I desperately need help finding the right Tank light

[MysticRyan]

I have bought 4 different lights and every single one of them were the wrong ones. I am desperate MFK community.

I'm still a novice at fish keeping, so I don't know a whole lot about tank lighting. But I have a 5 Gallon tank with black sand and a black background. The light it came with is purple/pinkish, and it makes a purple tint in the water and it looks gorgeous. So I wanted to do the same for my 29 and 55.

I bought 4 different lights and each one of them were just white. I already posted a thread requesting this help, and someone recommended Hagen Power Glo. I bought a 48" T5 for my 55 and it was just a white light!!

I cannot for the life of me understand the difference between these lights. Please MFK, what T5 and T8 lights are purple/pinkish?

Specifcally T8 24" for my 29. I'm afraid to try and buy another light, I just keep getting white lights.

Is there anyone that can help me?

 

[haynchinook334]

That's why its a good idea to get duel t5 light strip. Color max/10,000k lights brings out all the colors. My avatar, the picture was taken with the T5 Color max/ 10,000k bulbs.

 

[MysticRyan]

That's why its a good idea to get duel t5 light strip. Color max/10,000k lights brings out all the colors. My avatar, the picture was taken with the T5 Color max/ 10,000k bulbs.

My 55 has a double T5 strip. Currently I have a Full Spectrum/Actinic Blue on it and it's sort of the look I'm going for. Is the Color Max what I'm looking for maybe? I haven't tried that and I'm seeing that it emits a purple-ish tint from some pictures.

Since my 29 is only a regular hood to hold a T8, I just wanted the one light for it. And when I have the money I'd get new T5's.

 

[wildman6809]

It might have been a black light. There are some real deep color t5 reef bulbs. You could try reef geek.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[boldtogether]

If you in fact want purple you need a Kelvin temp of about 28K (28,000 kelvin) Any higher and you will be in the ultraviolet spectrum and black light. 10K-12K is right in there with reef lighting but if you are looking for a light to show off the irridecence of your fish, try adding an actinic light with the regular 6500-8000K.

Purple is actually a mixture of different light wavelengths and considered an unsaturated color. To achieve purple, light manufactures have to mix blue and red spectrums to get close to that color. Actinic light is specifically 420nm for photosynthesis. Very blue.

 

[sandofarms]

What does "purple" mean to you?
Did your 5 gallon have LED lights, or a fluorescent light bulb?

Actinic light is 420 nm, it's a violet-ish color:
http://www.petco.com/product/5709/Coralife-Actinic-Fluorescent-Bulbs.aspx
fluorescent Available at petsmart/petco/online.

You can find some 420 nm violet LED online too:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/420-nm-Viol...100-Lm-Ft-Salt-Water-Reef-Coral-/271002976390

LED blue is 465 nm, very blue-ish color:
http://www.marineland.com/sites/marineland/products/Detail.aspx?id=4659
http://www.marineland.com/sites/marineland/products/detail.aspx?id=4655
LED, available at petsmart/petco/online.

I prefer the LED blue.
If I had to guess, a colored 5 gallon tank is probably LED lighting.