Is it about time to change the T5 light bulbs? Par meter readings

[sahin]

Dom if the ballasts are sitting on top of something in open air then the ballasts should be adequately cooled. If th ballasts are in an enclosed area then there is a possibility of overheating. However, if only one particular ballast is having this problem then I would guess that there is more likely an issue with that single ballast. I ran retrofit T5's when they first arrived in Europe and mine were fine sitting on a shelf (but were not in an enclosed area). I didn't have to do anything special to cool them etc.

 

[kangym]

Agree with sahin, sounds like a individual ballast problem.
Dom, thanks for the light hood pictures. Ever think of opening a window at top of light hood and have fans blow directly to the end caps from top? It will cool all 8 bulbs evenly.

 

[kangym]

One week late, here is the PAR readings for new T5 lamps and 2 months old lamps:

New lamps

2 months old lamps

 

[DML08]

Dom if the ballasts are sitting on top of something in open air then the ballasts should be adequately cooled. If th ballasts are in an enclosed area then there is a possibility of overheating. However, if only one particular ballast is having this problem then I would guess that there is more likely an issue with that single ballast. I ran retrofit T5's when they first arrived in Europe and mine were fine sitting on a shelf (but were not in an enclosed area). I didn't have to do anything special to cool them etc.

Thanks Sahin, thats what I was thinking, just because its only #4 ballast that is giving me the issues and none of the others.. I Contacted ReefGeek, they said they will call me back and works something out, that was about 2hrs ago.. Sahin, How did you cool your bulbs?

Agree with sahin, sounds like a individual ballast problem.
Dom, thanks for the light hood pictures. Ever think of opening a window at top of light hood and have fans blow directly to the end caps from top? It will cool all 8 bulbs evenly.

I have thought about doing that, Still a Option for sure, 4 Fans, 1 can cool 2 bulbs, I might do it.. it will cool much better for sure, what I really need is a one of those digital laser thermometers to get reading from the cool spot of the bulb... On the ATI are the fans pushing air in or out?

 

[kangym]

I put my hand on top of the fans and feel the air out.

 

[dixiedog]

I put my hand on top of the fans and feel the air out.

I wish I could figure out how you get those colors under that PAR when my SPS are so bleached-looking under 20% less.

 

[kangym]

I feed the tank with formula 1, 2 pellets, one frozen cube each of mysis shrimps, plankton, rotifers, brine shrimps, cyclopeeze (daily), and one cap of oysterfeast and rotifeast (2-3x/wk). Coral vitalizer, amino acid, Xtra (2x/wk)..., well, and I just quit Zeovit last week.

 

[snaza]

Thanks for all your hard work with this tread. I Voted TOTM.

Here is my new tank;

60x33x21 with 10 x 54w PM about 10inch above water. fan speed is 6v and 5 bulbs are 2 months old the the other 5 are 7 months.

Few findings;

1. with fan speed set to 12v lost about 10% par
2. with fans turned off lost about 10% par

thanks

Aaron

 

[sahin]

Thanks for all your hard work with this tread. I Voted TOTM.

Here is my new tank;

60x33x21 with 10 x 54w PM about 10inch above water. fan speed is 6v and 5 bulbs are 2 months old the the other 5 are 7 months.

Few findings;

1. with fan speed set to 12v lost about 10% par
2. with fans turned off lost about 10% par

thanks

Aaron

Snaza, many thanks for doing the readings and keeping this informative thread alive.

I am very impressed with the PAR numbers at the sand level. With that lighting you can keep ANYTHING in your tank and at ALL levels.

All that PAR from 540watts of T5. With MH it would have required at least 2x400w halides.

 

[snaza]

No problems. I was really suprised with my numbers on the sand. If i droped the fixture i could probably get 700 on the SB. i have no where for my zoas and LPS (-:

the fixture sits to the left of the tank. thats why the numbers are small on that side. good area for my lps i guess

 

[DML08]

Wow Snaza, Awesome Numbers My friend....

 

[kangym]

Thanks for sharing snaza.
Could you tell us your T5 lamp combination? Are those 7 months old lamps blue+?

 

[snaza]

Thanks for sharing snaza.
Could you tell us your T5 lamp combination? Are those 7 months old lamps blue+?

2AB and 2B+ are older.:beer:

front

B+
AB
B+
B+
Fiji
AB
B+
AB
B+
AB

 

[BHD]

Hello Everyone,

I ordered a ATI Sunpower 6x54 watts and it will be here tomorrow. On page 19 or so of this thread, it was mentioned that all the end of the bulb with the label should on one side (the side of the power cord?) and the label facing upward toward the fan.

Is there any reason for this?
I never see a Sunpower on the outside but in the picture it only has 2 fans in the middle of the fixture. So even if I were to line up all my bulbs with the label ends on one side (the side of the power cord), there would be no fan blowing cool air directly on label ends right??

I am a bit confused, can someone clear this up for me? Whats the best way to put all the bulbs into the slots so it would work out properly.

Thanks

 

[rtparty]

Hello Everyone,

I ordered a ATI Sunpower 6x54 watts and it will be here tomorrow. On page 19 or so of this thread, it was mentioned that all the end of the bulb with the label should on one side (the side of the power cord?) and the label facing upward toward the fan.

Is there any reason for this?
I never see a Sunpower on the outside but in the picture it only has 2 fans in the middle of the fixture. So even if I were to line up all my bulbs with the label ends on one side (the side of the power cord), there would be no fan blowing cool air directly on label ends right??

I am a bit confused, can someone clear this up for me? Whats the best way to put all the bulbs into the slots so it would work out properly.

Thanks

When you get your fixture, look at it closely. You will see on one side there will be some holes. This is where the cool air comes in from.

The fans pull air into the fixture, over the ballasts and then through the vents to cool the cold spot on the bulbs. The air then travels the length of the bulb and out the side. There is a gap left between the fixture housing and the acrylic shield. When you get the fixture in your hands you will understand it all.

Which way the label faces doesn't matter. The labels can point up or down. It is important to have all the label ends on the same side where the vents are.

There is a picture of exactly what I described. Don't look at the bulbs because the person that took that picture had the bulbs in wrong. The labels should be over those vents.

 

[BHD]

Thanks for the quick reply.

So the bulb end with the label is the cool spot of the bulb that is needed to be cooled under the vent then?

If the temperature of this cool spot around the label is 95F then it is the ideal temperature?

I ordered 6 bulbs:
3 ATI Blue Plus
1 ATI AquaBlue Special
1 ATI Purple Plus
1 GE 6500K.

What would be the best line up for these bulbs to get the crisp white with some blue. The color around 14K phoenix bulb? or its doesn't really matter how they are line up, as long as those 6 bulbs in there, all line ups and combinations will produce the exact same color?

thanks alot for your time.

 

[kangym]

You can find the discussion on page 10 about the ideal lamp temperature. Sunpower has fewer fans than PM, you might need to increase the fan speed for better cooling. Do you have par meter at hand? It will help us to find out the difference between SP and PM. BTW, your combo is right on.

According to everything I've read you want the ambient temperature around to lamp at 95 degrees and the metal cap on the label end about 113 degrees.

Unless you have a light meter it is impossible to say what the perfect amount of cooling will be on your setup but getting the metal caps as close to 113 as possible should be a pretty good place to be. Unfortunately with water proof endcaps that is hard to to. You can pull the locking rings off and measure the metal but it's hard to say how much hotter the lamp end will be once you place the ring back on.

Perhaps removing the rings at both ends, setting the fan so the optimal temperature at the cold spot metal cap is reached, then also taking a reading at the other end's metal cap would work. Then you could replace the ring at the cold spot end but leave it off the other side so you can monitor the temperature at that end. Then you can fine tune your fan(s) so you get that end back to the ideal temperature with the rings in place on the cold spot side. Then just button everything back up and in theory you would be near optimum temperature.

I hope that wasn't too confusing.

 

[snaza]

Hey Guys,

Just did some testing on my mates tank while I had the PAR meter. Sorry but i dont have a photo. Tank was 24 inch tall and had 6 bulb sunpower.

B+
Actinic
B+
PP
AB
B+

PAR reedings are from the centre of the fixture and was about 8inch from the water

950 under fixture
520 1 inch under water
400 12 inch under water
290 Sand Bed

I was actually suprised as my ATI PM had WAY more PAR. check back a few pages for my photo

cheers

Aaron

 

[DML08]

Which way does the ATI fans run? Do they blow air in or out?

 

[snaza]

Which way does the ATI fans run? Do they blow air in or out?

Blow in