The T5 Q&a Thread - split

[mos90]

mos90, what light fixture are you using? I know all fixtures affect par differently. Well at least reflectors and ballasts do. Just curious as to which you were using.

I am using an aquatic life 6 bulb fixture. 12x39w

 

[TropTrea]

8 bulb ATI with 2 Reefbrite all blue LED's supplementing....I have these options for bulbs:

2 Super Actinic
1 White Actinic
6 Blue Plus
1 Fiji Purple
1 KZ Purple
1 Coral Plus
2 Aqua Special

Im wanting to keep A blue plus and super actinic in the 3 and 6 positions for dawn/dusk but Im open on the others. So far I have not been impressed with the aquablue specials...I like a 20Kish look...Opinions??

From front to back
Blue Plus
Aqua Blue Special
Blue Plus
either the Filu or KZ Purple (I'd use the KZ)
Blue Plus
Aqua Blue Special
Super Atinic
Blue Plus

 

[The Grim Reefer]

8 bulb ATI with 2 Reefbrite all blue LED's supplementing....I have these options for bulbs:

2 Super Actinic
1 White Actinic
6 Blue Plus
1 Fiji Purple
1 KZ Purple
1 Coral Plus
2 Aqua Special

Im wanting to keep A blue plus and super actinic in the 3 and 6 positions for dawn/dusk but Im open on the others. So far I have not been impressed with the aquablue specials...I like a 20Kish look...Opinions??

Blue Plus
Fiji Purple
Super Actinic
Blue Plus
Actinic White
Blue Plus
Blue Plus or coral plus (try both
Blue Plus

 

[drtrash]

Looking for a T-5 bulb recomendation to supplement AI sole blue. Need to fill the color void nees more red, and maybe gree (I think) considering the fiji purple special and either a Aquasun, Aqua flora, or GE 6500K daylight.

Should of searched more, looks like a GE 6500K & a purple plus would fill void. Is the fiji purple special same as purple plus or is it same as fiji purple?

 

[mbg75]

It5 can be. Little surprised you are already getting the rings. What brand lamps are you using?

ATI bulbs.


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[ReefMonkey13]

I have a 30W X 24L X 24H tank that i will need to light.

I have the tank current lit by 2 Vertex illumilux Strips while I decide on more lighting.

Would a 4 bulb T5 fixture supplemented by 2 Vertex LED Strips be enough? or should i Oped for a 6 bulb fixture with the same supplementation.

Looking to keep a mixed reef SPS, LPS, maybe a clam and Zoos.

Thanks in advance for the guidance

 

[PhishTanks]

I want to setup a 29 gallon mixed reef with a few sps up top and a clam on the sand bed.
Tank is 30 long by 12 by 18tall. I can only fit 4 bulbs in the canopy. Will this work out for me? Or should I go with metal halide?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Looking for a T-5 bulb recomendation to supplement AI sole blue. Need to fill the color void nees more red, and maybe gree (I think) considering the fiji purple special and either a Aquasun, Aqua flora, or GE 6500K daylight.

Should of searched more, looks like a GE 6500K & a purple plus would fill void. Is the fiji purple special same as purple plus or is it same as fiji purple?

Just about the same. The GE and Purple will fill in what you are looking for. A 75/25 UVL lamp might be a one lamp solution.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I have a 30W X 24L X 24H tank that i will need to light.

I have the tank current lit by 2 Vertex illumilux Strips while I decide on more lighting.

Would a 4 bulb T5 fixture supplemented by 2 Vertex LED Strips be enough? or should i Oped for a 6 bulb fixture with the same supplementation.

Looking to keep a mixed reef SPS, LPS, maybe a clam and Zoos.

Thanks in advance for the guidance

6 lamps. Don't know anything about the LED's you are running but I would assume with 6 lamps you'd be good.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I want to setup a 29 gallon mixed reef with a few sps up top and a clam on the sand bed.
Tank is 30 long by 12 by 18tall. I can only fit 4 bulbs in the canopy. Will this work out for me? Or should I go with metal halide?

4 lamp LET retrofit from Reefgeek. 2 Blue Plus, 1 Purple Plus and a Coral Plus ATI lamps./

 

[bellis31]

Hey Grim I have all ATI bulbs in a cheap T5 4x39 watt light, I have purchased a TEK Elite 6x39 watt light and I am wondering if I will see a difference in color and brightness due to the better reflectors and ballasts with the TEK?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Hey Grim I have all ATI bulbs in a cheap T5 4x39 watt light, I have purchased a TEK Elite 6x39 watt light and I am wondering if I will see a difference in color and brightness due to the better reflectors and ballasts with the TEK?

Depends on how utterly crappy your fixture is but the critters will know the difference.

 

[bellis31]

Depends on how utterly crappy your fixture is but the critters will know the difference.

It's on Odyssea... I'm guessing it's gonna be a lot better!

I have

Blue + x2
Purple + x1
KZ New gen 14K X1

bulbs now what should I add in the other 2 slots of the TEK Elite 6x39?? 2 more Blue + or actinics?

Thanks!

 

[The Grim Reefer]

It's on Odyssea... I'm guessing it's gonna be a lot better!

I have

Blue + x2
Purple + x1
KZ New gen 14K X1

bulbs now what should I add in the other 2 slots of the TEK Elite 6x39?? 2 more Blue + or actinics?

Thanks!

Id do a Blue Plus and maybe a GE 6500K unless you are looking for a more blue look than you have now. Then do 2 Blue Plus

 

[gas7057]

I'm sure it has been asked many times in the 53 pages of this thread but...

I just got a ATI Sunpower 6x54 for my 75g mixed. Can you reccomend bulbs, placement and which ones are for dawn/dusk?

 

[mos90]

i was running 4-blue plus,1purple plus, 1- coral plus in my 6bulb. it was just a touch to blue for my liking 25k ish. definately more blue then my 20k leds. i added new aquatic life 10k i had lying around in place of 1 of the blue+'s and i really like the like it.

i have a handful of fish that like to jump so i use a black eggcrate to cover the tank. it definately lowers the par by about 30% ...fyi . so i raised my daylight from 3 to 5 hours when i added the solid eggcrates(i had the centers cut out but im worried my scotts fairy wrasse will jump out) slowly working up to 8 hours.

 

[mgould73]

I have an aquatinics TX5 36" 5 bulb fixture that I just replaced 2 Aquablue specials in. My tank is a 57G Rimless.

Bulb combo from front to back.


1.Blue Plus
2.Coral Plus
3.ATI Purple +
4.Blue Plus
5.Coral Plus

I really like the way the color looks instead of running the aquablues.

Am i gaining or losing anything from swapping out the Aquablues to Coral +'s? I mainly just have a few softies and LPS but would like to keep a few of the easier SPS towards the top if this fixture is enough light.

Input would be appreciated.

Thanks Grim, is there also any benefit from switching the bulbs to different spots? Any difference in color putting the Purple + after the blue+ and moving the coral plus to position 3?

1.Blue
2.Purple
3.Coral
4.Blue
5.Coral

Since the bulbs are staqgered in this fixture it seems to spread light differntly then in standard flat fixtures. Not sure if thats good or bad, but it seems to mix the colors better.

 

[khjenki]

I have been running ATI bulbs...2 blue plus, a purple plus and an aquablue special. I just replaced them with some Giesmann bulbs only because my lfs had a good price on them. Unfortunately, I don't think I picked the right bulb combo. I would like more blue without killing growth too much.

I'm bought 2 aquablue plus, an actinic plus and the pink bulb and found it too bright. For the time being, I pulled one of the aquablue plus bulbs in favor of one of my old ATI blue +.

I'm thinking I should replace one of the aquablue plus daylight bulbs with either another actinic plus or a true actinic. I really only want to buy one more bulb, so I'm interested in a Giessmann and a non-Giesmann rec if anyone is willing to share their opinion. Thanks.

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[mgould73]

I have been running ATI bulbs...2 blue plus, a purple plus and an aquablue special. I just replaced them with some Giesmann bulbs only because my lfs had a good price on them. Unfortunately, I don't think I picked the right bulb combo. I would like more blue without killing growth too much.

I'm bought 2 aquablue plus, an actinic plus and the pink bulb and found it too bright. For the time being, I pulled one of the aquablue plus bulbs in favor of one of my old ATI blue +.

I'm thinking I should replace one of the aquablue plus daylight bulbs with either another actinic plus or a true actinic. I really only want to buy one more bulb, so I'm interested in a Giessmann and a non-Giesmann rec if anyone is willing to share their opinion. Thanks.

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I still think for a 4bulb setup, your previous combo was pretty much standard for growth/color.

If you want to stay with giessmann then pickup another actinic plus (similiar to ATI blue +), pure actinic your going to lose par. Or just get a new ATI Blue + and pull out your old Blue+ and replace it with the new one.

 

[TropTrea]

I have been running ATI bulbs...2 blue plus, a purple plus and an aquablue special. I just replaced them with some Giesmann bulbs only because my lfs had a good price on them. Unfortunately, I don't think I picked the right bulb combo. I would like more blue without killing growth too much.

I'm bought 2 aquablue plus, an actinic plus and the pink bulb and found it too bright. For the time being, I pulled one of the aquablue plus bulbs in favor of one of my old ATI blue +.

I'm thinking I should replace one of the aquablue plus daylight bulbs with either another actinic plus or a true actinic. I really only want to buy one more bulb, so I'm interested in a Giessmann and a non-Giesmann rec if anyone is willing to share their opinion. Thanks.

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If you have to go with GMann bulbs what I would use are

2 Atinic Plus
1 Aqua Pink
1 Aqua Blue

but I would feel much more comfortable with ATI Bulbs
2 Blue Plus
1 Purple Plus
1 Aqua Blue Special

Years ago I I was able to get a deal on UVL bulbs because a wholesaler was discontinuing handling them. The price was right but I never was never happy with the color untill I went back to ATI Bulbs. Gmann many people claim are a step above the UVL in the right combination but few put Gman over ATI's bulbs.