Adding retro t5 to led fixture
- Thread starter bcheriyan
- Start date
jedimasterben
LED world domination!
Your array is ok, you'd definitely get better results if you swapped the cool white for warm white. What colors in your corals are you missing, specifically?
jedimasterben
LED world domination!
Red corals looking dull can be a lack of cyan or farther red. Warm white would definitely help, as would cyan.
Which corals? In particular montipora and many acropora need the far red to look red. On the LPS side it is often more of a fluorescent red pigment needing the blue and cyan wavelengths to help out (but a little more red spectrum helps to some degree)
If you add cyans to the mix then replace the cool whites with a warm white rated for over 90 CRI (indicates further red needed for the missing spectrum) One or two cyans is all you'd want to add to each panel and center them along the length in between you violets to give even coverage.
On the other hand if you don't add cyans I'd replace the neutral whites with warm white (keeping the cool whites for their green end of the spectrum.
If you add cyans to the mix then replace the cool whites with a warm white rated for over 90 CRI (indicates further red needed for the missing spectrum) One or two cyans is all you'd want to add to each panel and center them along the length in between you violets to give even coverage.
On the other hand if you don't add cyans I'd replace the neutral whites with warm white (keeping the cool whites for their green end of the spectrum.
StaySalty
Member
Following along. I've been looking to add some t5 supps to my maxspect razor. Overall, I'm happy with it but I feel that no matter what LEDs I use, there's just spaces that don't get filled in as well and the coral coloration is not as good as it could be. My LFS uses the Ai sols with t5 retros and I'm sold on that being the look I want. Especially after I asked to see what the tank looks like with only the Sols on.
I was hoping to to build something like this. But I'm not sure how I would attach the retros to the razor.
I was hoping to to build something like this. But I'm not sure how I would attach the retros to the razor.
Following along. I've been looking to add some t5 supps to my maxspect razor. Overall, I'm happy with it but I feel that no matter what LEDs I use, there's just spaces that don't get filled in as well and the coral coloration is not as good as it could be. My LFS uses the Ai sols with t5 retros and I'm sold on that being the look I want. Especially after I asked to see what the tank looks like with only the Sols on.
I was hoping to to build something like this. But I'm not sure how I would attach the retros to the razor.
Don't forget the reflectors for the t5. that light pictured is wasting half of the light and probably could have gotten away with half the number of bulbs for supplementation.
Just use some self tapping screws to mount the standoff to the underside of the housing on the edges of the razor on the solid parts between the areas of cooling fins. Or mount a bracket there, which ever works.
or attach a bar like in that pic to the spot where the hanging kit attaches, might need longer bolts or something to make that work?
StaySalty
Member
Yeah I think the guy stated that he hadn't put the reflectors on yet but was going too.
As far as my setup goes, it'll probably be quite a challenge for me to figure out how im gonna add the t5s. I pretty much have almost zero DIY skills lol. If I did use something like the self tapping screws and screw into the body, wouldn't that void the warranty? is there any way I could add the supps without puncturing the body of the razor in any way?
StaySalty
Member
Yeah, I'd have to play around with it for sure. It's on a corner tank so that in itself makes this harder than usual.
one more question I have for you Zachts. I've never used anything but LED's since I've been in the hobby(2 years or so) so I'm not familiar with the technicalities of t5 technology. I was just going to buy a couple of the t5 retro kits shown in the picture I put up. I believe they are the coralvue retros. But after doing some searching, it seems like the Icecap 660 retro are very popular and loved by many. Are these the icecap 660's?
http://www.aquacave.com/VUE660-T5-VHO-Retro-Kits-C314.aspx
I just wasn't sure because these are called VUE660 but everyone seems to be refering to them as IceCap 660. Are these two the same thing?
IceCap went out of business. Coral Vue is the equivelent of the 660 ballast but really designed for VHO. Get a T5 specific ballast with your retrofit kit. Ideally a ballast that matches the bulb length you're using. The "general" purpose ballasts are not as good as one made for the setup you're planing to run.
All you really need is end caps and stand offs for mounting plus wire, blubs, and the appropriat ballast. For supplemental lighting a two bulb ballast will be fine and it will come with a wiring diagram on it. Not too difficult. The biggest thing is to make sure tha ballast is wired safely as one side will be connected to 120v AC.
If in doubt find and consult a local reefer/electrician to help out with the wiring.
jedimasterben
LED world domination!
I would not use the 660 ballast or any Workhorse ballasts. HEP (the ballast ATI fixtures all use) is the one to go to. They run the bulbs exactly at spec (so no overdriving like the VHO 660 ballast does) and have end of life protection (unlike the Workhorse ballasts), in addition to the proper start to the bulbs so that they strike correctly each time.
StaySalty
Member
Ahh gotcha. Thanks for clearing up the confusion with IceCap.
So would this kit from BRS have everything I need to set this up(besides any mounting rails and such). http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/3-ft-let-lighting-miro-4-t5-high-output-retrofit-kit-1.html I zoomed in and it seems to say HEP on the ballast, but it doesn't specifically say that it is an HEP ballast in the product description. It also mentions that it is specifically designed to run T5HO like you pointed out Zacht
As supplemental lighting they will be plenty. If you don't have a canopy they will spill a bit of light out into the room but you could easily make a "skirt" to go around the setup as many have done to block some of the light spill if it is an issue for you.
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