Joe's reef system
- Thread starter FL.Joe
- Start date
InsaneClownFish
New member
Actually, with your bulb combination you should get more of a white/blue color. To get anything over a white/blue with T5s you need to go heavy on the Blue+ or actinic combination.
IE they need to outnumber anything with a lower kelvin.
IE they need to outnumber anything with a lower kelvin.
InsaneClownFish
New member
Here's a picture of my old reef using a 50/50 mix of ATI Blue + and ATI Aquablues in a 6 bulb Tek Fixture:
Maybe 14k, but not 20k. Hope this helps. Remember if you don't like the "look," you can always play with changing out one of the bulbs.
Maybe 14k, but not 20k. Hope this helps. Remember if you don't like the "look," you can always play with changing out one of the bulbs.
FL.Joe
New member
thanks for the info John. so you're saying i will only have a 14k look? because i followed the "20k lighting look" post as close as possible and i talked to the guy at hellolights and he says it should be 18-20k. i thought all the bulbs i ordered were more blue than white, but if what i have will give me what your pic looks like than i'm happy. it'll be alot better than the yellow look i have now.
FL.Joe
New member
i finally got a chance to start on the lighting today. i built the canopy to hang because the closed loop outputs come over the back so it wouldnt allow for the traditional hood. the canopy is made of 1" wood and the wood was coated with Behr Waterproofing Wood Finishing after all the seams were siliconed.
the fixture will hang 2" over the tank using loop hook screws in each corner being supported by light weight chains and open hooks in the ceilings.
i'm going to add one more coat of wood finish(would make 3) then install the hanging hardware, then wiring the lighting. hopefully i can get majority of this done tonight.
the fixture will hang 2" over the tank using loop hook screws in each corner being supported by light weight chains and open hooks in the ceilings.
i'm going to add one more coat of wood finish(would make 3) then install the hanging hardware, then wiring the lighting. hopefully i can get majority of this done tonight.
FL.Joe
New member
i finished the "canopy" and its ready for hanging but after installing all the hardware the ballast just flashed 2 bulbs on quickly and that was it. so today i sent the ballast of to IceCap, so i'll be withough lights for over week...its already been 4 days since i took the PC fixture off the tank to dismantle it and include it in the new fixture.
FL.Joe
New member
i modded the PC reflector by cutting it to the size of single bulbs the way the T5 reflectors are
added blue moon light LEDs but i only have 2 sets because thats all LFS had, i have to check if they got more in yet. i took the LEDs out of the PC fixture but i'm not sure how i could incorporate them in the hood.
here's hood hanging, i'm not sure i like it mainly because the type of chains i used to hang it make it difficult to lower/raise the hood. i also have to do something about the fan now, i'll probably get (2) 3" fan and attach the to the hood.
if you look close you can see there's a T5 bulb missing, it broke while trying to hang the hood so i did a quick w/c and will do another one tonight. so i'll be ordering another bulb tonight, it'll probably get here before i get the ballast back
added blue moon light LEDs but i only have 2 sets because thats all LFS had, i have to check if they got more in yet. i took the LEDs out of the PC fixture but i'm not sure how i could incorporate them in the hood.
here's hood hanging, i'm not sure i like it mainly because the type of chains i used to hang it make it difficult to lower/raise the hood. i also have to do something about the fan now, i'll probably get (2) 3" fan and attach the to the hood.
if you look close you can see there's a T5 bulb missing, it broke while trying to hang the hood so i did a quick w/c and will do another one tonight. so i'll be ordering another bulb tonight, it'll probably get here before i get the ballast back
FL.Joe
New member
since i broke the 12k bulb while trying to install the hood, i have to order another bulb. i wasnt sure if the bulbs i selected wouldnt give me a "blue" enough look anyways, so i'm thinking of ordering a 14k bulb to replace the 12k, that would give me (2) blue plus bulbs and (2) 14k bulbs. what do yall think?
