What lighting is best purely for color?

[unforgettableknight]

I dont want to get into a MH vs PC vs VHO debate here.

 

What I do want is advice on lighting strictly from the observers point of view. I know this is still a personal prefrence probably but let me put in some parameters:

 

NO SPS.

 

LPS, softies, etc.

Will be keeping thinks like frogspawn, ricordias, mushroom anenomes, zoos, GSP, etc.

 

For example, I have 65 wats of 6700k PC lighting now. I am sure it is plenty bright. But, even thought the tips of my GSP are green, overall, the colony looks brownish/orangish/yellowish because of the lighting.

 

I want the green to grab you attention. I want the frogspawn to pop. I want the cool irridescence (sp?) of my purple and green striped mushrooms to glow. I want the blue dots on my yellow watchman goby to stand out.

 

So from an asthetic point od view, what will make it look coolest and still provide enough light for my corals to remain healthy?

 

Put yet another way: I do not care if my coral thrive and I can frequently propagate them, I care much more for how it looks.

 

Opinions?

[supernip]

20k halide

[doody]

Actinic lighting is what you want. It makes stuff look like it's glowing

[unforgettableknight]

what would the color differences be between 20k MH vs actinic. Anyone used both? How much actinics would I need if I was to go that route with the 65 watt PCs that I have?

[overgrownaquatics]

They make a 65w PC "smartlight" where one half of the bulb is actinic and one half of the bulb is regular.

This is what I use on my tank currently, although my tank is too young for corals, the coraline really tands out.