The T5 Q&a Thread - split

Anybody have an idea on which 4 ATI Bulbs to use on a 12" High fragtank :)?

Preferably a good mix of both coloration and growth would be ideal
 
For coral color and growth 1 or 2 I can't make up my mind LOL and need to order today. Thanks...

1,Front B+C+B+B+C+B+P+B+:fish2:
2,Front B+C+B+C+P+B+C+B+:fish2:
 
I tried in my 6 bulb Sunpower the P+ and the C+ and it makes the tank look color magneta which i didn't like but don't know if in a 8 bulb system it will appear less.

Actually i now made an order to try the Aqua Blue and 2 Coral Plus. At this moment i am using this combination but my brown corals seems pale:
Front to Back: P+, B+, B+, B+, C+ and B+. I moved the C+ to the back becuase was to bright for me.

Hope that helps.
 
I tried in my 6 bulb Sunpower the P+ and the C+ and it makes the tank look color magneta which i didn't like but don't know if in a 8 bulb system it will appear less.

Actually i now made an order to try the Aqua Blue and 2 Coral Plus. At this moment i am using this combination but my brown corals seems pale:
Front to Back: P+, B+, B+, B+, C+ and B+. I moved the C+ to the back becuase was to bright for me.

Hope that helps.

The tank will look more purple because you have the purple up front. I'd move it to slot 3 if possible. Something like

Blue
Blue
Purple
Blue
Coral
Blue
 
I tried in my 6 bulb Sunpower the P+ and the C+ and it makes the tank look color magneta which i didn't like but don't know if in a 8 bulb system it will appear less.

Actually i now made an order to try the Aqua Blue and 2 Coral Plus. At this moment i am using this combination but my brown corals seems pale:
Front to Back: P+, B+, B+, B+, C+ and B+. I moved the C+ to the back becuase was to bright for me.

Hope that helps.

In my 6 bulb only way I'd run a P+ is with a ge6500 along with it. Imo in a 6 bulb a C+ along with a P+ is too much red/pink.

Might be good looking with an aqua blue along the P+ but I'd probably try a Ge 6500 if your set on running the P+ or just use 4x B+ and 2x C+. I have never been a fan of the aqua blue bulb seemed to bring out more brown than there was if that makes sense lol.. The Gmann aqua blue is a lot more bluer than the ATI fwiw.
 
The tank will look more purple because you have the purple up front. I'd move it to slot 3 if possible. Something like

Blue
Blue
Purple
Blue
Coral
Blue

In my 6 bulb only way I'd run a P+ is with a ge6500 along with it. Imo in a 6 bulb a C+ along with a P+ is too much red/pink.

Might be good looking with an aqua blue along the P+ but I'd probably try a Ge 6500 if your set on running the P+ or just use 4x B+ and 2x C+. I have never been a fan of the aqua blue bulb seemed to bring out more brown than there was if that makes sense lol.. The Gmann aqua blue is a lot more bluer than the ATI fwiw.

Thanks RParty / Dapg8gt...

Will give that a try. I already orderd the Aquablue and another C+ so the GE6500 at this moment is not an option but will consider it for the next bulb changes so i will try all 3 combinations to see which i like better.

What order or combinations besides the one Rparty gave me you recommend me?

Thanks once again.
 
Thanks RParty / Dapg8gt...



Will give that a try. I already orderd the Aquablue and another C+ so the GE6500 at this moment is not an option but will consider it for the next bulb changes so i will try all 3 combinations to see which i like better.



What order or combinations besides the one Rparty gave me you recommend me?



Thanks once again.


I use a simple combo -

Blue+
Blue+
Coral+
Blue+
Coral+
Blue+

I tried all kinds of combos and liked this the best
 
I use a simple combo -

Blue+
Blue+
Coral+
Blue+
Coral+
Blue+

I tried all kinds of combos and liked this the best


I agree. This is my favorite combo too. 4 blue+ was too Windex blue for me. Not the same pleasant look that royal blue LEDs provide either.

I supplement with some royal blue LEDs, but I would be content with just the above T5 combo if I had to.
 
For a standard 48" long 75 gallon tank is it necessary to go with a 48' ATI Sunpower or would a 36" be sufficient?

I normally like shorter fixtures but 36" bulbs seem to be the worse performers and limit any upgrade. A 48" fixture will allow you to upgrade to a 60" tank if you want.

I'd go 6 bulbs with either size
 
For a standard 48" long 75 gallon tank is it necessary to go with a 48' ATI Sunpower or would a 36" be sufficient?


I have a 48" 6 bulb unit on my 75 gal. System is sps focused. I've heard the 36" bulbs are a waste of time performance wise and I wanted I keep sps wall to wall across the tank. If you wanted to keep a lot of lower light corals a 36" would give you plenty of shade on the sides of the tank. All depends on what you want to keep basically
 
I have a 48" 6 bulb unit on my 75 gal. System is sps focused. I've heard the 36" bulbs are a waste of time performance wise and I wanted I keep sps wall to wall across the tank. If you wanted to keep a lot of lower light corals a 36" would give you plenty of shade on the sides of the tank. All depends on what you want to keep basically

New to corals. Previous systems have been FOWLR w/ anemones for clownfish. I was looking into experimenting with a few beginner corals (are easier to keep corals generally lower light corals?). Also I was looking at the 48' 4x54W ATI Sunpower is the 6x54 a better bet? In that case should I go with the 36''? Don't know how far I will go with corals and I don't want to over light the tank if I dont need to, I dont anticipate getting many expert species, but I don't want to limit what I can do with the tank. Money is also kind of an issue. Initially I was going to go with the Coralife model but was advised to go with the ATI. Will coralife work with a few easy to keep species? Suggestion?
 
Here's the deal - going cheap always costs more in the long run. You will end up regretting it in my experience. With a cheaper fixture you will burn through bulbs faster. Add that to the cost of buying a better fixture after you get sick of the budget model, and it'll end up way more over the long term.

Same thing for buying a light that won't be able to keep some things happy. Eventually that fixture will be replaced. Again, costing more over the long run.

Also, a better fixture will hold value way beyond what a budget fixture will. A used ati still commands a nice price so if you choose that this isn't for you, you can still recoup SOME of the cost.

The general rule of thumb is one bulb per 3" of tank width. This makes a 6 bulb perfect for a standard 75 gal.
 
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