Let's See Some T5 Only Lite Tanks (remember Just T5 Lite Tanks) :-)

horkn said:
i tried that once, and didnt like it. it was bushmills too.. oh well, the liver complains either way;)
Click to expand...
hey Horkn, It was Irish whiskey you were drinking, not Scotch.
Useless trivia knowledge here:
Scotch is a whiskey but can only come from Scotland. It has a distinctive taste that can be compared to lighter fluid gone bad. Whiskey can come from anywhere, but to be classified as Scotch it must come from Scotland.
Bourbon (Nectar of the Gods) is sweeter than Scotch, and can only come from Kentucky, otherwise its just whiskey. Many people think that Jack Daniels is Bourbon when its not....just a whiskey. Jim Beam is a Bourbon.
One last bit o useless info.....Southern Comfort is also erroneusly considered a whiskey or Bourbon...its actually a liquer, (same category as Triple Sec or Grand Marnier).
Okay, I'm done thoroughly and utterly hijacking this thread to a useless alcohal informative essay from my bartending days.

Now back to Reef stuff!!!

Nick
 
Uh, thats not exactly accurate. Close though...

Its about how the whiskey is aged that gives it its classification, not where it comes from. Do a google search about how whiskey is made. Its enlightening. :)
 
yeah, that tank in the middle seems a little yellowy to me too. mine is more blue than that.. it all has to do with bulb selection..


(thanks for the info on the whiskey , scotch maxII;))
 
I think the #2 tank looks like poo and I'm a Jack Daniels fan. My T5's don't look like that and thank God for Blue + and. . .. Jack Daniels
 
In April 2004, I added the following to my 215 gal:

2 36" Sunlight supply lights with 8 bulbs each
Total 16 * 39 W bulbs, 72" across.

39W T5 ATI True Actinic High Output Fluorescent Bulb
39W T5 HO ATI Sun Full Spectrum 6500K .
39W T5 HO ATI Sun Full Spectrum 6500K .
39W T5 HO ATI Sun Full Spectrum 6500K .
39W T5 HO ATI Aquablue Full Spectrum 11,000K
39W T5 HO ATI Aquablue Full Spectrum 11,000K
39W T5 ATI True Actinic High Output Fluorescent Bulb
39W T5 ATI True Actinic High Output Fluorescent Bulb

Everything was fine for 6 months, with good SPS growth, acro, cat paws, etc.
THEN - Attack of the Hari Algae!
I have looked at every variable (chemistry perfect, weekly water changes, about 200+ hermits and mex. turbos,
Fish - all Tangs and a fox face.

My conclusion, and that of my LFS with a similar issue with a T-5 tank also with Hair Algae outbreak, is that the T-5 spectrums shift in / after 6 months.
Anecdotal evidence, have not used a spectrometer, but, rather than going with new bulbs ($$) will be going to MH lights.

Ed

Ed.schreibman@comcast.net
 
eschrieb, I highly doubt that your algae problem has anything to do with spectrum change in your lights. Hair algae is a sign of a nutrient problem. I would do some research before going out and spending that type of money on a solution that most likely will not change the problem.
 
Salifert test show no PO, Nitrates, ETSS-800 skimmer, lots of live rock.
Dont want to spend the $$, but the Hair ALgea is unreal at this point.
Have had several folks tell me the t-5's can shift after 6 months to about 1 year.
 
I'm still not convinced about the shift. PO4 tests are rarely accurate because when you do have an algae problem, the algae is eating the P04 before you can test for it. This really sounds like a nutrient problem. There are so many ?'s to ask but to start, what type of sand bed to you have, what type of sand, how deep, do you have a refugium, how long has the tank been up?
T5's are relatively new here in the U.S., but have been used for years in Europe. These types of spectrum changes would have been researched and written about before now. 6 months, even if the 18 -24 month claims that come with all T5's are extremely exagerated, would be too much for me to believe.
eschreib, you've got a problem that has nothing to do with your lights. Strong skimming, light food and more strong skimming would be more appropriate instead of going out and spending over 1K in lights.
 
eschreib said:
My conclusion, and that of my LFS with a similar issue with a T-5 tank also with Hair Algae outbreak, is that the T-5 spectrums shift in / after 6 months.
Anecdotal evidence, have not used a spectrometer, but, rather than going with new bulbs ($$) will be going to MH lights.

Ed

Ed.schreibman@comcast.net
Click to expand...

Ed, since you've made up your mind and posted here that the lighting you have is so crappy, I'd be willing to take it off your hands... shifted spectrum lamps and all. ;)

We DO know (empirically) that MH lamps shift spectrum and lose intensity quickly. We know (again, empirically) from T5s intended for commercial and industrial lighting that they DON'T...

You've had several people tell you that tshifting spectrum is a problem... I've had several folks tell me several things that I had to try hard not to laugh at. :)

W/ re: being able to measure PO4, even w/ a decent test kit, read some of the Starboard/BB threads.

PO4 can recycle so fast in a reef tank that it's always available for algae, and at the same time may be unmeasurable in solution.
 
eschreib said:
In April 2004, I added the following to my 215 gal:

2 36" Sunlight supply lights with 8 bulbs each
Total 16 * 39 W bulbs, 72" across.

39W T5 ATI True Actinic High Output Fluorescent Bulb
39W T5 HO ATI Sun Full Spectrum 6500K .
39W T5 HO ATI Sun Full Spectrum 6500K .
39W T5 HO ATI Sun Full Spectrum 6500K .
39W T5 HO ATI Aquablue Full Spectrum 11,000K
39W T5 HO ATI Aquablue Full Spectrum 11,000K
39W T5 ATI True Actinic High Output Fluorescent Bulb
39W T5 ATI True Actinic High Output Fluorescent Bulb

Everything was fine for 6 months, with good SPS growth, acro, cat paws, etc.
THEN - Attack of the Hari Algae!
I have looked at every variable (chemistry perfect, weekly water changes, about 200+ hermits and mex. turbos,
Fish - all Tangs and a fox face.

My conclusion, and that of my LFS with a similar issue with a T-5 tank also with Hair Algae outbreak, is that the T-5 spectrums shift in / after 6 months.
Anecdotal evidence, have not used a spectrometer, but, rather than going with new bulbs ($$) will be going to MH lights.

Ed

Ed.schreibman@comcast.net
Click to expand...


I'd be looking for other causes. Ice Cap has really hammered these lamps and has a low estimate of 18 to 24 months with no signifigant shift. How many fish do you have in the tank and how big? What and how much are you feeding? Do you have anything in common with the LFS besides lighting? I have heard of people who have gotten liverock that was so saturated with phosphate they had to junk it to correct the problem. How many mex turbos did you add? When my 125 was new I ended up dumping 11 in there to eliminate the problem. A year later they have died back to like 4. Not enough food for them.
 
First - let me say that I was very excited to get the T-5's, as they have all the light/heat elements and size requirements that I need, so I'm hoping I'm wrong, but.....


RE: NewSchool04 "what type of sand, how deep, do you have a refugium, how long has the tank been up? "
I have 4-6" DSB with live sand, lots of tubes coming up and nitrogen bubbles, looks great. Tank is about 2 yrs old, No refugium


re: The Grim Reefer :" What and how much are you feeding? Do you have anything in common with the LFS besides lighting? . How many mex turbos did you add?"

I feed brine Mysis 2-3 / wk, seaweed 1* week
I have about 50 Mex turbos ++ 150 hermits as well as: ( Emerald Mithrax Crab (Mithrax sculptus) Banded Coral Shrimp, Astraea Turbo Snail, Scarlet Reef Hermit Crab, Emerald Crab, Serpent Sea Star, Dwarf Zebra Hermit Crab, Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crab, Bumble Bee Snail)

Fish side:
Maroon Clown (Premnas biaculeatus)
Yellow tang (Zebrasoma flavescens)
Purple tang (Zebrasoma xanthurus)
Kole Tang (Ctenochaetus strigosus)
Red Sea Sailfin Tang (Zebrasoma desjardini)
Foxface (Siganus vulpinus)
Blond naso tang (Naso lituratus)

Thanks all
 
eschreib, what type of mysis shrimp do you feed? Explain exactly how you feed the shrimp please. I think this may be your problem. If these little guy's aren't rinsed thouroughly, you will be adding tons of phosphates into your system. The way they are packaged and the water used to freeze them is packed with PO4.
 
NewSchool04 said:
eschreib, what type of mysis shrimp do you feed? Explain exactly how you feed the shrimp please. I think this may be your problem. If these little guy's aren't rinsed thouroughly, you will be adding tons of phosphates into your system. The way they are packaged and the water used to freeze them is packed with PO4.
Click to expand...

I only feed them Mysis 1/week at the most, but admit to NOT rinsing them, which I shall start doing. However, The Hair Algae started prior to my introduction of Mysis , I was all Brine when the problem started.
I went back to my web page , and can see a visible difference in the 'brightness' of the tank.
Can anyone offer advise on how to test the overall spectrum, and what shifts are 'bad' I.E> encourage Hair Algae growth?>
 
Are you talking Mexican turbos? They are like the size of a golf ball. If 50 of them babies can't handle your algae you got huge problems.

I am surprised you can keep all that tang alive no more than you are feeding.
 
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