The T5 Q&a Thread

[gorey]

Hey grim, I only have a 2 bulb 54w fixture. I know its not much, but its all I have, and looks like its going to be awhile before I upgrade. Anyway what do you think would be a good combo for it? All I really have is zoas. Thanks for the help, It looks like you take alot of time out of your day to help others, Again thanks!!!

 

[Croman]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15423739#post15423739 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
I would maybe do a Actinic White instead of the 75/25 but other than that I think it will do well.

Grim,

What's the word on Aqua Science bulbs?

 

[blide]

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by blide
Grim,

I recently upgraded my 20g to a 40b and I'm going to attempt to use the lighting TEK 4 bulb unit (Blue Plus, Super Actinic, Aquasun, Blue Plus :combo from your website) on the 40b. The TEK light has been great on the 20g and I've been able to grow SPS and etc. and I'm wanting to do similar in the 40b. Since the tank has more width and not depth I'm hoping it will work. One issue that do have though is the tank now looks extremely blue due to the width of the light being smaller than the tank. Would you recommend to me a different light combo that could compensate for the width to cut back on the amount of blue?

Here's some pics:
20G Tank
http://www.dfwmas.org/Forums/download/file.php?id=33289

http://www.dfwmas.org/Forums/download/file.php?id=33287

New 40b with 20g corals:
http://www.dfwmas.org/Forums/download/file.php?id=35619
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I would pull the Super Actinic and use an Actinic White in it's place and replace the Aquasun with an Aquablue. Should be brighter and look nice.


__________________


Grim thanks again! Keep up the great work! Here's a pic and it looks great without all the blue!

Here's a pic:

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15431978#post15431978 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gorey
Hey grim, I only have a 2 bulb 54w fixture. I know its not much, but its all I have, and looks like its going to be awhile before I upgrade. Anyway what do you think would be a good combo for it? All I really have is zoas. Thanks for the help, It looks like you take alot of time out of your day to help others, Again thanks!!!

ATI Blue Plus and a ATI Aquablue.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15434195#post15434195 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Croman
Grim,

What's the word on Aqua Science bulbs?

They are fine, about the same as giesemann except the 1500K Duo is a little bluer than a Aquablue and the special is more white.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15434341#post15434341 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by blide
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by blide
Grim,

I recently upgraded my 20g to a 40b and I'm going to attempt to use the lighting TEK 4 bulb unit (Blue Plus, Super Actinic, Aquasun, Blue Plus :combo from your website) on the 40b. The TEK light has been great on the 20g and I've been able to grow SPS and etc. and I'm wanting to do similar in the 40b. Since the tank has more width and not depth I'm hoping it will work. One issue that do have though is the tank now looks extremely blue due to the width of the light being smaller than the tank. Would you recommend to me a different light combo that could compensate for the width to cut back on the amount of blue?

Here's some pics:
20G Tank
http://www.dfwmas.org/Forums/download/file.php?id=33289

http://www.dfwmas.org/Forums/download/file.php?id=33287

New 40b with 20g corals:
http://www.dfwmas.org/Forums/download/file.php?id=35619
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



I would pull the Super Actinic and use an Actinic White in it's place and replace the Aquasun with an Aquablue. Should be brighter and look nice.


__________________


Grim thanks again! Keep up the great work! Here's a pic and it looks great without all the blue!

Here's a pic:

That tank would look sweet with a couple RIcordias in it

Nice.

 

[cykenp]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15431268#post15431268 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Pretty much.

If you keep the ati low (within a few inches of the top) I don't think you will have a problem with monties low in the tank assuming you are talking the branching ones and not caps.

Well I was thinking of trying some encrusting monti's. Should I go 8 bulb for that? Or would that be too much lighting for corals up top?

What bulbs would you recommend for the ATI 6 bulb fixture for the 90gal SPS tank? (Balanced growth and pop)

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15434567#post15434567 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cykenp
Well I was thinking of trying some encrusting monti's. Should I go 8 bulb for that? Or would that be too much lighting for corals up top?

What bulbs would you recommend for the ATI 6 bulb fixture for the 90gal SPS tank? (Balanced growth and pop)

I think the encrusting stuff is fairly light intensive. Not sure extra lamps would help a lot. They will mainly increase the area recieving higher light.

 

[cabanaboy1218]

Thanks Grim, do you know anyone or anywhere who sells the single ended 50w halide in higher K ratings? Also what do you think they'll do for growth? One more question and i'll leave you be... can one 75.25 over power actinics?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15434966#post15434966 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cabanaboy1218
Thanks Grim, do you know anyone or anywhere who sells the single ended 50w halide in higher K ratings? Also what do you think they'll do for growth? One more question and i'll leave you be... can one 75.25 over power actinics?

The 70 watt halides don't do much. The 50's are probably worthless for anything but a pico.

The 75/25 is fairly mellow and has a lot of actinic it's own bad self so it will expand the colors you will get under just actinics.

 

[maynardjames]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15423849#post15423849 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
The twilight is the same as the 454 UVL lamp which is their blue. Doesn't match the PAR as the Blue Plus and Actinic Plus lamps but looks nice. The only difference between the IC lamps and UVL is the IC have beefed up electrodes to make them hold up better to being overdriven. I don't overdrive my lamps so I am making arrangements to throw the lamps in a solar flare fixture so I can do a long term test.

im using a solarflare now, what combo of icecap bulbs would you recommend for it? and combo of any other bulbs also
now using
blue plus
blue plus
75/25
aquasun
blue plus
blue plus have a spare white actinic i could use also

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15435360#post15435360 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by maynardjames
im using a solarflare now, what combo of icecap bulbs would you recommend for it? and combo of any other bulbs also
now using
blue plus
blue plus
75/25
aquasun
blue plus
blue plus have a spare white actinic i could use also

Front
Deep water
Twilight
Twilight
Reefcrest
Twilight
Twilight

 

[sharko88]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15431323#post15431323 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
You want to make sure you are cooling the very ends of the lamps and not the center part. A single fan at one end blowing in from the back works. Cooling both ends is fine just make sure you are cooling all the lamps

Front
Blue Plus
UVL Actinc white
Blue Plus
Aquablue

should look nice overdriven.

What is the temperature that I should be below on the bulb ends? Or is there a saying like, "If they are too hot to touch, they are too hot"?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Under 115 degrees on the metal caps on the lamp ends or the air temp next to the lamp at 95.

 

[jeremyreef]

this thread name should be changed to "ask grim" :lol:

 

[Taqpol]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15428800#post15428800 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
I would try # 3 with a GE 6500K daylight in place of one of the blues and see what you think. The GE will add yellow which will bring your reds back from purple.

Love the rock work

Thank you! I'm happy with the two island look myself.

Now that you've put the idea in my head of using the one GE bulb in place of one of the actinic whites or aquablues I kinda want to try that. Unfortunately, its a pain in the ___ to get my hood off and at the lights in the back. Someday....

With MH's the lower kelvins are supposed to produce much faster growth, would the same be true of adding a GE 6500k? Or does the extra MH growth come from the increased PAR of the lower kelvin bulbs and not the spectrum. Also, does overdriving the bulbs with an IC660 change the color at all? I ask because I am thinking of overdriving four of my eight bulbs, but would leave all my d/d blue+ bulbs not overdriven and was wondering if overdriving my white-ish bulbs would overpower the non-overdriven blues.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15437661#post15437661 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Taqpol
Thank you! I'm happy with the two island look myself.

Now that you've put the idea in my head of using the one GE bulb in place of one of the actinic whites or aquablues I kinda want to try that. Unfortunately, its a pain in the ___ to get my hood off and at the lights in the back. Someday....

With MH's the lower kelvins are supposed to produce much faster growth, would the same be true of adding a GE 6500k? Or does the extra MH growth come from the increased PAR of the lower kelvin bulbs and not the spectrum. Also, does overdriving the bulbs with an IC660 change the color at all? I ask because I am thinking of overdriving four of my eight bulbs, but would leave all my d/d blue+ bulbs not overdriven and was wondering if overdriving my white-ish bulbs would overpower the non-overdriven blues.

The PAR of the lower K halides is what gets the growth. T5 Blue lamps have as much or more PAR as the daylights.

If you overdrive go heavy with blue lamps. I don't think overdriving really changes the spectrum but because the lamps are brighter it just looks less blue. I would use 2 Blue Plus type lamps with 2 white type lamps in the overdriven set.

 

[Taqpol]

Thanks Grim, thats what I wanted to know!

I would be overdriving 2x Aquablues, 1x Fiji Purple, and 1x Blue+, while the remaining 4 Blue+'s would be normally driven. That shouldn't over power the blue too much.

Who knows, maybe I'll just overdrive all eight, it would free up a power slot on my RK2. I have 4x 120mm fans (two on each end) blowing in on my endcaps, would that be enough cooling to overdrive all eight?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15437791#post15437791 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Taqpol
Thanks Grim, thats what I wanted to know!

I would be overdriving 2x Aquablues, 1x Fiji Purple, and 1x Blue+, while the remaining 4 Blue+'s would be normally driven. That shouldn't over power the blue too much.

Who knows, maybe I'll just overdrive all eight, it would free up a power slot on my RK2. I have 4x 120mm fans (two on each end) blowing in on my endcaps, would that be enough cooling to overdrive all eight?

Cooling should be fine.

 

[PGUY1]

First, I would like to thank Grim for all of his advice. This is a great thread. After going through this thread front to back 3 or 4 times I decided to call Reefgeek and order Aquaillumination retrofits for my Oceanic 120 mounted in the Oceanic canopy with a mixture of bulbs Grim had previously suggested. I am very pleased with the blue-white color I'm getting. I also mounted two 80mm Orion fans on the back of the canopy blowing inward down each row of endcaps. The only problem I"m having is with the fan noise. It is mostly a whirring noise like I'm hearing the bearings in the fans. Is there a quieter fan out there? The wife is wearing me out about the noise. You can hear it over the water going down the overflows. Also, I mounted the ballasts inside the cabinet. Would this cause a heat issue with the water in the sump? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Phil