- Today, our BRStv investigates
likely 98% of you are lighting your tank with either
a tried and true T5 fixture,
or more modular LED form factor tuned to achieve the same
plug and play performance of T5's.
In either case, I can guarantee you that these 16 different
spectrum charts, will change the way you look at
reef tank lighting.
What these charts are, and how you can use them to perfect
your lights, is coming up.
(upbeat music)
Hi, I'm Randy with this Friday's BRStv Investigates.
We put popular reefing gear theories and methods to the test
by experimenting on our own tanks
so you don't have to experiment on yours.
And today we're going to start unraveling the secrets behind
how a vast majority of tanks in the past, before LEDs,
have been so successful using
simple T5 plug and play technology
with only three or four bulb color choices.
And once we understand that,
it will be much easier to understand
how to emulate T5 success using newer LED technology.
So how have lighting technologies like T5's
been able to produce epic results?
We'll be on providing a super even spread
and distributed blanket of light that eliminates shadows.
We believe that much of the answer lies within
a proven spectrum mix that's not only capable of meeting
the metabolic needs of corals,
but also that coral pop and visual appeal we all look for.
With that, today we're gonna take an in-depth look
at what those proven spectrum mixes from individual
T5 bulbs actually mean,
and how that relates to our ability to recreate them
using newer LED lighting technology.
Because if we're being honest with ourselves,
almost everything we do with LEDs is primarily related to
trying to mimic that known plug and play result of T5's.
To get started, we pulled a pair of every T5 bulb type
on our site from all three ATI, KZ and Giesemann
for a total of 16 different bulb types,
took spectrum shots for each one
and then measured the par output from each pair.
Based on that data, we were able to clearly group
all 16 bulbs into six simple-to-understand categories.
Starting with the Blue Bulbs for corals metabolic needs,
White Bulbs for making the tank more visually appealing,
Blue Hybrid Bulbs which lands somewhere between
the Blue and White Bulb categories.
Purple Hybrid Bulbs and Actinic Bulb categories,
both there for nuances and aesthetic appeal and coral pop.
And lastly, Full Spectrum Plant Bulbs,
primarily for uses outside of the display tank,
but still worth discussing.
By the time all is said and done here,
we will not only be able to look at a spectrum chart
and tell which bulb category it falls in,
but we'll also walk away with a firm grasp
on what our tanks will look like when lit
with those spectrums without even laying eyes on the tank.
The real value from today's test will be,
how we harness that knowledge, spectrum charts,
and our own LED modules adjustment capabilities
to more easily achieve the same super successful results
that plug and play T5's have given us over the years
using the more current LED technology
that we've all grown to love.
So let's find out if we can make good on those guarantees
by first looking at side by side comparisons
of those 16 different bulb options,
and their respective categories,
starting with arguably the most important grouping,
the Blue Bulbs.
Looking back on every single light source designed
for reef tanks from metal halides, to T5's and now LEDs,
all of them have been optimized for providing spectrum peaks
in the 435 to 450 range,
where as we can see from this spectrum map,
this is primarily the intersection point
where the corals are zantelli.
Chlorophyll A, C2 and Carotenoids within the coral
utilize energy the most efficiently.
Simply put, not only is this 435 to 450 range the most
important when it comes to coral metabolic health,
but it also happens to be the range where
we see the best coral fluorescence.
If we compare that map to the
single most successful light source of all time,
the ATI Blue Plus bulb, which has been responsible
for hundreds of thousands of successful reef tanks
over the years,
we see that it spectrum not only focuses
just on that 450 nanometer peak,
but also focuses on the supporting spectrum to the left
and right of that peak in the 390 to 500 range.
Probably the most important thing you'll hear today is that
the broad spectrum approach to this blue peak,
like ATI Blue Plus is 390 to 500
is the only spectrum needed to support coral health.
And the lion's share of the discussion about the spectrum
from other bulbs today is primarily going to be about
that visual appeal alone.
With that as a baseline,
we found similar spectrum representations
in the KZ Super Blue bulb,
as well as the Giesemann Actinic Blue bulb,
both of which are strikingly close to the
gold standard at ATI Blue Plus,
with only subtle differences in the red
or near-infrared spectrum ranges between the three.
But what does that mean to our eyes
in the way that we see these three blue bulb category bulbs?
Honestly, Ryan and I had a difficult time seeing
any difference between them when compared over the same tank
and when we look at the par output
using a pair of each bulb type measured 24 inches below
each bulb combo in the air,
there's only a two par difference between them
with the ATI Blue Plus at 56.
Both KZ Super Blue and Giesemann Actinic Blue, at 54 Par,
With a nearly identical performance in this category,
it's easy to see how these three bulb types
could be interchangeable to achieve
the same metabolic health goals, as well as visual goals.
To create a similar wide blue peak using our LEDs,
we really have two options.
First is using a combination of royal blue LEDs
and that 450 peak, coupled with violet LEDs just to the left
and blue or cyan LEDs just to the right,
to create an overall broad spectrum approach
to blue lighting.
The second is to use LED lights that have already created
the blue spectrum peak ratio for you,
where all you need to do is adjust the overall intensity.
An obvious example of this being lights
like the Kessil A360X.
Up next we look at the White Bulbs category
as I mentioned earlier.
Bulbs in this category target spectrum mixes
that balance out heavy blue spectrums,
and make the tank more visually appealing
by adding an additional spectrum
that our eyes perceive as white,
meaning additions of green, yellow, orange and red.
Representing the White Bulb category,
again, we find that each ATI, KZ and Giesemann
all have a bulb targeting this wider spectrum mix
with an ATI Aquablue Special, KZ Coral Light,
and Giesemann Aquablue Azure.
Comparing the spectrum produced by each of these bulbs
side by side, we clearly see that they are not as identical
as the last bulb category,
and this time the differences
are more discernible to our eyes.
Although all three still share a similar spectrum band
in that 380 to 500 range, the ATI Aquablue Special
test the widest band throughout that range,
but also has the highest peak in the
green, yellow, orange and red and near-infrared.
On its own, you should expect the ATI Aquablue Special
to have a warm, white or daylight appearance with the
heavier reds and orange accents,
other warm colors in the tank like brown corals,
or zantelli, or even brown algae,
which obviously isn't the most desirable for many reefers.
In comparison, the KZ Coral Light spectrum
shows less representation primarily in the red spectrum
and subtle shifts away from the blue 450 and 470 ranges.
As well as the green, yellow, and orange
which results in a tank color
that's pretty close to the ATI Aquablue Special.
However, the browns are not as prominent.
And what I would call a mix between warm white
and cool white.
Comparing the Giesemann Aquablue Azure next,
there is substantially less red, orange, yellow and green
than the other two bulbs.
And although the blue peaks are also slightly lower,
it does have a more rounded blue band.
This shifts away from the 500 to 780 range winds up
resulting in a tank that most would consider cool white.
And looking at it in the tank, we saw exactly that,
a cooler white field that highlighted
far less of the red and brown accented colors,
making the Giesemann Aquablue Azure the bluest of all three
in the White Bulb category.
So much like our LEDs,
no one would use warm white or cool white
controllable channels on their own,
but rather use them to balance out blue lights
for visual appeal, which for T5's is commonly done
using a 75% blue bulb to 25% white bulb ratio.
Similar to bulb ratios like this using LEDs,
it's common to max out the blue and add in white
until the tank looks good,
which in many cases winds up with the white channel
set to 25 to 40% max power,
then all you do is adjust both
equally to meet your tanks par needs.
Many of the better LEDs like AI, Ecotec, Kessil and Orphek
allow you to scale the whites and blues ratios dynamically
using a single intensity slider, knob, or app function.
Also related to our LED white channels.
Although our eyes tell us that white is brighter
because of the addition of green, yellow, orange and red,
when we measured the par for a pair of each bulb
in this white category,
we found that they were surprisingly close,
if not exactly the same to the Blue Bulbs,
where the ATI, Aquablue Special and KZ Coral Light bulb
tested at 56 par,
while the pair of Giesemann Aquablue Azure bulbs
were 12% lower at 49.
So really not much of a difference at all.
The next bulb category we are exploring
is what we're calling,
the Blue Hybrid Bulbs, whose spectrum output
strikes a balance between that heavy Blue Bulb
and the fuller spectrum White Bulbs.
Again all three ATI, KZ and Giesemann manufacturer bulbs
in this spectrum range, those being the ATI Coral Plus,
KZ New Generation, and Giesemann Aquablue Coral.
To get a better understanding of how these blue hybrid bulbs
split the difference between the blues and the whites,
let's compare the blue hybrid ATI Coral Plus,
next to the ATI Blue Plus, and the ATI Aquablue Special,
where we see that really it's just a muted version
of the Aquablue Special,
with much less green, yellow and orange.
However, still more prevalent than the strictly blue band
in the Blue Plus, making the Coral Plus,
a true hybrid of the two.
When we put the ATI Coral Plus next to the KZ New Gen
and the Giesemann Aquablue Coral, we see that they too
follow the same shift away from the fuller spectrum offering
both with less reds, oranges, yellows and greens,
but still maintaining those primary peaks around 435 to 450.
The KZ New Gen bulb does have more green in its spectrum,
which draws out some of that 470, 480 teal color a bit
and also mutes the 450 peaks slightly.
Whereas the Giesemann Aquablue Coral shows
nearly identical spectrum compared to the ATI Coral Plus
yet adds in quite a bit more red
and near-infrared to the mix,
which is an important note to make about red,
that it mixes with blue
to create a purple tint in the tank.
And we'll find out next if that's actually true.
As you would expect just by looking at the spectrum charts,
these blue hybrid bulbs definitely create
a more cool white look in the tank.
It is somewhat close to what reefers aim for
in a balance between super blue and daylight white.
However, if they were the only bulbs on the tank,
they still come across as being too white
for most reefers tastes,
with the Coral Plus giving off more of an orangey red tint.
The New Gen also still white,
but very close to the Coral Plus.
And the Aquablue Corals slightly less orange
than the other two, but the red really gives that tank
the purple tint haze.
If I were comparing these Blue Hybrid Bulbs
to channels on an LED module,
I would say that we're probably looking at a
cool white channel turned higher than
the UV, violet, Royal and blues,
which very few reefers would choose for their
primary peak spectrum ratio.
Because again, it's visually too white.
When we look at the par data for the pair of
each of these blue hybrid bulbs,
it's really not surprising to see par numbers
similar to the other 24 watt bulbs
that we've tested already,
or the ATI Coral Plus at 55 par is only 16% higher
than the Giesemann Aquablue Coral at 46,
with the KZ New Gen falling right in between at 52 pars.
So for those who are hoping that the Blue Hybrid Bulb
would be the one bulb to rule them all,
and the ideal spectrum mix to emulate,
that much green, yellow, orange and bits of red
just wind up highlighting too much of the ugly brown parts
of our tanks, and likely why many T5 users use
bulb combinations that only wind up using one of them
in four to six bulb fixtures,
or maybe two in an eight-bulb setup.
We've got another hybrid bulb for our fourth category that
we're calling the Purple Hybrid Bulbs,
because plain and simple, they're purple.
However, again, they don't achieve that purple tint
in the tank the way most would think,
it's that mix of red and blue
to create the perception of purple.
All three ATI, KZ and Giesemann manufacturer
purple hybrid bulbs with the popular ATI Purple Plus,
KZ Fiji Purple and Giesemann Super Purple bulbs.
And when we look at this spectrum side by side,
we get a clear picture into how they're achieving
the purple color,
and its by adding in orange and red into the bulbs.
Between the three bulbs,
there's really only subtle differences in the peaks at 450
in the green and orange peaks.
However, there are larger differences in the red
and near-infrared spectrum with the ATI Purple Plus
having the most representation in that range
and the KZ with the least.
But will that translate into anything our eyes
can discern in the tank?
When we looked at these bulbs over the same tank,
we saw that the additional reds in the ATI Purple Plus
did actually come through,
creating a pink to red tint in the tank,
while KZ Fiji Purple with less in that red spectrum,
roundup looking a bit more orange
as its spectrum chart would suggest.
The Giesemann Super Purple bulb was closer
to what I would consider purple
and somewhat split the difference between the KZ and the ATI
and seemed a little brighter and bluer.
However when we look at the par data
for a pair of each of the purple bulb,
neither of them really outshine the other in the par output,
where all three fell within just three par of each other.
So how does the purple hybrid bulbs relate to our LEDs?
First is that mixing red and blue to create
the perception of purple just isn't the same
as targeting those 380 to 400 ranges of violet
in the spectrum band.
And as we're about to see in the next bulb category,
it's this violet range where the corals fluorescence
really begins to pop and stand out.
Secondly, I just don't think any reefer
would max out the red channels with their blues
to try and create purple in the tank,
especially when most LEDs have
individual adjustable channels in those violet ranges,
typically labeled UV and violet.
But what T5 bulbs do target those lower violet
near UV ranges?
If you guessed the Actinic Bulbs, then you're right.
This next category of bulbs are synonymous
with providing that pop and zing to our corals
and really show off the coral fluorescence,
especially in greens, yellows, oranges and blues.
There are only two bulbs in this category,
the a ATI True Actinic and the Giesemann Super Actinic,
and when we look at their spectrum side by side
for the first time today,
we see very specialized and targeted bulbs
that both peak right at 420 nanometers,
but also includes spectrum
all the way down to near UV at 380.
There is slightly more red in the Giesemann Super Actinic
bulb over the ATI, which as we saw from the last category,
might actually come through visually in the tank
as slightly more purple, but let's find out.
When we compare these two bulbs over the same tank,
we saw that they both are far more eye-appealing
than trying to mix blue and red together
like the Purple Hybrid Bulbs.
And there was a slightly more purple look
to the Giesemann bulb that had additional reds.
However to our eye, this low of wavelength does wind up
looking dim and most certainly gets washed out fast
when you add in white and blue.
We were pretty surprised when we measured par
for these two actinic bulbs to find out that
although they are lower in par from the other bulbs
we tested today, with the ATI True Actinic testing at 41
and two Giesemann Super Actinic at 38 par,
they're are only 30% lower than
some of the higher par combos,
which is a true demonstration
of how poorly our eyes can judge par
and how there is very little relationship between
what our eyes perceive is brightness, versus actual par.
If our goal is to make the corals look awesome,
then these are the bulbs that will do just that.
But because we also need to provide the right spectrum mix
for metabolic function and coral health.
We obviously can't run purely actinic colors all the time,
and we need to strike a balance between the two.
This is exactly why when we create
BRS recommended spectrum ratios
in our BRStv Investigates light tests,
we start with a UV violet and blue channels turn to max.
Then we add in some white channels
to even out that heavy blue.
In relation to common LED modules,
I would note that this 380 to 425 range
is commonly underrepresented.
And even though some modules might have a channel labeled
violet or UV, it may not be strong enough to see
significant differences in the tank,
which is something that you can see on your own
before you choose the right LED for you,
just by looking at its spectrum chart offering.
There is another category of bulbs that most reefers
likely avoid for display tank purposes.
And those are the two Full Spectrum Plant Bulbs
from Giesemann, the Tropic and Super Flora.
I won't spend too much time on these two
since they are probably the best serve for reefers
who want a full spectrum option to light
a display refugium, mangroves or something similar.
However, it is worth noting their spectrum ranges
and how we can see that they shift away from those
blue 440 and 460 ranges.
And instead target green peaks around 540
with differences in the amount of yellow, oranges and reds
between the two.
As you would expect,
they aren't very attractive over display tank
and wind up looking like a 6,500 Kelvin warm daylight bulb.
Yet the additional orange in the Giesemann Super Flora
does create an overtly orange display.
I think it's also interesting to note that
even though visually these two
were the brightest bulbs to our eye,
they tested on the lower end of par
across all the bulbs we tested today
with the Tropic at 45 par, in the Super Flora at 43.
If we were comparing these bulbs to the available LEDs
currently on the market,
I would like in these plant bulbs to the spectrum mixes
targeted by LEDs, like the Kessil Tuna Sun,
Radion Freshwater or the AI Prime Freshwater which again,
most reefers wouldn't select
for lighting their display tank.
Circling back to the beginning of today's episode.
Now that we have a visual idea of the spectrum produced
from T5 bulbs that have resulted in all of those
successful tanks for those who have used them in the past,
I think it's time to stop guessing and flipping switches
on our LEDs,
and finally come up with a gold standard spectrum
to emulate with room for slight tweaks
in personal visual appeal.
The burning question for those who don't have
a spectrometer, which is likely 99% of you,
is how do we do this accurately with our own LEDs?
First, we're gonna give you our BRS-recommended T5 bulb mix
for four, six and eight bulb fixtures,
then we're going to do our best to emulate those
recommended spectrums,
using some of the most popular LED options out there.
And all of that is in the next episode
in this playlist, right over here.