The T5 Q&a Thread - split

[The Grim Reefer]

Using TX5 with five T5, what are best combo and order to get more pop? SPS and LPS corals, I think I like darker 20k look pop instead of growth? Don't need actinics?

Maybe this:

Blue plus
Blue Plus
AquaBlue
Blue Purple
Blue Plus

Blue Plus
Purple Plus
KZ New Generation
Blue Plus
Blue Plus

Use the purple plus and blue plus as duskdawn

 

[scunfcu]

Using TX5 with five T5, what are best combo and order to get more pop? SPS and LPS corals, I think I like darker 20k look pop instead of growth? Don't need actinics?

Maybe this:

Blue plus
Blue Plus
AquaBlue
Blue Purple
Blue Plus

I may want to replace teh aquablue with KZ NG so maybe

blue
Blue
purple plus
blue
Kz NG

 

[scunfcu]

Blue Plus
Purple Plus
KZ New Generation
Blue Plus
Blue Plus

Use the purple plus and blue plus as duskdawn

Oops, sorry Grim didn't see your respond on it. I'll look into the combo you recommend :thumbsup:

 

[scunfcu]

Blue Plus
Purple Plus
KZ New Generation
Blue Plus
Blue Plus

Use the purple plus and blue plus as duskdawn

I just check the price of KZ NG, its pricer, me being cheapo this holiday. I'm just go back to aquablue, so this is still good?

Blue Plus
Purple Plus
AquaBlue
Blue Plus
Blue Plus

 

[dmpeyton]

Don't waste your time with the Ice Cap fixture, no cooling. I've actually measured PAR on the Nova Pro's and they are slightly less than a 4 lamp Tek. The reflectors make a huge difference and Nova's aren't great.

Thank you again for your help, Grim. I already have a computer fan mounted on the back of my canopy that blows air in. Could I use it to cool one end of the Ice Cap retrofit as you suggest on your website for overdriven setups? It seems likely that four overdriven retrofitted bulbs will provide more par than the Tek 4 bulb fixture, which is not overdriven. Was the Tek better than the Nova Pro even when they were using comparable bulbs? Sorry to keep piling on the questions, but I really want to get a fixture that will work well for my tank. Thanks!

 

[delrayreef]

Grim,

I am setting a new 120g reef tank. I am purchasing two 48" 4 bulb Tek Elite's. With the canopy I am going to use, I need the acrylic shield as the placement will be fairly close to the water. I want to try and use the following brands: Aqualux, Giesemann, UVL, GE, Aquatic Life, and Spectralux. I am not married to having to use these brands and I am open to others, but just prefer to use these. For example I am pretty sure I will want a Fiji Purple. What do you recommend for bulbs and placement? Thanks for your advice!!

 

[ken6217]

The fans weren't working properly on my ATI 6 bulb Powermodule and so it was running for about 12 hours with no fans. Could this damage the unit?

Thanks,
Ken

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I just check the price of KZ NG, its pricer, me being cheapo this holiday. I'm just go back to aquablue, so this is still good?

Blue Plus
Purple Plus
AquaBlue
Blue Plus
Blue Plus

Yeah

 

[Finzz]

hey grim im setting up a 80 gallon tank (48x24x16) .. is a 8 bulb ati powermodule overkill? or should i go with a 6 bulb ... im also looking for a bulb setup .. its going to have mostly sps .. im leaning for more of a 20k effect .. thank you

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Grim,

I am setting a new 120g reef tank. I am purchasing two 48" 4 bulb Tek Elite's. With the canopy I am going to use, I need the acrylic shield as the placement will be fairly close to the water. I want to try and use the following brands: Aqualux, Giesemann, UVL, GE, Aquatic Life, and Spectralux. I am not married to having to use these brands and I am open to others, but just prefer to use these. For example I am pretty sure I will want a Fiji Purple. What do you recommend for bulbs and placement? Thanks for your advice!!

Front
GMANN Actinic Plus
Actinic Plus
GE 6500K
Fiji Purple

Actinic Plus
Actinic Plus
GE 6500K
Actinic Plus

 

[The Grim Reefer]

The fans weren't working properly on my ATI 6 bulb Powermodule and so it was running for about 12 hours with no fans. Could this damage the unit?

Thanks,
Ken

Hammered the lamps a little not a big deal

 

[The Grim Reefer]

hey grim im setting up a 80 gallon tank (48x24x16) .. is a 8 bulb ati powermodule overkill? or should i go with a 6 bulb ... im also looking for a bulb setup .. its going to have mostly sps .. im leaning for more of a 20k effect .. thank you

Way overkill. Get a Tek

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

 

[Finzz]

go with a 6 bulb tek? i always hear great things about the ati fixtures ..

Way overkill. Get a Tek

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

 

[The Grim Reefer]

go with a 6 bulb tek? i always hear great things about the ati fixtures ..

Honestly I'd rather have the 8 lamps. You could go Tek elite or go for the 8 lamp ATI sunpower hung a bit higher above the tank, say 10 inches above.

 

[Finzz]

ok .. but the 8 bulb powermodule is overkill? i would like to keep it ati .. thank you

Honestly I'd rather have the 8 lamps. You could go Tek elite or go for the 8 lamp ATI sunpower hung a bit higher above the tank, say 10 inches above.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

ok .. but the 8 bulb powermodule is overkill? i would like to keep it ati .. thank you

If you want the PM just hang it a little higher

 

[TropTrea]

If 1 and 6 are your dawn to dusk you could either run them both as Blue Plus or one Blue Plus and the other one Purple Plus.

I would not run 3 aqua blue specials instead I would replace on with another blue plus. If you think it too blue than you can swap out the second Aqua Blue Plus for a either a 10,000K for 6,500K bulb.

Okay, been reading for two hours on this and various other threads but can't seem to find the answer to this so figure I'll ask... I'm running a 6 lamp Nova Extreme Pro over a 72g bowfront. It's a FO with a few shrooms so I'm more concerned with highlighting fish color. I'm currently running 3 10k's and 3 460 actinics in this order:

Front
460
10k
460
10k
460
10K

The first and fifth are on a switch by themselves and used at dusk and dawn. All are on for daylight.

I'm contemplating:

ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aqua blue special
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aqua blue special
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aqua blue special

I'm worried about daytime color being to blue and wonder if an ATI Purpleplus in the #4 position would help balance that.

What do you think Grim?

 

[ken6217]

Hammered the lamps a little not a big deal

Lamps, meaning the bulbs, or the fixture itself?

Thanks,
Ken

 

[TropTrea]

Lamps, meaning the bulbs, or the fixture itself?

Thanks,
Ken

Grim means the Bulbs themselves. It is the heat that slowly degrades the light bulbs. Theoreticly if you could keep the temperature of the bubls close to normal room temperature they would last forever. But because they do produce heat when there running they slowly degrade over time. When there is no cooling the the degradation is much faster than if they were cooled. running a day or two is not realy drastic but if you were running with no cooling constantly you would be replacing those bulbs 2 to 5 times more often dependent on the venelation in the fixture.

 

[ken6217]

Grim means the Bulbs themselves. It is the heat that slowly degrades the light bulbs. Theoreticly if you could keep the temperature of the bubls close to normal room temperature they would last forever. But because they do produce heat when there running they slowly degrade over time. When there is no cooling the the degradation is much faster than if they were cooled. running a day or two is not realy drastic but if you were running with no cooling constantly you would be replacing those bulbs 2 to 5 times more often dependent on the venelation in the fixture.

Thanks. I got nervous I killed my new fixture.

All three fans did not work. I had to push down with my finger on the fans to get them to spin. Evidentally they were hitting the ATI logo protective cover on top of it.
Ken