The T5 Q&a Thread - split

[bpcardona]

Very common with icecap ballasts and t5s. The icecaps are not designed for t5s. They overdrive them and kill bulbs.

Thats what I get for not doing my own research. I got this setup from another reef, and just mimicked his setup. (I don't fault him).

I finally got the new ballast to fire the whites. Same thing on one of those bulbs. One side dim.

Starting a savings goal to get leds and MH.

Thanks everyone for the quick replies

 

[rtparty]

Thats what I get for not doing my own research. I got this setup from another reef, and just mimicked his setup. (I don't fault him).

I finally got the new ballast to fire the whites. Same thing on one of those bulbs. One side dim.

Starting a savings goal to get leds and MH.

Thanks everyone for the quick replies

For about $150 in new ballasts and some new bulbs you can use most of what you have already. There are plenty of people who still want the icecap ballasts to run vho bulbs.

 

[Tron_954]

I now have the 4x24w I desired and went with 2 Blue+ Coral+ Purple+

I think the color is great, but the undertone is a touch red... Wonder if I swap to 3 Blue+ Coral+ what the loss of purple will do... Balance the color, no negative effect on the corals?

 

[rtparty]

I now have the 4x24w I desired and went with 2 Blue+ Coral+ Purple+

I think the color is great, but the undertone is a touch red... Wonder if I swap to 3 Blue+ Coral+ what the loss of purple will do... Balance the color, no negative effect on the corals?

Change the purple to another coral plus. Won't be as red and will still provide good color.

 

[Tron_954]

Change the purple to another coral plus. Won't be as red and will still provide good color.

I wonder if that may be the best route considering eventually I would like to add a reefbrite Blue LED across the front... so the balance would be better....

What about an Aquablue Special... Hits a bit of the yellow aye? Or just stop over thinking and go 2 Blue+ 2 Coral+

 

[rtparty]

I wonder if that may be the best route considering eventually I would like to add a reefbrite Blue LED across the front... so the balance would be better....

What about an Aquablue Special... Hits a bit of the yellow aye? Or just stop over thinking and go 2 Blue+ 2 Coral+

The aqua blue will wash some colors out but brighten things up.

I say stop over thinking. Try it and if you like it, keep it.

 

[Tron_954]

The aqua blue will wash some colors out but brighten things up.

I say stop over thinking. Try it and if you like it, keep it.

Will do...

 

[TropTrea]

I wonder if that may be the best route considering eventually I would like to add a reefbrite Blue LED across the front... so the balance would be better....

What about an Aquablue Special... Hits a bit of the yellow aye? Or just stop over thinking and go 2 Blue+ 2 Coral+

Remember that lighting is a blancing act between personal tastes and what makes the corals grow. If you put in an Aqua Blue Special and a Purple Plus the color balance would just a bit brighter than the two Coral Plus. Lightly less coral growth than the 2 coral plus.

 

[Tron_954]

I hear abs will also wash out colors. Feel it best to go two blue two coral+.....

 

[rogergolf66]

Looking for some help as to what bulbs to run. I have an ati sunpower 8x54w fixture. Tank will have some sps frags but mainly zoa an paly and some lps and chalices in it. Tank is a 120gal 48x24x24

Fixture comes with 5 blue+,1 coral+,2purple+,1 GE 6500k, and a few aqua blue plus.

What should I use for bulbs or should I buy some different bulbs. Also unit has 2 light plugs. 1 plug runs 6 bulbs. The other plug runs 2 bulbs. What bulbs should I put on 6 bulb plug, and what bulbs on 2 bulb plug? Also what durations do u recommend?

Will also have a strip of blue leds across the front of the tank for that pop the leds give off
Thx so muvh for the help

 

[rtparty]

Looking for some help as to what bulbs to run. I have an ati sunpower 8x54w fixture. Tank will have some sps frags but mainly zoa an paly and some lps and chalices in it. Tank is a 120gal 48x24x24

Fixture comes with 5 blue+,1 coral+,2purple+,1 GE 6500k, and a few aqua blue plus.

What should I use for bulbs or should I buy some different bulbs. Also unit has 2 light plugs. 1 plug runs 6 bulbs. The other plug runs 2 bulbs. What bulbs should I put on 6 bulb plug, and what bulbs on 2 bulb plug? Also what durations do u recommend?

Will also have a strip of blue leds across the front of the tank for that pop the leds give off
Thx so muvh for the help

Because you are not keeping a lot of high light stuff I'd run at least 2 actinics to bring PAR down and really pop your LPS and softies.

Blue
Purple
Actinic
Blue
Coral plus
Actinic
Blue
Blue

I believe 3&6 are on one plug. That's why the actinic bulbs are there.

If that's too blue, change the coral for the GE 6500k.

 

[rogergolf66]

Because you are not keeping a lot of high light stuff I'd run at least 2 actinics to bring PAR down and really pop your LPS and softies.

Blue
Purple
Actinic
Blue
Coral plus
Actinic
Blue
Blue

I believe 3&6 are on one plug. That's why the actinic bulbs are there.

If that's too blue, change the coral for the GE 6500k.

The frags of sps will be from my frags that I would sell or trade from my 120 sps dom tank. Will that choice of bulbs keep the sps alive and happy till I trade or sell them?

 

[Bpb]

I certainly think it'll keep them alive. Acros can survive for a long time in low light (which I wouldn't consider your proposed combo to be all that low). I'd agree two actinics on the one plug and have that be an hour dawn and an hour dusk. Will look so nice. Beyond that I'd slightly disagree on ditching the coral plus. I'd personally ADD a coral plus.

4 blue +
2 actinic
2 coral +

Will look real nice I think. I'm a huge fan of the coral + bulb though.

 

[rtparty]

The frags of sps will be from my frags that I would sell or trade from my 120 sps dom tank. Will that choice of bulbs keep the sps alive and happy till I trade or sell them?

It will still be plenty of light.

 

[rogergolf66]

So neither of u like the purple plus?

 

[jdraider75]

I know I don't like the purple plus. I would rather run the coral plus bulbs.

 

[Bpb]

I like it, I use it in my 4 bulb fixture, but once it's bulb time change I'm gonna run 2 coral + and 2 blue +. The coral + has plenty of red spectrum

 

[jdraider75]

I run 3 blue plus and 1 coral plus now I may have to grab another coral plus and try it out. Did it brighten things up a bit or is it still pretty blue?

 

[FlyPenFly]

Purple+ makes my RBTA and red across far more vibrant. Sure, there's some red in Coral+ but its not it's purpose and just won't shine. IF you don't really have anything red in the tank, no big deal.

 

[rogergolf66]

Is there a good place to read about each bulb color and what and why it does in easy to understand terms