T5 Lighting and SPS
- Thread starter sschafer
- Start date
Codeman00 said:
It's a stardard all glass 46 gallon bowfront about 3 feet long 20 inches or so high and 16 inches wide.
My bulbs are about 4 inches from the water surface and have an acylic shield (which may even dull the light). The clams is about 4 or 5 inches from the water surface or about 8 or 9 inches from the lights. It is under a 6500K bulb.
I have a regular ballasts (tek fixture)... Greg at reef geek gave me this advice and i think it is accurate. Unless you plan on having a ton of clams the 4 bulb non driven ballast is fine.
I think of it this way--- the clams need direct light:
As long as you have them directly under a 6500K or 10000K bulb the clam will be in good shape.
More bulbs give you a larger footprint/number of bulbs to place more clams under. And driving the bulbs probably allows the clams to placed lower in the tank.
As far a par testing goes the icecap driven ballasts give off more light and their reflectors give off about about 10% more par value then the tek reflectors... I have neither ice cap ballasts or their reflectors though and my clam is doing well, my mushrooms have melted is some areas. So just make sure to get good reflectors and either ballast.
I opted for less electricity usage and a ready made fixture. The ice cap retros will require a canopy of some sort. If you go this route i would incorporate a fan in the canopy, not so much to reduce heating the tank but more so to reduce the heat of the bulbs and extend their life (hopefully in theory/less heat=longer bulb life)
Hope that helps,
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I have a 38 gallon with a 4 bulb teklight from sls with 2 aquablues and 2 blueplus bulbs.
My first 4 sps are ora frags from liveaquaria. The ora blue is growing and starting to show some nice blue. I would say it's about 2-3 inches from the top of the tank and my lights are about 3 inches from the top. The chips and rose milli never looked that good from when I got them, they dont even look like the pictures. I wonder if it is just those frags or my lighting. I'm going to get another milli from elsewhere and test this. My last one is an ora green birdsnest. I have that about a foot below water surface. Seems to be doing well.
I just got a green slimer and orange digita about a week and half ago and they seem to be doing well too. My monti caps are doing well too and they are placed like 9 inches away from the lights.
That's my experience.
My first 4 sps are ora frags from liveaquaria. The ora blue is growing and starting to show some nice blue. I would say it's about 2-3 inches from the top of the tank and my lights are about 3 inches from the top. The chips and rose milli never looked that good from when I got them, they dont even look like the pictures. I wonder if it is just those frags or my lighting. I'm going to get another milli from elsewhere and test this. My last one is an ora green birdsnest. I have that about a foot below water surface. Seems to be doing well.
I just got a green slimer and orange digita about a week and half ago and they seem to be doing well too. My monti caps are doing well too and they are placed like 9 inches away from the lights.
That's my experience.
Covey
New member
I have a75g reef lit with 4 overdriven T-5HO on a Icecap. I have not had any problem with growth with T-5s. My clam are happy on the sand bed. My acro grows anywhere in the top 2/3rd of the tank. There is a purple staghorn like 8-10" inches off the surface and it has grown like a 1 1/2" in two months. My devilhand and toadstool now live under over hang because it was to brite even on the sand bed. Also I don't get any temp bounce from them and only run a 65 CFM fan.
Codeman00
Premium Member
Covey, have you ever had halides to be able to compare your T5 growth?? Interesting that the people that have lots of SPS growth on a 75 gallon have either 6 regular driven T5 HOs or at least 4 overdriven T5 HOs. I'm not sure my regular driven T5s + 2 VHO actinics are going to be enough....
Horace
New member
S3al, I am interested to see how you make out....IMO the T5 while they do work, and they do grow SPS well, the colors are just plain different. They tend to be much lighter in color (pastel). I agree the T5s are bright, but brighter is not always better. For that reason, and because I want my tank to shimmer, I am adding pretty much what you just ditched. 2x250w Phoenix with 3x54w T5 Super Actinics.....I just think the colors are better with MH than they are with T5.
PrangeWay
Duke of Monte Fisto
t5 - mh
t5 - mh
I just replaced my 250W MH (xm 10k) & 2-96W VHO URI-R with a 6-39W Tek Hood. Visually it's about the same brightness, and there has been bascially no changes with my corals so I figure it turned out about even. I like the move even lighting. I think you either need 2 halides on a 36" tank (maybe just 175/150) or the T5's to really get a nice look/growth.
PW
t5 - mh
I just replaced my 250W MH (xm 10k) & 2-96W VHO URI-R with a 6-39W Tek Hood. Visually it's about the same brightness, and there has been bascially no changes with my corals so I figure it turned out about even. I like the move even lighting. I think you either need 2 halides on a 36" tank (maybe just 175/150) or the T5's to really get a nice look/growth.
PW
shilo_1
New member
Now some other stuff I've heard.....the more blue actinic bulbs you use, the less intense the light penetration. I like the more bluer look, so whats a good way to go ? Do I go for a 6 bulb setup with 3 10k and 3 actinic or because I like the more blue look, do I go for an 8 bulb setup and have with 5 blue and 3 10k ?
lol....man, this lighting thing is a pain in the butt !
lol....man, this lighting thing is a pain in the butt !
Horace
New member
a 50:50 mix of T5 will not give a blue look. You need atleast 2:1 blue
aylight to get a blue look. The daylight T5s are so bright they just drown out the blue. I have 2B+, 2 Super Actinic and 2 Aquablue daylights and my tank looks very nice. Its still very bright, yet it now has a hint of blue where when I was running 50/50 it was pure white.
aylight to get a blue look. The daylight T5s are so bright they just drown out the blue. I have 2B+, 2 Super Actinic and 2 Aquablue daylights and my tank looks very nice. Its still very bright, yet it now has a hint of blue where when I was running 50/50 it was pure white.
.
Jacob D
New member
Some interesting reading here if you're thinking about T5's and bulb choices.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=852587
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=852587
