Thinking about buying ATI

[JohnK]

What do you think about...
4 blue +
2 aqua blue
2 figi

I'd get 5-6 blue + and 2 each of the others and experiement a little. That would mean a couple of extra bulbs, but that's just a couple less bulbs to buy when replacement time comes.

Blue + really are nice bulbs. The figis are kind of weak and IMO it's hard to say what they really do

 

[Miller]

Go with 8......... 65k bulbs, it will give you a nice yellow

Sounds like a AWESOME idea.......NOT. Sorry Matt, I'm going for NICE looking

Put your sun glasses on As for what you keep remember placement is important and you should consider dark spots for your scolys they do not like ATI direct light Caves are a most or overhangs what do I know I'm tired. as for color look at peoples tank's and see what you like. ATI blue + are a must and a ATI blue Special. Good luck

I've got a tank I am planning on looking at again to make sure I like their bulb combo see you in the afternoon!

I'd get 5-6 blue + and 2 each of the others and experiement a little. That would mean a couple of extra bulbs, but that's just a couple less bulbs to buy when replacement time comes.

Blue + really are nice bulbs. The figis are kind of weak and IMO it's hard to say what they really do

Sounds like a plan John, I like that idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Miller]

holy fishy poop!!!!!!!!!

My ATI fixture came in yesterday!!!!!!!! The bulbs came in today!!!!!!!!!

I am glad I didn't take photos before the switch in lighting. I would have CRIED.

Jen and I are blown away at how much more AMAZINGLY AWESOMELY BADBUTT the tank looks. DAMNNNNNNNN it looks SWEET. I had to pry myself away from the tank to come and post.

We are running this bulb combo.....
(4) ATI blue+
(2) ATI special
(2) Fiji

Jen thought it might be too blue but now after seeing it fired up she was instantly in LOVE .

This ATI light and bulb might very well be the best purchase we have ever made. I have never been so excited before.

There might be photos today, if not I will be taking some tomorrow night. Keep your eyes peeled in the photography section.

 

[Joel A]

welcome to the club .

Hard to belive people don't see that t5's are the way to go.. especially the ATI fixtures.. I proabably would only run 1 figi and switch out one of the figi's for either another aquablue, blue +, or some other bulb.. 2 figi's in an 8 bulb fixture can be a bit over powering, and they don't have terrific light output.. but to each his own .

Congrats on the light.. you'll be amazed when you take a PAR meter to it as well.. and you'll be amazed yet again when you find that the growth from your T5 set-up is better than the growth from your comparable metal halide set-up =).

 

[jackthestrat]

welcome to the club .

Hard to belive people don't see that t5's are the way to go.. especially the ATI fixtures.. I proabably would only run 1 figi and switch out one of the figi's for either another aquablue, blue +, or some other bulb.. 2 figi's in an 8 bulb fixture can be a bit over powering, and they don't have terrific light output.. but to each his own .

Congrats on the light.. you'll be amazed when you take a PAR meter to it as well.. and you'll be amazed yet again when you find that the growth from your T5 set-up is better than the growth from your comparable metal halide set-up =).

Yup.

 

[Miller]

The coverage is way better with 8x24 watt T5's over the 175 watt MH in a large Lumen Bright that I thought covered the tank perfectly.

I'm liking the current bulb combo. I ordered an extra aqua blue bulb just in case it was two blue with four blue+ bulbs. We may play around with taking out a blue+ and putting in a aqua special.

 

[Joel A]

heh, i'd have gone with 5 blue pluses! You don't think it's to blue with 4 though? I wouldn't think it would be?

 

[Miller]

heh, i'd have gone with 5 blue pluses! You don't think it's to blue with 4 though? I wouldn't think it would be?

For the past two years we have been running 15k iswaki bulbs. They are very white in color. So we are coming from a very white tank to a tank with blue in it.

I think 5 blue+ bulbs would be to blue for my taste. I don't think 4 blue+ is to blue but Jen thinks it may be to much blue for her liking which is why I have an extra aqua special.

 

[Joel A]

ok, cool. Yeah i like a crisp white tank too. I have 3 blue + and 3 Aquablue special.. although if i had a 7th bulb to play with it'd be a blue +. I think my next combination will be 3 blue+ 2 aquablue, 1 KZ figi purple.

two blue plus on their own switch, so you can run them like actinic lights of course.. that's where those bulbs really shine.

 

[jackthestrat]

For the past two years we have been running 15k iswaki bulbs. They are very white in color. So we are coming from a very white tank to a tank with blue in it.

I think 5 blue+ bulbs would be to blue for my taste. I don't think 4 blue+ is to blue but Jen thinks it may be to much blue for her liking which is why I have an extra aqua special.

Hopefully this helps with color rendition even though it is so subjective, I've run the Iwasaki bulbs on previous tanks (along with about a million other MH bulbs )

I got pretty close to the Iwasaki 175w PAR monster (my favorite MH bulb) look with the following combo (mind you my ATI is a 6 bulb fixture)

ATI blue +
ABspecial
ATIblue+
Fiji
GE 6500
ATIblue+

When I switch out the above Fiji with a blue+ I get very close to a Phoenix 14k on E-ballast look. (too blue for me)

When I switch out the above Fiji with an AB special it just turns kind of *blegh*. (too ugly for me, it loses something, tough to put my finger on what exactly)

If you switch the above GE with a blue+ I get close to a Radium on a 250w E ballast. (way too blue for me)