Hello all.
Long time no post. I hope everyone is well. Summer kept me busy with other stuff. Now that we're headed for winter in the midwest I'm back to my aquarium. It has actually done quite well over the summer.
Anyway I'm getting to the point where I should replace the bulbs in my power compact fixture. It has (2) 65 watt full spectrum and (2) 65 watt actinic.
Do I need to replace all bulbs or only the two full spectrum? I ask because most everything I read indicates actinic are only used for aestetic reasons - to balance the full spectrum and make everything look more pleasing and true to color. Many articles go so far as to say they have no impact, positive or negative on coral health.
If this is the case why would I care if the actinic spectrum shifts as long as the aquarium looks nice? It could save me a lot of $$$$$$$$.
Another related riddle - my (4) bulbs give me 260 watts of total light - or a little less than 5 watts per gallon in my 55. If the actinic lights don't impact coral growth - do I only have 130 watts of useable light?
Long time no post. I hope everyone is well. Summer kept me busy with other stuff. Now that we're headed for winter in the midwest I'm back to my aquarium. It has actually done quite well over the summer.
Anyway I'm getting to the point where I should replace the bulbs in my power compact fixture. It has (2) 65 watt full spectrum and (2) 65 watt actinic.
Do I need to replace all bulbs or only the two full spectrum? I ask because most everything I read indicates actinic are only used for aestetic reasons - to balance the full spectrum and make everything look more pleasing and true to color. Many articles go so far as to say they have no impact, positive or negative on coral health.
If this is the case why would I care if the actinic spectrum shifts as long as the aquarium looks nice? It could save me a lot of $$$$$$$$.
Another related riddle - my (4) bulbs give me 260 watts of total light - or a little less than 5 watts per gallon in my 55. If the actinic lights don't impact coral growth - do I only have 130 watts of useable light?
Last edited: