Which colour

[sharkatak]

My friend at my LFS has asked if I am interested in having white, blue [actinic] &purple [UV] T5 tubes.I have an aqualina 4 ft with 4tubes & 2 switches.The idea would be to run a white &colour on each switch.At present I have 3 whites & 1 actinic.What are the benefits of UV for corals & or fish?While I'm here I'd like to have a whinge.Here in SE queensland we are having a bit of a heatwave while the rest of the state is in severe flood .Everyone without a chiller has had a 2-4 C increase with quite a few coral losses.I lost a 3 yr.old catalaphyla which was the size of a volleyball.Very sad.Thanks for any advice.

[Diver_1298]

I am at a loss as to why anyone would want a uv light in their t5 setup at the top of their tank. Generally speaking in a 4 bulb setup like yours most people go with a couple of daylight bulbs and 2 actinics. Or 3 daylight bulbs and 1 actinic depending upon the lighting needs of their corals.
I am not sure what a whinge is???
I am sorry about your heatwave and coral losses. If a chiller is not an option (they are expensive) You can reduce the heat in your tank by evaporative cooling. Run several fans across the top of your tank or sump if you have one to keep the temperature down. Good Luck!

Jim

If by UV you mean purple, that would answer some of my confusion. I would compare the blue and purple bulbs over an existing tank and see which bulb makes the corals fluoress (glow) the most and go with that one ( Eye Candy )