T5 question

bshumake

bshumake

New member
Howdy folks!
First off, when is the Feb meeting? Still at Pink Palace for the "seas" movie?

And now for the actual questions.
So, my electrical bill is rediculious and the thought of summer coming has me thinking about changing out my lighting system. I currently have 2x 250W SE MH and 1x 400W SE MH on my 180G tank. When all that is going, plus the chiller dumping heat into the room, my AC can't take it. It winds up being like 80 in the house all summer long with the AC running non-stop. Maybe I need to get you (ihavetats) out to monkey with the AC sometime.

So, would anyone like to share T5 stories?
How much T5 watts would I need for clam's and acro's in a 30" deep tank?
Would single reflector's for each T5 be better than a reflector for all of them?
What configuration would be best for such a tank? 2x 10K; 2x 15K; 2x 20K; sound like a good config?
Would T5's eliminate the need for a chiller?

Any help would be appreciated. I'm thinking i'll have some money available this summer since my oldest (Xander) is going to start Kindergarden. Wee!

:sad1: Not my baby anymore.
 
I don't have any personal experience with them..... but from my reading.


You want individual reflectors.
T5's would eliminate the need for a chiller , provided the MH's were the reason the tank was overheating. How high off the tank are they?
But I think the problem you will have is the 30" depth. Not sure if t5's can go that deep.
 
I built my canopies when I had the 12 and ran no fans.....i just left the tops semi open so the heat could escape.

Jerry
 
So you think it gets cheaper when they start kindergarten???? Bwah hahaha bwah hahaha ......... oh, Barrett ... it's just getting started.

Hmmmm..... let me think ...... sports equipment and uniforms, music lessons and instruments, field trip money, school supplies, tutoring, insurance co-pays, braces, to drivers' ed and teenage boy insurance rates ......

That sweet baby has just begun costing money. :-)
 
AHHHHHH you young minds!!!
As Cathy said above !!!!"just wait, it has but only starting!!!

The meeeting will be the 21st at the Pink Palace with everyone ask to get there at 2;30 movie starts at 3. We have an additional treat being lined up for after the movie and I will post all the particulars tonight or tomorrow.

You probably do need to switch to T-5's to save on electricity from both the heat and the energy reductions.

Single reflectors are the way to go. If you want all the intensity and the effeciency.
Mix up the bulbs to find the look you are wanting.

Here is a very good thread, I"It is split and very long" but full of great T-5 information and talks about different bulb mixes to get the intensity and look you are striving for.

Good luck with the lighting and with the "children". enjoy the ride!! I can say that from experience!!
 
t-5HO

t-5HO

T-5HO are great....

HEAT ISSUE :: if you compare wattage to wattage..each watts put out the same amount of heat, but T-5HO have an advantage b/c the flourescent tube spread the heat out evenly...DO NOT BELIEVE IN WATT/GAL. "RULE OF THUMB" < I think that just b/s>

Light Penetration: I've seen a lot of tanks(big and deep) in RC that uses T-5HO, they can keep anything including SPS and CLAMS...

CHILLER: I don't have a chiller ... my tank: 90Gal RR with t-5HO(6) running.. on HOT summer day, the highest temp in my tank range from 80-82 degree.

Configuration: t-5HO have a lot of option for you to choose.. there's a t-5HO thread on RC with alot of info. on bulb combination etc....

I'm looking to sell my t-5HO ICECAP retro. with lot of BULBS, here is the link:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1566562

i was thinking of going for LED lighting...
 
I have no personal experience with T5s but from reading what others have said, Icecap ballasts "overdrive" the bulbs. This is supposed to get a little more out of the same bulb. Might be of interest to you.
 
theres a person on RC who does the light research you can pm him he will tell you all you need to know his name is THE GRIM REEFER
 
I use VHO over my 75 and I have never used or needed a chiller, just a fan that blows across the top, no canopy. I have a single 250w MH over the 135 at this time and on the warmer days its all ready hitting 82 degrees in the tank. No doubt you *will* see a reduction in heat moving away from MH. From my experience with florescent lights, you will get much better coverage, less light at the deepest part of the tank and a cheaper cooling bill as well as a potential reduction in electricity. Course, insulation, your roof, AC tonnage all plays into the equation, but the MH is not lending to the solution, only adding to the heat problem.
 
Big B, glad to see you are coming over to the “light” side. I’m running 4; 4' T-5s on that 5 foot tank I’ve got and they are set very close to the water. My chiller is set around 78 and I rarely hear it come on. Per Icecap, their ballasts do over drive the bulbs a bit so a 5’ 80 watt bulb runs around 100 watts. Individual reflectors are definitely the way to go. In fact, I think that is one of the main reasons the T-5 bulb are so efficient. Their diameter is so small and the reflector has an M shape such that a great deal of the light is directed into the tank. Folks with a 6’ tank who use them usually go with the 5’ bulbs. The bulbs run slightly shorter than labeled so there will be slight shading on the ends unless you stagger them. I run 4’ bulbs and barely notice it. The Grim Reefer has a couple of Long threads devoted to T-5 and he responds quickly to questions. He would have the best info on penetration and bulb configuration. I think T-5 tend to run more “yellow” than the K rating would suggest. Rendos is also a big fan of them and could give you good info.
 
Thank's everyone for the rapid response!
I know that the kiddies are gonna run me in the end, but i'm just thinking about a $600 drop in daycare for the short run. Free'd up money means happy mommy and daddy.
I 'm going to follow up on yall's suggestions. I've been thinking about the T5's for a while now. I'm pretty sure that their going to help with the bills and the heat in the house. By the way, My lights are about a foot off the water.
I saw in one thread where 8x 54W bulbs would work for a large tank like mine, but the overdrive is what i was curious about. I've never owned any Blue Line stuff but I know people swear by them so i thought I would give those a try.
One drawback (and something that really gives me pause) is the loss of the shimmer effect with T5. Call me picky, but I like the shimmer. It reminds me of snorkling in the ocean.
I need to get out and visit the LFS's. My problem is with my shift being evenings, they're opening up when i'm trying to nap. Grrr.
I'm looking forward to getting back into the club like I was. Its lonely being the only fish lover in the house :(
 
overdrive them you will get more out of them , just make sure you put cooling fans blowing on the endcaps of the bulbs, single slr reflectors per bulb is the best way to go , they definatly run cooler than halides,id post your bulb questions here

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1553614

there is a guy in there who goes by the grim reefer who seems to know his stuff about t-5's he can break it down to brand and selection for what you want to keep, and just let me know when you would like me to look at your a/c
 
For what its worth, Keaton was running 6 54's in his 55 gallon tank They were installed with a shoehorn ;) They did a great job, with no heat issues except when the ambient room temperature was too high. His SPS grew remarkably well. He had single reflectors and the lamps were about 5-6" off the water.

On fluorescent lights the heat source is the ballasts so if you can mount them somewhere besides the canopy so that the heat can dissipate I think that just about eliminates the heat issue completely. My electrician husband put quick disconnect type devices on our next door neighbor's "remote" ballasts so that his canopy can easily be removed from the tank. If I remember right they were about $15-20 each.

~Keaton's mom
 
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