8 bulb ati combo

I hope this thread can get pinned for easy reference. When I started using ati I had a hard time trying to find discussions on bulb combinations. I think some of the threads get bumped down after a long time and gets lost. All suggestions here are useful and helpful. Keep it going!


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Potatohead said:
I use this exactly the same order too, but I use a fourth blue instead of the ABS.
Click to expand...

Can you please share a photo of your tank? I have tried blue+ instead of actinic before, but my purple plating montipora did not quite look right. Having said that pinks look better without actinic.
 
Ah, I was just thinking about a line up today.. I'm setting up a tank now, and the last line up I had was a lil too blue if I remember right.

Front
Blue+
Blue+
Blue+
KZ Fiji purple
Aqua blue special
Blue+
Blue+
Blue+

before that I was running something not as blue.
Front
Blue+
Aqua blue special
Kz fiji purple
Blue+
Aqua blue special
Blue+
Aqua blue special
Blue+
 
I have just set up a new frag tank. Over it I have a 3ft, 8 bulb ati sunpower. Currently running 6 blue plus, 1 purple plus, and one coral+. I have not tried any other combo yet this is what I'm just starting with. However, the tank is only 10 inches deep, corals are on raised racks (so it's really shallow) but the par is not anywhere near as high as I expected. Fixture is sitting now at like 10 inches off water I think and it's maybe around 200-250 highest points I got on the racks. I see so.e people posti,g say they get this on the sand of 18 inch deep tanks. The set up is in my garage so it fairly cool. So I tried turning the fan speed down a setting today just incase I was over oiling the bulbs, will test again tomorrow.
Mainly looking for a good combo for acro coloration only. Growth is not as important to me. Any suggestions? Pretty much looking to use only ati bulbs due to ease of getting them.
 
MichaelW said:
I have just set up a new frag tank. Over it I have a 3ft, 8 bulb ati sunpower. Currently running 6 blue plus, 1 purple plus, and one coral+. I have not tried any other combo yet this is what I'm just starting with. However, the tank is only 10 inches deep, corals are on raised racks (so it's really shallow) but the par is not anywhere near as high as I expected. Fixture is sitting now at like 10 inches off water I think and it's maybe around 200-250 highest points I got on the racks. I see so.e people posti,g say they get this on the sand of 18 inch deep tanks. The set up is in my garage so it fairly cool. So I tried turning the fan speed down a setting today just incase I was over oiling the bulbs, will test again tomorrow.
Mainly looking for a good combo for acro coloration only. Growth is not as important to me. Any suggestions? Pretty much looking to use only ati bulbs due to ease of getting them.
Click to expand...

I have the 8x54watt ati sunpower over my reefer 450. It is 10 inches above the water and par just under surface is just over 600. At 8 inches below the water the par is around 400 in the middle of the fixture. Don't understand why you are getting such low numbers.

Also have my fan speed set to 9v
 
Mr.Fishtank said:
I have the 8x54watt ati sunpower over my reefer 450. It is 10 inches above the water and par just under surface is just over 600. At 8 inches below the water the par is around 400 in the middle of the fixture. Don't understand why you are getting such low numbers.

Also have my fan speed set to 9v
Click to expand...

Yeah I'm not sure why either. What bulb combo are you using?
Its a brand new fixture so I do,t imagine the reflectors need cleaning or anything.
 
DML08 said:
what kind of fixture do you have?
Click to expand...

8x39watt at I sunpower.
I know that it's not the 54 watt unit as above.. But I was under impression that's more to do with coverage on a longer tank not effecting par going into the tank (of that makes sense)

Now I am getting enough light out of the unit to grow sps, but with the corals really only about 6 inches under water I was expecting to be able to hang the light much higher than I am and to be able to get easy in the 400a if I want. (brightest spot I found so far on my frag racks is about 300, at about 6 inches down with lamp 10ish inches from surface. Just also concerned something may be wrong with the light. All bulbs are installed the correct way with label under the vent holes etc.
 
MichaelW said:
8x39watt at I sunpower.
I know that it's not the 54 watt unit as above.. But I was under impression that's more to do with coverage on a longer tank not effecting par going into the tank (of that makes sense)

Now I am getting enough light out of the unit to grow sps, but with the corals really only about 6 inches under water I was expecting to be able to hang the light much higher than I am and to be able to get easy in the 400a if I want. (brightest spot I found so far on my frag racks is about 300, at about 6 inches down with lamp 10ish inches from surface. Just also concerned something may be wrong with the light. All bulbs are installed the correct way with label under the vent holes etc.
Click to expand...

1) Your ATI is broken somehow (Ballast maybe?)
2) Your ATI reflectors and splash guard are caked with salt creep
3) Your par meter is broken

That's all I got homie, but those would be the most likely guesses to investigate first.
 
MichaelW said:
8x39watt at I sunpower.
I know that it's not the 54 watt unit as above.. But I was under impression that's more to do with coverage on a longer tank not effecting par going into the tank (of that makes sense)

Now I am getting enough light out of the unit to grow sps, but with the corals really only about 6 inches under water I was expecting to be able to hang the light much higher than I am and to be able to get easy in the 400a if I want. (brightest spot I found so far on my frag racks is about 300, at about 6 inches down with lamp 10ish inches from surface. Just also concerned something may be wrong with the light. All bulbs are installed the correct way with label under the vent holes etc.
Click to expand...

Doesn't the Sunpower only come with one fan? I want to say maybe heat might be your issue. this is a old thread but Ming goes into depth about heat and T5.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1641235
 
Just tested and with par meter not in the water but just about I inches under foster I got a reading of like 700. The par meter I'm using is the new apogee one that is supposed to be better for led, does this mean it's not reading t5 as acuratly as it should? I also removed the plexiglass and tested and honestly wasnt that much difference in numbers.
Turned the fan up 2 9v and will test again tomorrow.

How would you know if your ballast isn't performing properly? I mean obviously all bulbs are lit.
 
If your getting a 700 par reading at one inch above the water then the fixture is working fine. As for the par meter. I do belive that the SQ520 is meant mainly for leds. So could be giving an inaccurate reading under the water surface.
 
It's like 550 at one inch above the water, middle of the fixture, hung at 10 inches.
700 hundred was more like one inch under the bulbs
 
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