T5's: A cautionary note

[Ti]

With this work schedule, stress, & constant tiredness I really shouldn't even have a reef.

You know they say it helps relax you, so I guess it balances out.

 

[FastUno]

Actually that is the reason why I got into it. It turns out to be a little more stressful than I expected.

For instance, I have my heater running now. At any day the darn thing has the potential to go into an ever heat mode & burn up my tank. I should really put it on a temp controller.

Even with the Teks during humid summers in NY my tank managed to hit 86 deg, so I should put on some more fans on a temp controller. I should also put on the MH on the temp controller just in case.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Now, it's my turn to pitch.
You would think that someone with all the lighting information as you possess & with such an extensive deal of resources that you would have corals growing up the kazoo. DUDE, SHOW US THE CORALS!!!! Show us the coral growth. Show us something worthy of a lighting GOOHOO.

Next time you ask Grim for advice, just keep a mental picture of this (Grim's tank).
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/38553tank_under_halides.JPG

I think that one sunk a little low & hit the batter in the you know whats. Oooohhhhhhhh, thats gotta HURT!!!!!

I spend the money the super secret lighting council pays me for pushing their lighting on cars and women. You just keep spending you $ on those pretty corals Uno. My tank might be ugly but I still have a big grin on my face

 

[Ti]

Actually that is the reason why I got into it. It turns out to be a little more stressful than I expected.

For instance, I have my heater running now. At any day the darn thing has the potential to go into an ever heat mode & burn up my tank. I should really put it on a temp controller.

Even with the Teks during humid summers in NY my tank managed to hit 86 deg, so I should put on some more fans on a temp controller. I should also put on the MH on the temp controller just in case.

Yeh heat was still an issue with T5, not as much as MH, but that thing was pretty warm. Really spiked up my room temp.
I actually unplug my heater in the summer, low temp is not a concern in the summer for my area.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Hey Uno

Some of us spend our time advancing our photographic skills. Check out this effect

Instead of spending our time shopping for fancy new lights some of us introduce interesting new species of fish to our tanks

Some of us also make sure our corals are growing big and healthy

And then of course you have the Grim Reefer who has fragged his stuff to stubble getting ready for a new tank so he takes pictures of the reef tanks on the high definition demo channel on his TV

 

[FastUno]

Grim you know I just had to do that. Was kinda low though, even in my book. Really an apolgy is in order. So I am......

 

[FastUno]

Ti, I think even without any lights the tank temp in the summer gets high just because the pumps/powerheads are running.

 

[Codeman00]

I know there are several bulb colors...Day, Sun, Aquablue, Blueplus, and actinic (all from reefgeek). I'm looking for some different bulb combos to get different looks from the tank. I personally like the Sun / Blue Plus / VHO actinic look (3 bulb setup) or the Day / Sun / Blue+/ Blue+/ VHO actinic 5 bulb look. I'm not a big fan of the day bulb in general though..too yellow for me.

Questions for you guys about T5 lighting (lol).

1) Since I haven't used the T5 actinic..what kind of color would it give me? (not worth trying it all?)
2) Also, are there any other bulbs with different colors I can try that might be made from a different manufacturer than what Reefgeek carries?
3) Is there any more info about the URI T5 actinic release?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Grim you know I just had to do that. Was kinda low though, even in my book. Really an apolgy is in order. So I am......

What, are you crazy? That was funny. Last night I was going to try swapping the pic out in my gallary for one of a piece of live rock in a salt bucket but I figured it would kill the link.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Codeman

I wouldn't waste my time with a T5 actinic if you have a VHO. I like the GE daylight lamp better than the Sun. GE's is a more greenish and has much more PAR. Also a lot cheaper.

 

[FastUno]

I was not too happy with the one actinic that I had in my Tek fixture & at one point ruled the T5 actinics out. They made the corals look unnatural & changed the actual color of the coral over time.

I was pleasantly surprised when I tested out the 175W MH with the 2 actinic supplements. They enhanced the colors & gave it that extra edge, but done so in such a way that made it look undetectable & very natural. It's hard to describe & easier to see.

Grim, I thought you were going to take the slip the rug out of your feet action by removing the pic all together. I thought to myself if you did that people might think it was worst than what it actually is.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

That was just a quick shot of the tank with the 20K's on to show how much dimmer than the T5's they were anyway. They were on two days before I ordered the 10K BLV's, way better looking. The way a tank looks with 20K lamps reminds me of my younger drinking days, before I became a trained professional. I hated paying homage to the porcelain god of over indulgance. Think about that one for a minute

 

[FastUno]

My 20K's look very bright & I don't know where all this hoopla is about them being too blue. I really like the look, but have to admit that the Hamilton 14K's looked more enchanting.

I have seen a few MH systems & have never seen a tank look better than with the combo of the Hamilton's & 2 actinics.

 

[kroe]

I find 20k metal halides look "fake". Hamilton 14k is nice, but I like a little actinic supplementation with it (not much). Phoenix 14k is my favorite MH bulb - no need for actinics at all, but it doesn't have that 20k artificial look. I don't like it when the first thing you think of looking at a tank is "that looks blue".

My friend's phoenix 14ks with no actinics are the only lighting that I prefer aesthetically over my T5s.

 

[Ti]

Ti, I think even without any lights the tank temp in the summer gets high just because the pumps/powerheads are running.

This is true. I suspect my mag to be a big culprit to pushing up the heat. I know that thing runs really warm.

 

[Obi-dad]

I ended up putting my mag9.5 closed loop pump on a timer to only run at night because it puts out so much heat. Got a Seio for the rest of the day.

 

[sjm817]

That was just a quick shot of the tank with the 20K's on to show how much dimmer than the T5's they were anyway. They were on two days before I ordered the 10K BLV's, way better looking. The way a tank looks with 20K lamps reminds me of my younger drinking days, before I became a trained professional. I hated paying homage to the porcelain god of over indulgance. Think about that one for a minute

LOL! Now I fully understand your strong aversion to the "Tidy Bowl" look! :spin2:

Its all a matter of personal preference. Some like a blue look, some dont.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

My camera settings may have made it look a tad more bluethan it really was but it just looked dark to me.

 

[growyourown]

Obi Dad,

I am running a mag 9.5 on my closed loop too but mine is external.

Mag can be run dry errr... out of the water.

LOL..

No they wont run dry ... for long but mine has been outside the tank for 2 mos now and no issues.

GLenn

 

[FastUno]

2000 Flushes!

Everything starting to wake up.

& then