The T5 Q&a Thread - split

jacob.morgan78 said:
So I moved my bulbs around a few months ago and have no idea how old each of the bulbs are anymore. I've staggered replacing them and now don't know which ones need replaced!!! :(

Is there any other way to tell which bulbs are getting older and needs replaced?

This sucks! Thanks for any help!
Click to expand...

Besides using a par meter and knowing how much par the bulbs lose over time and testing , there is no real way of knowing. Burnt ends, more salt buildup on certain bulbs?lol IDK
Next time mark the date of purchase on the bulb ends, good luck.
 
jacob.morgan78 said:
So I moved my bulbs around a few months ago and have no idea how old each of the bulbs are anymore. I've staggered replacing them and now don't know which ones need replaced!!! :(

Is there any other way to tell which bulbs are getting older and needs replaced?

This sucks! Thanks for any help!
Click to expand...

Sometimes the lamps will get black rings around the ends. Not a reliable sign but better than nothing.
 
mandarin_goby said:
I have a 12 long reef (3 ft long) with a 4x39 watt fixture mounted 6 inches above it. So far, I have 2 ATI blue + and 2 stock 10k in it (Aquatraders fixture). I have a maxima clam - 1.5 inches (doing great on the sand bed for a month now - the tank is only 9 inches tall), candy canes (doing great - gets puffy at night with tentacles around the mouths), mushrooms, zoas, palys, xenia, maxi-mini (on the sand - has stayed put for 2 weeks), GSP. Everything opens up and looks happy.

What can I replace the 10ks with? I'd like the colors to be more vivid/bluer, but I read the clam favors 10k. Everything looks great and are growing. I almost don't want to upset the balance. Thank you in advance!
Click to expand...

Another blue plus and a GE 6500K. You can get away with that fixture because your tank is so shallow but if you ever move to a taller tank I wouldn't advise using that particular light.
 
The Grim Reefer said:
Another blue plus and a GE 6500K. You can get away with that fixture because your tank is so shallow but if you ever move to a taller tank I wouldn't advise using that particular light.
Click to expand...

Thank you so much - I actually have another blue plus laying around, so that's perfect. Off to get a GE 6500k!

I'm assuming the reflectors aren't good enough for a deeper tank? Something to think about if I upgrade to a bigger tank (I was thinking 40 breeder). Thanks again.
 
I bought a used 4x39 tek fixture and had 2 questions.

1) When I turn the switch on, one lights up the 1st and the 4th (last one) and hte other turns on the middle ones. Usually isn't it 1 and 3 light up than 2 and 4 light up?

2) I need to order some bulbs and I'd like to get some feedback on your colorations before I do so.

I have a very very old set of 3 blue plus' and 1 blue actinic on my unit right now and surprised how it isn't as blue as it is white on the tank. But these are VERY old lights and 1 light barely lights up.

Was wondering what set with pictures if possible you guys prefer.

I had always been fond of this guys tank, not sure whose it is but love the coloration on it.

Anyone know what he might be runnign?

fts-1.jpg
 
what is this coral + people are using? More of a white color?

What if I do front - ATI blue + ATI Blue +, ATI coral plus, ATI Blue +

what type of color and growth can I get for SPS/all types of corals
 
Coral +'s are on the blue side I'm guessing around 14k. So Id say 3 blue+ and a coral+ would be very blue.
My 4x24w bulb combo I'm using atm are
purple+(makes reds pop)
blue+
coral+
blue+
Overall the Lighting is on the blue side. As far as corals go my green birds nest has more than doubled in size since May. Im also getting decent growth from encrusting montis a green cap monti and a crocea clam( at the top).
 
So I bought a 65 gallon setup about a month ago from a reefer that said he used Grim Reefer's recommendations for the bulbs, but I'm simply not happy with the way that my tank looks under these lights. It seems very yellow to me, and I would much rather have more blue and get more fluorescence out of my corals. I had a halide on my old tank and everything seemed to glow under that, I'm hoping to get back to that sort of look. Right now the setup is:
Back
#1 Giesemann-Aquablue+
#2 Wave Point-Tropical Wave
#3 Giesemann-Aquablue+
#4 Giesemann-Aquablue+
#5 UVL-Actinic White
#6 Giesemann-Aquablue+
Front
Bold is on a separate switch (dusk/dawn), I would prefer to turn those into actinics. Oh, btw this is the Current 6x39w T5 fixture. I have lps and sps that seem to be doing well under these lights, but they look really bleh colorwise. Thanks for the help!
 
sweeper7 said:
I bought a used 4x39 tek fixture and had 2 questions.

1) When I turn the switch on, one lights up the 1st and the 4th (last one) and hte other turns on the middle ones. Usually isn't it 1 and 3 light up than 2 and 4 light up?

2) I need to order some bulbs and I'd like to get some feedback on your colorations before I do so.

I have a very very old set of 3 blue plus' and 1 blue actinic on my unit right now and surprised how it isn't as blue as it is white on the tank. But these are VERY old lights and 1 light barely lights up.

Was wondering what set with pictures if possible you guys prefer.

I had always been fond of this guys tank, not sure whose it is but love the coloration on it.

Anyone know what he might be runnign?

fts-1.jpg
Click to expand...

Don't know what he's running but to duplicate that look I would try 3 blue plus and 1 purple plus
 
What would a Blue+, Blue +, Blue +, and Coral plus produce?

is Fiji purple worth teh extra $7 compared to ATI?

What would you recommend for a 40B, its my first good fixture so I am raw at this.

I had a 2x24 on a 20L a few yrs ago and I didnt like the colors I had with a white 14k and a 460 actinic. WHne I would take the white out and leave the actinic on you would see nice colors on my corals, my torch looked purple wiht green tip but when both colors were on the torch was basically very light yellow/brown without much color.
 
Going back to t5
I love the look of radiums

what would you recommend on an 8 bulb setup ?

my last t5 was an ati 6 bulb
IIRC i was using
3 blue plus
2 purple plus
1 ab

thank you in advance
 
sweeper7 said:
What would a Blue+, Blue +, Blue +, and Coral plus produce?

is Fiji purple worth teh extra $7 compared to ATI?

What would you recommend for a 40B, its my first good fixture so I am raw at this.

I had a 2x24 on a 20L a few yrs ago and I didnt like the colors I had with a white 14k and a 460 actinic. WHne I would take the white out and leave the actinic on you would see nice colors on my corals, my torch looked purple wiht green tip but when both colors were on the torch was basically very light yellow/brown without much color.
Click to expand...

I think you nswered your own question. The combo together will look very blue.
I don't know if it's worth the extra money but I use the Fiji purple , someone else could chime in about the ATI purple plus.
As for fixtures ATI is great, aquactinics is next, then TEK or aquaticlife for pre made fixtures otherwise for retro fixtures icecap is up there with ATI.
Size of fixture I think it depends on what corals you want to keep.
 
sweeper7 said:
Also, what does 20k light mean? I hear most people are aiming for htat look now. Is that like super bright?
Click to expand...

without getting too deep....
20k is very blue.
14k is medium blue
12 is white/blue
10k is white but most bulbs still have a yellow tint
6500k is yellow
460nm is blue
420nm is purple
 
Michigan Mike said:
without getting too deep....
20k is very blue.
14k is medium blue
12 is white/blue
10k is white but most bulbs still have a yellow tint
6500k is yellow
460nm is blue
420nm is purple
Click to expand...

Thanks for calrifying.

So going 3 blue + and 1 purple I will get probably 20k right?

What do you recommend I do?
 
Grim, what do you think abotu this..

Blue +
Aquablue Special
Blue +
Blue +

or Blue +
Fiji Purple
Blue +
Blue +

or Blue +
Aquablue special
Fiji Purple
Blue +

Or Blue +
Fiji Purple
GE 6500
Blue +

or none.

I'd like more corals to stand out, SPS, LPS< softies etc as my last one didn't at all.
I do like the actinics look but dont want to ove due ot either. In Michigans pick in the page before, the 2nd pick looks better htan teh first but anyway to get it a little bluer in the 2nd pick but not as blue as the 1st? Maybe and aquablue isntead of the 6500 GE?
 
Last edited:
sweeper7 said:
Thanks for calrifying.

So going 3 blue + and 1 purple I will get probably 20k right?

What do you recommend I do?
Click to expand...

This is my tank with 2 blue pluses( dusk/dawn )
Snapbucket
[/URL][/IMG]
Here is my tank with all 4 lights on (back to front)
blue plus
ge6500
blue plus
Fiji purple
Snapbucket
[/URL][/IMG]
If you want a little more blue than you can switch out the ge6500 for a coral plus..
Edit- I didn't notice you already seen the pics, oh well these are newer anyway...
 
Last edited:
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