T5 Lighting May Be For You

[superswimmer]

Well its about time to re order my lamps.. I have had them for a year + a few months.

Currently I have 2 GE Daylight and 2 Blue Plus 39w 4 total bulbs

I don't really like the yellow/washed out look i get. I want more intense colors in my greens reds and blues.

What should i go for with out sacraficining being able to keep more light demanding iverts...say acros/ maximas?

 

[apapas]

starting a 220g fowlr tank maybe later to add coral. what type of lighting should I go with

 

[Obi-dad]

superswimmer, I would replace the daylights with aquablues, bluer look but still high PAR. There are some threads of european reefers with T5s (Iwan's is amazing) and they tend to use half aquablue and half blue+.

I had that look, loved the look, but missed the shimmer so I removed 2 of my 6 T5s and put in 175w XM 10k MH. All 4 remaining T5s are blue+ which gives the Radium look when the MH are off. But the MH definitely heats up my tank more, not looking forward to summer AC bills.

 

[Warnberg]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6880754#post6880754 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by superswimmer
Well its about time to re order my lamps.. I have had them for a year + a few months.

Currently I have 2 GE Daylight and 2 Blue Plus 39w 4 total bulbs

I don't really like the yellow/washed out look i get. I want more intense colors in my greens reds and blues.

What should i go for with out sacraficining being able to keep more light demanding iverts...say acros/ maximas?

I switched out two of my 6000K Sun for 11000K Aquablue Special (60/40), so my configuration is like this on one half of the tank front to back.

Actinic/Blue Plus
6000K Sun
11000K Aquablue Special (60/40)
Actinic/Blue Plus

These are 54 watt bulbs over driven by a IceCap ballast. My tank went from yellow tinge to a nice bright white. I am currently keeping (several months) a Maxima Clam on the sand bed, several monitpora and acro's as well about half way up the tank (30 inch tall tank)

 

[superswimmer]

has anyone taken the Tek-t-5 hood system and rigged it with an icecap?

 

[rjwilson37]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6880817#post6880817 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by apapas
starting a 220g fowlr tank maybe later to add coral. what type of lighting should I go with

Corals are addicting, you will probably want at least T5 with the individual reflectors, or possibly Metal Halides. Once you start puting corals in the tank, you will just want more, and more, and more, and more....

 

[corywilson]

I'm looking for some advice on lighting for my tank. Specs are as follows:

95 gal AGA wave tank
55 gal sump

 

[corywilson]

I'm looking for some advice on lighting for my tank. Specs are as follows:

95 gal AGA wave tank
55 gal sump
MagDrive 9.5 return pump

 

[corywilson]

I'm looking for some advice on lighting for my tank. Specs are as follows:

95 gal AGA wave tank
55 gal sump
MagDrive 9.5 return pump
Tunze 6060 and 6080
115 pounds of live rock
260 watt Power Compact lighting

I'm looking to upgrade the lighting as my few soft corals have survived thus far, but do not seem to be growing. I have a few small colonies of zoa's, kenya tree, gsp, and a frag of yellow polyps.

My PC bulbs need to be replaced and i would rather upgrade at this point. I have been looking at the TEK lights and am considering either the 4 or 6 bulb combo from reefgeek. I am planning on sticking with soft corals with possibly a few SPS in the next couple of years. Could I get an opinion on what combo would be best for my setup? Also could someone please recomend a bulb combo and arrangement for this setup. I like the blue look, but I don't want it so blue that it looks artificial.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Go 6. I like 3 actinic plus, a GE 6500K daylight and 2 Aquablue. That will give you a slightly blue look but pretty bright. I don't like the Tidybowl look either.

 

[corywilson]

Will 6 bulbs be too much for the mushrooms that I have around the bottom of my tank?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

You would need to acclimate them to the new light but I think it will be fine if they are on the bottom. You could get fiberglass window screen and put a couple layers over the tank. Pull a layer a week or so after you install the lights and the critters should be fine.

 

[sjm817]

rjwilson/corywilson. Keep the thread in the family!

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Did RJ go back to T5's and was ashamed to admitt it?

 

[ratherbediving]

Grim--

By actinic plus, do you mean blue plus? I am not a fan of the T5 bulb naming conventions.

This always confused me, but I think it goes:
blue plus (actinic plus?)-- I think this is a 50/50 10000k/actinic bulb right?
Aquablue (TERRIBLE name imho) 10000 K or 11000k?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Blueplus and actinic plus are the same lamp. 20K blue looking lamp.

 

[Obi-dad]

How about we start an informal T5 naming convention - 'purple' for the 420nm peak bulbs, and 'blue' for the 450 and 460nm peak bulbs.

 

[new2u]

Well guys, i used to think that T-5 was hands down the best lighting system out there as you can see by my earlier posts, but in the last 2 months i upgraded to a 120 along with dual 250 halides and 4 110 VHOs, and the colors are STUNNING, looks as if you are truly snorkeling with the shimmer lines and great coloration from the corals and fish. If your on a super buget, T-5 is an alternitive, but truly can't par up to MH. Pics to come

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Good T5's actually produce better PAR than a lot of halides and in many cases are more expensive to set up. Heat and space are the two biggest reasons for running them over halides.

 

[rjwilson37]

I am still running the 2x250w MH w/14k bulbs, and I have to 4.5" fans in my canopy to help keep things cool. Tek-Light T5's are great on tanks 24" and below and they don't put out the heat that MH's do which is a great bonus. I would do the 6 light as well, with 3 Blue Plus and 3 Aquablue 11k, you will be suprised at how great it looks.

How tall is your tank corywilson/Bro.

When I was running T5's, my mushrooms on the bottom were great, but the mushrooms in the middle started to dwindle, so keep the mushrooms towards the bottom for the best result.