T5's: A cautionary note

[The Grim Reefer]

Horkn runs a GE with 2 Blueplus, maybe he can chime in with his opinion of trying 2 GE'swith 2 Bluepluses

 

[horkn]

2 ge and 2 blue+.. probably too yellow.. but it all depend on what you like, you can always change if it isnt the way you want it to look. but the tsnk would be really bright with that setup

 

[Codeman00]

I can run one sun and a blue plus together and I like that combo much better than the day / blue plus. To much yellow for me in the day bulb...the sun shows much more green and red...and less yellow. Its all a matter of opinion though.

 

[Warnberg]

Question:

If you could only run a 4 bulb 54 watt T5 configuration with an IceCap 660 ballast and IceCap SLR reflectors, which bulbs would you use for greatest par and best color in your tank?

Here is a list of the bulb choices:

GE 54W 6500K Daylight T5 HO Fluorescent
ATI 54W 6000K Sun T5 HO Fluorescent
ATI 54W 11000K Aquablue Special T5 HO Fluorescent
ATI 54W Actinic/Blue Plus T5 HO Fluorescent
ATI 54W Pure Actinic 03 T5 HO Fluorescent

 

[Obi-dad]

1 day + 3 blue+ = Radium color but brighter

I run 4 blue+, 1 day, 1 actinic (4 of these are on Icecap). Love the color and it is bright.

 

[growyourown]

1 GE day 1 actinic and 2 blue +

 

[sjm817]

Question:

If you could only run a 4 bulb 54 watt T5 configuration with an IceCap 660 ballast and IceCap SLR reflectors, which bulbs would you use for greatest par and best color in your tank?

(2) ATI 54W 11000K Aquablue Special T5 HO Fluorescent
(2) ATI 54W Actinic/Blue Plus T5 HO Fluorescent
-or-
(1) GE 54W 6500K Daylight T5 HO Fluorescent
(1) ATI 54W 11000K Aquablue Special T5 HO Fluorescent
(2) ATI 54W Actinic/Blue Plus T5 HO Fluorescent

 

[tjay]

So what would the t5 gurus use if they were supplementing 2 250 metal halides with 20K bulbs and 4 available 54 watt T5 slots

 

[horkn]

So what would the t5 gurus use if they were supplementing 2 250 metal halides with 20K bulbs and 4 available 54 watt T5 slots

man, after seeing a mh lit tank with a 20k 400w on one end, i would say its almost too blue with the 20k mh.. i would actually run aquablue and ge 6500k days myself..2 of each

 

[growyourown]

I agree with horkn on that one.

The 20K bulbs seem way too blue, artificially blue if ya catch my drift.

Glenn

 

[Obi-dad]

Many people do not like the blue look, but the blue look is actually very 'natural' - if you have been snorkeling or scuba diving, you would see a very blue look after you go down more than a few feet. The look that is not natural at all is the look of actinics...no purple anywhere I have seen on real reefs (but I like the look of the 'artificial' actinics anyway).

 

[Codeman00]

Obi-dad is right....Its all blue scuba diving at any depth. Not really visually appealing, but definitely blue.

 

[kimoyo]

So what would the t5 gurus use if they were supplementing 2 250 metal halides with 20K bulbs and 4 available 54 watt T5 slots

So if this is too blue, what about 2 250 phoenix 14k's and 4 available 54 watt T5 slots?

 

[tjay]

I dont know if it is just the bulbs or they have not broken in yet but these 20Ks are not blue at all. I will post a pic as soon as the water clears up. I just did a hard clean and water change.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

So what would the t5 gurus use if they were supplementing 2 250 metal halides with 20K bulbs and 4 available 54 watt T5 slots

What lamp and ballast combo are you running for the halides?

If you are looking for more blue get the blue/actinic plus. If you just want a little more blue do 2 aquablues and 2 blue/actinic plus.

 

[tjay]

Advanced Magnetic Ballast and Catilina Aquarium bulbs 20K

 

[The Grim Reefer]

If you honestly think the lamp looks white I'd probably go with the bluepluses.

 

[horkn]

If you honestly think the lamp looks white I'd probably go with the bluepluses.

me too, and while i am a certified scuba diver and i have seen what it looks like at depth, i think the 20k blue mh i saw the other day was too darn blue, its owner did as well, but the other sides 10k was too white, i really think a 14k bulb is the right color...

 

[growyourown]

Yeah what Horkn said..

I have been diving all over the caribean and I think 20K is way too blue especially for a shallow water reef.

Now if you are going to keep deeper water corals, then the 20K is probably a better choice.

Now, I use only T5 and I shoot for the 14K look, yet covering a broader spectrum.

I guess if you told us what you want to keep in the tank, goals etc.. we all could give better advice, if its just "the look" you are after that opinion will vary greatly.

Glenn

 

[FastUno]

I think it all depends on what 20K bulb you have & what ballast. On an electronic ballast it looks bluer & on a magnetic ballast such as I have it looks less blue. This might explain some of the discrepancy we hear about 20K bulbs. This is at least something to consider other than subjectivity.