The T5 Q&a Thread

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15481081#post15481081 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 1morecoral
Hey Grim,

I just received my 48" - 6 bulb ATI Sunpower fixture from Reef Geek and these guys are great by the way. The first fixture they sent me had the reflectors all bent up. I called them and they shipped me a replacement fixture the very next day.

My question is bulb placement. My bulbs are...4-ATI Blue Plus, 1-GE 6500K Daylight and 1-UVL Actinic white. The second and fifth positions are the dawn/dusk positions. From the front what would you suggest for bulb placement.

Thanks for your help.

Front
Blue Plus
Blue Plus
Actinic WHite
GE
Blue Plus
Blue Plus

Try out the actinic white in the 2nd slot for dusk dawn to see what you think. I think it will be too overpowering but it's worth a look. I love the 75/25 in that position but it is more subdued so I am not sure how the Actinic WHite will look.

 

[edub_50]

Hey Grim!

First, your's is THE most informative thread on here-thanks for all your effort!

I have a 180gal (6ft x 24" x 24") that had 2 400watt halides and I ran 20k radiums with 8 t5 actinics. I've since been castrated due to multiple $800 electric bills. After my surgery healed, I read your thread and switched to just the 8 t5s with a combo that I pulled off your thread.

(Sorry I can't read all the bulbs, but its something like 2 6500k, ati pro color, super actinic, and 4 giesmann actinic+)

I like it, but in the midday, it looks a bit too 'yellow.' I like the intense blue look of the 20k radiums and intense actinic but want something similar to it in the t5s. Now that I have to replace the bulbs, I want to go to reefgeek and grab 8 that will make my tank look similar to the 20k but with adequate PAR for my spss...spses...sps's (however its spelled!)

Thanks Grim!

 

[edub_50]

oops, sorry I forgot that they were 54 watt bulbs! Thanks again Grim!

 

[arc eye]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15479379#post15479379 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
There is some difference for the different lengths but it isn't huge. Personally I would use the 80 watt lamps.

Sorry to be a bother, but what about the 20" glass center brace on my 180g? Would it have a major impact on PAR if I went with the 60" bulbs?

 

[Hdhuntr01]

GRIM,
I am picking up a 120G tomorrow 48" X 24" X 24". It has a tall canopy so height is not an issue. I will be housing a variety of corals from Acropora to Acans and everything in between including clams. (Mostly SPS) If I use the 400Watt Metal Halides I am thinking about I will only have room for 4 maybe 6 T-5's. I was planning on running the T-5's most of the time and the Metal Halides would run about 4 or 5 hours each day but I don't think four T-5's will be enough.
What would you suggest I do? I don't have any light fixtures for this tank yet so I can go any way that works. I would prefer not to run a chiller unless I absolutely have to.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15481648#post15481648 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by edub_50
Hey Grim!

First, your's is THE most informative thread on here-thanks for all your effort!

I have a 180gal (6ft x 24" x 24") that had 2 400watt halides and I ran 20k radiums with 8 t5 actinics. I've since been castrated due to multiple $800 electric bills. After my surgery healed, I read your thread and switched to just the 8 t5s with a combo that I pulled off your thread.

(Sorry I can't read all the bulbs, but its something like 2 6500k, ati pro color, super actinic, and 4 giesmann actinic+)

I like it, but in the midday, it looks a bit too 'yellow.' I like the intense blue look of the 20k radiums and intense actinic but want something similar to it in the t5s. Now that I have to replace the bulbs, I want to go to reefgeek and grab 8 that will make my tank look similar to the 20k but with adequate PAR for my spss...spses...sps's (however its spelled!)

Thanks Grim!

Go with 6 ATI Blue Plus, 1 GE Daylight and 1 UVL Actinic White Having the extra 2 Blue Plus lamps is going to really bump up the blue. The Actinic White lamp is a less red than the Pro Color and you are cutting the Daylight in half. I would also grab an extra ATI Aquablue lamp just in case you find the recoed mix too blue. The Aquablue will brighten things up without adding any yellow.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15481921#post15481921 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by arc eye
Sorry to be a bother, but what about the 20" glass center brace on my 180g? Would it have a major impact on PAR if I went with the 60" bulbs?

The brace is an issue but it's even a bigger one with the 39 watt lamps where you are compounding the light being blocked by the brace with the fact you have the area where the two lamps meet being above the glass, you lose even more light.

If you were to arrange the tank so it has an Island of rock on each side leaving the center as an open area for low light critters it would make sense to go with the 2x39 per row.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15481964#post15481964 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Hdhuntr01
GRIM,
I am picking up a 120G tomorrow 48" X 24" X 24". It has a tall canopy so height is not an issue. I will be housing a variety of corals from Acropora to Acans and everything in between including clams. (Mostly SPS) If I use the 400Watt Metal Halides I am thinking about I will only have room for 4 maybe 6 T-5's. I was planning on running the T-5's most of the time and the Metal Halides would run about 4 or 5 hours each day but I don't think four T-5's will be enough.
What would you suggest I do? I don't have any light fixtures for this tank yet so I can go any way that works. I would prefer not to run a chiller unless I absolutely have to.

I doubt you can get more than 4 T5's in there

I would do

Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Actinic White
Halide
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Blue Plus

Run a 10 to 14K halide with that mix and it should look sweet. The T5's will be deep blue but the actinic white will pick up all the pink/purple colors that would normally be missed under the blue lamps.

 

[arc eye]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15483409#post15483409 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
The brace is an issue but it's even a bigger one with the 39 watt lamps where you are compounding the light being blocked by the brace with the fact you have the area where the two lamps meet being above the glass, you lose even more light.

If you were to arrange the tank so it has an Island of rock on each side leaving the center as an open area for low light critters it would make sense to go with the 2x39 per row.

Just what I was looking for! thanks

sounds like an overdriven 6x80w retro is the way to go

 

[BR12349]

Would a Tek 4 bulb on legs on a 55gal? I currently have a 65x4 pc. Is this a good upgrade?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15483789#post15483789 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BR12349
Would a Tek 4 bulb on legs on a 55gal? I currently have a 65x4 pc. Is this a good upgrade?

Very good upgrade. You could keep most anything under the Tek light.

 

[PrangeWay]

hmm couldn't find it anywhere in here, but...

Do you have any opinions on the UVL Genesis 6500K Bulb? PA was backorderd on GE so they sub'd (I approved) the UVL Genesis as a sub.


PW

 

[BR12349]

what bulbs should i run in the tek light? I want to try a couple sps or lps on the top. The rest is soft , shrooms, things like that.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15483824#post15483824 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by PrangeWay
hmm couldn't find it anywhere in here, but...

Do you have any opinions on the UVL Genesis 6500K Bulb? PA was backorderd on GE so they sub'd (I approved) the UVL Genesis as a sub.


PW

Havent seen it yet

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15484241#post15484241 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BR12349
what bulbs should i run in the tek light? I want to try a couple sps or lps on the top. The rest is soft , shrooms, things like that.

Do 2 ATI Blue Plus and 1 Aquablue and 1 UVL Actinic White.

 

[Mike92]

Hi grim thanks for helping everyone. Ive got a aquaticlife 4 bulb t5 fixture with the stock bulbs over a 40 breeder. I'd like to keep the 420/460 bulbs (seem like blue + clones) but replace the two whites to get something with a lot of pop but still have good colors on sps. Kind of like this picture
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=14295295#post14295295
maybe even a bit more blue. I was thinking a uvl 75/25 with a ati aquablue special, giesemann aquablue plus, or aquascience special. What do you think?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I'd go with the Aquablue and either the 75/25 or fiji purple

 

[Mike92]

Thanks grim! Which aquablue, the ati or giesemann? Also what is the difference between the fiji and 75/25.

 

[Plan>B]

Hello grim... after reading most (not all) of this thread I have a question on a previous post on a depth of tank (30') that I plan on doing.... my question is what do you think the PAR would be near the bottom and would it be ok for clams? (BOLD is the question and ITALIC is your reply)

Any one else have this set up and have good results with SPS?


Originally posted by Saldarya
I have decided to go T5 on a 220G tank, 72"x24"x30" tall.

This tank is an upgrade from my current tank which uses 2-250W Radiums on an M80 ballast.

Looks liek I can fit 8, maybe 9 60" blubs above the Tank with an icecap retrofit.

So, a couple questions.

1. Will the 5' bulbs provide enough light spread down the sides of a 6' tank that the edges will not appear shaded?

2. What bulb combo woudl come close to the radiums visual appearance?

3. How will I do on a 30" tank as it relates to par? Clams on the bottom, the SPS can be in the top 24" of the tank.

4. Will i get a bigger bang for the buck if I just used the 10 bulb 5' ATI Powermodule versus the retrofit?

Thanks a ton!!


I think I would go for the powermodule and keep it as low to the tank as possible. You can sit it right on top if you want. I think having it lower, the better reflectors and more concentrated lamp positioning would give you more light over the taller tank.

For lamps

Front
ATI Blue Plus
KZ Fiji Purple
ATI Blue Plus
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus
KZ Fiji Purple
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Blue Plus
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus

I think the 3rd and 7th lamps are dusk/dawn on that fixture, if I got it wrong just shift the positions so you have 2 blue plus lamps in the slots for D-D.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15485274#post15485274 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mike92
Thanks grim! Which aquablue, the ati or giesemann? Also what is the difference between the fiji and 75/25.

Either Aquablue

The 75/25 looks a little more neutral but is pretty close to the Fiji.