T5's: A cautionary note

[davejnz]

I used to run my fans blowing oustide air in paralell across the lengths of the bulbs,this proved to be inadequate.I have since switched to 2 fans,I for each row of endcaps blowing in perpindicular across the ends of the bulbs,no more problems.
dwdenny,as for your LPS question,All i keep is LPS,never had an issue with them recieveing too much light/bleaching,even when overdriven on my IC660 in a 40gal.

 

[dhoch]

How many people are actually using the GE bulbs?

If so whats your configuration?

Grim? you using them?

Dave

 

[davejnz]

I've been useing them since my first T5 retro 2.5yrs ago.I'm currently running 1-G.E.,1-aquablue,and 2 blue+ on an IC660.Personally,I find the color too blue for my taste.I'm kind of undecided if i want to drop a blue+ for an aquablue or drop the aquablue for the GE.Who knows,if these ULV superactinics turn out to be nice,I might add 1 of those to the mix and run 2 GE's and a blue+ with it.

 

[dhoch]

4 bulbs... is that over the 75 gal? or over the 40 gal?... how far above the water?

Dave

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I was running 1 GE in my 6 lamp system until I sold it. I like them. I may end up trying VHO T6 lamps on my new tank, decisions decisions.

 

[davejnz]

The 75,as well as my old 40tall(36x12x20).The bulbs are 3" above the frame,4" above the water surface.One of the things i did with the 75 that i couldn't do with my old 40 was install all the bulbs right up near the front.With the 75's 18" width,this leaves about 5" of room in the back half of the canopy.I'm finding out that this area towards the back of the tank is a good spot for lower light LPS.

 

[Sparkss]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7262708#post7262708 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by s3aL
Edit: What happens if some water splashes on the overdrivin bulbs?

I was wondering this myself.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I never had any trouble with the overdriven 80's if water got on them. I doubt the 54's get hot enough to shatter either.

***note to self: Splash test with the overdriven 54's

 

[Sparkss]

you definitely go the extra mile for the sake of exploring and testing the boundaries. Many thanks for all of your sacrificed property (bulbs, ballasts, pumps, etc).

I would also guess that proper cooling/ventilation (IE: fans) would help reduce the dangers from an overdriven bulb getting splashed ?

 

[kroe]

My overdriven 54s have been splashed many times with no problems.

 

[Sparkss]

that's good info.. thanks kroe . How far off of the water are your bulbs ?

 

[horkn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7271046#post7271046 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dhoch
How many people are actually using the GE bulbs?

If so whats your configuration?

Grim? you using them?

Dave

i use 1 ge day buls

front to back

ati blue
ge day
ati blue


its nearly the color i want it to be.

btw, i am on month 17 now of my w5 run 3x39 t5ho retrofit with the original bulbs.

its still plenty bright enough to melt green striped shrooms...

 

[kroe]

Sparkss - about 3". I would lower them... but I don't think I would get much more intensity, especially considering they would get more salt crust on them quicker (and I don't think anyone cleans the bulbs enough to make this irrelevent). I have tons of flow in my 55 (about 3000 gph), so that could be part of it... but I get lots of salt on the bulbs and my icecap reflectors, which have corroded significantly from the salt creep.

My overdriven 4' bulbs have been splashed to the point of dripping with no explosions... I would be shocked if T5s exploded due to splashing.

 

[horkn]

i have my t5 retros about 6" off the surface of the water. I have no issues as far as the tank not getting enough light. Based on previous RC threads, it seems that as long as your t5hos are no more than 8" off the water you wont have any issues.

However, i know one guy running his 8x54 teklight over a rubbermaid stock tank as a prop tank, and the unit was nearly 2 feet over the tank, and there were no issues of the corals not getting enough light.

kroe, how long have you had your icecap reflectors?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7287442#post7287442 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kroe
Sparkss - about 3". I would lower them... but I don't think I would get much more intensity, especially considering they would get more salt crust on them quicker (and I don't think anyone cleans the bulbs enough to make this irrelevent). I have tons of flow in my 55 (about 3000 gph), so that could be part of it... but I get lots of salt on the bulbs and my icecap reflectors, which have corroded significantly from the salt creep.

My overdriven 4' bulbs have been splashed to the point of dripping with no explosions... I would be shocked if T5s exploded due to splashing.

Is that the reflector or bulb clip that is corroding? The non powder coated clips seem to rust pretty quick but I never had any issues with the reflector surface as of yet. That will kick the snot out of the output from the Ice Cap or CD reflectors. The Tek reflector doesn't seem to be affected by staining and a little build up on them which is an advantage in a system with a lot of aggitation on the surface of the water.

 

[The Beaut]

Just tagging along, my 2 cents, fwiw. I have a 48in Tek with 6 bulbs. All my zoes are at the top of my tank, i thought i read somewhere that they are found near the surface of the ocean. No bleaching or melting of any kind, as a matter of fact they are mutiplying like crazy and will have to get rid of some soon. I have many dif colors and all are doing great. My other corals however, challices, acans, blastos and brains all bleached out within days. At first i thought it was something else i was doing but after numerous water changes and tests i deduced it was the lights. I cut back the time my lights were running and only run 4 bulbs for my daytime, 2AB and 2B+. I run 2b+ for my dawn dusk times . All colors have returned after 6 weeks.

 

[horkn]

grimmy, the cdr reflectors use plastic clips, so salt will not corrode them. Now IC has switched to plastic clips as well, even though IC has no response on how to mount the new plastic clips to the reflectors without bending them.

 

[ctreefer]

horkn, do you have any pics of your tank with that lighting setup? I have a 3 bulb setup as well overdriven with an icecap 430. I'm currently using 1 ge surrounded by 2 actinic +. Not sure the par or color difference between your blues and my actinic +

thanks

vince

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7289947#post7289947 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by horkn
grimmy, the cdr reflectors use plastic clips, so salt will not corrode them. Now IC has switched to plastic clips as well, even though IC has no response on how to mount the new plastic clips to the reflectors without bending them.

I am talking about the surface of the reflector, not the plastic clips. Remember when me and you posted about finding a spare or two for yours in case they should ever break?. Grim has a memory (and a waste line) Like an elephant. My CD reflector has metal clips. The reason people were confused with the Ice Cap change is they did away with the bracket that used to hold the clip. Now they go in holes in the reflector just like the TEK so you push down on the "V" so that area is flat. I assume they have the same slot cut on each side of the hole SLS did on their reflectors so only a small area is affected. It is no biggie.

 

[davejnz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7289787#post7289787 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Beaut
Just tagging along, my 2 cents, fwiw. I have a 48in Tek with 6 bulbs. All my zoes are at the top of my tank, i thought i read somewhere that they are found near the surface of the ocean. No bleaching or melting of any kind, as a matter of fact they are mutiplying like crazy and will have to get rid of some soon. I have many dif colors and all are doing great. My other corals however, challices, acans, blastos and brains all bleached out within days. At first i thought it was something else i was doing but after numerous water changes and tests i deduced it was the lights. I cut back the time my lights were running and only run 4 bulbs for my daytime, 2AB and 2B+. I run 2b+ for my dawn dusk times . All colors have returned after 6 weeks.

How did u go about acclimating your corals/tank to the lighting?The only coral(i only keep LPS) i've ever bleached under T5's is Protopalythoa which was a hitchiker,its a deepwater,solitary zoanthid and it was growing on a rock where one of my LPS corals were on.The rock was placed high in the aquascape.