The T5 Q&a Thread - split

[TropTrea]

Because there is no such thing as white light. In my experience there is enough green spectrum in the white LED's to cover everything. My halftones all look fantastic which means I am covering all the spectrum. Pink and beige colored objects are great for checking spectrum because they need a wide range of light to appear as they should. I also have a crude spectrometer that shows all the colors coming in fine.

I was not referring to the "white" LEDs but the Blues as opposed to the Royal Blue's that your recommending. The Royal Blue's are peaking around 440 nm as the blues are peaking at around 454 nm. While 435 nm is the peak visual sensitivity of the naked eye to blue and 535 is the peak eye sensitivity to green both the blue and royal blue are in the the blue green range. Yet you only recommended the Royal Blue. Do you believe the frequencies around 454 are less important than those around 540 nm? or are you thinking the "whites" produce enough light in the 454 rang that these "blue" LED's are not needed?

 

[TropTrea]

I am running one of each: UVL superactinic, ATI blue plus(blue), ATI aquablue special(white) and a GE 65000K daylight. Do you guys think it is a good setup?

I would replace either your 6,500K or ATI Aqua Blue Special with an ATI Blue Plus. Dependent upon your personal color taste if you leave the Aqua BlueSpecial in the tank will look like a higher K temp than if you leave to 6,500K in. General appearance now is probably close to 11,000K while with the 6,500K in and the Aqua Blue out you will like about 12,500K and with the Aqua blue in you will look like more like about 14,000K.

Since you already have both bulbs first try replacing the Aqua Blue Special and then after a week swap the Aqua Blue Special for the 6,500K and see which look you like better.

 

[Dimon]

I would replace either your 6,500K or ATI Aqua Blue Special with an ATI Blue Plus. Dependent upon your personal color taste if you leave the Aqua BlueSpecial in the tank will look like a higher K temp than if you leave to 6,500K in. General appearance now is probably close to 11,000K while with the 6,500K in and the Aqua Blue out you will like about 12,500K and with the Aqua blue in you will look like more like about 14,000K.

Since you already have both bulbs first try replacing the Aqua Blue Special and then after a week swap the Aqua Blue Special for the 6,500K and see which look you like better.

Thanks! I am looking to get a full spectrum of colors and maximum growth for my corals, after a long research I ended up with this build - 2 ati blue plus, 1 ati purple plus and 1 kz new generation, what do you think about it?

 

[TropTrea]

Thanks! I am looking to get a full spectrum of colors and maximum growth for my corals, after a long research I ended up with this build - 2 ati blue plus, 1 ati purple plus and 1 kz new generation, what do you think about it?

It is an option that a lot of individuals use. Personaly not my favorate as with the zk new generation I would not use a purple but another blue plus. On my 40 Gallon Frag tank I'm running 2 ATI Aqua Blue Specials and 2 ATI Blue Plus bulbs. On the next swap out I'll be replacing one of the Aqua Blue Specials with a Purple Plus. But the new generation has more red than Aqua Blues I'm using now.

 

[nichthyes]

rtparty i'm understand PAR value is more important than wpg but that being said what is the difference between the current usa and the ATI? I have a Current ballast, but if I were to run ATI bulbs on it would that improve my PAR (or what would it improve if not?)
Also what could I do to the reflectors to improve their performance? replace, polish? I really like the ballast but also really wanna make some sps happy in my 29g

 

[rtparty]

rtparty i'm understand PAR value is more important than wpg but that being said what is the difference between the current usa and the ATI? I have a Current ballast, but if I were to run ATI bulbs on it would that improve my PAR (or what would it improve if not?)
Also what could I do to the reflectors to improve their performance? replace, polish? I really like the ballast but also really wanna make some sps happy in my 29g

Current ballasts under drive the bulbs. The ATI bulbs will have more PAR than the Current bulbs but they won't be run to their max. However, for a 29g tank you don't need the best fixture in the world.

As far as the reflectors, you are sort of stuck with what you have. Again, on a 29g this isn't a huge deal.

Replacing the bulbs with ATI bulbs, will up the PAR a ton.

 

[RoscoPColtrane]

I getting ready to replace my bulbs. What is the consensus on ATI Purple Plus compared to KZ Fiji Purple? I'm currently using KZ but willing to switch to ATI. Cost is not a factor, aesthetics is most important to me.

 

[rtparty]

I getting ready to replace my bulbs. What is the consensus on ATI Purple Plus compared to KZ Fiji Purple? I'm currently using KZ but willing to switch to ATI. Cost is not a factor, aesthetics is most important to me.

There is very little, if any, difference between the two. The only thing my eye could see was that the Fiji Purple is a little more pink overall.

I wouldn't spend $10 more for the Fiji.

 

[nichthyes]

for example, though, I'm looking at running a GE 6500, and Aquablue, a blue+ and a purple plus on my 29. will that be sufficient for sps?

also, if i'm running these bulbs at less than their full potential, would that change their color temperature and possibly reduce their PAR??

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I was not referring to the "white" LEDs but the Blues as opposed to the Royal Blue's that your recommending. The Royal Blue's are peaking around 440 nm as the blues are peaking at around 454 nm. While 435 nm is the peak visual sensitivity of the naked eye to blue and 535 is the peak eye sensitivity to green both the blue and royal blue are in the the blue green range. Yet you only recommended the Royal Blue. Do you believe the frequencies around 454 are less important than those around 540 nm? or are you thinking the "whites" produce enough light in the 454 rang that these "blue" LED's are not needed?

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS WHITE LIGHT. So what color do white LED's produce? Equal (roughly) amounts of Red Blue and Green which appears white.

Without running "blue" LED's I have STUNNING teal green colors from a couple different corals in my tank. That would impossible without the green range of color people are worried about missing in Royal Blue LED's.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

for example, though, I'm looking at running a GE 6500, and Aquablue, a blue+ and a purple plus on my 29. will that be sufficient for sps?

also, if i'm running these bulbs at less than their full potential, would that change their color temperature and possibly reduce their PAR??

Not sure what you mean by less than full potential unless you mean dimming. That would reduce PAR but shouldnt have a great effect on actual color although the perceived color will likely look different.

I would run a second Blue Plus instead of the GE lamp in that mix.

 

[nanoreef16g]

I have a 36" Current Outer Orbit that I am using over my 40 breeder. I have two Phoenix 14k bulbs as well as two Aqua Blue Plus bulbs and two Aqua Blue Special bulbs. Any recommendations on where to place the T5's in this fixture for optimum light?

Anyone?

 

[TropTrea]

rtparty i'm understand PAR value is more important than wpg but that being said what is the difference between the current usa and the ATI? I have a Current ballast, but if I were to run ATI bulbs on it would that improve my PAR (or what would it improve if not?)
Also what could I do to the reflectors to improve their performance? replace, polish? I really like the ballast but also really wanna make some sps happy in my 29g

I started with a Current Ballast and I'm still using one after loads of modifications over the years. The fans are not the greatest and this causes the ballasts to over heat as well as the bulbs. I switched mine from 2 fans to 4 fans with two on each end of the fixture. At that time I also had a bad ballast and replaced it with an ATI Ballast.

Later a second ballast died on me and do to multiple recommendations I replaced it with an Ice Cap ballast but do not believe they are worth the extra money. If I run all 8 bulbs identical I cannot see any difference in brightness between the various ballasts. But I will say that the bulbs on the Ice Cap ballast do not last as long as on the others ballasts.

Later to get more light out of the system I redid the reflectors so I now have a basic wrap around reflector around each bulb. At the time I did this I was able to measure my PAR before and after and there was basically about a 30 % increase at the Substrate with about a 15% increase at the surface. The light is directed more downward and I less loss on the floor in front of the tank.

 

[jgraz]

Ok, opinions needed. Do you guys think a 24" 6-bulb ATI sunpower would be too much for a 20Gal High? The plan is for heavy SPS here.

 

[TropTrea]

Ok, opinions needed. Do you guys think a 24" 6-bulb ATI sunpower would be too much for a 20Gal High? The plan is for heavy SPS here.

Yes I think it would be overkill on lighting. Not because you have to many bulbs but because the fixture measures roughly 23" X 13.5" and I beliece a 20 gallon high tank measures 24" X 12".

The 4 Bulb fixture would be a much better bet for your tank as it is only 23" X 9". Even at that with the high effeciency of the ATI fixtures you would be looking at a lot of light for only 20 Gallons. Forget about most LPS corals and keep in mind that SPS corals if properly cared for do grow fast and huge.

Actyualy for the 20 gallon tank you might be better off with a less effecient 4 bulb fixture or may even be able to get away with two bulbs. But personaly I like the flexability in lighting selection that a 4 bulb fixture allows.

Actualy Sunlight Supplies 24" Tek light might be your best deal. I would get it with all ATI bulbs though 2 Blue Plus, 1 Purple Plus, and one Aqua Blue Special. This is close to what Im running on my 40 Gallon with the exception I presently do not have the Purple Plus but instead 2 Aqua Blues. I do intend to switch one Aqua Blue for a Purple plus though since I like that spectrum better, since I made changes on my 120 gallon tank.

 

[nichthyes]

Grim: what I'm asking is why did rtparty say that the ATI bulbs would not run "to their max" on my fixture. i understand that one ballast is more capable than another but he also said the ballast would underdrive the bulbs . . . ? does that mean they would be dimmed and therefore have a different color temp?

 

[rtparty]

Ok, opinions needed. Do you guys think a 24" 6-bulb ATI sunpower would be too much for a 20Gal High? The plan is for heavy SPS here.

Yes, a 4 bulb is all you need. If you are getting the 6 bulb for a really good deal and plan to upgrade, you can make it work. Just throw in a couple actinics to lower the PAR.

I think a 6 bulb is going to be too wide though.

 

[rtparty]

Grim: what I'm asking is why did rtparty say that the ATI bulbs would not run "to their max" on my fixture. i understand that one ballast is more capable than another but he also said the ballast would underdrive the bulbs . . . ? does that mean they would be dimmed and therefore have a different color temp?

I am not sure if all bulbs change color when under driven but I would expect so. I know for sure that the Aquablue burns more blue overall instead of white.

I also agree with Grim to use 2 ATI Blue Plus, 1 ATI Purple Plus and 1 ATI Aquablue.

 

[jgraz]

If you are getting the 6 bulb for a really good deal and plan to upgrade, you can make it work. Just throw in a couple actinics to lower the PAR.

I think a 6 bulb is going to be too wide though.

Thats the thing. I can get the fixture for $300, bulbs all at about 3 months old. The lamps would all be over the tank but the fixture itself would hang over about 1" or so. But this all hinges on whether my wife coms through with the TEK 24" for christmas. Thanks guys for the assist. I'll probably stay away.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Thats the thing. I can get the fixture for $300, bulbs all at about 3 months old. The lamps would all be over the tank but the fixture itself would hang over about 1" or so. But this all hinges on whether my wife coms through with the TEK 24" for christmas. Thanks guys for the assist. I'll probably stay away.

You could always run the fixture with just 4 lamps. Remove the two outside lamps which should be on the same ballast. The ballast will automatically shut down because it will sense an open circuit. Just pull one of the outside lamps and test fire the fixture to confirm I am correct before buying it. There is always the chance they are using a 4 lamp ballast which would blow my idea out of the water. Then should you decide to get a bigger tank you have a fixture that can grow with you.