The T5 Q&a Thread - split

Macro-algae Lighting ?
I have a 90g. "wave" reef, 9 years running. Doing a good cleaning and new bulbs.....again.
I want to add a fair amount of macroalgae in the display, so the lighting (6 t5s) needs to be different. I want my reds to look red, the mushrooms and the algae. Any advice would be appreciated. I am planning on........

ATI 4- Blu+
1- 6500k
1- ?
or some other combo? and the placement?
 
4 blue+ and either 2 6500k, or 6500k + purple+, or 6500k + 3000k.


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So we hear a lot of ATI bulbs suggestions, but is there anybody with experience with the Pacific Sun bulbs? They claim to have their own spectrum and the looks seem great. Saw the Crystal Blue bulb the other day and I was happily enjoyed. Nice colour and coral reacted well. Any other experience so far?
 
I am running Pac Sun's hybrid fixture: 8X39W T5 / 2x 145W LED.

Pac Sun Crystal Blue
Pac Sun Pigment +
Giesemann Pure Actinic
Pac Sun Crystal Blue

LED LED (All channels set to roughly the same values; 33% [red/amber a bit lower])

Pac Sun Crystal Blue
Giesemann Pure Actinic
Pac Sun Pigment Int.
Pac Sun Crystal Blue


I am very happy with how the Pac Sun bulbs look.
Not much to compare them to unfortunately as this is my first T5 setup and I have only replaced bulbs a few times.

My previous setup was 50-50 Giesemann Actinic Blue / Pac Sun Spectra +

I have to say I did not see any difference when changing from G.Act.Blue to the blue PS.C Blue bulbs, and I believe I have read that the G.Act.Blue is slightly darker blue than the ATI Blue+. If so, that should apply to the PS.C Blue as well IMO. (Never tried B+ myself)

I was also a but surprised (in a good way) when I tried the Pac Sun Pigment Int the first time. I thought this would create a much more purple hue than it actually did.
It is hard to compare online pictures to what you see on your own system, but from what I can tell from online pictures, the Pac Sun Pigment Int seems a bit less purple than the ATI purple+ (???)

I have also a set of Pac Sun Ultrawide UV bulbs.
I tried to run them in this setup:

Pac Sun Crystal Blue
Pac Sun Pigment +
Pac Sun Ultrawide UV
Pac Sun Crystal Blue

LED LED

Pac Sun Crystal Blue
Pac Sun Ultrawide UV
Pac Sun Pigment Int.
Pac Sun Crystal Blue

It was OK, but a bit too turquoise for me. I adjusted the LEDs accordingly (no green, no teal and set red channels similar to blues) and it looked fine.


If I had a "conventional 8x T5 fixture", I would probably run:

Pac Sun Crystal Blue
Pac Sun Pigment Int.
Pac Sun Crystal Blue
Pac Sun Ultrawide UV
Actinic
Pac Sun Crystal Blue
Pac Sun Pigment Int.
Pac Sun Crystal Blue
 
Question. I just installed a Aruba Sun 60" retro over my 72"x24"x24" to supplement my Kessil AP700s. How much PAR do you think two ATI Blue Plus are adding to my system?


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Bump for responses please


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Tomorrow I Will mount T5 8x39w
4 actinic blue giesemann
3 aquaazur giesemann
1 super purple

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I was thinking of making a retrofit of two T-5's to go along with my LED but I'm having some trouble tracking down 20" bulbs. There are a couple of older fixtures that have 20" bulbs (aqualights), so I figure 20" replacements must be around someplace.

24" is just a little too much for my 34 gallon cube (20x20x20)

Am I just out of luck or is my googling weak?
 
I was thinking of making a retrofit of two T-5's to go along with my LED but I'm having some trouble tracking down 20" bulbs. There are a couple of older fixtures that have 20" bulbs (aqualights), so I figure 20" replacements must be around someplace.

24" is just a little too much for my 34 gallon cube (20x20x20)

Am I just out of luck or is my googling weak?
I think only two or three manufactures ever made bulbs shorter than 24". The only decent manufacture was UVL and they're long gone. Current USA and Coralife might still make 18" bulbs. They are okay bulbs.
 
I am running Pac Sun's hybrid fixture: 8X39W T5 / 2x 145W LED.

Pac Sun Crystal Blue
Pac Sun Pigment +
Giesemann Pure Actinic
Pac Sun Crystal Blue

LED LED (All channels set to roughly the same values; 33% [red/amber a bit lower])

Pac Sun Crystal Blue
Giesemann Pure Actinic
Pac Sun Pigment Int.
Pac Sun Crystal Blue


I am very happy with how the Pac Sun bulbs look.
Not much to compare them to unfortunately as this is my first T5 setup and I have only replaced bulbs a few times.

My previous setup was 50-50 Giesemann Actinic Blue / Pac Sun Spectra +

I have to say I did not see any difference when changing from G.Act.Blue to the blue PS.C Blue bulbs, and I believe I have read that the G.Act.Blue is slightly darker blue than the ATI Blue+. If so, that should apply to the PS.C Blue as well IMO. (Never tried B+ myself)

I was also a but surprised (in a good way) when I tried the Pac Sun Pigment Int the first time. I thought this would create a much more purple hue than it actually did.
It is hard to compare online pictures to what you see on your own system, but from what I can tell from online pictures, the Pac Sun Pigment Int seems a bit less purple than the ATI purple+ (???)

I have also a set of Pac Sun Ultrawide UV bulbs.
I tried to run them in this setup:

Pac Sun Crystal Blue
Pac Sun Pigment +
Pac Sun Ultrawide UV
Pac Sun Crystal Blue

LED LED

Pac Sun Crystal Blue
Pac Sun Ultrawide UV
Pac Sun Pigment Int.
Pac Sun Crystal Blue

It was OK, but a bit too turquoise for me. I adjusted the LEDs accordingly (no green, no teal and set red channels similar to blues) and it looked fine.


If I had a "conventional 8x T5 fixture", I would probably run:

Pac Sun Crystal Blue
Pac Sun Pigment Int.
Pac Sun Crystal Blue
Pac Sun Ultrawide UV
Actinic
Pac Sun Crystal Blue
Pac Sun Pigment Int.
Pac Sun Crystal Blue

Thank you so much for your information.
I have the conventional 8x54W fixture (dimmable) and will use the PacSun bulbs in the next exchange.
Have ordered Crystal Blue, Pigment INT, Wide UV and Spectral bulb to tryout the different light settings.

Will probably go for this setup
Pac Sun Crystal Blue
Pac Sun Pigment Int.
Pac Sun Crystal Blue
Pac Sun Ultrawide UV
Pac Sun Crystal Blue
Pac Sun Crystal Blue
Pac Sun Spectral +
Pac Sun Crystal Blue
 
^
Looks like a setup I would like myself, janci.
I suggest buying some extra bulbs right away though just to play around with. If not you will probably end up thinking "what if"...
I would get at least one extra pigment int and one extra spectra; you can use them for future replacements anyways, so... not like it's a waste ;)

Hope you will post again when you try them out.
 
^
Looks like a setup I would like myself, janci.
I suggest buying some extra bulbs right away though just to play around with. If not you will probably end up thinking "what if"...
I would get at least one extra pigment int and one extra spectra; you can use them for future replacements anyways, so... not like it's a waste ;)

Hope you will post again when you try them out.

I will, but it will take some time as the tank is just ordered and will be delivered end of April.
I will post for sure as soon as it is set up.
Bulbs and extras have been ordered by now.
 
Hey grim ! I have recently set up a reef tank and gone in for a t5 set up . my tank size is 5 2 2 . currently I'm running4 red sea t5 . 1 actinic blue in the front followed by white , pink , white again . i don't have any corals as of now. just some button polyp which came in the live rock. they are 80 watts each. is this order okay? I've wired them on a diy wooden hood and powered them with a osram ballast kit. I have all 4 on each timer . I run the whites for 8 hours and the blue and pink together for 10 hours . is this fine? any advice would be aweomse. thanks !
 
Hey grim ! I have recently set up a reef tank and gone in for a t5 set up . my tank size is 5 2 2 . currently I'm running4 red sea t5 . 1 actinic blue in the front followed by white , pink , white again . i don't have any corals as of now. just some button polyp which came in the live rock. they are 80 watts each. is this order okay? I've wired them on a diy wooden hood and powered them with a osram ballast kit. I have all 4 on each timer . I run the whites for 8 hours and the blue and pink together for 10 hours . is this fine? any advice would be aweomse. thanks !

Grim left this thread ages ago.

Personally, I would not use a pink tube in a four-tube set up. It will be overwhelming.

actinic/blue+ coral+ blue+ coral+
 
Input on lighting schedule needed. I currently have 6x54 plus one reefbrite tech led strip running aprox 8 inches over my standard dim 90. The led stays on for 12 hours simply for the extra ciewing pleasure it provides. The t5 runs for a total of 8 hours but only two of those running all six bulbs. I guess my question relates to how long does everyone keep their t5s running? It is so brite with them all on and i dont want to cook things like i did when i started off with leds
 
The T5 Q&a Thread - split

The T5 Q&a Thread - split

For my 90 gallon standard dimension I run an 8x54 watt sunpower. My photoperiod is as follows

10:00-13:00 - 2 bulbs
13:00-15:00 - 8 bulbs
15:00-17:00 - 6 bulbs
17:00-19:00 - 8 bulbs
19:00-22:00 - 2 bulbs

Fixture is 12" over the water. I wish I had a par meter. Hate guessing if I have appropriate light levels.



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Why the dip in the center time slot? With my 6 bulbs 8inches off the water Im at 400 par another 8 inches into the water in the center of the fixture. 75-100 on the sand bed
 
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