Got the T5's up and running! (pics!)

[hot4teacher]

Well, I got the lights wired and working, mounted them in the canopy (can we say 10lbs of cookie dough in a 5lb jar?) and had them on the tank today. All that is left is to mount the much needed 3" Icecap fans and the poly the wood.

I love them! Just got my Aquacontroller Jr in the mail today and look forward to setting that up. I can't run the lights for more than a couple of minutes as it gets pretty warm in the canopy pretty quickly (ballasts are in the hood too). Here are a few pics:

I'm working on better quality pics.

Dana

 

[kjbudsberg]

Looks like a very nice setup indeed!

 

[Dastank]

How do the colors look with the T5s? With that many lights, I'm not sure you can look into that tank with out hurting your eyes!

Nice Dana!

 

[hot4teacher]

I like the look the most when I have:

1 pure actinic (Geisemann)
2 Actinic Blue Plus (ATI)
1 11K 60/40 AquaBlue (ATI)

The final 2 are 11K for the midday schedule.

When all 6 are on, there are virtually no more shadows in the tank. The fish have already requested sunglasses.

By the way, the PC's were 384W and the new T5's are 324W, yet the T5's are soooo much brighter and make the tank look 'full'.

Dana

 

[hot4teacher]

 

[vest0830]

Very nice! I didnt know you had the tank in your classroom. Heck, with the school payin for the lights, I would have went halide. :lol:

 

[hot4teacher]

My off base house can't support the electricity OR the weight. I pop the breaker just with a couple of floor heaters. Ask Mike how my house is. I can't feel my feet until April!

Dana

 

[vest0830]

thats your house? looks like a classroom

 

[hot4teacher]

That's the classroom. I had originally got the tank and made the stand to fit in my house. Cheap flooring and non westerner electricity limits forced me to bring it to the classroom. Just as well, had a few "leaks". Looking to move this winter, and maybe find a house that can hold the tank.

Dana

 

[TPS-Dive]

Which school are you at? I visit the schools in the Tokyo area at least once a year when we have money for TDY's.

 

[Dastank]

I'm sure the tank is purely educational also, right Dana!

I'm worried about the breaker thing too, if I ever find the tank I want, the thing is going to suck some juice! I can't even run a microwave and toaster at the same time right now.

 

[hot4teacher]

Still waiting on my fans from Custom Aquatics...but snapped a few pics this evening.


(Yes, I got an AquaController Jr, so I plan on churching up the spaghetti mess of wires behind the stand.)

I have to learn how to take some good pictures with this camera. (Fuji S5100).

Dana

 

[Nydus]

Wow, great looking tank setup! I was wonering if you are seeing any bleaching on your zoos, from what I have researched 6X54 t5HO on a 65 is prety bright - also are they running hotter than the PCs you where running before?

 

[hot4teacher]

I don't see any bleaching yet. I had 4x96w PC's on there before, and they were bright, but these T5's have more 'umph'.

Are they hotter, yes. I had a Coralife hood that housed the PC's, and it had 3 small fans. The ballast was mounted under the stand. Now I have 6x54W T5's AND the ballasts mounted in the canopy. I installed 4 each 3" IceCap fans today and I would suggest everyone use fans when using that many T5's. I have glass over the tank and it was HOT when running all 6 lights and no fans.

Dana

 

[vest0830]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8164846#post8164846 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Nydus
Wow, great looking tank setup! I was wonering if you are seeing any bleaching on your zoos, from what I have researched 6X54 t5HO on a 65 is prety bright - also are they running hotter than the PCs you where running before?

Jeff (on here) has a tank full of zoos with t5 and vho sitting over top of them, he hasnt had anything but awsome luck with them. in fact I think they grow a little too fast for his liking.

I was over to Mike (dastank) house over the weekend, his zoos with the same kit sitting over top of his tank seemed to be doing great as well....

im running 2; 250w halides over my 55g tank with quite a few zoo's, they all seem to be doing just fine also.

 

[jeffb3t]

I think that with any lighting zoos will be just fine. they seem to adjust to any lighting condition you can throw at them. I have tested a few different conditions with lighting and no problems yet.

 

[ppht]

Does the Actinic AO3 Blue provide a nice affect on corals? Like a ultaviolet light? Also I might have missed it but what size is your tank? I am looking to do the exact same thin... Looks Great!!
Also do you have a pic of How you mounted the light board into the canopy?

 

[hot4teacher]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8176247#post8176247 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ppht
Does the Actinic AO3 Blue provide a nice affect on corals? Like a ultaviolet light? Also I might have missed it but what size is your tank? I am looking to do the exact same thing... Looks Great!!
Also do you have a pic of How you mounted the light board into the canopy?

Yes! I love how the pure actinic makes them fluorescent and gives the neon look. However when I have all 6 lights on, the whites kind of wash out that look. A real midday look, holds the natural`color, but not that cool fluorescent.

The tank is a 65gal. 48"x17"x17".

I don't have any pictures of how that above fixture fits into the canopy. Just imagine 4 ledges in the corners that the light board sits on. I will see if I can snap a pic or two inthe next few days. I have it so the light board is removable for easy access to the bulbs, ballasts, and the tank.

Dana

Dana

 

[ppht]

I have the same size tank. I would love to see how you did that. Also to get in the tank for feeding how do you open the canopy?

Also when you use the ACjr you can cycle your lights based on season and Sunset Sunrise. I assume the 3 plugs are for 3 different bulb types. You can make a nice lighting affect through the day...

 

[hot4teacher]

Howdy ppht,

I didn't have a chance today and tomorrow is a very busy day. I will take it off and snap some pics Friday and post them here. In short, everything is crammed in there without much room.

I do have this pic that you can kind of see in the background how I did it. The wood 'beam' the endcaps are screwed to rests on the 'ledges' circled. Basically, I can put the frame on the tank and then set the light board down into the frame.

Dana