T5 Lighting May Be For You

[rjwilson37]

Yep, I like it better as well!

 

[baja_hammer2003]

t-5

t-5

great lights

 

[new2u]

Well, I feel like I'm the sole survivour of this thread, oh well! I'm sure RJ will pipe in and give some full tank shots that will blow mine out of the water but what the hell. Here we go with some of the shots I took today, I just added the bubble coral and two anenomes. Oh I got the bubble coral as well as both of the anenomes, massive green one which is hiding behind a rock, the rose (which looks SWEET under the t-5s) and the 5 pound rock for 50 bucks. Yup, and at a LFS. Oh I digress, here are the pics

Best shot I could get of both of the 'nems

Frogspawn

New Bubble

Full tank shot w/o flash

A side shot

and finally...

The Rose

Tell me what ya think!

 

[Timbor]

Lookin good! I really like the RBTA!

Tim

 

[sjm817]

Nice. I like the Flame Hawk peeking out from the Trumpet.

 

[Avi]

new2u...real nice...did that RBTA settle there on it's own or did you somehow place it there and it stayed?

 

[new2u]

I actually got the RBTA free b/c it was stuck to the rock with the green one, and hes been happy there! Oh, so you like the flame hawk and candy cane? Heres a close up from a week ago

and he does pose alot...

I'm surprised RJ hasn't piped in with his pics, which will certainly blow mine out of the water...

 

[sjm817]

Flame Hawk is cool. I'd like to get one, but I like my cleaner shrimp......so would the Flame Hawk!

 

[new2u]

actually mines been safe with some peps i've got but they're almost always hiddin. Yup, goth (the flame hawk) has to be one of my favs, i still cant belive rj hasent come and shown me up yet, i know your out there :lol:

 

[drk70]

RJ - Are the pics you take have all your lights on? (2-11k, 1-blue plus and 1-actinic I believe is what you have) Great pics BTW.

I ask because I'm thinking of switching around my bulbs. Not too happy with the colors and I think it is my selection and placement of bulbs. The colors just don't pop like I think they should.

I have a 6 light T-5 retro kit on my tank. I run the 2 outside lights 30 mins. before and after the 4 center lights. The 2 outside bulbs are blue plus and the 4 center ones that come on together are 1-6k sun, 1-11k aquablue, 1-actinic and 1-11k aquablue. I am thinking of ordering another actinic bulb and then replacing the 6k sun with one of my blue plus bulbs and putting the actinic bulb in where the blue plus was located. Then I would have 1-actinic and 1-blue plus (the outside lights) that would come on before the center lights. The center lights would be 1-11k, 1-blue plus, 1-actinic and 1-11k. Any suggestions or comments would be much appreciated.

Here is a pic of my lights installed in the canopy.

 

[pedropsk]

....I just needed to say....
wow! I love your setup drk70!

 

[drk70]

....I just needed to say....
wow! I love your setup drk70!

Thanks.

Here is the latest full tank shot I have. I have since added a green hammer and a purple tipped torch.

 

[sjm817]

Lighting color is a matter of personal preference. I run a 6 x 54W bulb retro on my 90G. I've never used the T5 Actinics, but from everything I've read, they aren't very good. My setup is:

Front

Blue+
Aquablue
Blue+
GE Day
Aquablue
Blue+

Rear

I find this to be a very "neutral" look. Some would think it needs to be more blue.

 

[drk70]

Lighting color is a matter of personal preference. I run a 6 x 54W bulb retro on my 90G. I've never used the T5 Actinics, but from everything I've read, they aren't very good. My setup is:

Front

Blue+
Aquablue
Blue+
GE Day
Aquablue
Blue+

Rear

I find this to be a very "neutral" look. Some would think it needs to be more blue.

Do you turn all your lights on at once or some on and some off?

 

[Dr]

I use to have 1 sun in my 4-54 retro and switched it out with a aquablue. So now I have 1 blue +, 1 aquablue, 1 aquablue, 1 blue+

Before the change it looked too yellow to me. Now it's more of a crisp white.

 

[sjm817]

Do you turn all your lights on at once or some on and some off?

9:30 am, 2 outside blue+ turn on
10:00 am 3rd blue+ and one Aquablue turn on
10:30 am 2nd aquablue and Day bulb turn on

8:30 pm aquablue and Day bulb turn off
9:00 pm aquable and blue+ turn off
9:30 pm two outside blue+ turn off

3 stage is maybe overkill, but it seems to work out well. Just one extra timer.

I'll put up pics on how it looks with each in a few.....

 

[drk70]

9:30 am, 2 outside blue+ turn on
10:30 am 3rd blue+ and one Aquablue turn on
11:00 am 2nd aquablue and Day bulb turn on

8:30 pm aquablue and Day bulb turn off
9:00 pm aquable and blue+ turn off
9:30 pm two outside blue+ turn off

3 stage is maybe overkill, but it seems to work out well. Just one extra timer.

I'll put up pics on how it looks with each in a few.....

So from 11 to 8:30 all of your lights are on. I only turn on the blue+ 30 mins. before the others. They go off when my 4 center lights go on.

I'm thinking my lights are to white. I adjust the exposure on my camera so it isn't so bright. It seems to wash the color out.

BTW pics would be great.

 

[sjm817]

I posted the wrong times. Its actually 10:30 to 8:30 everything is on. In very general terms, a 50/50 mix of "blue" and "white" bulbs give a pretty neutral look.

 

[jcgso]

OK guys, hopefully this hasn't been asked too many times here, but what do you think about the 6x54watt T5s on Ebay for $249.00 including bulbs? I'd be putting it on a 55AGA (18" deep). I know all about Tek, but just can't afford them now. I mainly have softies, a couple of LPS and 2 Monti Cap frags. I don't really plan on getting seriously into SPS.

 

[sjm817]

Here are the pics. My photography skills are....bad.....these do not really represent the actual look very well, but some full tank shots to look at anyway

2 Blue+

3 Blue+ and one Aquablue

3 Blue+, 2 Aquablue and 1 GE Day