T5 bulb combinations

gflat65

gflat65

New member
I got a super cheap T5 set up from ebay, but need some better bulbs. A guy on another forum had some shots under ATI Blue Plus (2X), URI Aquasun, and URI Super Actinic. I can't find them all at the same place and the ATI's are pricy (up to $40 per comapred to $22 per). Anyone running all URI's and liking the color? I'm thinking of the Aquasun, Super Actinic, and 2 14K's. This is over my Acan tank, so I'm looking for some decent blue, but not so much that I can't get pictures.

TIA
 
Well, I found the ATI's for about the same price as the URI's and on the same website, so I went ahead and ordered a set. If nothing is on backorder for too long (ATI's are out of stock in a lot of places I've checked out), I should have some report soon:).
 
I'm using 2 ATI's (aquablue and blue plus) and 2 URI's (atinic white and super atinic). I would avoid the daylight bulbs. You won't need them and the UVL's are really pink, at least in VHO's.
http://www.reefgeek.com seems to allways have a good selection in stock FWIW.
Chris
 
Chris congrats on the Team RC I just noticed it how long has it been on your thing? I know have been a great asset to us in MRTC an also now over there I am glad that the people at RC have also seen it.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11105850#post11105850 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by waynesworld
Chris congrats on the Team RC I just noticed it how long has it been on your thing? I know have been a great asset to us in MRTC an also now over there I am glad that the people at RC have also seen it.
Click to expand...

Thanks Wayne:D

It's been about a month now.

Chris
 
I just ordered some new UVL superactinics and aquasuns. The superactinics are amazing compared to other T5 actinics I've seen and I would say quite comparable to the UVL superactinic VHO's (if not slightly better... maybe).

The aquasuns are quite pink as Chris said and I actually had to take one back out after installing it (I hadn't actually seen one in action prior to ordering and was thinking they'd be more of a crisp white then a pink. So... I'll be ordering a couple more bulbs in the near future. That said, I think there is at least one benefit of having a daylight bulb in the mix. Mostly, the light emission is covering a broader range of colors, which I think lets you see a lot of reds and oranges that you might not otherwise see. In my experience though, you would probably only want one maximum in a 6 bulb array and only if you like your lighting a little less blue.

Other than that, I like my geissman aquablue+ for a nice white bulb. I haven't experimented much with other ones though.
 
Sounds like you are all set. I like the ATI bulbs. I also like the Geisseman bulbs. The only UVL bulb I like is the SuperActinic, though for some reason it is slightly smaller diameter than other T5 bulbs and so it doesn't work very well with plastic clips if you have clip-on reflectors. It has also been hit or miss with me on how long they last compared to other bulbs. One arrived and died after a day, another after a week. The last one I used lasted a year. Greg at reefgeek mentioned that the gas in the bulb isn't the most stable.
 
Reefgeek definitely seems to have the best selection...

Any of you guys try an ATI ProColor yet? I think I'm gonna order one when I finally get my lights. At the suggestion of Jack, I'm going to order a couple of different bulbs to see what I like best. Probably get two ATI Blue Plus, a UVL SuperActinic, ProColor, ATI Aquablue, and an Aquasun and just try to figure out what combo I like best. :)

Jack: Were the SuperActinics you lost covered under warranty?

Also, congrats Chris! :)

Brandon
 
Good info, guys. I think I got fooled into some Aquasun VHO's at one point, too and was actually wanting something more along the lines of actinic white. The place I thought I found a good deal at apparently doesn't carry the ATI's anymore (that's what took me to the site). I'll check out reefgeek:).
 
Let us know if you find anywhere else, Gary.

Where are you guys getting the URIs? Are they the same thing as UVL?
EDIT: Nevermind... just found where they're the same... :)

Brandon
 
Reefgeek has everything I wanted, so I canceled the other order and ordered from them. Pricing was even better. Can;t wait, now. I switched the aquasun for a actinic white in the new order, too. I can't wait to see what it'll do for my Acans. I have a 48" 4 bulb fixture, too, that will eventually be over an SPS frag tank in some manner, so I'm interested to see what that does for me, too. I found these T5 units on ebay for $60 and $100 each. They aren't the most sturdy build (endcaps can shift if you push them around or knock the unit around, plastic pieces to hold the lens in place, etc., but they are extruded aluminum, so they don't look bad). As long as I don't come home to a fire or something crazy like that at some point in the future, all should be good;).
 
My Aussie Acan tank is all T5's. I'm quickly getting sold on them, though. I'm not ready to remove the MH from my 125 and 120, but all other tanks will likelt be phased to T5's over the next year. I set up a T5 fixture next to the Acan tank when I had the PC's over it and it blew them out of the water. Same with the VHO's. Now, color on these particluar T5's is bland, but even with the right bulbs (like over the acans), it looks like it is pushing more light. Moving from a 6 month replacement stategy (VHO's and PC's), and MH (9 months on SE's), there is a cost savings in the first year just in bulb cost savings... I've got so much water running in my house right now that I need to lower heat transfer and electric bills however possible (without getting rid of tanks, of course:D).
 
Gary you should document your transfer and the effects there of. I'm sure your power bill will be lower due to less heat and less power consumption. This is a pretty hot topic right now and you'd be a hero for documenting "real world" results of changing over... You'd be my hero, anyway. :lol:

Brandon
 
I have one issue with the elec bill, though. My AC is crap and has been serviced five or six ties this year. One more time and I'm pushing the buyers insurance for a new one. That will drop the bill quite a bit. I've got to work on insulating, too. There is almost none in the attic. I'll keep track of usage, because I have no idea when I'll get around to any of the above, but it will mess my numbers up... I may end up with a meter of some sort to track tank electrical useage, though. If I can get that, I'll have some good data for tracking...
 
Here are a couple of pics. I haven't taken any in a while... I like the blue hue. It's whiter than VHO's, but you can get some popping colors.

FTS-acan021.jpg

T5-Acans21.jpg

T5-Acans12.jpg

T5-Acans06.jpg
 
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