The T5 Q&a Thread - split

[TropTrea]

I found this chart on color temperature and think it is fairly good guide. While we look at color temperature as the ratio of blue to white light the difference in color temperature is more associated with the color than the actualy level of white. Actualy as the color temp gets higher away from around 4,000K there is more color in it, but the color shifts. In many cases I think what consider a 20,000K light is actualy beyound the infinate point on the color temp scale.

 

[TropTrea]

Woops that was the wrong chart

 

[TropTrea]

double post when trying to edit

 

[TropTrea]

hopefully this is it now

 

[Michigan Mike]

Its hard to take someone serious if they can't spell "actinic" correctly. Haha

Actinic & blue bulbs are a different beast. The combos of them are another thing altogether and shouldn't be compared, especially since this is a T5 thread, people can learn & appreciate the differences.

Keep this a T5 thread please.

 

[Michigan Mike]

Love it, I find it very appealing! it seems awfully close to a kz new gen, but a little more blue.

Thank you, I must have missed this because I asked twice, ha.

This bulb has peaked my curiosity.

 

[Michigan Mike]

Hi guys...

Two part question; I'm getting ready to buy a Atl Sunpower 8 bulb, for my dominated SPS 180 gallon tank, 3 coral plus and 5 blue plus. I'm trying to get more of a 20k look. What are your suggestions?

Right now I'm running three 250 watt XM 20k for 5 hours a day and supplements for 8 hours a day. What would you all suggest for the new light?

This is a good start.
A ge6500 & purple plus would give you a lot of combos to experiment with if you want to tweak the lighting a little.

 

[BrooksReef]

Hi all,

I will be purchasing 2 60+ 8 x 80w fixtures... and really don't know which way to go with the bulbs. I want the colors to POP!, but I also want excellent growth. What would you all recommend? This is the set up I had thought about... critiques are always welcome! These are in no specific order, but an order would be welcomed...

KZ 80w Fiji Purple
KZ 80w New Gen 14k
Giesemann 80w Actinic
ATI 80w Aquablue Special
KZ 80w Fiji Purple
GE 80w 6500k Daylight
Ge 80w 6500k Daylight
ATI Aquablue Special


Any help is appreciated!

 

[Michigan Mike]

Hi all,

I will be purchasing 2 60+ 8 x 80w fixtures... and really don't know which way to go with the bulbs. I want the colors to POP!, but I also want excellent growth. What would you all recommend? This is the set up I had thought about... critiques are always welcome! These are in no specific order, but an order would be welcomed...

KZ 80w Fiji Purple
KZ 80w New Gen 14k
Giesemann 80w Actinic
ATI 80w Aquablue Special
KZ 80w Fiji Purple
GE 80w 6500k Daylight
Ge 80w 6500k Daylight
ATI Aquablue Special


Any help is appreciated!

You need help, haha! J/k, sorta

What brand fixtures are you buying?

5 blue plus
2 coral pls
1 purple plus
1 ge6500

An extra bulb for you to play with.

The combo you mention is extremely white, you want at least half the bulbs blue & go from there. One ge6500 is usually enough for most people, do you know what you want your tank to look like?

 

[BrooksReef]

You need help, haha! J/k, sorta

What brand fixtures are you buying?

5 blue plus
2 coral pls
1 purple plus
1 ge6500

An extra bulb for you to play with.

The combo you mention is extremely white, you want at least half the bulbs blue & go from there. One ge6500 is usually enough for most people, do you know what you want your tank to look like?

Thank you!!

They will be ATI Sunpower fixtures... 60" 8x80w. Actually going over a 585g tank... 12'x3'x2'. I want the tank to have a bluer feel... something that, like I said, makes the coral pop but provides excellent growth. I will be keeping SPS and chalices. Way back when, I had a great T5 fixture and remembered having the best growth with that set up.

 

[TropTrea]

Some comparison pictures

The top tank in the predawn mode is lighted with 5 Watts of 454nm LED's, and the Bottom Tank is lit with 4 Watts 430 nm LED's, 5 Watts of 454nm LED's and 5 Watts of 460 nm LED's

In the mid day Picture the top tank is also running 1 GE 6,500K, 2 ATI Purple Plus, and 5 ATI Blue Plus besides the above mentioned LED's. The bottom tank is lit with a total of 4 Watts 430 nm LED's, 10 Watt Neutral White LED's, 10 Watts of 460 nm LED's and 30 Watts of 454 nm LED's. I have had fantastic Coral Growth and color from this tank surpassing another frag tank that ran 117 watts of ATI Blue plus and 39 Watts of ATI Aqua Blue Special lights.

Please note the camera was on automatic and did readjust the exposure as you can see by the difference in the cabinet coloring. I'm also in the process of reding the 120 gallon so some of the corals are not back in it. But it does give an idea between two completly different lighting systems.

 

[Flood504]

Got my hands on a 6 bulb Tek fixture that's going to go over a 29 gallon SPS dominated tank. Looking for a combo that's going to be pretty blue, but also make my corals grow at a decent rate. Trying to stay away from the aquabluespecial. Any suggestions?

 

[rtparty]

Got my hands on a 6 bulb Tek fixture that's going to go over a 29 gallon SPS dominated tank. Looking for a combo that's going to be pretty blue, but also make my corals grow at a decent rate. Trying to stay away from the aquabluespecial. Any suggestions?

4 blue plus and 2 coral plus

 

[Sandman6983]

Ok, so I am looking to replace my bulbs for my 55 gallon and hopefully achieve a slightly "better" (I know, it's subjective) look than what I have now (too much white). I just got a Coralife 48" T5HO setup. 4 Bulbs and 4 moonlight LEDs. It came with:

FRONT
Coralife Actinic
Coralife 10K
Coralife Actinic
Coralife 10K
BACK

It is also wired with 2 switches for the T5's and another switch for the LEDs. The T5's are wired where one switch goes to the #1 and #3 bulbs and the other goes to the #2 and #4. I have been leaving the LEDs on 24/7 and running the two Actinic's as a dusk/dawn then about an hour after the are on I turn on the 10k's, then obviously the reverse of that at night. I have some colorful fish (Coral beauty, clowns, yellow watchman goby, purple stripe dottyback), and some soft corals (nothing too colorful yet, though I want TONS of color) and some ZOAs (they have florescent green centers under the moonlights). What bulb combo would look really good and make everything pop in the tank (and still grow well). Eventually I would like to have TONS of color, greens, blues, reds, purples, oranges...you get the idea. Also, as far as timing, how long should I have the new setup run? I will have them set up on timers here soon... Thanks!

Also, my background is black...not sure if that matters...Thanks!

 

[karsseboom]

Hi all,

I will be purchasing 2 60+ 8 x 80w fixtures... and really don't know which way to go with the bulbs. I want the colors to POP!, but I also want excellent growth. What would you all recommend? This is the set up I had thought about... critiques are always welcome! These are in no specific order, but an order would be welcomed...

KZ 80w Fiji Purple
KZ 80w New Gen 14k
Giesemann 80w Actinic
ATI 80w Aquablue Special
KZ 80w Fiji Purple
GE 80w 6500k Daylight
Ge 80w 6500k Daylight
ATI Aquablue Special


Any help is appreciated!

That is going to be very very white, not much blue in that combo


Here is what I would suggest

Blue plus
Blue plus
Purple plus
Coral plus
Blue plus
Purple plus
Blue plus
Blue plus

This is a nice 20k look

 

[Michigan Mike]

Sandman-

FRONT
actinic-dawn/dusk
purple plus
blue plus-dawn/dusk
coral plus
BACK

Try this. Should be nice and colorful & good for softies.
My avatar is is a little more blue, as I have another blue plus instead of a coral plus but I this is a good start. You can also try another coral plus instead of the purple if you don't like purple @ want more blue without adding another blue plus.

 

[TropTrea]

Got my hands on a 6 bulb Tek fixture that's going to go over a 29 gallon SPS dominated tank. Looking for a combo that's going to be pretty blue, but also make my corals grow at a decent rate. Trying to stay away from the aquabluespecial. Any suggestions?

RT's sugecytion will woprk. Basicly any combination of the Coral Plus and Blue Plus the more Blue Plus you use the blue it will be and the more Coral Plus bulbs the lighter it will be. With the Coral Plus you should not have to worry about adding any purple either. But even with 6 Coral Plus it would be bluer than with a GE in the mixture.

 

[Sandman6983]

Awesome...thanks Mike! I'll give that a shot, sounds like it might be exactly what I'm looking for.

 

[npsossi@msn.com]

Just picked up an 8 bulb Tek Light to put ove my 90. Montipora up top and lps below. Please recommend bulbs and order.
Thanks
Mark

Sent from my Next8P12 using Tapatalk 2

 

[mkbtank]

Looking for thoughts...... I am shooting for an 18-20K look, with growth of course lol

Tank is a 58 Oceanic w/ no center brace. Fixture is a Current NOVA extreme pro 36" 6X39W.

SPS on the rock work and Acans/lps on the sand bed.

Current configuration is:

Front to back:
ATI Blue plus
ATI Actinic
ATI Coral Plus
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Purple Plus
ATI Blue Plus

Thanks very much for input.