T5 Lighting for my 180G

[Wolfmann81]

I currently have 3 MH's over my 180G display (custom 60x30x24). Two 250w and one 400w Halide.

I am considering replacing my 3 MH's with a single T5 fixture. I am thinking it will most likely have to be 8-10 bulbs (60" fixture, 80w bulbs).

Does anyone have an experience with a 30" deep tank with SPS? Would the T5's hold up against my MH's?

Any fixture recommendations would especially be helpful. Thanks!

 

[stevedola]

MH have great growth. I dont know if T5 can hold up against MH for growth but for coverage and color they are excellent! Dont get me wrong, T5s will give you good growth but 400watt MH is the balls for growing SPS. I have a 24" deep tank and my green slimmer and blue turaki grows well with excellent color 2" off the sand bed. I think you could get away with 8 bulbs but would suggest 10 if you can fit it for 30" deep tank. I absolutely love the combination of different bulbs and how they make my SPS look.

 

[stevedola]

I really like ATI fixtures. They have a good build quality and ATI America is good to deal with in case of an issue. The price range is just right in my opinion. There are other Italian and German made units but they are more expensive and Im not sure you get much more besides the name and a little nicer presentation of fixture. Im not a fan of the cheap Chinese units.

 

[Drae]

80 watt t5's are the shizz. Grim suggested to me that they're the only t5 he'd overdrive also. 10x 80 watt on icecaps would grow sps in the sump! Of course I'm just making a funny but fa reals tho, you'll love the color and growth. Especially since you could do 2 pink bulbs in there with a few blue pluses and coral pluses and bam! Give it a shot. Glwt

 

[Drae]

I'm starting to like hanging canopies myself. Think about it... You can have a non canopy type of look and diy or retro ANY configuration you like. Jmo

 

[stevedola]

Overdriving the bulb on Icecap 660s is a good idea for 30" tank. The only problem would be either retro fitting the fixture with the 660 or creating a DIY setup of bulbs with reflectors. I dont think youd have to overdrive all the bulbs either...prolly just 4. I had a 4' aquatinics TX5 fixture on my old 75g that I retrofit a 660 to over drive 3 of the 5 bulbs and left the 2 with a standard ballast for the dusk dawn effect. That fixture would grow sps on the sand bed no prob...in fact it was a bit strong for some LPS/Zoas but the SPS colors were supersaturated and growth was incredible.

wolfman, what aesthetics are you looking from the T5 unit? does it need to be a finished fixture?

 

[joey125]

I have a 120g tank that measures 48x24x24. With a tank that is 2ft deep, t5's are not the best choice. Im running a 6x56 watt t5 fixture right now. I can keep leathers, mushrooms, feather dusters, gsp, zoanthinds, but thats about it. If you are wanting any of the good stuff, youre gonna need more than t5's.

 

[Michigan Mike]

If you can't keep SPS with an ATI T5 fixture than their is something wrong with your water chemistry. You mean 6x54w right? That's not enough for a 24" wide tank for coverage but you should be ale to grow SPS directly under the bulbs/reflectors given proper placement.

8-10 x 80w ATI Powermodule or Sunpower will be fine.
Overdriving T5HO isn't a great idea and you would be lucky to get a purple bulb to fire when overdriven, leave the overdriving to T12VHO actinics.

 

[Michigan Mike]

Read...later in the thread after switching the fan speed voltage to 9v see how much better the bulbs output and bulb life lasts.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1641235
ATI fixtures will rock SPS...give a great camera to a bad photographer and what do you get? Lol

 

[rtparty]

I have a 120g tank that measures 48x24x24. With a tank that is 2ft deep, t5's are not the best choice. Im running a 6x56 watt t5 fixture right now. I can keep leathers, mushrooms, feather dusters, gsp, zoanthinds, but thats about it. If you are wanting any of the good stuff, youre gonna need more than t5's.

You either have a crappy fixture or water chemistry issues.

An 8 bulb ATI will be plenty for the OPs tank.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

 

[sminker]

8x80 watt retro right here. Miro reflectors, ATI bulbs, workhorse and ATI ballasts. You can get it all Shipped for $540 from ReefGeek with the YEARENDSALE code. Love that website. Just need wire and make a rack. I can put some photos of my rack up. Not superior craftsman ship but it works and I don't have to use those clips that burn the ends of the tubes.

You don't need to overdrive 80 watt bulbs. Also increases their life span.

 

[stevedola]

I have a 120g tank that measures 48x24x24. With a tank that is 2ft deep, t5's are not the best choice. Im running a 6x56 watt t5 fixture right now. I can keep leathers, mushrooms, feather dusters, gsp, zoanthinds, but thats about it. If you are wanting any of the good stuff, youre gonna need more than t5's.

dont know what type of fixture you have but you are completely wrong. there are too many tanks on this forum that grow SPS acros with T5 lighting. My tank is 24" deep and has excellent color and health on my acros under a ATI 8x24w. Your experience may be that T5s dont work but that is only for you...not for the masses of others that have great success.

 

[Wolfmann81]

I think I am 1) Trying to have more control over my on-off periods than my 3 MH's. That is something I could certainly have more-so with 8-10 T5's, run on 4-5 separate ballast-systems (better scaling through dawn/dusk). I would also be able to control a larger-spectrum of colors than my 3 halides.

The other two factors
1) Reducing heat
2) Reducing electricity (with my chiller running all of the time).

I am thinking in my canopy I could pull off 10-80W T5's, retrofit. Probably would run me +/- $700 after all of the fittings. I am thinking with 10-80W bulbs, over-driving the bulbs would simply not be necessary...

Keep the thoughts coming - I appreciate them!

 

[sminker]

I think I am 1) Trying to have more control over my on-off periods than my 3 MH's. That is something I could certainly have more-so with 8-10 T5's, run on 4-5 separate ballast-systems (better scaling through dawn/dusk). I would also be able to control a larger-spectrum of colors than my 3 halides.

The other two factors
1) Reducing heat
2) Reducing electricity (with my chiller running all of the time).

I am thinking in my canopy I could pull off 10-80W T5's, retrofit. Probably would run me +/- $700 after all of the fittings. I am thinking with 10-80W bulbs, over-driving the bulbs would simply not be necessary...

Keep the thoughts coming - I appreciate them!

I have 4 ballasts controlled by my apex with the seasons chart. It rises and falls with the actual sunrise and sunset times. I have them come on at one hour intervals, three hours after first light its full intensity till three hours before sunset.. There is roughly 6 hours of full lighting, I have 5 led Lunar Module on the way to do the full sun and lunar cycles. Thinking about using the temperature settings and keeping the tank at the same temp as the ocean.

 

[sminker]

Ten bulbs won't fit a 180 in a retro setup. I haven't be able to find any reflectors small enough. The miro4s from reefgeek are top of the line. You could squeeze in one more if you wanted but wouldn't have anywhere to put moon lights if you wanted them. Also with a 22" spread your going to need to get the combination and lighting schedule set to avoid having a distinct color line with the bulbs. Like putting a blue+ on the front and a aquablue in the back. Front will be blue and the back will be white.

 

[rtparty]

I think I am 1) Trying to have more control over my on-off periods than my 3 MH's. That is something I could certainly have more-so with 8-10 T5's, run on 4-5 separate ballast-systems (better scaling through dawn/dusk). I would also be able to control a larger-spectrum of colors than my 3 halides.

The other two factors
1) Reducing heat
2) Reducing electricity (with my chiller running all of the time).

I am thinking in my canopy I could pull off 10-80W T5's, retrofit. Probably would run me +/- $700 after all of the fittings. I am thinking with 10-80W bulbs, over-driving the bulbs would simply not be necessary...

Keep the thoughts coming - I appreciate them!

Depending on how high the lights will be mounted off the tank, you could use 48'' bulbs and save a little money on electricity amd heat. 48'' bulbs will spread the 60'' if needed.

Make sure you get some good fans to help cool things down. Heat kills the output and life of T5 bulbs.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Wolfmann81]

Ten bulbs won't fit a 180 in a retro setup. I haven't be able to find any reflectors small enough. The miro4s from reefgeek are top of the line. You could squeeze in one more if you wanted but wouldn't have anywhere to put moon lights if you wanted them. Also with a 22" spread your going to need to get the combination and lighting schedule set to avoid having a distinct color line with the bulbs. Like putting a blue+ on the front and a aquablue in the back. Front will be blue and the back will be white.

I haven't done the exact configurations for the canopy,but I think that I could fit 10 retro kits. my tank and canopy is custom sizing, and I probably have about 28-30" of total front/back canopy clearance.

 

[sminker]

I haven't done the exact configurations for the canopy,but I think that I could fit 10 retro kits. my tank and canopy is custom sizing, and I probably have about 28-30" of total front/back canopy clearance.

My bad. I missed the custom size tank. You should be able fit that pretty easily.

 

[Michigan Mike]

I have a 120g tank that measures 48x24x24. With a tank that is 2ft deep, t5's are not the best choice. Im running a 6x56 watt t5 fixture right now. I can keep leathers, mushrooms, feather dusters, gsp, zoanthinds, but thats about it. If you are wanting any of the good stuff, youre gonna need more than t5's.

If you do not have good T5 fixture like ATI that has great reflectors, active cooling and program-start ballasts and good bulbs...you are missing out on what T5 can offer. If you have a random low-end fixture you must put in good ATI bulbs because you have to many bad variables working against you already.

 

[Michigan Mike]

If your going to use a factory made fixture like ATI than you need to have a topless canopy and plenty of ventilation for it to cool properly.