T5's: A cautionary note
- Thread starter JohnL
- Start date
Fishy1
New member
Thanks, horkn.......I just replaced my ati with geisemann about 6 weeks ago and the only change I made was I left the actinic 03 out of the mix. I replaced it with a blue plus and have noticed that my monti's are not a deep and rich a color as they were before the change. The bulbs that I replaced were only 9 months old so there shouldn't have been much shift in spectrum. I wonder if the 03 is necessary for richer color.......
Janey
Janey
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
s3aL, I am running a combo that is almost identical to the 14,000K pheonix. Its 6 bulbs...2blue+, 2actinic+, 2 aquablue. If you want a 20,000K, and have 8 bulbs, the following worked for me and gave me a look just like a EVC 20,000K bulb... (I used 4x54wattT5 to get it, so just multiply by two and thatgives you...)
2xaquablue, 4xblue+, 2xactinic+. OF course, if you can wait for the highly anticipated UVlighting(URI) actinic T5 which is supposed to be the best actinic ever upon release...I would.
2xaquablue, 4xblue+, 2xactinic+. OF course, if you can wait for the highly anticipated UVlighting(URI) actinic T5 which is supposed to be the best actinic ever upon release...I would.
JMBoehling
Premium Member
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
JMBoehling, how do you like that combo with the skylights. Are the T5s able to compete with all the daylight?
RedEyeReef
Active member
Do you have any info on these? Thread, anything? Will I be able to replace my 4 VHO Actinics, buy 4 URI T5 Actinic with reflectors and hook up to my Ice Cap 660?
JMBoehling
Premium Member
Getting ready to switch out the Aqua Blue + (11k White) for all Actinic Plus (Blue) bulbs.. It is just a little too white for my taste..
During peak sunshine, the Solar Tubes take over the T5HO's and give a very nice shimmer all the Halides guys brag about.
Later,
Jim
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
But in the end, you are the one laughing all the way to the bank with all that extra money you save on electricity. Nice. Im working on a daylight/skylight tank myself...seen the monster solatube threads, but was still debating myself between using supplimental blue with T5s, a 20,000K halide system, or maybe using blue tinted acrylic on parts of the skylight to even things out. I dont want the pee colored reef just to save money.
So how much light do those solatubes put out? Seems more than a 250watter for each one...400 watt equal or more?
So how much light do those solatubes put out? Seems more than a 250watter for each one...400 watt equal or more?
JMBoehling
Premium Member
Pardon the brief hijack...
10" are more like 175's
14" = 250's
22" = 400's
One day I'll get my hands on a Lumen meter and get some good data. All I know is is looks great and my SPS and Softies are growing...
Later,
Jim
garvondavis14
New member
wow...first of all, I can't believe this thread is still going, I remember reading it not too long after it was started...Here's my question:
I am going to be starting a 20 long...it's gonna be in a classroom, probably dominated by softies, maybe some LPS and the hardier SPS...not too many SPS though, at least not for a while. I was wondering what light would be best? DO you think 2x24 would be enough, or would I need more? Trying not to spend a boat load, it will be a retrofit unless I find a great deal. Thanks guys.
I am going to be starting a 20 long...it's gonna be in a classroom, probably dominated by softies, maybe some LPS and the hardier SPS...not too many SPS though, at least not for a while. I was wondering what light would be best? DO you think 2x24 would be enough, or would I need more? Trying not to spend a boat load, it will be a retrofit unless I find a great deal. Thanks guys.
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
I would not go lower than 3 unless all you were planning to use would be daylight bulbs. At least two of the bulbs on a tank that size with only 24" T5s should be either aquablue 11,000Ks or GE 6500Ks. You will prolly want another bulb or two of blue or actinic to balance the look out.
you could piece it together at aqualuxlighting.com, or go on ebay for the best deals on tek lights I have seen...but they are still around $200 for a 4 bulb 24" tek.
My best suggestion for you would be to try getting the next size larger tank...a 30L. This will allow you to use 3' bulbs...more bang for the buck and easier to find a retrofit ballast (aqualux sells the WH5 for $26...a good deal), since the setup will cost you the same for 2' bulbs or 3' bulbs...endcaps are $10/pair no matter what, reflectors are only a dollar or two more for the extra foot, and bulbs cost just as much for 2' as 3'...so a 30L would be a much better tank for T5s...3x3' bulbs would work great.
you could piece it together at aqualuxlighting.com, or go on ebay for the best deals on tek lights I have seen...but they are still around $200 for a 4 bulb 24" tek.
My best suggestion for you would be to try getting the next size larger tank...a 30L. This will allow you to use 3' bulbs...more bang for the buck and easier to find a retrofit ballast (aqualux sells the WH5 for $26...a good deal), since the setup will cost you the same for 2' bulbs or 3' bulbs...endcaps are $10/pair no matter what, reflectors are only a dollar or two more for the extra foot, and bulbs cost just as much for 2' as 3'...so a 30L would be a much better tank for T5s...3x3' bulbs would work great.
I have been searching and so far cannot find an answer to this question :
With relation to power consumption, how does 500w of T5HO (on an icecap660) match up to 500W of MH (10K running on PFO ballasts) ?
I would think that the T5s, being flourescent, would have a heavy fire up draw (not that the MHs don't also) but that the T5s would have a significantly lower continuous draw amperage. Can anyone confirm or denounce this assertion ? Thanks
With relation to power consumption, how does 500w of T5HO (on an icecap660) match up to 500W of MH (10K running on PFO ballasts) ?
I would think that the T5s, being flourescent, would have a heavy fire up draw (not that the MHs don't also) but that the T5s would have a significantly lower continuous draw amperage. Can anyone confirm or denounce this assertion ? Thanks
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
you are correct, the draw of T5s (or any flo bulb except for VHO perhaps, depending also on the halide bulb/ballast combo you are comparing to), would be less than halide, with few exceptions. Just look at the average ratings listed for halide ballasts vs. the ratings on your T5 ballasts.
According to some lighting engineers, T5 puts out more PAR per watt than halide as well. I know that this is relative to the color of the bulb, but a straight comparison at any K rating should be constant. 6500K halide to 6500K T5, 10,000K Ushio vs. 11,000K Geisemann, or a mix of multiple T5s to match the spectrum of a certain halide, etc. Of course, a 20,000K halide wont have the same PAR/watt output as a 6500K T5...and a 10,000K halide will have a higher PAR/watt than a blue+ T5...
According to some lighting engineers, T5 puts out more PAR per watt than halide as well. I know that this is relative to the color of the bulb, but a straight comparison at any K rating should be constant. 6500K halide to 6500K T5, 10,000K Ushio vs. 11,000K Geisemann, or a mix of multiple T5s to match the spectrum of a certain halide, etc. Of course, a 20,000K halide wont have the same PAR/watt output as a 6500K T5...and a 10,000K halide will have a higher PAR/watt than a blue+ T5...
well the icecap has a rating of 4.4 amps for 440 watts (If I recall correctly). A 400W MH would have less amps than that, I think they run around 500watts, which comes out to about 4.1 amps. So that is only marginally better ratio for the icecap.
Is the 4.4 amps just start up draw ? or is that expected continuous usage draw ? Or am I just mis-interpretting the data ?
Is the 4.4 amps just start up draw ? or is that expected continuous usage draw ? Or am I just mis-interpretting the data ?
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
Like I said, the IC 660 is really a VHO ballast and has about 3-4x the draw of a regular T5 ballast. Look at a REGULAR T5 ballast for comparison...
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
And the initial feedback is that it decreases bulb life...so getting 30% more light out of the bulb (at close to 30% more electricity)at 33% less bulb life (or worse it seems depending on the bulb you match it with) is a trade off.
