The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
4 foot lamp light a 5 foot long tank pretty good.
The T5 Q&a Thread
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The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
A 4 lamp HO Ice Cap T5 retrofit will be fine. Use the 54 watt 48" lamps. Mount them in so you can add a couple more in if you decide higher light corals are calling your name down the road.
Front
Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
GE 6500k Daylight
Blue Plus
Should look good for fish.
Grim... I was looking at the new Icecap T5s...just cuirous, it decribes their colors in relation to being overdriven on icecap ballasts...what do you think they would look like just being run in say, my constellation fixture?
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
They look slightly different but it's mainly being brighter more than a different.
sfboarders
New member
Thanks for the response! But which do you recommend? Big difference in the price though. I take it because one of them is pre-wired? If I run a FOWLR tank do I run only certain lights? It won't fry the fish will it? Sorry this is all new to me.
http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5...red_Retrofit_Kit_w!_Ballast_&_Bulbs_by_IceCap
Probably easier for me if I add more bulbs if I go with this one?
http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5...5_High-Output_Retrofit_Kit_w!_Bulbs_by_IceCap
jflick345
New member
Sheesh...I tried sifting through this thread to get an answer without posting but I give up! haha I'm setting up a 45g that is 36Lx12Wx24H. I was looking at just going with a 4x39w T5 setup mainly b/c most 6 bulbs are around 12in+ wide. I also started by looking at the Sundial and Nova Extreme fixtures but I'm leaning towards the Tek. For a 36" 4 bulb fixture what's my best bet and if I went for one of the two lower quality selections than the tek how much would that limit my coral choices for the tank? I don't really have any plans to keep many lps or sps in the near future and any would obviously be high in the tank. It's my first non-nano reef so I was looking mainly at soft corals to start. Thanks for your help!
Thanks, Grim!
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
The cheaper HO Kit. The VHO uses the Ice Cap ballast which is bucks.
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
The Tek will be fine as long as you keep any LPS up off the bottom and only a few easy SPS near the top
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
Yep, the fluorescence wont be as apparent because of the visible blue light the T5 provides.
Hey Grim,
I have a 36" Nova Ext.Pro over a 46 bow that's been doing great, but needs new bulbs.
Here's what I'm thinking:
Front
Blue +
UV 75/25 or Fiji Purple or ProColor
Blue +
GE 6500k
Blue+
Actinic White or Blue +
Back
Which bulbs would you recommned to bring out the reds in slot 2?
And I'm having trouble deciding the last end bulb. I'm looking for a 14k to 18k type of look. Thanks so much!!
I have a 36" Nova Ext.Pro over a 46 bow that's been doing great, but needs new bulbs.
Here's what I'm thinking:
Front
Blue +
UV 75/25 or Fiji Purple or ProColor
Blue +
GE 6500k
Blue+
Actinic White or Blue +
Back
Which bulbs would you recommned to bring out the reds in slot 2?
And I'm having trouble deciding the last end bulb. I'm looking for a 14k to 18k type of look. Thanks so much!!
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
Yes, Put it in the front dusk dawn slot with as blue plus behind.
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
I would use an actinic white in slot 2 and a blue plus in the 6th.
OK Grim, tell me what bulbs to run.
I am currently running a 4 bulb 48"X54w retro on a 55gl. The bulb combination that came with the retro is 2 10000k and 2 tru actinic. I am ready to purchase new bulbs and want to know which I should use. The tank is mostly softies with a few LPS and SPS. I an getting good growth on everything.
I will be upgrading tanks in a few months to either a 75 or 90 and plan to add additional retros when the new tank is set up. Here are a couple of pictures of the tank taken in the last couple of days.
I am currently running a 4 bulb 48"X54w retro on a 55gl. The bulb combination that came with the retro is 2 10000k and 2 tru actinic. I am ready to purchase new bulbs and want to know which I should use. The tank is mostly softies with a few LPS and SPS. I an getting good growth on everything.
I will be upgrading tanks in a few months to either a 75 or 90 and plan to add additional retros when the new tank is set up. Here are a couple of pictures of the tank taken in the last couple of days.
AquaWave523
New member
Grim,
Right now, I have 3 blue plus, 1 White actinic and 1 GE 6500K (i'm getting another bulb sent since it broke during shipment and i have the option to pick something else other than another blue plus). Anyways, as you can see from the image below, it doesn't make much of a difference when all the lights are on. I want this shimmer metal halide effect that seems like its real sunny outside. I think having the 4 blue plus bulbs, it's not appearing that way. Can someone suggest a better combo? I like the blueish look, but when its the middle of the day, I would like to seem like the tank has that majestic,shimmery sunny day look. I was thinking one 10,000k bulb would do the trick? As you can see below both T5's, I used only 1 96Watt Compact lighting and it a difference.
Right now I have:
one GE 6500k
one White Actinic
three blue plus
(??? waiting for the company to send me a new bulb that crack during shipment) <---any suggestion what I can pick?
T5- Only dusk and dawn lights are on:
T-5All lights are on:
Compact - one 96 watt: (taken before I rearranged my rocks a couple weeks ago )
Right now, I have 3 blue plus, 1 White actinic and 1 GE 6500K (i'm getting another bulb sent since it broke during shipment and i have the option to pick something else other than another blue plus). Anyways, as you can see from the image below, it doesn't make much of a difference when all the lights are on. I want this shimmer metal halide effect that seems like its real sunny outside. I think having the 4 blue plus bulbs, it's not appearing that way. Can someone suggest a better combo? I like the blueish look, but when its the middle of the day, I would like to seem like the tank has that majestic,shimmery sunny day look. I was thinking one 10,000k bulb would do the trick? As you can see below both T5's, I used only 1 96Watt Compact lighting and it a difference.
Right now I have:
one GE 6500k
one White Actinic
three blue plus
(??? waiting for the company to send me a new bulb that crack during shipment) <---any suggestion what I can pick?
T5- Only dusk and dawn lights are on:
T-5All lights are on:
Compact - one 96 watt: (taken before I rearranged my rocks a couple weeks ago )
Last edited:
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
UVL Super Actinic, Sfigiloi or ATI
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15516894#post15516894 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by KingRicky
OK Grim, tell me what bulbs to run.
I am currently running a 4 bulb 48"X54w retro on a 55gl. The bulb combination that came with the retro is 2 10000k and 2 tru actinic. I am ready to purchase new bulbs and want to know which I should use. The tank is mostly softies with a few LPS and SPS. I an getting good growth on everything.
I will be upgrading tanks in a few months to either a 75 or 90 and plan to add additional retros when the new tank is set up. Here are a couple of pictures of the tank taken in the last couple of days.
With what you are stocking I would do 3 ATI Blue Plus and a GE 6500K Daylight. Should look nice.
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