Nova t-5 Lights

[AquaVolGP]

Still looking for lights.....Anyone know anything about the Nova 48'' 54 - watt T5s????? I was thinking about running 4 -to 8 of them.... I have a 120 gallon..dimensions....60L X 18W X 24H.

I am interested in Keeping LPS, softies, shrooms, Zoas, and not really any SPS except maybe monopora up high. I haev read about people keeping SPS with these lights.

My Debate is between 4 VHO or these T5 HO bulbs.

I am not sure if we are supposed to ask about products....but i was just wondering what the club thought...LMK
-Geoff

 

[EvilMel]

Well up at that store in Bristol they are using T5s and they were really cool. Apparently the PAR that comes out of them is higher than MHs. So it sounded to me like you could keep most anything with T5s (if I'm not mistaken). Also, they run exceptionally cool.

Actually Randy and I were seriously considering making the switch so he might be able to tell you more about them.

 

[KafudaFish]

I run 4 x 54 T5 on my 95. Check out reefgeek.com for prices and choices. That is where I bought mine. I did the retro kit because I built a canopy. If you read T5 threads people always recommend individual reflectors, you can add IceCaps for $2 more per that helps increase light. You can also overdrive the ballasts and get even more watts such as 80 watts for a 54. I did not overdrive because I only have an 18" tank. Also if I want I can add a 2 bulb retro down the road incase I change directions.
They are pretty cool but I do have 2 fans, one in and one out but I am thinking about dropping one due to their noise level.
The other advantage is longevity. T5 are suppose to be good for 18 months but I think most change starting at a year.
Not sure of your budget but I wonder if you could do 48" bulbs and stagger them or have different lighting intensities throughout the tank. I don't have any experience with VHO's but people always say their actinics are the best.
Oh when I flip my hood up I only have 2 lights hitting the water and it makes a ripple effect. Hope this helps.

 

[DMBillies]

I run a 4 x 54watt Tek fixture with 2 VHO (superactinics) on the sides. My SPS all seem to be doing great and I'm happy with the colors. I keep them mostly near the top because my softies and lps are toward the bottom, so I can't say how they would do deeper. However, as Mel said they are supposed to have better PAR than halides. I don't have any clams, so I can't speak to how they do.

As far as VHO actinics being better than T5, apparently URI has T5 bulbs that do as good as the VHO's, but again, I don't have any experience with those because my actinics are VHO's. They definitely save you on heat (you'll probably need a couple of small computer fans if you're using the t5's in a hood, as already said) and electricity compared to halides (don't know how exactly they compare to VHO's in terms of output/watt). They will also give you the option of keeping more SPS (as compared to VHO's) if you ever decide to keep some of them.

 

[ct_vol]

You can get the Nova at Fosters and Smith... However I wouldn't go with that fixture... DMBillies' Tek light fixture is a lot better for about the same price... The biggest difference is that the Nova has a single parabolic reflector where as the Tek light has individual reflectors for each bulb... Its this difference that increases the PAR comparable to VHO's or MH's... Hope this helps... The fixture Mel mentioned is the Sun Blaze... It is the same as the Tek Light, except its more for commercial purposes rather than asthetics on your tank... The Tek light and Sun Blaze are both made by Sunlight Supply... You can get some info on their website...

 

[AndynSarah]

I have 2 T5's over my 29 gallon tank. I am also running 2 55watt PC actinics. All of our corals are doing great. I will post some more pics of the tank here soon so everyone can see the progress and growth we have from the corals with the T5's. I am not running a fan with my T5's but mine are also 11 inches off of the tank as well. I can't help on the VHO side of this question though.
Andy

 

[goreefer]

I'm in the process of changing from PC's to T5's.
Chris at the Coral Reef was able to order the sockets and bulbs at a lower price than what I was able to find online.
I like to support our local LSF's when I can.
I'll let you know how thing come out when the parts arrive.