The T5 Q&a Thread - split

[Michigan Mike]

Ryan and anyone else that can help guide me.......

I have a successful 180gl sps tank that is lite by (3) 250w Radiums and (4) VHO's. I am getting unbelievable growth, but the color is just not there for my liken.

To that end, I got lucky enough and found a 60" ATI PM 10 x 84w.....super excited I found it. I am obviously trying to mimic my Radium/MH growth while getting that T5 color.

Can anyone offer bulb choice and order front to back? How high off the water (my current MH setup is 9")? And what type of photoperiod (mine is currently at 8 hours)?

Any help would be GREATLY appreciate. I really want a seamless transition since I worked for over two years to get my tank just where I want it regarding growth and stable parameters.......now just need to tweak the lighting.

Thank you very much in advance...........

Hmmm ....
6 blue plus
2 coral plus
2 purple plus

Not exact but a good start. You may want another blue and one less coral or purple, its subjective.
See what others say.
I'm sure you will love your new ATI PM!

 

[rtparty]

Hey guys, I have a question regarding changing bulbs. After much procrastination I finally have my bulbs ready for replacement. My fixture is a Tek light 8x54w I've a mixed though predominantly SPS reef, and my bulbs are about 12 months old.

My question is, how fast should I make the switch?
Thanks in advance

I like changing 2 bulbs out every 3-4 days. Then I raise the fixture if needed.

Ryan and anyone else that can help guide me.......

I have a successful 180gl sps tank that is lite by (3) 250w Radiums and (4) VHO's. I am getting unbelievable growth, but the color is just not there for my liken.

To that end, I got lucky enough and found a 60" ATI PM 10 x 84w.....super excited I found it. I am obviously trying to mimic my Radium/MH growth while getting that T5 color.

Can anyone offer bulb choice and order front to back? How high off the water (my current MH setup is 9")? And what type of photoperiod (mine is currently at 8 hours)?

Any help would be GREATLY appreciate. I really want a seamless transition since I worked for over two years to get my tank just where I want it regarding growth and stable parameters.......now just need to tweak the lighting.

Thank you very much in advance...........

Changing out lights can always be an adventure. T5 lights blanket your corals a lot more than MH does so just watch everything really close. I would probably test your parameters every few days just as a precaution. Switching lights can sometimes spike or stunt growth and your parameters can fluctuate.

What are your dimensions?

I would look into something like 7 blue plus, 2 purple plus and 1 ge6500k. Definitely grab an extra blue plus and a coral plus to play with. Whatever you don't use now you can throw in later.

I would start at 10" above the tank. Dusk/dawn for 10 hours with full lighting around 6 hours to start. Again just watch everything.

 

[Froggy]

Hey guys, I have a question regarding changing bulbs. After much procrastination I finally have my bulbs ready for replacement. My fixture is a Tek light 8x54w I've a mixed though predominantly SPS reef, and my bulbs are about 12 months old.

My question is, how fast should I make the switch?
Thanks in advance

I just did the exact switch as you with the same fixture ( 8 bulb TEK).

I changed 3 bulbs initially, 2 more bulbs 2 days later, and then one bulb a day for the next 3 days. I saw no negative response from any corals in the tank.

- Joe

 

[Froggy]

Much better fixture. I went the LED route for about 18 months but switched back to an ATI Sunpower and glad I did.



The Geisemann midday is very similar. My current 6 bulb combo is

ATI blue plus
ATI aquablue
Gmann pure actinic (may switch back to a blue plus)
ATI purple plus
ATI coral plus
ATI blue plus

It is about 13-14k to my eyes with everything on. Little more white than what I used to run but I'm liking it. I wanted the coral plus and aquablue for growth reasons.

Ryan,

Surprised to see the Aquablue special in your mix. I was under impression you were not a fan of how they represent the corals. Are you just using it for a growth spurt? Seems like you could switch your pure actinic to the blue plus you were thinking about for the PAR punch and then use either a GE 6500 ( good growth bulb, unless you are not a fan of the look ) or another coral plus for the additional daylight bulb. What is your reasons for using the Aquablue? Just curious

Thanks,
Joe

 

[rtparty]

Ryan,

Surprised to see the Aquablue special in your mix. I was under impression you were not a fan of how they represent the corals. Are you just using it for a growth spurt? Seems like you could switch your pure actinic to the blue plus you were thinking about for the PAR punch and then use either a GE 6500 ( good growth bulb, unless you are not a fan of the look ) or another coral plus for the additional daylight bulb. What is your reasons for using the Aquablue? Just curious

Thanks,
Joe

It is strictly for growth right now. I'd use a GE if I had one but the aquablue came with this fixture and is practically brand new. The colors suffer when the aquablue comes on but I only have it come on with the coral plus for a few hours when I'm not home.

I'm using the 4 bulb channel for my ''dusk/dawn''. 2 blue, 1 purple and 1 actinic.

 

[Overgrown]

Ryan and anyone else that can help guide me.......

I have a successful 180gl sps tank that is lite by (3) 250w Radiums and (4) VHO's. I am getting unbelievable growth, but the color is just not there for my liken.

To that end, I got lucky enough and found a 60" ATI PM 10 x 84w.....super excited I found it. I am obviously trying to mimic my Radium/MH growth while getting that T5 color.

Can anyone offer bulb choice and order front to back? How high off the water (my current MH setup is 9")? And what type of photoperiod (mine is currently at 8 hours)?

Any help would be GREATLY appreciate. I really want a seamless transition since I worked for over two years to get my tank just where I want it regarding growth and stable parameters.......now just need to tweak the lighting.

Thank you very much in advance...........

Are you referring to coral color or aesthetics of the tank lighting? I run T5' but IMO my old Radium offered up the best coloring in the corals themselves. Seems like you have plenty of light, why not just add in some LEDs to accent the aesthetics in the display?

 

[Froggy]

It is strictly for growth right now. I'd use a GE if I had one but the aquablue came with this fixture and is practically brand new. The colors suffer when the aquablue comes on but I only have it come on with the coral plus for a few hours when I'm not home.

I'm using the 4 bulb channel for my ''dusk/dawn''. 2 blue, 1 purple and 1 actinic.

Good deal,

I bet your tank really jumps out at you with that 4 bulb combo running. I like how you run your 6 bulb ATI ( thinking outside of the box ). Some people are locked onto the idea that you HAVE to run your dusk/dawn on the 2 bulb bank. Not sure why or if it just assumed that is how it should be. You can get some nice color mix with the 4 bulbs for viewing.

This is one of the things I really like about the 8 bulb TEK fixture I have. The bulb banks are 4 and 4. I run 3 blue plus and 1 purple plus for dusk/dawn. I then have 2 more blue plus, a coral plus and a GE 6500 come on for the full lighting. I am really liking this combination of bulbs.

- Joe

 

[jgraz]

Thanks everyone. I was figuring I'd have to move slower like over a few weeks. I guess I'll make the switch in under 2 weeks then. Thanks again

 

[tegee]

I like changing 2 bulbs out every 3-4 days. Then I raise the fixture if needed.



Changing out lights can always be an adventure. T5 lights blanket your corals a lot more than MH does so just watch everything really close. I would probably test your parameters every few days just as a precaution. Switching lights can sometimes spike or stunt growth and your parameters can fluctuate.

What are your dimensions?

I would look into something like 7 blue plus, 2 purple plus and 1 ge6500k. Definitely grab an extra blue plus and a coral plus to play with. Whatever you don't use now you can throw in later.

I would start at 10" above the tank. Dusk/dawn for 10 hours with full lighting around 6 hours to start. Again just watch everything.

Thanks everyone.......

I ordered enough to play around with bulbs. Have (8) Blue+ (2) Purple+ (2) Coral+ and (2) GE 6500k.

I was thinking of starting with (6) Blue+, (2) Purple+, (1) Coral+ and (1) GE 6500k.

And yes I agree, I am going to start veeeery slow. Maybe at 4-hrs for a week, then 5-hrs for a week, etc, etc. And definitely going to closely monitor parameters too.

Tank dimensions are: 60 x 24 x 29. I know a (10) bulb ATI PM is a tad too big for my dimensions, probably could have got away with an 8-bulb and perhaps a 48" fixture too. BUT I found a gold mine deal on a factory second ATI PM 10 x 84w and simply could not pass up the deal......especially since you can not get PM anymore.

So long story short.....need advice for this lighting transformation so I do not screw up a very successful sps tank that took me 2.5 years to get it to this level.

Any input would be GREATY appreciated.......happy holidays!

 

[Michigan Mike]

I'm using the 4 bulb channel for my ''dusk/dawn''. 2 blue, 1 purple and 1 actinic.

That's what I'm using in my 4x24w Sunpower...2 ATI blue plus & 1 ATI Actinic & 1 Fiji purple

 

[rtparty]

That's what I'm using in my 4x24w Sunpower...2 ATI blue plus & 1 ATI Actinic & 1 Fiji purple

I ran that combo for months on my old tank. I had a plating monti and green birdsnest that grew like weeds. They are fast growers anyways but loved that combo. That's why I'm using it for my ''main'' lighting right now and wanted 2 growth bulbs for 4-5 hours a day. My LFS has GE bulbs in and I may just grab a couple of them to really spike the daylight hours.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Michigan Mike]

One GE & blue plus wouldn't be a bad addition to this combo for the extra midday boost.
Ge6500 & blue plus equals pure white.
Like you say, run em when your not home.lol

 

[triguy]

I bought an 8x54w ATI dimmable sunpower back in February. I was running 5 B+, Fiji Purple, and 2 KZ New Generations. I wanted to switch it up and have heard a lot of positive things about the Coral+, so I recently purchased 5B+, 2 Purple+, 2 Coral+ and a 6500K so I could play around with the configuration.

What would recommend with these bulbs and in what order. Keep in mind that 3rd and 6th bulbs are on one channel and the other 6 bulbs are on the other.

I had to replace them and currently have the configuration below, but I'm not sold on using the 6500K:
B+
B+
C+
B+
P+
6500K
B+
B+

 

[rtparty]

I bought an 8x54w ATI dimmable sunpower back in February. I was running 5 B+, Fiji Purple, and 2 KZ New Generations. I wanted to switch it up and have heard a lot of positive things about the Coral+, so I recently purchased 5B+, 2 Purple+, 2 Coral+ and a 6500K so I could play around with the configuration.

What would recommend with these bulbs and in what order. Keep in mind that 3rd and 6th bulbs are on one channel and the other 6 bulbs are on the other.

I had to replace them and currently have the configuration below, but I'm not sold on using the 6500K:
B+
B+
C+
B+
P+
6500K
B+
B+

Try not to bunch the GE right by a purple bulb or other daylight bulb. You want it flanked by blue bulbs to spread the light out more evenly.

Do you want a 2 or 6 bulb dusk/dawn setup?

 

[triguy]

Try not to bunch the GE right by a purple bulb or other daylight bulb. You want it flanked by blue bulbs to spread the light out more evenly.

Do you want a 2 or 6 bulb dusk/dawn setup?

I was running a 6 bulb dusk/dawn and had the KZ NG come on later, but now I'm thinking I might have to run a 2 bulb if I keep the 6500K in there. Today I took out the 6500K and put in another C+ because one of the Purple+ bulbs I bought was bad, and I wanted to see what look I would get. Again, I'm not set on using the 6500K, but would if I get more feedback on that being my best setup. I can also buy other bulbs (Pure Actinics or something if needed to offset the 6500K).

 

[rtparty]

I was running a 6 bulb dusk/dawn and had the KZ NG come on later, but now I'm thinking I might have to run a 2 bulb if I keep the 6500K in there. Today I took out the 6500K and put in another C+ because one of the Purple+ bulbs I bought was bad, and I wanted to see what look I would get. Again, I'm not set on using the 6500K, but would if I get more feedback on that being my best setup. I can also buy other bulbs (Pure Actinics or something if needed to offset the 6500K).

The GE isn't for everybody. Find what you like with the bulbs you have. You should be successful with just about any combo you come up with.

Blue bulbs are best to offset the GE.

 

[Froggy]

I bought an 8x54w ATI dimmable sunpower back in February. I was running 5 B+, Fiji Purple, and 2 KZ New Generations. I wanted to switch it up and have heard a lot of positive things about the Coral+, so I recently purchased 5B+, 2 Purple+, 2 Coral+ and a 6500K so I could play around with the configuration.

What would recommend with these bulbs and in what order. Keep in mind that 3rd and 6th bulbs are on one channel and the other 6 bulbs are on the other.

I had to replace them and currently have the configuration below, but I'm not sold on using the 6500K:
B+
B+
C+
B+
P+
6500K
B+
B+

Like Ryan said the GE bulb isnt for everybody but I like a whiter tank. Here is my lineup using the same bulbs on a TEK. The bulb banks are 4 and 4 though so a bit different than your situation. This configuration gives me a very even blend though for reference.

Front
B+
P+
B+
GE 6500
B+
C+
B+
B+
Back

- Joe

 

[Michigan Mike]

I was running a 6 bulb dusk/dawn and had the KZ NG come on later, but now I'm thinking I might have to run a 2 bulb if I keep the 6500K in there. Today I took out the 6500K and put in another C+ because one of the Purple+ bulbs I bought was bad, and I wanted to see what look I would get. Again, I'm not set on using the 6500K, but would if I get more feedback on that being my best setup. I can also buy other bulbs (Pure Actinics or something if needed to offset the 6500K).

Seems like you dont like the GE bulb, only placing a blue plus on each side of it will help negate the power of it, actinics won't help a bit.

I would try any other bulb you think you'll like, I would stay away from the aqua blue special too but you never know...color is subjective.

 

[triguy]

Thanks Michigan Mike. I had the ABS when I had my 90g and didn't like that bulb.

Froggy, thanks for that bulb suggestion. I only had the GE bulb on there for a week and had the C+ next to it. I may try it with a couple of blues on each side. So maybe this configuration and have dusk/dawn on the 2 bulbs instead of the 6.
B+
P+
B+
GE 6500
B+
B+
C+
B+

 

[Michigan Mike]

I wish ATI would start making 8 bulb fixtures with 4 bulb dawn/dusk & 4 bulb midday boost setups like the 8 bulb TEK. I prefer it anyway.