The T5 Q&a Thread - split

[hul kogan]

I'm getting ready to buy new T5's and looking for some thoughts, suggestions, etc. Thanks in advance!

Fixture: 72" Current Outer Orbit, 3x150w, 8x39w T5

I'm not a fan of an overly blue tank, but I want to get some good growth and color out of my corals. It's a mixed reef and I run 150w Phoenix MH, for reference.

Here are my initial thoughts...

[------ATI Blue Plus------][------ATI Blue Plus------]
[-----ATI Purple Plus-----][-----ATI Coral Plus------]

{Phoenix 150w} {Phoenix 150w} {Phoenix 150w}

[------ATI Coral Plus-----][-----ATI Purple Plus-----]
[------ATI Blue Plus------][------ATI Blue Plus------]

 

[DiscusHeckel]

Hi Grim and all,

I am about to order a new set of ATI tubes for my 6 X 39W ATI Sunpower unit. My current configuration is as follows (as per your previous advice):

front
ATI Blue +
ATI purple +
ATI Blue +
6500K
ATI Blue +
ATI Blue +

I am not too keen ATI purple +, especially in a dawn-to-dusk situation since it makes my shallow tank too purpley/red and looks rather artificial. I never tried swapping the positions of ATI purple + and ATI blue + (i.e. tubes 2 and 5).

What is your opinion on the following two alternative combinations:

front
ATI Blue +
ATI coral +
ATI Blue +
6500K
ATI Blue +
ATI Blue +
or

front
ATI Blue +
ATI coral +
ATI Blue +
ATI coral +
ATI Blue +
ATI Blue +


Would my corals and fish still look good (oranges and reds in particular!)?

Would I get a better/worse PAR than the present set up?

regards

DH

 

[TropTrea]

Hi Grim and all,

I am about to order a new set of ATI tubes for my 6 X 39W ATI Sunpower unit. My current configuration is as follows (as per your previous advice):

front
ATI Blue +
ATI purple +
ATI Blue +
6500K
ATI Blue +
ATI Blue +

I am not too keen ATI purple +, especially in a dawn-to-dusk situation since it makes my shallow tank too purpley/red and looks rather artificial. I never tried swapping the positions of ATI purple + and ATI blue + (i.e. tubes 2 and 5).

What is your opinion on the following two alternative combinations:

front
ATI Blue +
ATI coral +
ATI Blue +
6500K
ATI Blue +
ATI Blue +
or

front
ATI Blue +
ATI coral +
ATI Blue +
ATI coral +
ATI Blue +
ATI Blue +


Would my corals and fish still look good (oranges and reds in particular!)?

Would I get a better/worse PAR than the present set up?

regards

DH

If you are worried about your reds and do not want a purple hue I would go with your first suggestion. I go back to original with the exception of replacing the purple plus with another blue plus. Your second group will have a very Blue tone to it..

 

[Photobug]

T5 and LED combo

T5 and LED combo

I have added the following bulb combination based on what I have read here.

4 bulbs
3 Blue Plus
1 Coral Plus

I like the pop but the color is a little blue for me. We are going from a 55 gallon to a 90 gallon, To be able to do this I am able to add more to the light fixture on the back side and there is also 4 ballast to add more bulbs.

We are thinking of adding a DIY strip or two to fixture so it has maybe 6 T5 bulbs and two strips of 1 1/4" heatsync of LEDs. I would like to get the most of both mediums. What kind of bulbs should I use for T5 and what bulb configuration of LEDs should I use.

 

[adamhicks1988]

hi

hi

i have a 6 bulb ati fixture n wanting to keep mostly sps with a few lps what bulb combo should i have ty in advanced its over a 115g acrylic

 

[MadCoral]

So I decided to try something today t5 related of corse... got a very economic priced coralife twin standard output t5 fixture, (you know the little low profile ones at all the lfs) and put in a blue plus and a aqua blue special ho bulb in, and I'm getting par readings 12 inches down of 160ish, and 300ish 3inches under the light, yes through water ) I'm actually really shocked especially considering the quality of the light and my guess that the bulbs are slightly under driven??? .... would someone like to chime in and explain there theory or idea???

 

[MadCoral]

I'd Really like to hear GRIM REEFERS thoughts on this, since he's the t5 Mack, it's a 24 inch fixture by the way.

 

[MadCoral]

1 inch in the water I'm getting a par of 650ish.. sorry for the posts, will wait for thoughts and reply

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Ho Ho Ho and Merry Christmas or whatever you celebrate this time of year.

My work here is finished. I haven't ran T5's in a couple years and I'm not up to date enough to give the best info anymore. There are about 5 guys regularly responding in this thread now that know their stuff. I tried to retire a little over a year ago. Hopefully I will be more successful this time LOL!

Happy New Reef Grim is out.

 

[Michigan Mike]

So I decided to try something today t5 related of corse... got a very economic priced coralife twin standard output t5 fixture, (you know the little low profile ones at all the lfs) and put in a blue plus and a aqua blue special ho bulb in, and I'm getting par readings 12 inches down of 160ish, and 300ish 3inches under the light, yes through water ) I'm actually really shocked especially considering the quality of the light and my guess that the bulbs are slightly under driven??? .... would someone like to chime in and explain there theory or idea???

Low powered ballast, bad reflectors, splash shield, too hot and no cooling of the bulbs' label ends.

 

[Michigan Mike]

Ho Ho Ho and Merry Christmas or whatever you celebrate this time of year.

My work here is finished. I haven't ran T5's in a couple years and I'm not up to date enough to give the best info anymore. There are about 5 guys regularly responding in this thread now that know their stuff. I tried to retire a little over a year ago. Hopefully I will be more successful this time LOL!

Happy New Reef Grim is out.

You've helped out a ton of people and have gone far beyond the call of duty, retire well.
It is well overdue.lol

 

[Useful_Idiot]

Thanks for all the years of help Grim!

I have a 36x36x27 cube with 2 ai's in the center 70 optics 8" awl. And a 2 bulb 39watt let retro kit in the front and another in the back. I feel my tank needs more par so I am adding another 2 bulb retro for a total of 6 bulbs.

1. If i run 4 blue+ 2 coral + will that provide enough sub 460 actinic light? or should I run 2 blue+ 2 cplus and 2 actinic?
2. What's with the 4-6" minimum height above water for the t5's? with my tank so deep why wouldn't I want them sitting on the rim of the tank? If I do raise them up to 4" above should I still use my glass splash shield?

 

[bellis31]

Thanks for all your help over the years Grim!! I'm guessing you have moved on to LED's??

 

[GSMguy]

Ho Ho Ho and Merry Christmas or whatever you celebrate this time of year.

My work here is finished. I haven't ran T5's in a couple years and I'm not up to date enough to give the best info anymore. There are about 5 guys regularly responding in this thread now that know their stuff. I tried to retire a little over a year ago. Hopefully I will be more successful this time LOL!

Happy New Reef Grim is out.

Peace out Grim! You the man! Thank you for all the great info you have posted over the last 6 years or so on t5s.

 

[GSMguy]

Thanks for all the years of help Grim!

I have a 36x36x27 cube with 2 ai's in the center 70 optics 8" awl. And a 2 bulb 39watt let retro kit in the front and another in the back. I feel my tank needs more par so I am adding another 2 bulb retro for a total of 6 bulbs.

1. If i run 4 blue+ 2 coral + will that provide enough sub 460 actinic light? or should I run 2 blue+ 2 cplus and 2 actinic?
2. What's with the 4-6" minimum height above water for the t5's? with my tank so deep why wouldn't I want them sitting on the rim of the tank? If I do raise them up to 4" above should I still use my glass splash shield?

T5 reflectors get stained easily by splash so running them without a sheild will degrade the reflectors over time. If you are ok with the prospect of replacing them or if you don't feel splashes will be a problem you don't need it.

Are the AI sol blues? If yes.
I would run 2 Blue+ 2 Coral+ and 2 Actinic.

 

[adamhicks1988]

should i go with 2 blue pluses and 4 coral pluses how would that look over a 41/2 ft tank custom acrylic tank with a 4ft opening for light fixture to hang over 115g tank any help with bulbs would be nice tyvm

 

[GSMguy]

should i go with 2 blue pluses and 4 coral pluses how would that look over a 41/2 ft tank custom acrylic tank with a 4ft opening for light fixture to hang over 115g tank any help with bulbs would be nice tyvm

That will be very white most people would go with 4 Blue+ and 2 Coral+ or 4 blue+ 1 Purple+ and 1 coral+

 

[tegee]

I recently installed a Tek Elite 8-bulb (48") fixture over my newly installed sps frag tank.

To that end, what bulb configuration would everyone recommend to get maximum growth to grow-out my sps's, while maintaining their color when they go to my tank (or other friends tanks) that run Radium and/or MH's.

So I guess what I am asking, is how do I get the best of both worlds on my new frag tank with an 8-bulb Tek Elite fixture and trying to maintain a 20k Radium look?

Any help and direction would be greatly appreciated........

 

[adamhicks1988]

Ok I want to get best spa groth n color so Wat would b the best combination

 

[ibanezgfx]

I just got my new bulbs. From front to back I have

ATI Blue Plus
ATI Purple Plus
ATI Blue Plus
GE 6500
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Blue Plus

Before pic with old bulbs


New bulbs


New tank shot


This was all done with my phone so the pic quality may not be the greatest but for a reference, here you go!

Also, don't min the messy tank. Will clean it up later.