SPS with T5 lighting

[kg221]

I have a 90 gallon tank with a 48" 6x54W Tek Light Elite T5 High-Output lighting system. I am trying to put some sps in my tank and right now I have my lights are set up from front to back:
Aqua Blue +
Blue +
Aqua Blue +
Blue +
Aqua Blue +
Blue +
The system has a total of 324watts and says can handle sps dominated tanks up to 80 gallons and mixed reefs up to 110 gallons. Im going for a mixed reef set up and I wanted to know what lights I could use to maximize my light output so I can have sps corals because right now I have one and it isnt really opening up like it i think it should. My rock setup is about half way up towards the surface of the water and thats where I have the sps. Let me know what you think on bulb selection or if I should rework my rocks to make it higher up in the tank. Thanks

 

[Gyr]

I am a newbie with re to T5 fixtures. I have been using one (ATI) for about 4 months now and I am having no problem with my SPS dominant tank. From what I have read about the TEK fixtures, I would think your set up would be fine for SPS. How tall is your tank and how high above the water is your fixture?
Have you checked out the GrimReefer's (a RC member) website on T5 lighting? It is loaded with great information about bulb selection and just about anything else you want to know about T5 lights. There is also a great thread here on RC about T5 lighting systems, which in large part is an 'ask Grim' format. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1706461&highlight=t5

 

[kg221]

It's probably 3-4inches away from the top of the tank. Thanks for the link I'll check it out and see what I can find. Thanks!

 

[ROCKMAN_1]

quantity of bulbs should be fine. Color is the preference of the aquarist. From what I have read, if you want the best growth 6500k is where you want to be for color temp. Others will probable chime in.

 

[kg221]

When fragging sps, do you need to clue it down to a part of a rock for it to encrust to the rock. Or if i had a hole in a rock where it fit nice and snug will it encrust to that eventually? Might be a dumb question I just want to know if im wasting my time wedging it in the small hole.

 

[cjtice]

Do you mean aqua blue special and aqua blue plus??

I have a mix of 4 aquablu plus and 2 aqua blue specials o er my tank but I am not real happy with some of the colors that I get out of the corals. I will be lowering the overall par value by adding an actinic in to the mix soon. All my lamps are on ic660 ballasts over a 90.

 

[Monkeyfish]

OP - YOur bulbs are fine for growing SPS. Keep the more light demanding ones in the top 1/3 of the tank. You may want to exchange one of the specials for a GE 6500 for a little more growth and another for an actinic white or KZ purple, but that's a matter of preference.

 

[rtparty]

Do you mean aqua blue special and aqua blue plus??

I have a mix of 4 aquablu plus and 2 aqua blue specials o er my tank but I am not real happy with some of the colors that I get out of the corals. I will be lowering the overall par value by adding an actinic in to the mix soon. All my lamps are on ic660 ballasts over a 90.

An actinic will last about 4 months being overdriven on an IC660 ballast. I highly recommend not going that route.

I would suggest a couple alternatives:

1) Run 4 ATI Blue Plus, 1 ATI Aquablue and 1 ATI Purple Plus. You will get much better color and not sacrifice any PAR.

2) Dump the Ice Cap ballast and use some spec T5 ballasts. You can find them on Reefgeek. I would still run the combo I suggested above.

Number 2 is my personal choice. I see no point in running Ice Cap ballasts. They ruin bulb life very quickly. Not to mention that Ice Cap is about to close up shop in the near future unless something drastically changes from them.

 

[shlap]

Definately enough light. How are all the water parameters? Calcium/Mag/Alk/Nitrates? I would start there.