The T5 Q&a Thread - split

[TropTrea]

I've got a Current NEP 36" 6 bulb fixture with bulb combo.

Front
Blue+
Purple +
Blue+
Blue+
AB Special
Blue+
Back

Positions 1 and 5 are my dusk dawn that run for 11 hours. I run daylights for 7 hours.

I'm keeping SPS, LPS and Zoas. Tank is 15" front to back and I've got my SPS about 8"-12" from the fixture on the back third of the tank. SPS aren't popping as much as I'd like and my Zoa's aren't either (bottom half, front 2/3's of tank) though both are growing and look OK. I'm concerned i'm sending too much light to my Elegance coral bottom of 20" tank (2" sand depth).

I like the blue look. What changes/adjustements would you recommend? Would a Tek 36" 4 bulb combo be an upgrade and produce better results with a certain bulb combo?

I'd swap positions 4 and 5 and replace the AB Special with a GE 6500K. For your elegance coral if it is getting too much light move it to a place where it get some shade.

 

[TropTrea]

What if I have the money but not the skills? How much for a nice DIY for a 40 breeder?
If you wouldn't mind pmng me the led setup best suited for a 40 breeder I would really appreciate it!

I'm playing with a LED setup on one of my 40 breeder frag tanks right now. Im going with 24 3 watt Cree LED's for starters, 12 Royal Blues, 4 Cyan, 4 Blues, and 4 Neutral Whites. Once this is running for a few months I'll be able judge if I need to change the combo or add more LED's.

For skill it does not take that much skill working with LED's just a little basic electrical sense.

 

[Essense]

I'd swap positions 4 and 5 and replace the AB Special with a GE 6500K. For your elegance coral if it is getting too much light move it to a place where it get some shade.

Will give that a go. Thanks :wave:

 

[WayOfTheReef]

Will a set of 60" T5's put out more PAR than a set of 48" T5's?
will the 60" T5 put out enough PAR to keep SPS towards the sandbed? say an 8x80watt Tek Light fixture with ATI bulbs over a 72x24x24 aquarium?
Or will a 8x54watt ATI powermodule be better with SPS on bottom of tank over a 48x24x20 aquarium?

I'm trying to decide which fixture and tank to go with for my reef tank.

 

[TropTrea]

Will a set of 60" T5's put out more PAR than a set of 48" T5's?
will the 60" T5 put out enough PAR to keep SPS towards the sandbed? say an 8x80watt Tek Light fixture with ATI bulbs over a 72x24x24 aquarium?
Or will a 8x54watt ATI powermodule be better with SPS on bottom of tank over a 48x24x20 aquarium?

I'm trying to decide which fixture and tank to go with for my reef tank.

The 60: fixture over a 48" tank is realy a waste since 20% of the light will be spilling out over the edges of the tank. If you are so concerned about getting more PAR than consider a 10 bulb fixture or even 2 6 bulb fixtures. But the 60" over the 48" will not give you anything more at any given point in the aquarium. But it will give you more on the floor around the Aquarium.

 

[jefft321]

I am looking for bulb recommendations for my 8 bulb Tek T5 light. It is over my frag tank that is48" long, 30" front to back and around 15" deep. I am keeping mostly SPS. I am looking for good coloration and growth.

Thank you, Jeff

 

[TropTrea]

I am looking for bulb recommendations for my 8 bulb Tek T5 light. It is over my frag tank that is48" long, 30" front to back and around 15" deep. I am keeping mostly SPS. I am looking for good coloration and growth.

Thank you, Jeff

Use
5 ATI Blue Plus
2 ATI Purple Plus

the 5th bulb is your choice
for max growth another ATI Blue Plus
for best color a GE 6,500K
For a happy medium the AT AquaBlue Special, or any 12,000K to 14,000K bulb.

 

[Sweeper13]

Hello to all...

Im just getting into the coral life. I have a few pieces: Blasto,Toadstool,Hammerhead,Brain,Ricordea. The tank is a AGA 75 rr with Aga canopy. The fixture is Icecap retro 660 ballast, 4 bulb, 48" on the canpoy lid. Im running 4 Hagen Maraine Glo bulbs.

After doing some reading im thinking of this combo:

3 Ati Blue+, 1 Ati Purple+


Would this be ok?

Thanks for the help

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Hello to all...

Im just getting into the coral life. I have a few pieces: Blasto,Toadstool,Hammerhead,Brain,Ricordea. The tank is a AGA 75 rr with Aga canopy. The fixture is Icecap retro 660 ballast, 4 bulb, 48" on the canpoy lid. Im running 4 Hagen Maraine Glo bulbs.

After doing some reading im thinking of this combo:

3 Ati Blue+, 1 Ati Purple+


Would this be ok?

Thanks for the help

Be fine. Make sure you have a fan blowing down one end of the lamps. I'd change lamps every 8 months running on the IC ballast.

 

[iwishtofish]

Sorry, Grim, if this was covered already - I'm about to install a new set of bulbs in my fixture, and was wondering if wiping them down with alcohol prior to install would do any harm, or any good?

 

[jefft321]

Use
5 ATI Blue Plus
2 ATI Purple Plus

the 5th bulb is your choice
for max growth another ATI Blue Plus
for best color a GE 6,500K
For a happy medium the AT AquaBlue Special, or any 12,000K to 14,000K bulb

Would the coral plus work in place of the Aquablue?
Thanks, Jeff

 

[Sweeper13]

Thanks for reply. Will do on the fan. What would 1 ge6500k do?

 

[TropTrea]

Would the coral plus work in place of the Aquablue?
Thanks, Jeff

yes if you get one. ATI anounced them but I have noit seen anine selling them yet.

 

[TropTrea]

Hello to all...

Im just getting into the coral life. I have a few pieces: Blasto,Toadstool,Hammerhead,Brain,Ricordea. The tank is a AGA 75 rr with Aga canopy. The fixture is Icecap retro 660 ballast, 4 bulb, 48" on the canpoy lid. Im running 4 Hagen Maraine Glo bulbs.

After doing some reading im thinking of this combo:

3 Ati Blue+, 1 Ati Purple+


Would this be ok?

Thanks for the help

you might want run an Aqua Blue or full spectrum bulb in place of one of the blues or the purple. This gets down to your color preference but you should bring up the aqua area of the spectrum a bit for better color.

 

[shred5]

yes if you get one. ATI anounced them but I have noit seen anine selling them yet.

They are out.

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store...in-ati-coral-plus-t5-ho-fluorescent-bulb.html

 

[TimeConsumer]

Replacement Time

Replacement Time

So it's about time for me to replace the bulbs in my Tek Light. I have a 75 gallon mixed reef (mostly LPS). I'm currently using 3 ATI Blue Plus and 1 ATI Purple Plus. The growth has gone well, but the color is a little...intense. I'd like to try and tone it down a little bit by adding in some more white. My Thoughts were: 2 Blue Plus, 1 Purple Plus, and 1 Coral Plus. My only concern here is whether or not the purple/pink color from the Purple Plus will be too distinct with only 2 Blue Plus to balance it out. Any feedback would be appreciated.

 

[WayOfTheReef]

What color temperature will these combo of T5's give me:
4 ATI Blue Plus
2 ATI Coral Plus
2 ATI Purple Plus

Will that give me a 15000K look?

 

[iwishtofish]

So it's about time for me to replace the bulbs in my Tek Light. I have a 75 gallon mixed reef (mostly LPS). I'm currently using 3 ATI Blue Plus and 1 ATI Purple Plus. The growth has gone well, but the color is a little...intense. I'd like to try and tone it down a little bit by adding in some more white. My Thoughts were: 2 Blue Plus, 1 Purple Plus, and 1 Coral Plus. My only concern here is whether or not the purple/pink color from the Purple Plus will be too distinct with only 2 Blue Plus to balance it out. Any feedback would be appreciated.

Grim, of course, will know better, but I just switched from a combo of

ATI Aquablue Special (1)
ATI Blue Plus (3)
GE 6500k Daylight (1)
KZ Fiji Purple (1)

to a combo of

Giesemann Aquablue Plus (2)
Giesemann Actinic Plus (3)
ATI Purple Plus (1)

That is what Crazy4Acros is using on his tank (Dec 2011 TOTM). I'll never emulate his tank, but I liked the colors in the pictures. It's pretty daylight (even minus the 6500k bulb), with a hint of blue that makes the corals fluoresce more than what I had before. I'm not sure how you'd get a similar effect with 4 bulbs, or with ATI bulbs. Grim would know. Just FYI.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Sorry, Grim, if this was covered already - I'm about to install a new set of bulbs in my fixture, and was wondering if wiping them down with alcohol prior to install would do any harm, or any good?

Don't see any harm or help. I'd use RO water. Alcohol can leave an oily film that could end up in the tank if you have water splashing off them.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

So it's about time for me to replace the bulbs in my Tek Light. I have a 75 gallon mixed reef (mostly LPS). I'm currently using 3 ATI Blue Plus and 1 ATI Purple Plus. The growth has gone well, but the color is a little...intense. I'd like to try and tone it down a little bit by adding in some more white. My Thoughts were: 2 Blue Plus, 1 Purple Plus, and 1 Coral Plus. My only concern here is whether or not the purple/pink color from the Purple Plus will be too distinct with only 2 Blue Plus to balance it out. Any feedback would be appreciated.

I think what you list is a good bet but the fact the coral plus is advertised to have 10% purple it might be a little too pink. Hopefully ATI did their homework and it will balance well with a purple plus but there are not guarantees.