The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
ATI Blue Plus as far as I know.
The T5 Q&a Thread - split
- Thread starter eagle9252
- Start date
ATI Blue Plus as far as I know.
918ReefCpl
Member
Postions #2 & #4 are the dawn/dusk slots - just wanted to confirm using a 10K in a dawn/dusk slot??
Thank you to both yourself and Grim Reefer for your input and suggestions...
Will the above suggestions be more of a bluish light or whitish light to the naked eye? New at the T5 systems and trying to form an idea of what the different bulb combinations would look like...
Gillundr
New member
OK. I have a few questions that I was hoping to get some help from here. A bit of background info on this tank. I have a 32 gallon solana. 20x20x20 are the dims. I'm using an Outer Orbit fixture by Current. This fixture has 4xT5s and 1x 150 watt MH. I'm looking for something that doesn't bleach my corals but gets great color. I'm not trying to grow the corals out fast. I just want things to look good. I have always had MH and a couple of T5s for actinic but this is different. I was running a 14k Phoenix (it's in the middle of the fixture with 2 T5s in front and 2 in back). Then front to back I had a blue plus, coral plus, purple plus, Actinic. All ATI bulbs. It fried my sps. Not killed but bleached out. I took some par readings and was getting really high numbers even on the bottom of the tank I was hitting high 200s low 300s. I can upload a picture with a par map if needed. Well after the bleaching I turned off the MH for about 10 days and just ran the T5 combo. This didn't help. The bleach stuff stayed bleached and things that needed a bit more light browned out haha. Just my luck!
So I changed the bulbs out. I ran a blue plus (ati) in front ATI actinic then two Current actinics that came with the fixture. I know they are junk but I was desperate. I have been running that scheme. I turned on the MH and am up to 4 hours on that now. My chalices have returned to normal colors. Some of the sps stuff is looking good again. Some is still bleached, and some still brown. The slimer of all things is bleached still and it's on the bottom of the display. With old Par readings it was getting 360 and you would need to add about 15% to that number because of the blue so in the 400s. Some of the corals up higher are coloring up so I was wondering if maybe now I'm starving the slimer? A few of the ones up top that were getting blasted and loving things are browned out.
So I wanted to take the current lights out so now I'm running front to back. ATI blue plus, Giessemann pure Actinic, Giessemann Actinic plus, ATI Actinic. I was thinking the lower par values on the Giesseman bulbs would help give color but not so much par. Sort of an in between. I also tried to change the Phoenix for a Radium 20k today but need to return the Radium. For some reason I got it and it is really yellow. Brand new from BRS. I sent them an email so hopefully they will exchange it. I even checked in a second fixture to make sure it wasn't a ballast thing. It's yellow and I have an old Radium here that burns blue but it's too old to use really I think.
So, can anybody comment on a combo that would give me good colors and not burn the heck out of my corals? Am I on the right track? This isn't a chem thing. My numbers are spot on and I have other tanks. This is just my first time messing with so many T5s and these things add a ton of par to the tank. I like the fixture because of all the options I get but I'm having a tough time coming up with a good combo. I have about 15 or 20 bulbs I have bought over the last few months trying to figure out what will work. I'm hoping a little insight from some T5 gurus will help me get my colors back. Also if you have a good suggestion on a 150 watt hqi DE metal halide I'm open as well. Thanks for listening or reading I should say. Let me know if you have any other questions. I will probably take some more par readings on the weekend to see what I'm getting with any new array.
So I changed the bulbs out. I ran a blue plus (ati) in front ATI actinic then two Current actinics that came with the fixture. I know they are junk but I was desperate. I have been running that scheme. I turned on the MH and am up to 4 hours on that now. My chalices have returned to normal colors. Some of the sps stuff is looking good again. Some is still bleached, and some still brown. The slimer of all things is bleached still and it's on the bottom of the display. With old Par readings it was getting 360 and you would need to add about 15% to that number because of the blue so in the 400s. Some of the corals up higher are coloring up so I was wondering if maybe now I'm starving the slimer? A few of the ones up top that were getting blasted and loving things are browned out.
So I wanted to take the current lights out so now I'm running front to back. ATI blue plus, Giessemann pure Actinic, Giessemann Actinic plus, ATI Actinic. I was thinking the lower par values on the Giesseman bulbs would help give color but not so much par. Sort of an in between. I also tried to change the Phoenix for a Radium 20k today but need to return the Radium. For some reason I got it and it is really yellow. Brand new from BRS. I sent them an email so hopefully they will exchange it. I even checked in a second fixture to make sure it wasn't a ballast thing. It's yellow and I have an old Radium here that burns blue but it's too old to use really I think.
So, can anybody comment on a combo that would give me good colors and not burn the heck out of my corals? Am I on the right track? This isn't a chem thing. My numbers are spot on and I have other tanks. This is just my first time messing with so many T5s and these things add a ton of par to the tank. I like the fixture because of all the options I get but I'm having a tough time coming up with a good combo. I have about 15 or 20 bulbs I have bought over the last few months trying to figure out what will work. I'm hoping a little insight from some T5 gurus will help me get my colors back. Also if you have a good suggestion on a 150 watt hqi DE metal halide I'm open as well. Thanks for listening or reading I should say. Let me know if you have any other questions. I will probably take some more par readings on the weekend to see what I'm getting with any new array.
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
I'd be surprised if that fixture was giving you too much PAR. 150 watt halides suck for PAR and 4 T5's over a 20" tall tank isn't overkill either.
What is your lighting schedule?
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
light from 400(violet) to 700 (infrared) nanometers is used. People generally refer to 10K as white and 20K as blue. Both are fine for coral growth.
question..I have a nano 24 gallon and are currently running AI sol blue over it and am not really happy. I went to the sol blue from the stock PC lighting in the start of january and have had zero growth and I think done more harm then good. I am also heard of others who have gone back to T5 lights. I am thinking about making the switch over to T5's and was looking at ATI. My problem is the tank is only 19in wide and will have about 3 inches of the light hanging off of it. My other thought was how many bulbs, either the 4 or 6 version. My initial thoughts were to go with the 6 version for more color variation and options. I have some LPS in the tank but mainly SPS and plan to keep it that way and get more and possibly upgrade to a bigger tank sometime in the future. What would be the best option? Is 6 too much would I just fry everything?
Robert
Robert
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
Who said you did? Violet in the actinic range brings out some color but doesn't really do anything special for growth. You don't want infrared and again, deep red is only for looks, you don't "NEED" either.
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
4 would be enough but 6 would be better for color. A tek fixture would be good enough if you do 6 lamps.
overflowin
New member
first, let me apologize if i'm asking a question that's already been answered, but there is just entirely too much to this thread to scan through in the hopes of finding my answer...
I am finally setting up a tank after being out of the hobby for a couple years, and i'm debating T5ho vs MH. right now, i have a 4' current t5 fixture with 4 unknown bulbs in it, i was thinking about reverse engineering it and using its parts, along with an icecap 430, to make a 6 bulb retro.
my other option, is to burn my 2x 250w icecap electronic metal halide system with the 430 pushing 2 t5 lamps for supplement. i loved the look of my tank when i had the hamilton 14k mh lamps with 2 uri super actinic VHO burning over it. my tank project i am working on right now is a 5' 100g acrylic tank, 60l 20t 18d if i'm not mistaken. this will be primarily a zoanthid tank, but of course i don't want to limit myself to just zoos.
i'd like to know the pros and cons from all of your points of view to my options, or maybe more options. i am also a total noob to t5, it was a new technology when i tore down my last tank, and i never educated myself on lamp color combos, water column penetration and t5/MH equivalent wattages to light output.
thanks for any input...
I am finally setting up a tank after being out of the hobby for a couple years, and i'm debating T5ho vs MH. right now, i have a 4' current t5 fixture with 4 unknown bulbs in it, i was thinking about reverse engineering it and using its parts, along with an icecap 430, to make a 6 bulb retro.
my other option, is to burn my 2x 250w icecap electronic metal halide system with the 430 pushing 2 t5 lamps for supplement. i loved the look of my tank when i had the hamilton 14k mh lamps with 2 uri super actinic VHO burning over it. my tank project i am working on right now is a 5' 100g acrylic tank, 60l 20t 18d if i'm not mistaken. this will be primarily a zoanthid tank, but of course i don't want to limit myself to just zoos.
i'd like to know the pros and cons from all of your points of view to my options, or maybe more options. i am also a total noob to t5, it was a new technology when i tore down my last tank, and i never educated myself on lamp color combos, water column penetration and t5/MH equivalent wattages to light output.
thanks for any input...
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
Blue Plus is a combination of Blue P L U S Actinic Phosphores. Ask the LFS guy what advantage there would be to using a true actinic lamp when the Blue Plus has the same range of output LOL!
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
No. ATI comes close. The T5 actinics give as much pop but because they have more visible light it doesn't appear as vivid.
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
Acey1011
New member
So Blue+, Purple+, Aquablue Special, Blue+ will be good for all lps just wont work for clam?
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
Yep. $ lamps isn't a lot of light over a tank that size. I sure wouldn't try clams in it
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