t-5 bulb selection for zoo's

J

Jeff cousteau

New member
I upgraded my 2x15W NO's to a 24" Aquatinics Tx5 for my 25 tall. I bought the light used (3monthsold) with 4 bulbs for 400.00 shipping inc. I have had the light on my tank for just about 2 weeks and it's fryin my zoo's and palys. I had them about mid level in the tank but have moved them all to the bottom. The tank is 21 inches tall.


Here are the bulbs I have:

gieseman:
2 atinic +
1 aquablue +

G.E.:
6500k

G.L.O. (hagen):
2 marine glow(atinic)
1 power glow (10,000K)

I'm only running 4 bulbs on the unit, I am running the giseman bulbs and the g.e. 6500k right now. Is it's the 6500K that's doing all the damage?

What combo should I be running? I really want them to pop but not to fry, I really like the blue's but don't want the color's to wash.

If this should be posted to the t-5 thread let me know.
 
I have the whites come on 1st around 9:30 am and they run until about 5:30 pm, the atinics come on around 10am and run until 10pm. should I have the atinics come on 1st at around 9am? Is there an ideal light cycle?

I also have my moon lights come on around 5pm and shut off arount 2 am.
 
I'm really starting to think that the GE bulbs are just too much for zoanthids and many other corals for that matter. I'm about to pull my GE bulb in favor of something with less par, or I might simply pull the reflector. I'm starting to think more and more than the way light is delivered with T5 lighting can be stressful to certain zoanthids that may be used to slightly lower light than the typical reef organism.

MH is a very centralized light source where different parts of a polyp will be exposed to different light levels as a result of the way MH lighting spreads. T5 often means that a polyp directly facing the light source is getting exposed to the same high light intesity from every angle so the typical defense mechanisms for a coral or zoanthid may not be very effective and the polyp suffers. In short, there is little escaping T5 lighting without shade being a factor and I've witnessed polyps partially close in what seems like an atempt to shade themselves when they previously would not do it under what and even closer exposure to a 250w high par MH bulb.

I don't know much about the hagen bulbs so I can't comment much other than I believe they are lower in par than most of the comparable spectrum ATI and UVL bulbs. I'm also running a 6 bulb fixture and only run my GE and another bulb (ATI Blue+) for 5 hours a day.
 
One last thing, when I go to replace my bulbs this next time around I will probably be going with 2 ATI blue+, 1 UVL75/25, 1 UVL Aquasun, 1 ATI Aquablue Special, and 1 True Actinic. This last time around I replaced 6 bulbs over 2 months time to slowly up the light levels as a result of a new bulb pushing out more par, I still had some bleaching going on. I will be pulling reflectors as I replace bulbs next time I'm due.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12631049#post12631049 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Jeff cousteau
would the reflective eggcrate help? It might direct the light more downwards so the light is more like MH
Click to expand...

It may help since it will lower your par levels. I wouldn't use the reflective stuff though, I'd just use the regular white stuff.
 
I was reading a thread here on RC about the eggcrate and the white will lower the par by 7. the reflective will actually increase the par which I think is pretty cool. People have said that the reflective coating can flake off but I would think that this would only be after long term use. someone on the thread had mentioned that they've been using it for 2 years without and problems. It would be chaep enough to replace every year if ya had too. I was thinking of getting it for a cover to b/c I'll be getting a carpenter wrasse next week.

here's the link:http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=426618&highlight=eggcrate
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12631163#post12631163 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Jeff cousteau
I was reading a thread here on RC about the eggcrate and the white will lower the par by 7. the reflective will actually increase the par which I think is pretty cool. People have said that the reflective coating can flake off but I would think that this would only be after long term use. someone on the thread had mentioned that they've been using it for 2 years without and problems. It would be chaep enough to replace every year if ya had too. I was thinking of getting it for a cover to b/c I'll be getting a carpenter wrasse next week.

here's the link:http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=426618&highlight=eggcrate
Click to expand...

You want to lower the par right now, not increase it. You may even want to get some fiberglass screening and put a couple layers over some eggcrate and remove a layer each week. You went from very low light levels to very high light levels, it's only natural that your zoanthids are exhibiting stress even if in the long run the increased lighting will be of great benefit to them.

Think of it in relation to tanning. If you go from being indoors all winter and then go on a vacation to an island and back in the sun all day you're going to get a severe burn and damage your skin. If you were to do the same thing when you already have a base tan the severity of the burn would be far less. So, your zoanthids are sorta like a pasty white dude baking in a tropical sun right now :p
 
LOL:) that pasty white dude would be me. Thanks for the metaphor. I Have the white egg crate already so I'll cut it to size tonight and add a few layers of window screen I got for my frags in the morning.
 
i have a 8bulb T5 fixture and i grow alot sps and a alot of zoas. i use geiseman about the same as ati. i have 1pure actinic 4 actinic + and 3 aqua blue plus(15k). i have great zoa color and growth and this is a 120. sorry for the bad spelling
 
so basicaly your running blue + and atinics, no 6500-10000k bulbs. don't mind my spelling either, lol. I'll have to try this tomorrow night and see what it all looks like. I'll take pics of each combo and try and post them.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12631984#post12631984 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Jeff cousteau
so basicaly your running blue + and atinics, no 6500-10000k bulbs. don't mind my spelling either, lol. I'll have to try this tomorrow night and see what it all looks like. I'll take pics of each combo and try and post them.
Click to expand...

The actinic + is not an actinic at all and is just a bluer spectrum bulb and similar to the ATI Blue + but most consider the ATI the superior bulb. The Aquablue Plus is actually rated at 11k not 15k and is similar to the ATI Aquablue Special, but again the ATI is considered the better bulb by most.
 
what bulbs would you suggestion for a standard 75 g with alot of softies and zoos

i currently have 6x54watts
1 pure actinic
and 5 mixtures of white bulbs not sure about the k rating.

would change it for optimal growth and colaration
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12634200#post12634200 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by crazyfrog
what bulbs would you suggestion for a standard 75 g with alot of softies and zoos

i currently have 6x54watts
1 pure actinic
and 5 mixtures of white bulbs not sure about the k rating.

would change it for optimal growth and colaration
Click to expand...

Do you like more blue or more of a crisp white? Also, what fixture is it?
 
I was using 3 GE 6500K's no problem, here in the pic I have 2, but 1 burnt out..

but I changed it for looks. My zoos actually grew better under the previous lighting..

from this
Picture.jpg


to this

videooftank018.jpg


for looks.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12636669#post12636669 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by crazyfrog
* suggest

i want it more bluish that would not affect growth.
its a diy fixture.

thanks!
Click to expand...

I'd suggest 2 ATI Blue+, 1 Aquablue Special, 1 UVL Aquasun, 1 UVL 75/25, and 1 UVL Super actinic. You might want to pick up a GE daylight bulb as well since they're pretty cheap and it will give you a lot of spectrum options to play with just by swapping out one bulb. It is also pretty expensive just to get one or two bulbs shipped because there are extra shipping charges so having an extra bulb isn't a bad idea either.
 
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