lighting????

[SeaFish]

i have two custom sea life retrofit smart lights. the light bulbs that comes with these retrofits are 50/50(10,000K daylight and actinic). i was wondering should i place the lights so that the daylight and the actinic alternate or can i put one actinic, then two daylight together then one actinic at the end? or it doesnt matter how i arrange the lights? can anyone help me with this and give me some advice? thank you

[harbingerofthefish]

I couldn't honestly see if it would make a difference either way. Your eye isn't going to be able to tell.

[Crakeur]

the only thing that you might notice is the slight metallic tint on certain animals. green star polyps might have a more mettalic green to them if placed under the actinic rather than the regular white light. However, as harbinger said, just looking at the tank, you won't be able to notice a thing until a bulb burns out on you.

[tinyreef]

it could also depend on how you have your aquascape. if your actinic was way in the back and the rock is closest to the surface there it may look a little off and also any animals squatting on top there would just be getting mainly blue light.

 

it's better to alternate them imo. i try to shunt the actinics toward the front actually (blue-day-blue-day) because that's where the 'deepest' part of the tank is usually situated, to allow viewers the rock wall look. i think it kinda simulates the deep water effect (at least i've conned myself into that thinking X) ). basically, your placement of your animals will dictate your lighting or vice versa depending on which variable is more of a pita to adjust.

[printerdown01]

I like a nice even spread, white, blue, white, blue. I can tell by looking at the tank :-/ -but then again I can read the eye test at DMV from the other side of the room. I personally like having a better spectrum spread. When sunlight lights up a reef it doesn't put the blue in back and the white in front... I just try to emulate nature as much as possible.

[SeaFish]

thank you all for your reply. i do admit i notice a metalic glow to the fishes with white stripes on them when i put hte blue in front. i guess its a matter of choice=). thank you all.