The T5 Q&a Thread - split

[michfish5]

I just got the 36" AquaticLife T5 with Lunar LEDs for my 65 gallon, those same dimensions. It looks great! I do have a question though for people using these fixtures, do you cover the tank with glass canopies as Aquatic Life suggests? or are you leaving them open? The fixture seems high enough that it won't get wet but I am no expert.

 

[TropTrea]

I just got the 36" AquaticLife T5 with Lunar LEDs for my 65 gallon, those same dimensions. It looks great! I do have a question though for people using these fixtures, do you cover the tank with glass canopies as Aquatic Life suggests? or are you leaving them open? The fixture seems high enough that it won't get wet but I am no expert.

I personly have moved away from glass because of the UV filtering qualities of glass. Acrylic is the best for allowing light to pass through it and polycarbonate is the worst.

 

[Mitratus]

Would the following bulb combination be good for growth and colouration of SPS?

ATI B+
ATI Coral Plus
ATI B+
GE 6500
ATI P+
ATI B+
ATI Coral Plus
ATI B+

The fixture is an 8x54w Dimmable Sunpower and I would ideally like a 10K - 14K look.

 

[michfish5]

So you DO cover the top of the tank with acrylic? Do you cut your own or are there ready made acrylic covers? Do you cover the entire top or just under the lights? Thanks in advance!

 

[terri_ann]

4 blue plus 1 ge600 1 KZ purple

[/IMG]

Can you post the order of your bulbs Mike? I love the colors!

 

[terri_ann]

So you DO cover the top of the tank with acrylic? Do you cut your own or are there ready made acrylic covers? Do you cover the entire top or just under the lights? Thanks in advance!

Most cover their tanks not only to prevent water/spray on the lights but also to keep fish "in" Acrylic can be expensive but is durable. I used plexiglass, the thinnest I could find at the hardware store, however I cleaned it daily and it did warp. I then went to screen which can be purchased at BRS and others. The screen is available in white or black and, there are 2 choices of sizes (holes).I almost forgot, if you search for reptile screens, you can find some for various size tanks...

 

[wicz101]

looking for thoughts on ATI's dimmable T5's, anyone having issues?

 

[YoungREEFA]

I cant find a 36" tek anywhere!!!!!!! Agh!!!

 

[TropTrea]

Most cover their tanks not only to prevent water/spray on the lights but also to keep fish "in" Acrylic can be expensive but is durable. I used plexiglass, the thinnest I could find at the hardware store, however I cleaned it daily and it did warp. I then went to screen which can be purchased at BRS and others. The screen is available in white or black and, there are 2 choices of sizes (holes).I almost forgot, if you search for reptile screens, you can find some for various size tanks...

Warpage of all plastics can be an issue. This is why most people will "glue" on a cross section perpendicular to the cover. Another thing to consider is the thicker the plastic the less warping you will have. But even on a 1/4" you need something to reduce the warpage.

The second thing is there are about a dozen differet clear plastic compounds. Each of these have different qualities as far as light transmission goes. Pure Acrylic is about the best with 99% to 97% light transmission throughout the spectrum. Polycarbonate is about the worst with some being as low as 80% light trasmission. Polycarbonate is great if you want to make something bullet proof.

As far as the screen covers go keep in mind a few thing. They will reduce the amount of light going through them drasticly. It is not unusual to find screaning with less than 50% light transmission. And they will not protect your lights as the water vapors will travel right through them.

As a side note on screens they are not that great for preventing jumpers unless they are weighted down. When I had my store I would find snow flake ells ounstantly on the floor as they just pushed to screen off the tank when they wanted to get out.

 

[Michigan Mike]

Can you post the order of your bulbs Mike? I love the colors!

I'm pretty sure it was like this....

B
Blue
Blue
Purple
Blue
Ge6500
Blue
F

 

[TropTrea]

So you DO cover the top of the tank with acrylic? Do you cut your own or are there ready made acrylic covers? Do you cover the entire top or just under the lights? Thanks in advance!

This varies with the light on the tank. But right nowI'm considering covering everything to reduce evaporation rates.

I do want something between the light bulbs and the water surface. If the fixture has a clear cover I leave that alone. If there is no protective shield I will add something to prevent spash or salt water vapors from hitting my light source. I used to use a lot a glass but have switched to Acrtylic because it transmitts light better than glass especialy at shorter wave lenghts.

 

[YoungREEFA]

Anyone have more pictures of the 4B+ 1P+ and either 1 coral plus or ge 65k?

 

[terri_ann]

Thanks Mike!! You have a Very Nice tank :0)

 

[geris]

Hi, I have a 75g mix reef (mostly lps, some sps and zoas) is an established tank (9 years). I have an 8 bulb Current Nova Extreme fixture with a strip of blue Reefbrite leds. I would like a reccomendation for a combination suited for coloring and growth. I don't like the very white or yellowish look. I have 4 bulbs dawn/ 4 dusk, please could you reccomend a combination and the order they should be put in? Thanks.

 

[TropTrea]

Hi, I have a 75g mix reef (mostly lps, some sps and zoas) is an established tank (9 years). I have an 8 bulb Current Nova Extreme fixture with a strip of blue Reefbrite leds. I would like a reccomendation for a combination suited for coloring and growth. I don't like the very white or yellowish look. I have 4 bulbs dawn/ 4 dusk, please could you reccomend a combination and the order they should be put in? Thanks.

Use the LED strip for PRe dawn to Post Dusk
Add 2 Blue Plus bulbs for Dawn to Dusk
Then for mid day you want 1 ATI purple Plus, 1 ATI Aqua Blue Special, and two more Blue Plus bulbs.

I would normaly say a GE 6,500 in place of the Aqua Blue Special but the GE bulb is a little yellow than the ATI, and two purple plus would be too much red for a 6 bulb fixture in my mind.

 

[geris]

Hi Dennis, thank you! I'm still needing 2 more bulbs because the lamp is an 8 bulb fixture. I like the combo you are suggesting I would just need 2 more bulbs.

 

[jose7878]

I just got a tek 6x39 watt fixture that's gonna go over a 40 breeder. Its gonna be a mix reef but probably more sps then anything.
What light combo do you suggest and how high should I have the fixture?

 

[Dapg8gt]

Is it just me or does no one read past the last page =).. Great job holding this thread down its a great resource and I have learned a lot from the original guru and the few recent partipating gurus..

 

[jose7878]

Is it just me or does no one read past the last page =).. Great job holding this thread down its a great resource and I have learned a lot from the original guru and the few recent partipating gurus..

With 151 pages to read to find exactly what people are looking for would take days. It's not this thread is decayed to one specie tank. It just easier to ask. I did look thru about 30+ pages but people aren't real specific as to what type of corals they're keeping in their tank and their tank size. So that's why people just repost.

 

[TropTrea]

With 151 pages to read to find exactly what people are looking for would take days. It's not this thread is decayed to one specie tank. It just easier to ask. I did look thru about 30+ pages but people aren't real specific as to what type of corals they're keeping in their tank and their tank size. So that's why people just repost.

There is another big facotor. If you go back to when this origian tread started before the first of many splits there have been many changes in the lighting industry. The present ATI Bue Plus bulb is not the same as there original, the Coral Plus bulb has only been on the market for a little over a year. Several manufacturers have updated there Light fixtures.
What was considered top of the line in 2003 is old technolohy in 2013 especialy with the advances in comercal lighting.

Then there is also the fact that what works great for Jacks tank my not be ideal of Hermans tank. There are multi considerations like te height of the tank and the need for penetration to the sand bed. What corals is someone keeping I have seen some fantastic low light tank with coral like Duncan's and Nephthyigoria but most Acropors Goniopora and Millipora would never survive in that tanks.

Then there is personal taste. Mary loves to see the florescense poping in her corals, Sue wants to her tank to like what she saw when she went diving at 50 meters deep, Julia liked what she saw when snorkeling, and Harieta want to see bright reflective colors from her fish like in the pictures, and then there husband Simon could care less about color but wants his corals to double in size every month.

These are all variables that will effect what will make you happy with your lighting. These all mean that wht one person thinks is perfect, another will dislike.

Then you have changes in individual taste over time. Originaly when I used Blue Plus tubes I thought they were too blue, but now I do not think they are strong enough in the shorter end of the blue spectrum.