The T5 Q&a Thread - split

TropTrea said:
Talking about Fresh Water it is a completly different animal. The Krib website had loads of good data on it for fresh water. I got the best fresh water growth and color for plants using a combination of a GE Chroma 5,000K with there Tri Phosphate 7,200K bulb. Both had extremly high CRI factors above 90. A CRI factor of 100 is suposed to be identical to being in the shade on a sunny day at noon.
Click to expand...

I was strictly talking about aesthetic. I'm an expert's expert when it comes to FW. When I first started my last reef tank, I had to wait for my Phoenix to come in. I used one of my 10,000K bulbs as a place holder. I didn't like the way it looked at all. The Phoenix gave a much better "reef" look.

150W Aqualine 10,000K
34h8121.jpg


150W Phoenix 14,000K (6 Days later)
2i25ad.jpg



150W Phoenix 14,000K (with corals)
2pqqpgo.jpg



Regarding my 4 T5 bulbs... How do I arrange them front to back knowing that there's a 250w 14,000K Phoenix in the middle?
 
From seeing your tank pictures I'd put the more white bulbs to the fron so they fill in some of the shadow areas with mininium florescense and the deeper blue ones to the rear to complement the existing bluness. That is based an what you said about prefereing a blue tank.
 
New to T5's

New to T5's

Hello I just replace my MH PC fixture with a 36" ATI Sunpower 6x39 fixture
bulbs are as follows
front
ATI Blue +
ATI Blue +
ATI Fiji Purple
ATI Aqua Blue Special
ATI Blue +
ATI Blue +

My tank is a 57g 36"L X 18"w X 21"H is a mixed reef is this a good combination?
Also I'm new to T5's are the T5's good for sps and clams?
Thanks
 
Endy0430 said:
Hello I just replace my MH PC fixture with a 36" ATI Sunpower 6x39 fixture
bulbs are as follows
front
ATI Blue +
ATI Blue +
ATI Fiji Purple
ATI Aqua Blue Special
ATI Blue +
ATI Blue +

My tank is a 57g 36"L X 18"w X 21"H is a mixed reef is this a good combination?
Also I'm new to T5's are the T5's good for sps and clams?
Thanks
Click to expand...

That's the same fixture and combo I'm running, looks great.
 
GSMguy said:
Front to back
Blue+
Purple+
Pheonix
Coral+
Blue+
Click to expand...

You might want to play with the arangement based on the light spread from you bulbs. It cost nothing to move the bulbs around. I would try swapping the Coral Plus and the Purple plus to see how that changes the total effect then keep what ever you personaly like best.

Remember there is so much personal difference in color taste that what ever anyone says others can disagree with and neither one is usualy right or wrong.
 
I will soon have a 10 bulb t5 unit for lighting and need some help with bulb combo. I've always had 6 bulb units in the past and my favorite combo was

Blue+
Purple+
Blue+
Blue+
Purple+
Blue+

I think for the new 10 bulb combo I still want a lot of pop, but maybe a little more white. The middle two bulbs will be the dusk/dawn so I want a good combo there. Below is my thought, let me know what you think.

Blue+
Purple+
Blue+
GE Daylight
Blue+
Blue+
Purple+
Blue+
GE Daylight
Blue+

Also the tank is only 24" wide so I could have an actinic bulb for color as there will be plenty of par. I've never used any actinic T5 bulbs, so not sure how they look.
 
dustinc said:
I will soon have a 10 bulb t5 unit for lighting and need some help with bulb combo. I've always had 6 bulb units in the past and my favorite combo was

Blue+
Purple+
Blue+
Blue+
Purple+
Blue+

I think for the new 10 bulb combo I still want a lot of pop, but maybe a little more white. The middle two bulbs will be the dusk/dawn so I want a good combo there. Below is my thought, let me know what you think.

Blue+
Purple+
Blue+
GE Daylight
Blue+
Blue+
Purple+
Blue+
GE Daylight
Blue+

Also the tank is only 24" wide so I could have an actinic bulb for color as there will be plenty of par. I've never used any actinic T5 bulbs, so not sure how they look.
Click to expand...

Once all the lamps are on the Actinics don't do much of anything other than lessen intensity. I'd probably stick to one GE lamp about center. That with the two purple plus with the blues should land you about where you are now with color
 
replacing bulbs

replacing bulbs

I am replacing my t5s in my 4 light fixture above my 75 gal. I have mixed LPS and SPS, with a happy clam on the bottom. I have tried UVL but I am looking for a better look. I was thinking about getting
3 ATI blue plus
1 GE 6500
I was wondering if this would be a good combo for coral growth while giving the tank a good look.
 
radar1625 said:
I am replacing my t5s in my 4 light fixture above my 75 gal. I have mixed LPS and SPS, with a happy clam on the bottom. I have tried UVL but I am looking for a better look. I was thinking about getting
3 ATI blue plus
1 GE 6500
I was wondering if this would be a good combo for coral growth while giving the tank a good look.
Click to expand...

Based on your personal taste this would look good or you could replace one of the Blue + with a Purple Plus. This way you could run a blue and a purple for dawn to dusk.

To me personaly it would probably be a little too yellow though and I would opt for something like the aqua blue special in place of the GE 6,500K.
 
I have a FNI 4 bulb T5 fixture over my 20 long. I really like the fixture, but the stock bulbs that it comes with are not that great. Over the weekend I picked up one ATI Blue Plus and one ATI Purple Plus. I took out the two stock 10K bulbs and replaced them with the two ATI's. I left the two Acticnic bulbs in there. So now I have the two Acticnic, the Blue Plus and the Purple Plus. I like the color quite a bit, not nearly as white that's for sure. My question is running this four bulb combo alright? Would it cause any problems as far as light spectrum? I would assume that my PAR levels are higher now with the better bulbs. As far as stocking; I have one True Perc, a Rainbow Monti on a frag plug, small rock with a couple of zoas on it and a hammer frag that I picked up this weekend that's sitting on the sand bed. How does this light setup seem to you? Thanks.
 
I give up.....:headwally: I have read, and read, and read and just can't seem to find out what I want. There are just TOO MANY combinations/types of bulbs. Can I just turn my lights off? j/k This is what I'm currently working with but just not happy due to lack of "pop" in the actinic aspect. Any ideas that will help out? I'm running a mixed reef with the lower light corals around the edges of the tank.

ATI Dimmable Powermodule (8bulb 48")

Back
Blue Plus
Blue Plus
Actinic +
GE
Actinic Wht
actinic +
Blue Plus
Blue Plus
Front

Thank you--Matthew
 
i have a 4x24watt t5 fixture.<br>

the aluminum reflector has a dull finish to it, not the mirror finish you see on higher end fixtures.<br>

can the reflector be polished or clean up in any way.<br>

I was thinkining of removeing original reflector and replacing it with cut to size, concave sheet of mirror mylar. is this a good idea
 
nye15 said:
I have a FNI 4 bulb T5 fixture over my 20 long. I really like the fixture, but the stock bulbs that it comes with are not that great. Over the weekend I picked up one ATI Blue Plus and one ATI Purple Plus. I took out the two stock 10K bulbs and replaced them with the two ATI's. I left the two Acticnic bulbs in there. So now I have the two Acticnic, the Blue Plus and the Purple Plus. I like the color quite a bit, not nearly as white that's for sure. My question is running this four bulb combo alright? Would it cause any problems as far as light spectrum? I would assume that my PAR levels are higher now with the better bulbs. As far as stocking; I have one True Perc, a Rainbow Monti on a frag plug, small rock with a couple of zoas on it and a hammer frag that I picked up this weekend that's sitting on the sand bed. How does this light setup seem to you? Thanks.
Click to expand...

You lighting will work the way it fine for only a 20 gallon tank. I personaly would have kept one of the 10,000K bulbs in and replaced the other Atinic with another Blue Plus bulb. But this is personal opinion on what I lkike to see in the tank coloring.
 
leadsinker said:
i have a 4x24watt t5 fixture.<br>

the aluminum reflector has a dull finish to it, not the mirror finish you see on higher end fixtures.<br>

can the reflector be polished or clean up in any way.<br>

I was thinkining of removeing original reflector and replacing it with cut to size, concave sheet of mirror mylar. is this a good idea
Click to expand...

If it is Alumnium then it can be polished to look like new. Use a very fine rubbing compound because if you use anything to course like even 000 steel wool it will give a dull finish. If you have a power bugffer available it may be your best bet.

The miror mylar is realy questionable in my mind. I have never used it around warm or hot light bulbs so I would be afraid to. Perhaps some else tried it and could comment.
 
mtaswt said:
I give up.....:headwally: I have read, and read, and read and just can't seem to find out what I want. There are just TOO MANY combinations/types of bulbs. Can I just turn my lights off? j/k This is what I'm currently working with but just not happy due to lack of "pop" in the actinic aspect. Any ideas that will help out? I'm running a mixed reef with the lower light corals around the edges of the tank.

ATI Dimmable Powermodule (8bulb 48")

Back
Blue Plus
Blue Plus
Actinic +
GE
Actinic Wht
actinic +
Blue Plus
Blue Plus
Front

Thank you--Matthew
Click to expand...

get rid of the Atinic + and the Atinic White.
Replace them with one or two more Blue Plus and one or two Purple Plus

If you really want a pre dawn post dusk pop run 6 Royal Blue LED's by themselves it creates an unbelievable dramatic look with the florescence in the tank glowing unbelievably
 
leadsinker said:
i have a 4x24watt t5 fixture.<br>

the aluminum reflector has a dull finish to it, not the mirror finish you see on higher end fixtures.<br>

can the reflector be polished or clean up in any way.<br>

I was thinkining of removeing original reflector and replacing it with cut to size, concave sheet of mirror mylar. is this a good idea
Click to expand...

That dull finish could be a special coating, DON'T SCREW WITH IT!!! The original tek reflectors had such a finish and they would spank polished aluminum.
 
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