The T5 Q&a Thread - split

[The Grim Reefer]

Yuppp, thanks for the suggestion but thats my issue that i already bought the canopy and don't have the clearance required...

Do a retrofit mounted in the canopy.

 

[wcharon]

Thanks for the prompt reply... Was thinking in that option...

Do you recommend the 6 or 8 bulbs 54 watts combination or the 6 or 8 80 watts combination for SPS???

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Hi Grim..

Can you check my post before and give me your suggestion ???

My first system was a 125 with a 6x80 retrofit T5 setup. Worked great. Use a fan at one end with a LET retrofit from Reefgeek and you can grow anything you want in that tank.

 

[wcharon]

Great THANKS... That means you was using the 60" length retrofit kit right. Do you think 2 fans on the sides be better or in the back open canopy??.....

Really appreciate your help.....

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Great THANKS... That means you was using the 60" length retrofit kit right. Do you think 2 fans on the sides be better or in the back open canopy??.....

Really appreciate your help.....

Yep, 60" lamps
Single fan mounted in the back blowing with the air directed in the space between where the reflector ends and the the endcap works best.

 

[wcharon]

Excellent. Will go that route and keep you post. Thanks...

 

[Gtownguy487]

Yo Grim,

Awhile ago you told me your best combo for a 12 bulb Nova Extreme Pro





I was wondering a few things since some time has gone by.

1) Do you still recommend T5's over any other lighting?
2) Been seeing my lights are needing to be changed every 6 months rather then a year. Am I just paranoid and wasting money?
3) I have A LOT of Acro's and SPS, Is this still the best bulb combo for me?
I'm about to start doing heavy fragging out of my system so I want a lot of growth

Ive been really really debating on switching to LED's

As always thank you for your help Grim

 

[TropTrea]

What bulbs for a 48", 6 bulb ATI Sunpower fixture over a "primarily fish" tank with macro algae (plus a couple of corals if I can find some that my butterflyfish won't eat (good luck))?

How about 3 blue plus ATI, 1 purple plus ATI, and 2 midday (6000K) Geisemann? Do you think 2 middays is enough for macros or would I be better off with 3 middays and only 2 blue plus?

Macro algea does not need a lot of light so one would more than enough. If you give algea too much light it will grow wild.

For my 90 gallon Refugium I had two 27 watt daylight compact florescent bulbs and it in a month it hot so think I had to reduce my lighting. Now I'm using 14 watts compacts.

 

[TropTrea]

I am just getting started with a 40B that my girlfriends brother gave to me, with a Current USA Nova Extreme Pro T5HO fixture. I want to replace the bulbs, as he had an algae problem and I don't know how old they are. Along with my few fish I have soft corals and a few LPS right now, but would like to get some SPS. My brother-in-law who got me wanting a tank because of his, has been helping me get started and suggests that I get 3 ATI Blue Plus bulbs, and 3 ATI Aquablue Specials. I was thinking of maybe going with 2 Blue Plus, 2 Aquablue Specials, 1 True Actinic, and 1 Coral plus instead. What do you guys think of this, and how would you arrange the bulbs? The bulbs/switches are setups like this:

Front
switch 1 ATI Blue Plus
switch 2 ATI Pruple Plus
switch 2 ATI Blue Plus
switch 2 ATI AQUABLUE SPECIAL (but you would probably be happier with a GE 6,500K here)
switch 1 ATI Blue Plus
switch 2 ATI Blue Plus

Edit: I'm not deadset on ATI's but thats just the brand I have been suggested to get so far.

 

[TropTrea]

I have a question regarding the replacement of my bulbs. I have read where you say to replace the bulbs slowly over time to reduce shock, but what if they are all replaced at the same time?

If the lights are silll working I would still stagger there replacements. But if they are all 1 year or so old I would replace one bulb every other week . The blue bulbs have a tendency to deteriorate fast than the longer wave lenght bulbs so I would start with the bluest bulb in your set up as the first to replace.

Would it be ok if I used several layers (4 or 5, or more) of window screen to "shade them" and remove layers slowly over time?

In your case if you just gradualy change your bulbs out this should not be an issue. Yes I heard of this but it usualy used when someone is making a drastic change like switching from a 4 bulb ineffecient fixture to a more effecient 8 or 10 bulb fisture.

I have the dimmable powermodule, but I have also read that lights shouldn't be dimmed for the first 50 or so hours??

Im not a firm believer in dimmable fistures to start with. The idea though is a new bulb could have some impurities in it that would be burnt out of it after the first few hours of operation. Once these impurities are burnt out the lighting levels get very stable untill the bulb starts hitting the point where it starts deteriorating.

And any recommendations regarding bulb placement---I have a 8 bulb fixture, but bought 10 bulbs to play with color combos.

5- Blue+
2- Purple+
2- Coral+
1- Midday

Front
Blue Plus
Purple Plus
Blue Plus
Midday
Blue Plus
Purple Plus
Blue Plus
Blue Plus.or Coral Plus

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Yo Grim,

If you have DIY skills LED's, otherwise T5's.

 

[Jester376]

Grim,
About to order my ATI PM 10x54w.
What bulbs would you suggest for me to get an 18-20k look?

My tank is 60x36x24deep and I will mostly be keeping a mixed tank with a few SP up top

 

[DiscusHeckel]

Hi,

A lot of you seem to be using GE 6500K 39W tubes. However, I can't find them in the UK. The only retailer that sells these bulbs said to me that GE did not manufacture 39W versions though you can get them in 24W and 54W. I am really confused.

I can get Osram 6500K, Phillips 6500K and Sylvannia 6500K instead. Are these bulbs as good as GE 6500K 39W?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Grim,
About to order my ATI PM 10x54w.
What bulbs would you suggest for me to get an 18-20k look?

My tank is 60x36x24deep and I will mostly be keeping a mixed tank with a few SP up top

Blue Plus
Coral Plus
Purple Plus
Blue Plus
GE 6500K
Blue Plus
Purple Plus
Blue Plus
Coral Plus
Blue Plus

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Hi,

A lot of you seem to be using GE 6500K 39W tubes. However, I can't find them in the UK. The only retailer that sells these bulbs said to me that GE did not manufacture 39W versions though you can get them in 24W and 54W. I am really confused.

I can get Osram 6500K, Phillips 6500K and Sylvannia 6500K instead. Are these bulbs as good as GE 6500K 39W?

Probably all the same lamp

 

[DiscusHeckel]

Probably all the same lamp

Thanks for your reply.

I have a 6 X 39W ATI Sunpower module. I bought it a few days ago and have not used it yet. How does this T5 combo sound?

1 X Philips 6500K
1 X Aquamedic 10K
1 X Aquamedic 15K
2 X ATI Blue plus
1 X KZ Fiji purple

I want maximum coral growth. I am not too fussy with blue looks. I have quite a few pink Pocillapora damicornis frags, hence KZ Fiji purple.

I am sure you must have mentioned this a million times in this thread, but what would be your recommendation to me?

Thanks in advance.

 

[DiscusHeckel]

I will rephrase my question. What is your recommended tube combination for 6 X 39W ATI sunpower unit please using ATI bulbs for maximum coral growth?

:beer:

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I will rephrase my question. What is your recommended tube combination for 6 X 39W ATI sunpower unit please using ATI bulbs for maximum coral growth?

:beer:

4 ATI Blue Plus, 1 ATI Purple Plus and 1 ATI Coral Plus. Blue and good growth.

 

[matttu1983]

I need to replace my bulbs in my t-5 fixture. it is a four bulb setup on a 55 gal tank. i keep mostly softies, zoas,shrooms, rics. I also have a few LPS frogspawn and a torch at the moment. I would love to add a few SPS as well, montipora or something along those lines. any bulb suggestions would be helpful. I would like something that is really going to make my zoa's pop.

 

[andrewbram]

Grim I have 4x54 on my 75g My reflector is one single reflector with V in it for each bulb. Would I benifit more by going with Aquaticlife individual reflectors or do I just need to get two more bulbs. I am running 2 blue+ 1 purple+ and 1 coral+ also if I added two bulbs would another blue+ and coral+ be a nice look.