The T5 Q&a Thread - split

[kean2906]

I've just ordered a 8x80 watt Powermodule for my tank and it comes with a full set of ATI tubes of my choice.
The tank will be 95% SPS.
Which tubes do you think would be best and in which order.

Cheers
Kean

 

[TropTrea]

I've just ordered a 8x80 watt Powermodule for my tank and it comes with a full set of ATI tubes of my choice.
The tank will be 95% SPS.
Which tubes do you think would be best and in which order.

Cheers
Kean

If you like a Bluer look

Front
1 ATI Blue Plus
2 ATI Purple Plus
3 ATI Blue Plus
4 GE 6,500K or AT Aqua Blue Special
5 ATI Blue Plus
6 ATI Purple Plus
7 ATI Blue Plus
8 ATI Blue Plus
Rear

If you like a Brighter Look more white but still enough blue for your corals.
Front
1 ATI Blue Plus
2 ATI Purple Plus
3 GE 6,500K or AT Aqua Blue Special
4 ATI Blue Plus
5 GE 6,500K or AT Aqua Blue Special
6 ATI Purple Plus
7 ATI Blue Plus
8 ATI Blue Plus
Rear

If you want to go between the two then run with the first combination only substitute a coral plus or even two of them for the Purple Plus.

 

[TylerHaworth]

Well, here I am... Back to the T5 thread once again...

I'm running a 10x39 PM 4-5" over my 36x36x27 150. Loaded with 7x Blue Plus and 3x Coral Plus. 2x Blue Plus on for six hours, all 10 bulbs on for four hours.

I've been having a bit of trouble lately getting much color at all out of my SPS.

Alk stays steady between 7.8 and 8.0.

I do carbon dose with vinegar (38mL per day, pretty small amount) and run GFO (1c every two weeks). Nitrates are always a flat zero according to Salifert and Phosphates are always around 0.04 according to Hanna. However I always have a fair amount of algae in the tank with a very gratuitous cleanup crew, so I don't believe I am really nutrient limited.

I feed 4x per day, and scrape the glass in the evening long after lights go out in order for the scrapings to become coral food. (5x Anthias, Foxface, Clownfish, Goby, Blenny, Bellus Angel, Yellow Assessor)

Do you think I'm just blasting with too much PAR?

 

[TropTrea]

Well, here I am... Back to the T5 thread once again...

I'm running a 10x39 PM 4-5" over my 36x36x27 150. Loaded with 7x Blue Plus and 3x Coral Plus. 2x Blue Plus on for six hours, all 10 bulbs on for four hours.

I've been having a bit of trouble lately getting much color at all out of my SPS.

Alk stays steady between 7.8 and 8.0.

I do carbon dose with vinegar (38mL per day, pretty small amount) and run GFO (1c every two weeks). Nitrates are always a flat zero according to Salifert and Phosphates are always around 0.04 according to Hanna. However I always have a fair amount of algae in the tank with a very gratuitous cleanup crew, so I don't believe I am really nutrient limited.

I feed 4x per day, and scrape the glass in the evening long after lights go out in order for the scrapings to become coral food. (5x Anthias, Foxface, Clownfish, Goby, Blenny, Bellus Angel, Yellow Assessor)

Do you think I'm just blasting with too much PAR?

Excessive par is very doubtful as you have a total of 390 watts over 150 gallons which is close to 2.5 Watts per gallon. Some people are running closer to 5 Watts per gallon. On my 120 I'm running 8 X 54 or 432 watts which is close to 3.6 watts per gallon and it is on the low side for some SPS corals.

For better coral I would run a combination of
2 GE 6,500K, 2 Purple Plus, and 6 Blue Plus, with the dawn to dusk lights being just the blue plus.

As far as the phosphates I try to keep these at zero. But your levels should not be creating any issues. You did not mention your levels of Calcium or Magnesium and these are two that I also end up regularly dosing. With Calcium even more so than the Alkalinity in my tank. Many people ignore Magnesium but if it is low it will limit the corals ability to use the available Calcium and Alkalinity in the water.

 

[TylerHaworth]

Calcium stays close to 440 and Mag around 1320, rarely ever adjust them.

 

[jdraider75]

I was wondering on which positions to go with aqua blue, purple plus, and coral plus. 8 bulb sunpower 120 gallon sps tank. Maybe?
Front
blue
purple
blue
aqua blue
blue
Blue
coral
blue
back
3&6 are dusk/dawn channel. I run blues 10 hours daylights 7 hours. I currently run 5 blue 3 coral but I feel I could get better color with something else. And I dont like ge 6500k bulb I tried it for 6 months with 2 purple plus and didn't like the look. Any help appreciated. Thanks.

 

[DiscusHeckel]

What are your views on the new Pacific Sun tubes?

Cheers

 

[cintec]

would 80w t5 tubes cover a 7ft tank or is it more suited to a 6ft tank

 

[Avgou]

Hey guys hope all is well. I have a standard 75g tank 48x18x21 and have had my Aquactinics T5 Constellation fixture 7 bulb fixture for 5 yearsish. First off thanks for all the support on this thread. My fixture has been great in the past and certainly wastes no space over 18" width (5w/g not that it matters) it's propped up on legs so it's about 24 inches from the bottom glass.

Long story short I decided to "refire" the tank cook all rock and eliminate all sand. My question here is I'm noticing that it's time to start replacing reflectors can you please provide guidance on this? I read that I may need to order 60" ATI reflectors and cut them down to the Aquactinics constellation fixture size, the 48" ATI's are not long enough since they are shorter in length than Aquactinics reflectors. Really sucks they are no longer in business. (I spoke to Tom recently, called him about splash guards!! He answered ) I should have asked about the reflectors. Anyway I appreciate the guidance.

Also have a question for Grim. I know you had this fixture at one point, I feel like its extra hot when I touch the splash guard, I replaced with 1/8 acrylic opposed to the Lexan...don't think that has anything to do with it. The fans work but maybe a big time cleaning of them will help. Just concerned about extra heat and bulb life. The bulbs are currently configured like Dennis noted above:

1 - Blue Plus
2 - Purple Plus
3 - Blue Plus
4 - AqueBlue Special
5 - Blue Plus
6 - Blue Plus
7 - Blue Plus

Love the colors. May try a coral plus instead of the AB Special.

What's different is my dusk dawn
Bulbs 3 and 5 for 11 hours
2 and 6 for 7 hours
1,4,7 for about 5 hours

Tank is 4 months old and currently I have no algae issues. (Only 2 clowns, 2 acros, rics) Now that summers here if no AC and a hot day tank will climb from 78.6 to 81.3...
Thanks in advance. ~Avgou

 

[DENIZSEAMAR]

My 6 T5 fixture combo a little blue but not alot.

ATI Blue Plus
KZ New Generation
ATI Blue Plus
Gieseman Actinic +
KZ New Generation
ATI Blue Plus

Is it ok?

 

[DiscusHeckel]

My 6 T5 fixture combo a little blue but not alot.

ATI Blue Plus
KZ New Generation
ATI Blue Plus
Gieseman Actinic +
KZ New Generation
ATI Blue Plus

Is it ok?

I personally would not use Actinic spectrum as it does not give enough PAR (or even PUR). I would consider replacing it with ATI blue + if you want a bluer look. If you want slightly whiter look, then ATI coral + would be my choice.

 

[TropTrea]

My 6 T5 fixture combo a little blue but not alot.

ATI Blue Plus
KZ New Generation
ATI Blue Plus
Gieseman Actinic +
KZ New Generation
ATI Blue Plus

Is it ok?

Color is something in the eyey of the beholder. Most of us would consider it not blue enough. But I will agree that the atinic is not doing a lot for you. Replacing it with a blue plus is what most of use would recommend but it would give you a slightly bluer look. The Coral plus would probably be close to keeping your present balance and brighten it up very slightly. Even a GE 6,500K would give you more growth than the Atinic bulb gut would drastically brighten the tank up.

 

[DENIZSEAMAR]

Color is something in the eyey of the beholder. Most of us would consider it not blue enough. But I will agree that the atinic is not doing a lot for you. Replacing it with a blue plus is what most of use would recommend but it would give you a slightly bluer look. The Coral plus would probably be close to keeping your present balance and brighten it up very slightly. Even a GE 6,500K would give you more growth than the Atinic bulb gut would drastically brighten the tank up.

I personally would not use Actinic spectrum as it does not give enough PAR (or even PUR). I would consider replacing it with ATI blue + if you want a bluer look. If you want slightly whiter look, then ATI coral + would be my choice.

Color is something in the eyey of the beholder. Most of us would consider it not blue enough. But I will agree that the atinic is not doing a lot for you. Replacing it with a blue plus is what most of use would recommend but it would give you a slightly bluer look. The Coral plus would probably be close to keeping your present balance and brighten it up very slightly. Even a GE 6,500K would give you more growth than the Atinic bulb gut would drastically brighten the tank up.

I chose that Actinic becoz ( I thought) my Sps corals are not far from the light fixture. Atmost (from base of sps corals) 10-12 inches away from water surface and fixture is away at most 7-8 inches from water surface. So I guessed I wont lose much PAR . But who am I to argue with experienced people Thanks a lot for your answers. I am gonna change it soon.

This is how it looks .

 

[bundybass]

I have a 6' fixture with 12 bulbs.

From what I've read I should use one of these combinations:

Blue+ Blue+ Blue+
Blue+ Blue+ Blue+
Coral+ Aqua Blue Spec Coral+
Purple+ Purple+ Coral+
Blue+ Blue+ Blue+
Blue+ Blue+ Blue+

Which would be the best? SPS,LPS and Zoa/Ricordia Mix tank
Should I run same 6 bulb configuration on both ends of fixture or mix it up a little. I know the light will spread some from one end of the fixture to the other.

I want a bluish look but not too blue and no matter what SPS growth/color is the most important thing to me.

Thanks for your help
Scott

 

[bundybass]

Well the spaces didn't stay in the post.

Read it as 3 columns:
B+, B+, C+, P+, B+, B+
B+, B+, ABS, P+, B+, B+
B+, B+, C+, C+, B+, B+

thanks again

 

[rogergolf66]

Well the spaces didn't stay in the post.

Read it as 3 columns:
B+, B+, C+, P+, B+, B+
B+, B+, ABS, P+, B+, B+
B+, B+, C+, C+, B+, B+

thanks again

Iv tried every bulb combo I think. Personally. I didn't like the coral plus bulb. I think u will have exactly what u want with the middle option. 1 Aqua blue and purple plus rest blue plus.

By the way my t5 tank is exactly what u want dom sps with lps zoa paly and ric yuma
Good luck roger

 

[bundybass]

awesome. thanks

any pics of your tank? You could post here or send them to me - pm me if you want my email.

 

[TropTrea]

Well the spaces didn't stay in the post.

Read it as 3 columns:
B+, B+, C+, P+, B+, B+
B+, B+, ABS, P+, B+, B+
B+, B+, C+, C+, B+, B+

thanks again

Combination 1 from the top would look more purple than anything.
Combination 2 would be my preference with the P+ just adding enough red to balance the spectrum.
Combo 3 some people would like but I personally think it would look too blue.

An option is to with the second group only substituting a GE 6,500 K for the ABS if you want to go slightly brighter.

 

[rogergolf66]

My ZOA And Pally Heads Got Smaller In Size Running The GE 6,500K bulb. When I went to the Aqua plus they r getting larger again and the colors got bolder too

 

[TropTrea]

My ZOA And Pally Heads Got Smaller In Size Running The GE 6,500K bulb. When I went to the Aqua plus they r getting larger again and the colors got bolder too

I have had some mixed results on Zoa's as well. But for me while one light combination seems ideal for some of them others will seem to hate that combination. My initial thoughts were that redder the zoo was the more it seemed to hate red light, While the yellower colored ones seemed to hate the light in the yellow spectrum. However I later found that it was a direct correlation as some yellow zoos I had gotten did fantastic under the GE's which have a stronger yellow than the Aquablues that lack yellow.

When I started playing with LED's I also ran into something unexpected with the Zoa.s and that is that they seemed to like true blue more so than royal blues. And when I added a lot of near UV light (410 nm to 430 nm) they seemed to really that as well for growth but after a few months they started loosing there florescence which was initially extreme with the 410-to 430 nm lighting.

I had seen some fantastic looking Zoa tanks from people just using a combination of Atinics and Blue Plus bulbs only. That basically gave then little to no light longer than about 530 nm.