The T5 Q&a Thread

[The Grim Reefer]

Re: Thanks for the help!

Re: Thanks for the help!

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15494285#post15494285 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lightsluvr
I wanted to stop back and say thanks to Grim and others who had some great ideas for our light system. We used the bulb combination suggested by Grim for our 24x54W retro-kit system.
Here is a FTS taken yesterday:

The bones of the system before the overhead panels were installed:

Under construction:

The rack is mounted on two rails which allow us to roll the entire system five feet back from the tank for maintenance, bulb replacement, etc. We put the (12) electronic ballasts on a tri-level bank at the rear of the rack to weight balance the system where it cantilevers through the wall. One ballast = 1 row of lights; makes for easy troubleshooting in case of a problem.

Thanks to many on here for the inspiration!

LL

Thats just too cool

 

[kb11235]

Is this the one? I noticed that it is not using icecap ballasts.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15494376#post15494376 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kb11235
Is this the one? I noticed that it is not using icecap ballasts.

Yep, if things are going well now there is no reason to overdrive all the lamps. Just having the 2 center one's slightly overdriven by the 430 is going to give a nice little kick.

 

[kb11235]

Great, and this will be enough for any corals and clams i would like to keep?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Yes

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Yes

 

[kb11235]

Great, thanks. I will post here when i get the lights.

 

[cql]

Grim,

I have an Elos system 120 which is 47x22.5x20 (LWH), and I'm looking at the ATI PM T5. I will be doing a mix reef, with claims and a few sps. What do think about the 36" 6x39 or the 48" 6X54 PM. I like the look of the 36 over my rimless tank and feel that the 48 really covers the whole tank. The 36" PM seems to look better, but i'll go with the 48" if it is a much better choice. Also, some bulb recommendation would be great.

Thank You

 

[arod2051]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15496237#post15496237 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cql
Grim,

I have an Elos system 120 which is 47x22.5x20 (LWH), and I'm looking at the ATI PM T5. I will be doing a mix reef, with claims and a few sps. What do think about the 36" 6x39 or the 48" 6X54 PM. I like the look of the 36 over my rimless tank and feel that the 48 really covers the whole tank. The 36" PM seems to look better, but i'll go with the 48" if it is a much better choice. Also, some bulb recommendation would be great.

Thank You

CQL,

Any reason why your are not considering the 8x54W? I am debating between a 6x24W vs an 8x24W for my Elos 70 which has the same 22.5" front-to-back depth as your Elos 120. Grim told a 6-bulb will work fine and another reefer told me to go with an 8-bulb.

You obviously made the choice for a 6-bulb fixture. Can you elaborate on your decision?

 

[drtrash]

Any reason your not looking at 6x39? Looking for a light for a 36 inch tank and wondering if the 6x24 would be enough light. A 6x39 is only $50 more. I personally like the look of a smaller fixture over the tank but extra light is hard too pass up.

 

[LisBorden]

Hey Grim --

I am currently running 48'' 54w 8 bulb set up over a 90gl.
2 X (URI) AquaSun; 2 X (Giesemann Powerchrome) Actinic Plus; 2 X (Korallen-Zucht) Fiji Purple; 1 X (URI) Super Actinic Blue; and 1 X (URI) Actinic White.

Here is a recent pic:

I've been getting great growth and colour with these bulbs but wondered if you knew of a better combination I could try. They have been running since November 2008 and I'm getting a head start on looking for replacement bulbs. I'm not not looking for too blue...just crisp and clear but not yellow. Also, are (Korallen-Zucht) Fiji Purple the same (or similar) as (URI) 75/25?

Thanks for such a great thread and for all your help. Cheers

 

[arod2051]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15496466#post15496466 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by drtrash
Any reason your not looking at 6x39? Looking for a light for a 36 inch tank and wondering if the 6x24 would be enough light. A 6x39 is only $50 more. I personally like the look of a smaller fixture over the tank but extra light is hard too pass up.

If you are addressing CQL, he is looking at a 6x39W fixture.

If you are addressing me, the Elos 70 is a crazy 30" long so a 24" fixture is the only solution.

The 6x24W fixture is 13.5"W and the 8x24W fixture is 17.5" covering a 22.5"W tank. I am a firm believer that you should light the area that has coral not the tank. If there is minimal light spread I'd go with the 8-bulb fixture. With decent spread I'd get the 6-bulb fixture. The thing is, I don't know what the light spread is like so I don't know which to get.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15496237#post15496237 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cql
Grim,

I have an Elos system 120 which is 47x22.5x20 (LWH), and I'm looking at the ATI PM T5. I will be doing a mix reef, with claims and a few sps. What do think about the 36" 6x39 or the 48" 6X54 PM. I like the look of the 36 over my rimless tank and feel that the 48 really covers the whole tank. The 36" PM seems to look better, but i'll go with the 48" if it is a much better choice. Also, some bulb recommendation would be great.

Thank You

For a rimless I'd do the 36" fixture, just make sure your high light critters are beneath the lamps.

Front
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Actinic White
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Blue Plus

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15496626#post15496626 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by LisBorden
Hey Grim --

I am currently running 48'' 54w 8 bulb set up over a 90gl.
2 X (URI) AquaSun; 2 X (Giesemann Powerchrome) Actinic Plus; 2 X (Korallen-Zucht) Fiji Purple; 1 X (URI) Super Actinic Blue; and 1 X (URI) Actinic White.

Here is a recent pic:

I've been getting great growth and colour with these bulbs but wondered if you knew of a better combination I could try. They have been running since November 2008 and I'm getting a head start on looking for replacement bulbs. I'm not not looking for too blue...just crisp and clear but not yellow. Also, are (Korallen-Zucht) Fiji Purple the same (or similar) as (URI) 75/25?

Thanks for such a great thread and for all your help. Cheers

75/25 is a little more of a neutral color to my eye but they both have about the same effect on the tank color.

If I were you I would try using a GE 6500K Daylight in place of one of the Aquasuns and a Actinic Plus or Blue Plus in place of the Super Actinic just to see what you think.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15496633#post15496633 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by arod2051
If you are addressing CQL, he is looking at a 6x39W fixture.

If you are addressing me, the Elos 70 is a crazy 30" long so a 24" fixture is the only solution.

The 6x24W fixture is 13.5"W and the 8x24W fixture is 17.5" covering a 22.5"W tank. I am a firm believer that you should light the area that has coral not the tank. If there is minimal light spread I'd go with the 8-bulb fixture. With decent spread I'd get the 6-bulb fixture. The thing is, I don't know what the light spread is like so I don't know which to get.

If you were throwing clams on the sand I would go for the extra 2 lamps. If not having 6 lamps will give you a lower light area for things like brains which aren't wild about direct T5 lighting.

 

[drtrash]

I forgot that the 70 wasn't a 36 inch tank. I woul like to see the light intensity of the 6x24 as well. More light seems to win out in the long run. I keep going back and forth over the 24w vs 39w in the 6 bulb PM.

 

[minnesotareefer]

How horrible would this fixture be?

4 Ft Fiji Sun T5 High Output Deluxe systems by Hamilton the 6 bulb one.

could I use the ATI replacement bulbs in it?

I just got my 90gal the other day and am wondering what lighting I could get away with? I might just spend the extra and get the ATI SP 6x54w, but wanted to know if anyone knows anything about this Hamilton fixture.

I want a mixed reef w/ sps up top and lps on the bottom.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15497460#post15497460 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by minnesotareefer
How horrible would this fixture be?

4 Ft Fiji Sun T5 High Output Deluxe systems by Hamilton the 6 bulb one.

could I use the ATI replacement bulbs in it?

I just got my 90gal the other day and am wondering what lighting I could get away with? I might just spend the extra and get the ATI SP 6x54w, but wanted to know if anyone knows anything about this Hamilton fixture.

I want a mixed reef w/ sps up top and lps on the bottom.

Hamilton makes OK halide stuff but I know nothing about their T5 equipment.

 

[imnotanerd]

I have 2 150 watt halides on my aga 120 and was wondering if i could be ok switching to 6 t5s? its mainly just lps and softies and if i did sps it would prob go in the upper 1/4 of the tank.

 

[imnotanerd]

I have 2 150 watt halides on my aga 120 and was wondering if i could be ok switching to 6 t5s? its mainly just lps and softies and if i did sps it would prob go in the upper 1/4 of the tank.