The T5 Q&a Thread - split

[nichthyes]

so what do you think

front
aquablue
Blue+
purple+
blue+

?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

so what do you think

front
aquablue
Blue+
purple+
blue+

?

Might want to play with the positions but the mix is good.

 

[pwoller]

I am running a tek elite 8 bulb over my 48x24x20 mixed reef. Hung 10 inches off the water. Current bulbs front to back are:

Blue +
Blue +
Blue +
Fiji purple
Blue +
Fiji purple
Blue +
Blue +

I love this look when just the 4 blue plus are on and when all the bulbs are on too, the sps are doing great but I cant find any place to put my chalices where they dont get too much light. On the front glass in the corners I am getting 220 PAR with all the bulbs on and my chalices dont seem happy about it. Well some of them while others seem ok. I just need advice on how to reduce the PAR in some of the front areas so that I can put the lower light chalices up there and they wont need sunscreen. My thought were to go down to a 6 bulb fixture if need be but I was curious if you had any bulb suggestions that might help with this problem?

Help please?

 

[rtparty]

Help please?

Pull 2 of the Blue Plus for Actinics.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Might need to swap more than 2 blue plus for actinic.

 

[pwoller]

Might need to swap more than 2 blue plus for actinic.

Would you think change the front 2 bulbs from blue plus to actinics and keep the LPS up front?

 

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

Do any of the current crop of T5 'actinic' lamps give anywhere near the pop that the old VHO super actinics did?

 

[meshwheel]

Hey guys,
I have a question for you. I am setting up a 65 gallon tank. Dims are 36x18x24 and I am considering a light change foe my stags when they are transferred into the new tank.
Currently, they are under one lumenbright 250 watt pendant with a Hamilton 14K bulb in a 34 gallon tank. Approx PAR is 350-400 about 6 inches down below the water surface.
Here's the question: Would a 36 inch 4 bulb ATI sunpower over the new tank be able to provide the needed PAR for my new tank? I know the light spread will be much different then the halide. Just curious if the 4 bulb would be enough?
Thank you and Happy Holidays!

 

[TropTrea]

Hey guys,
I have a question for you. I am setting up a 65 gallon tank. Dims are 36x18x24 and I am considering a light change foe my stags when they are transferred into the new tank.
Currently, they are under one lumenbright 250 watt pendant with a Hamilton 14K bulb in a 34 gallon tank. Approx PAR is 350-400 about 6 inches down below the water surface.
Here's the question: Would a 36 inch 4 bulb ATI sunpower over the new tank be able to provide the needed PAR for my new tank? I know the light spread will be much different then the halide. Just curious if the 4 bulb would be enough?
Thank you and Happy Holidays!

I would go with at least 6 bulbs if you want to PAR to stay up there. There will less loss from the surface to the substrate with the T-5's and they are more efficient but your comparing 156 watts of light with 4 bulbs to 250 + Watts with the MH. The 6 bulbs will you give 234 watts of light for a slight savings in electricity however should actually give you a little more light than the 250 MH did.

 

[meshwheel]

Dennis,
Thank you for the insight. I felt the same, however I thought I would ask, as I know or have heard the ATI overdrives the bulbs.
There's a 36 inch fixture for sale for 300.00 on here. Used, and if the price would come down and the light was enough I would have considered it.
However, neither seems to be the case! Plus I would still have to purchase new quality German bulbs to just add to the cost!
If I purchased the 36 inch 8 bulb unit I could stagger the bulbs run time and in effect get a bit longer use out of the bulbs correct?
Thanks again!

 

[fessoclown]

thanks.... and

thanks.... and

I wouldn't mess with UV led's if you are running T5's. I'd use Royal blue LEDs with a Blue and Purple Plus T5 lamp. It would be 20K blue but should look sweet.

Would an Ecoxotic panorama strip be a good supplement to my T5's? Running what? Blue and Purple plus? What brand of bulbs do you mean there?

As for the Ecoxotic strips? Maybe 1 strip, the Panorama Pro Blue and Magenta or just the royal blue...
http://www.ecoxotic.com/aquarium-led-lights/panorama-modules/panorama-pro-module.html

....or splurge a bit and get the RBG Pro...it sure looks looks awesome!
http://www.ecoxotic.com/aquarium-led-lights/panorama-modules/rgb-panorama-pro-led-module.html

 

[rtparty]

Dennis,
Thank you for the insight. I felt the same, however I thought I would ask, as I know or have heard the ATI overdrives the bulbs.
There's a 36 inch fixture for sale for 300.00 on here. Used, and if the price would come down and the light was enough I would have considered it.
However, neither seems to be the case! Plus I would still have to purchase new quality German bulbs to just add to the cost!
If I purchased the 36 inch 8 bulb unit I could stagger the bulbs run time and in effect get a bit longer use out of the bulbs correct?
Thanks again!

ATI fixtures do NOT overdrive bulbs. They use spec T5 ballasts that run the bulbs the way they are meant to be run.

There was one incident where some ATI fixtures were sent out with the wrong ballasts. When ATI got word, the employee who sent them out was fired.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Would you think change the front 2 bulbs from blue plus to actinics and keep the LPS up front?

Should be good

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Do any of the current crop of T5 'actinic' lamps give anywhere near the pop that the old VHO super actinics did?

They get close. They get the pop but have more visible light so it's not as dramatic a look.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Would an Ecoxotic panorama strip be a good supplement to my T5's? Running what? Blue and Purple plus? What brand of bulbs do you mean there?

As for the Ecoxotic strips? Maybe 1 strip, the Panorama Pro Blue and Magenta or just the royal blue...
http://www.ecoxotic.com/aquarium-led-lights/panorama-modules/panorama-pro-module.html

....or splurge a bit and get the RBG Pro...it sure looks looks awesome!
http://www.ecoxotic.com/aquarium-led-lights/panorama-modules/rgb-panorama-pro-led-module.html

Pro Blue and Magenta with ATI Blue Plus and Aquablue lamps

 

[Johnathanb]

I have a 36" 4 bulb T5 fixture over a 40 Breeder. 36x18x16. I would like to keep an bta In there. Which bulbs should I get, and what order should I put them at? Thanks

 

[TropTrea]

ATI fixtures do NOT overdrive bulbs. They use spec T5 ballasts that run the bulbs the way they are meant to be run.

There was one incident where some ATI fixtures were sent out with the wrong ballasts. When ATI got word, the employee who sent them out was fired.

I'm presently running three types of Ballasts in my fixture. One is an from ATI, 1 is from Ice Cap. and the other 2 are original from the Current fixture. When I put 8 10,000K bulbs in it as a test I could not detect any difference in there brightness or color tint. Which makes me think they are running at virtually the same power range.

However I will say that through the years the bulbs running on the Ice Cap ballast do seem to deteriorate faster. If it is a mater of the cooling or the actual ballast slightly overdriving the bulb I cannot say. Also the naked eye is not always the most exact type measurement for comparison. But I do know that when tubes are deliberately over driven in tests there is noticeable difference in brightness at 10%. If you did over drive a tube by 20% you would be lucky to get a couple months life span out of the tube.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I have a 36" 4 bulb T5 fixture over a 40 Breeder. 36x18x16. I would like to keep an bta In there. Which bulbs should I get, and what order should I put them at? Thanks

ATI Blue Plus
ATI Purple Plus
KZ New Generation
ATI Blue Plus

 

[Johnathanb]

What is a good site where I can get all three types of bulbs at?

 

[Dimon]

ATI Blue Plus
ATI Purple Plus
KZ New Generation
ATI Blue Plus

I got the same 40 gallon tank, can I keep LPS and SPS under these lights?