Nova Extreme t5 question

[sneeyatch]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9831616#post9831616 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jc9394
I have used the Nova for couple days and I decided it is not for me since the depth of my tank is 24" and my clam are complainting. Once I changed it to 250 HQI with T5, all my clams are happy.

Nova will do fine if you have a shallow tank or keeping softies only. It is still a light year ahead of power compaq.

now, i can agree with a lot of this. i had the nova over a 75 for over a year. the growth imo was fantastic and i kept a teardrop on the bottom of the tank in the rocks, and there was decent growth there as well. one thing i could not keep on the bottom was softies. the were bleaching and just plain did not come out. all of the lps was fine, and the sps that i had did great. i know better than to go out and get extremely light demanding animals and i didn't. now, i have upgraded to a 90 and since the tank is 24" high, the softies on the bottom are more open and happier so far.

 

[HowardW]

<<< Still, where are the numbers comparing T5 par with single reflectors vs. individual reflectors? Link, please. It's all I'm asking for. >>>

<<< I too am waiting very anxiously to see the hard PAR numbers on a test of individual vs. single T5 reflectors. Wear are all the hard core T5 people out there? Please give us a link or some PAR NUMBERS on this. >>>


The Grim Reefer has done PAR tests on all the popular T5HO bulbs using individual reflectors including the Current Slimpaq 10K bulb and also the new UVL bulbs, and he posted the numbers in a thread here.

I don't know if he did any tests without using reflectors but it would be my guess the PAR numbers would be significantly less. I'll guess high quality individual reflectors such as Ice Caps add somewhere between 50-200% to the PAR numbers compared to units like the Nova that use just one reflector for all the bulbs.

 

[GSMguy]

300% thats how much better a t5 with a reflector is i

 

[HowardW]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9831995#post9831995 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GSMguy
300% thats how much better a t5 with a reflector is i

That number may be on the high side, as an example, the 48" Current Slimpaq 10K T5HO bulb puts out PAR of 272 according to The Grim Reefers tests, and if that is indeed 300% higher then using that same bulb without an individual reflector, then the PAR on that bulb when used in the Nova fixture would only be 68, and that would be even less then a Sunpaq 65W 10K PC bulb.

 

[GSMguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9832033#post9832033 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by HowardW
That number may be on the high side, as an example, the 48" Current Slimpaq 10K T5HO bulb puts out PAR of 270 according to The Grim Reefers tests, and if that is indeed 300% higher then using that same bulb without an individual reflector, then the PAR on that bulb when used in the Nova fixture would only be 90, and that would be even less then a Sunpaq 65W 10K PC bulb.

i know its more like 200 percent but that is the big claim the manufacurers make.

 

[brettfox27]

Does anyone have some more pictures of tanks with just the nova extreme?

 

[DarG]

I don't think I've seen a claim of light from an individual VS. a single reflector. The manufaturer claims I have seen have stated a percentage of light vs. not using a reflector at all. 300% is one of them but it was vs. NO reflector at all.

As far as Grims T5 output tests, he has shown that th Current bulbs are inferior to some others in terms of par. Again, NOT single reflectors vs. individuals, just output of the various T5 bulbs themselves. I can attest to the same thing, visually.

I recently swapped 4 Current labeled T5's for ATI and UVL. These were UVL Actinic 03's and ATI Blue Plus in and Current 03 and 460nm out. Visually, the difference in output appears to be noticeable but it's hard to tell because the color temp. has changed quite a bit. I have no doubt that the par is higher based on the lamp comparisons that were posted with solid numbers.

Claims of uber-superiority are empty without evidence in the form of real numbers based on legitimate testing. Nobody has been able to provide this yet in regards to the very large claims of individual reflectors being so superior to one large reflector.
Again, it seems that very few people if any have any doubt that the individual reflectors increase the output of the light in the tank vs. a single reflector. Without numbers to back it up it, quantitative (and qualitative) claims are empty. A jungle full of parrots doesn't make it any less empty.

 

[sneeyatch]

here ya go - these were taken right before i tore down the 75 and upgraded to my 90 - all of these were sold off:

 

[cabowabo]

So these pictures above were with the Nova Extreme fixture? If so I'm buying one tommorrow!! Were they Current bulbs or changed out?

 

[sneeyatch]

current's bulbs - and it's the 4 bulb fixture. used (2) 10k's and (2) actinics. no re-wiring the ballast or anything. just plug and play.

when the bulb's life is up, i'll be switching over to the other better bulbs out there, but this fixture is good with the plain bulbs it comes with.

this is a pic of the cap before i had to tear it out early - it was just too big and i couldn't clean the front glass anymore. btw - this cap started out as a frag approx. 1" wide and 3" long less than a year before this pic was taken.

 

[cabowabo]

Great job on that tank.Your water quality was obviously excellent also. I have to tell you I'm blown away by the health and color of your SPS with the Nova. My thought was to buy the 24" fixture(4 bulb), keep it through the summer then sell it and buy a 250 watt halide. The tank is new a( 2 months) and want it to age slowly before sps. Also want to see how much heat will be issue in the room it's in.
But hey, from those pics I may not be selling it! Wish I was around when you were selling off those corals.

 

[sneeyatch]

thanks - i appreciate it!

funny thing is - that system was sumpless, filterless and basically skimmerless too. the skimmer was a prizm (the old regular one) and it leaked, so, imo, no skimmer. the only filtration was about 125lbs live rock, and water movement by 2 seio 1100's, and 2 maxi 1200's with rotators. that and weekly 10% water changes.

my hammer -

elkhorn -

this pic is cool - you can see a table that was growing toward the bottom of the tank - located toward the top left of the pic -

fts -

 

[cabowabo]

That's wild. I've always said sumps are more of a convenience than anything else and some of the healthiest tanks are sumpless. The skimmer is surprising.
Well I take two things from these pics.
1) The Nova extreme T5 is WAY better than people say.
2) There is nothing more important than frequent, consistant water changes.

 

[pjf]

My suggestion is to go with individual reflectors. If the reflectors are retrofitted, be sure that they will fit. I couldn’t find any PAR figures for individual reflectors but here are percentage figures from Hahnmeister:

“the reflector is a key component of a blinding T5 system (responsible for 60% of their output on higher end systems).”
(http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=9121288&highlight=60#post9121288)
“The individual reflectors make up a good 60% of a T5s output.”
(http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=9422882&highlight=individual#post9422882)

 

[pjf]

Water flow is more important for corals than light

Water flow is more important for corals than light

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9834500#post9834500 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cabowabo
That's wild. I've always said sumps are more of a convenience than anything else and some of the healthiest tanks are sumpless. The skimmer is surprising.
Well I take two things from these pics.
1) The Nova extreme T5 is WAY better than people say.
2) There is nothing more important than frequent, consistant water changes.

Here is the first of a series of articles asserting that "Water flow is more important for corals than light" (http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/6/aafeature2).

 

[sneeyatch]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9834500#post9834500 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cabowabo
That's wild. I've always said sumps are more of a convenience than anything else and some of the healthiest tanks are sumpless. The skimmer is surprising.
Well I take two things from these pics.
1) The Nova extreme T5 is WAY better than people say.
2) There is nothing more important than frequent, consistant water changes.

that's right - good water quality is the most important thing out there. 10% weekly has ruled my life since the beginning and i look at it like opening a window at the first of spring and getting all of that nasty stale air out of the house that's been festering since the fall i like that analogy...

anyway, yeah, this fixture works for me, and i think it's perfect for a mixed reef. if you want all sticks and clams, then another fixture would be for you.

 

[brettfox27]

Well, i think that i am convinced that it will work for what I want to do. I know many of you may disagree, but i don't have tons of money to spend on lights, when i need to upgrade my crappy seaclone skimmer, thanks again.

 

[mattc183]

how well do headlights work without reflectors? Look at some reflector results for mh to see some differences.
Why not get the tek retros you can always add more for less? A very simple fixture could be made with only powertool needed a hand drill. I'm still contemplating the same issue as you, I think the tek will give a very nice Look both lights and fixture, but I'm leaning towards the tek retros if nothing else to seperate the ballast and reduce heat. oh and don't get me started on the "skimmer myth".

 

[sneeyatch]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9835929#post9835929 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by brettfox27
Well, i think that i am convinced that it will work for what I want to do. I know many of you may disagree, but i don't have tons of money to spend on lights, when i need to upgrade my crappy seaclone skimmer, thanks again.

i'm sure whatever route you want to go, you'll be fine so long as you keep good water quality. as for skimmers, if you still want a hob, why not try the octopus 110. very well made and they're only like $120 plus shipping. my lfs carries them in stock, and i got mine for that price - very nice for the money.

 

[mattc183]

I meant the current would give a nice look color and factory case and finish, not the tek retro.