T5 watts per gallon

[squirmy]

Howdy.

Setup - I am working on the lighting plan for my 156 Oceanic (5*2*2). I plan on running the ice cap 660 ballasts and using the individiual ice cap relfectors. I want to keep softies, LPS, BTA and maybe an easy SPS.

Question - What total watts or watts per gallon should i be targeting for this tank?

:crazy1:

 

[twkenny]

I'd go with 4 x 54 watt. There will be a little room on each end of the tank but I did the sane thing with a 125 (6') and it looked great. It also makes maximum use of your 660. Good call on the reflectors...they are critical maximizing the effectiveness of T5's.

The watts per gallon thing is pretty much worthless these days due to the wide varity of lighting. Hard top xompare the watts per gallon equally when there are NO, PC, VHO, T5HO and MH all available.

 

[NorthernCF]

T-5 Xbulbs per foot. Forget watts.

low light = 1
med light = 2
High light = 4

really a minimum of 2 should be observed because then you can do the actinic /blue and 11k or GE day in the other.
This is how I think about the tanks I set up.

 

[-TS-Vash]

I had 390 watt pc on my 75 but i WANTED MORE POWER lol so i got a new T5 system its only 216 watts there are 2 54 watt 10000k and 2 54 watt 460 nm i had the 260 pc and the 216 T5 on the tank i loved it but THE HEAT man 86 in one day from 80 so the 260 had to go im thinking the 216 watt T5 system looks brighter now and it looks like it may be ok with out anything else but the watts per gallon thing makes me think about it all the time is the 216 watt T5 system going to be enough for my 75 gallon ? I have zoanthiads, mushrooms, colt, leathers and recoridas?

 

[-TS-Vash]

its the Nova Extreme T-5 Fixture i forgot to put that on there lol.

 

[NorthernCF]

4 bulbs will be fine for softies. Depending on how good the reflectors are it may be fine for sps. do you have a link with some decent pictures of the reflectors?

 

[-TS-Vash]

I cant find a good pic of the reflector. Ill keep looking though. This is a ok pic of the light.
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium...a_extreme_t5_high_output_ho_lunar.asp?CartId=

 

[-TS-Vash]

German parabolic reflector that mean anything to you?

 

[NorthernCF]

I cant tell from the picture if the reflectors are individual or not. If it is one large parabolic reflector it will be only somewhat effective. The reflectors need to wrap around each bulb to be the most effective). In any case you should be fine for softies on a 75. IMO AB, 11k, GE, AB front to back.

 

[-TS-Vash]

HUH you lost me ab,11k,ge,ab?

 

[-TS-Vash]

thanks for the info.

 

[NorthernCF]

check out the bulbs at reefgeek.com It will all be clear

 

[larryl]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6932736#post6932736 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by -TS-Vash
HUH you lost me ab,11k,ge,ab?

Not sure but I'd guess it means NorthernCF is recommending using this bulb combination (front to back):

ATI 10,000K AquaBlue
11K (?)
GE 6500K Starcoat
ATI 10,000K AquaBlue

The ATI AquaBlue are billed as being 60% actinic and 40% white so they actually have more of a white look than a blue look to them.

I'm currently running this combo that I'm really happy with (gives a little more fluorescence from the corals):

ATI 20,000K Blue Plus (also sold as D&D Actinic+)
GE 6500K Starcoat
ATI 10,000K AquaBlue
ATI 20,000K Blue Plus (also sold as D&D Actinic+)


Larry

 

[ChemE]

The Aquablues are the 11,000K bulbs. He might have intended AB to be the Actinic/Blue Plus which everyone just calls Blue+.

Since we are kind of throwing acronyms around willy nilly I'd just like to make something clear for any neophytes who stumble onto this thread: the D&D Pure Actinic bulbs are junk, use the Blue+ instead.

 

[bassnman11]

I just put 4 54 watt T5s on my new 55, 48 inch. They are much brighter than 4 65 watt PCs. Go with aqualux reflectors. They are 3 inches longer and a inch wider than icecap or TEK.

 

[NorthernCF]

ab= blue + = actinic blue.
11k = Aquablues
GE = GEDay 6.5k
and as ChemE has clarified pure actinic are a waist of money.

 

[squirmy]

Dont you just love it when someone hijacks your thread and then folks dont bother to answer your original question?

:mad2:

Can ANYONE help answer SQUIRMY'S questions?

:lol:

 

[ChemE]

Shoot for 450 watts at high noon. Again, this is only if you are using high quality individual reflectors like Aqualux or IceCap. I personally like a 14,000K blueish look, so I'd use three ballasts to drive 6 80 watt bulbs. Use the Aqualux relfectors since IceCap refuses to make 5' reflectors (they claim there isn't a demand). I'd run the following bulb combination:

[Front]
Blue+
Aquablue
Blue+
GE 6500K Starcoat
Blue+
Aquablue
[Back]

Id run 2 Blue+'s for 12 hours, then turn on the Aquablues for 8 hours, and finally turn on the last Blue+ and the GE 6500K for 4 hours. Make sure to paint the inside of your canopy white in order to maximize any scattered light. Also, keep the T5's no more than 3" from the water surface in order to maximize light transfer/penetration. This will give you 3.0 watts/gallon of the highest quality T5 available. You should be able to keep SPS and clams on the sandbed.

 

[squirmy]

do you think 7*54 overdiriven with the ic 660's will be wnough? the 80 watts are a little long for the canopy...

 

[shoddyk]

t5's 125 long

t5's 125 long

Would 6 x 80watt t5 bulbs ran on 2 x Ice Cap 430 ballast be enough for all corals in a 6' 125 gallon tank. I am running 6 x 96watt Power Compacts right now and I don't really like them. I want to upgrade to something better.