rtparty
Raise The Reef!
There are loads of variables but having run both for myself and having to acclimate my corals back to T5, it was a bigger change than I expected.
The T5 Q&a Thread - split
- Thread starter eagle9252
- Start date
There are loads of variables but having run both for myself and having to acclimate my corals back to T5, it was a bigger change than I expected.
kevensquint
Active member
I use a 250w Radium 20k. The 6 T5's are on either side of it but not just dusk and dawn but also a bit extra growth and color. As it is, the T5's alone are nearly too blue for my taste. If using the GE in place of the 14k would be a step backwards I could live with the current layout .I saw in grim reefers suggestions he often mentioned the GE which is why I'm askin' .
TropTrea
New member
Okay the Metal Hide your using is the Radiium 20,000K which is probably the most blue of all Metal Hides. Yes I also use a GE 6,500K however it does give a slightly Yellow cast compared to the 10,000K plus lighting we are used seeing in salt water tanks. I counter this yellow tink with a pair of ATI Purple Plus bulbs however any of the better name brand Purple Bulbs will work just as well. So in your case I would go with one ge 6,500K a pair of purples, and the remainer blue plus bulbs.
kevensquint
Active member
Went to the LFS today and I compared spectrums (on the box) of the two "daylight" T5's he had. The GE 6500k and the coralife 6700k. I find coralife a very cheesy brand but, the tube has a nice difference compared to GE. A very high peak at 440nm and the peak in the orange/red 630nm is stronger than the 550nm green. The graph I saw on the GE has the useless green peak highest. Giving the coralife 6700k a try.
ViktorVaughn
Member
Hey guys, I am kind of thinking I am running my lights too long and perhaps not on the right schedule. I have a 40 gallon breeder, about 14-15" deep with the sand bed. I have a 36" Aquatic Life 4 bulb T5 fixture currently housing the stock AL bulbs (1 10k, 1 purple, 2 420/460). I should be receiving 2 ATI bulbs later this week, one aquablue special and I think what was called blue plus. I plan on replacing the stock 10k bulb and one 420/460, is this a good idea? I also have one of those marineland 21" submersible led strips with .06 white and blue LEDs.
My light schedule is as follows:
6 am- 8am: blue/moonlight LEDs
8am-930 pm: 1 420/460, 1 purple
11am-630pm: all bulbs on
930pm-1130 pm- blue/moonlight LEDs
1130 pm-6am- dark
My light schedule is as follows:
6 am- 8am: blue/moonlight LEDs
8am-930 pm: 1 420/460, 1 purple
11am-630pm: all bulbs on
930pm-1130 pm- blue/moonlight LEDs
1130 pm-6am- dark
rtparty
Raise The Reef!
Why do you think they're on too long? Are your corals showing signs of stress?
I wouldn't run mine from 6am to 1130 pm including moonlights. Maybe 8am to 10 pm with everything but the moonlights won't do any real damage being on that early and off that late.
ViktorVaughn
Member
No, my corals all look great, I just seem to be having some issues with cyanobacteria on certain parts of the sandbed. I have started watching how much I feed, making sure the fish get enough food without letting to much go wasted. I also added another powerhead flowing directly into the problem areas but i wanted to make sure my light schedule wasn't letting the cyano thrive. I am also only about 8 months or so into keeping reef tanks so I wanted to double check with you guys. Thanks for the help.
Tron_954
New member
Well here is an interesting note for you, I had similar issues with Cyano and suspected lighting, I've actually increased the power on my Radion and turned down the red led, I also have upgraded my skimmer and my nutrients have been lowered substantially and over a few weeks have noticed less and less algae growth popping up throughout the tank...
May want to explore your export situation.
May want to explore your export situation.
TropTrea
New member
On a fairly new tank getting a cyno bacteria explosion is not at all that unusual. The first thing to do is check yur phosphate level and your nitrates and nitrites. Then the lighting also falls into play as red light especialy light around 690nm will allow cyno bacteria to thrive eve in low neutrament levels. So at this point I question yourlighting combination as well as the time periods.
TropTrea
New member
Yhe first question ios how powerful the so called moon light strip is. With a white and blue combo there is posibility that they are extending the lighting cycle too long. For a 40 gallon tank anything over 6 watts is not dark enough to prevent some photosynthesis. Most 36" strips are between 18 and 60 watts.
A cycle I'd recomend is
10:00 AM LED's on
11:00 AM BLUE T-5's on
12:00 noon everything on
8:00 PM mid day bulbs off
10:00 PM remained of T-6's off
12:00 midnight everything off
this goves 10 hours of darkness other than room lighting in the morning. You can shift the timing of everything several hours to better accomodate your viewing pleasure.
TropTrea
New member
Please be very cautious on reading thease peaks from the manufacturers. There is not regulation as to how truthful these spectrums readvertised. I used to stock Coral life bulbs as they were a big seller and readily available and noticed the same exact spectrum advertised on several diffent bulbs of theirs.
Also keep in mind that GE lighting manufactures bulbs for a secondary market that is the same bulb as they normaly sell only the stampings of the bulbs are different in some cases. In other cases they do change the phosphate mixture.
Time to change out bulbs.. I was looking at some sites and comparing the color spectrum of bulbs and wanted the opinion of others. I want my red pink and green corals to pop more I was thinking the bulbs below since then white bulbs are higher in the color spectrum that I want.
Front b+, b+,midday/ge6500k ,b+,b+,midday/ge6500k,b+,b+ Back
Btw I have an 8bulb ati pm
Front b+, b+,midday/ge6500k ,b+,b+,midday/ge6500k,b+,b+ Back
Btw I have an 8bulb ati pm
YoungREEFA
New member
Blue bulbs for the greens
Coral plus and fiji purple for the reds
With that said,
B+ B+ Coral+ B+ B+ Coral+ B+ B+
Or maybe a ge 65k and fiji purple instead of the coral plus'
Coral plus and fiji purple for the reds
With that said,
B+ B+ Coral+ B+ B+ Coral+ B+ B+
Or maybe a ge 65k and fiji purple instead of the coral plus'
YoungREEFA
New member
When i say fiji purple it can be replaced with a purple plus. I just use the fiji purple
rtparty
Raise The Reef!
The coral plus is tough to describe. It's between the blue plus and aquablue with a subtility of red thrown in. This way it isn't too cold and helps keep a warmth to the look.
I don't know as if I'd run a coral plus and purple plus together with only 4 bulbs but that's just my preference right now. I originally didn't love the coral plus when I put it in my fixture. Now I really like 2 of them thrown in with 4 blue bulbs.
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