11,000K lamp - also a Daylight

Combines the properties of a Blue bulb (60%) with a full-spectrum daylight bulb (40%) producing a color temperature of approximately 11000K. Great as a stand-alone bulb or in combination with an Actinic/Blue Plus or Pure Actinic 03 bulb.

Hope this helps,

Jenn

 

[cdub]

Thanks Jenn, I had checked Reefgeek which led me to those two bulbs as my options. In the past I had tried a fiji purple(way too much red) and a actinic white(way too much pink) and these are more blue so I thought they would work out better.

 

[jennm]

Are you looking for daylights, or actinics (blues)?

There are as many different opinions of "best" lamp combinations as there are lamps out there.

Jenn

 

[cdub]

I want a 20k look and am where I want for overall color, I'm just trying to swap out one of my blue plus bulbs for something else to pick up a little red/orange/yellow without an overwhelming amount of white/yellow. So in short a semi blue bulb with red/orange/yellow peaks which is what both of these bulbs show based on the color spectrum graph on reef geek.

 

[jennm]

Hmmm. I don't see anything in their offerings in a 20K in a T5... Maybe somebody else will chime in with a suggestion. I'm partial to 14K (metal halides) - not sure what to suggest to get that sort of color in a T5 combo...

Jenn

 

[dough]

There's an Aquascience 22K lamp available. Fiji purple has some red but it make colors really pop.

 

[dough]

Oh yeah, maybe a blend of the Blue+ and Aquascience 22K would work.