The T5 Q&a Thread

[DANNY G2004]

Hi Grim hope you could help me out my tank is 180g 72x24x24 curently 2x250HQI 14k phienix bulb I want to add some T5's maybe just 2 for more blue and to cut down on power consumption. What do you recomend I also don't want to over spend what would be the best for my system one more thing to add is that heat is not a problem I have about 400g total system volume.

 

[aquaman05]

I think that looks to blue Mr thingdoer but thats just me. I kinda liked the first ones you posted with maybe just alittle more blue.
Im no expert like Grim though but i guess it all depends on what ya like.

Thanks for the pics

 

[Mr. Thingdoer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15558558#post15558558 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by aquaman05
I think that looks to blue Mr thingdoer but thats just me. I kinda liked the first ones you posted with maybe just alittle more blue.
Im no expert like Grim though but i guess it all depends on what ya like.

Thanks for the pics

The pictures are misleading. The pictures actually aren't as accurate as I'd like them to be. It's blue, but maybe not as much as in the pictures. The hue is also more purple, and not as cyan (or teal) in person. I didn't set the white balance to the lights, and I use a $100 camera. Also, my monitor and yours aren't calibrated. I'd say in person it's comparable to a 20k radium in color (maybe more like 17k). I'll post another FTS when I get a photographer over here.

 

[aquaman05]

Sorry for back to back post but Mr Thingdoer those corals look Great in that lighting !!!
I guess everything else looks to blue for me.I need to find combo that is not as blue but make the corals stand out like that.'

Very nice tank !!

 

[teog]

Hi Grim,
I have a 12g 2x24 tank, its going to be a mix reef, nore sps though.

Have a NEP 6x54 and nova slr 2x54. This gives me a total of 8 bulbs over this tank. In order to fit the NEP in the canopy, I had to cut it down and remove the fans out of it.

Ive ordered two fans from a pc site and will be mounting them in the rear of the canopy for cooling. How do you think this will impact the bulbs?

Also I have access to giesemann bulbs locally so I wanted to stick with them exclusivley What bulb combo would you recommend?

Thanks,
teog

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15539897#post15539897 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by minnesotareefer
One more question I would really like to save a little change without skimping too much I was going to get the ATI 6 x 54w sunpower fixture but was wondering if I could get the tek 8x54w fixture for less money can anyone give me pros and cons with this please

In the long run you aren't saving any money. More power usage and more lamps to replace every year kinda blows your savings the first year.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15542021#post15542021 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Aristarchus
Hey Grim I seek your guidance,

Posted this a couple other places also but here goes-

I just recently purchased a couple SLS Tek T5 retro-kits, one came with a Workhorse ballast and the other came with a Advance Centium ballast. The Workhorse ballast fires up just fine, but my Advance ballast is having issues. I have it wired in correctly according to the diagrams and have checked all of my connections. The ballast fires up for about 10 seconds every 5-10 minutes and then shuts back off.

The ICN-2S54 by Advance. The leader in ballast technology. Centium Series high frequency electronic T5HO ballast.

# Powers: 1 or 2 F54T5/HO lamps, FC12T/HO or 36-55W 2G11 base CFL lamps.
# Input Watts: 46-120
# Input Volts: 120-277
# Ballast Factor: 85-122%
# Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): 10-20%
# Power Factor: 96-98%
# Length (in): 9.5
# Width (in): 1.7
# Height (in): 1.18

If it fires for 10 seconds then goes out it sounds like a bad ballast. If a lamp or connection is loose the ballast will turn off but that only takes a second or two.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15542441#post15542441 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by redhanded77
whats up grim, here is my current bulb order on my 10 bulb power module
FRONT
blue plus
75/25
blue plus
6500k
blue plus
blue plus
6500k
blue plus
75/25
blue plus

growth has been great, but i kinda want a lil more blue/white crisp to it. i was thinking of changing up some bulbs, what would you recommend? my tank is ALL sps and a few clams. dimensions are 6x2x2. if i was to take out one 6500k and one 75/25, would that be detrimental to growth? i was thinking of adding 2 more blue plus or 2 aqua blue.

Adding 2 more Blue Plus would be the way to go. You wouldn't lose a thing PAR wise. I would place the 75/25 and GE lamp that remain more towards the middle, like 4th and 7th slots.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15543691#post15543691 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Montezuma
New 24" PowerModile just came in. Anyone have a 8bulb combo they can show me pictures of? or Grim is there a combo you recommend?

With 8 I would do 6 Blue Plus, with a GE 6500K Daylight and a UVL Actinic white more a more 20K Look. 4 with 2 each of the GE and UVL Lamps for a more 14K look.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15547449#post15547449 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Montezuma
ok Grim,

With this new ATI 24" 8 bulb, im not sure wha to do. I really want a bulb combo that brings out tons of color, but would I be sacrificing lots of par? I intend to do acans and zoas, but not sure about sps. I would love to have a combo that makes colors pop. Any ideas?

Thanks in Advance

I would do 6 Blue Plus and 1 GE 6500K Daylight and 1 UVL Actinic white. Plenty of PAR and should bring out all colors.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15549178#post15549178 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Rob A
Hi Grim (and anyone else helping with the suggestions),
I hope you won lots of $$ and had a good trip.

I'm going to be getting a 125 very soon and am wanting to put T5 lights on it. I'd like to hear some suggestions on bulb combination and placements. The tank is 6 feet long and 18 inches wide. Inside the canopy is probably right at 6 feet as well. On our 75 gal we have a DIY crappy light which has 2 marine glow actinic bulbs and 4 screw in 6500K compact fluorescent bulbs (the curly ones). I have pretty decent growth on my zoas and LPS with these lights, but don't care for the color. It is too yellow and the zoas don't pop like I would like them to.

What would be suggested for a 125, with mainly zoas and some LPS (hammer, frog spawn and duncans) in it? I'd like to add a clam or two one day. Probably stay away from SPS for a while.

Bulb placement: Which would you recommend?
A)Maybe two sections of 3 foot (or 2 foot 6 inch?) bulbs laid out maybe like this?
--------------------- --------------------
--------------------- --------------------
--------------------- --------------------
--------------------- --------------------

What bulb combination would you suggest for a 125 gal, zoanthids and LPS? I'm thinking about 4 bulbs or maybe 5.

I have a Icecapp 660 and a workhorse 7. Will the workhorse do the job until I can get a better one? I was thinking about using the Icecapp to run the bluer bulbs that come on first and go off last while using the WH for the ones that come on last and go off first.

Thanks for any help offered.

Do 60" lamps in Aqua Illumination reflectors.

Front
ATI Blue Plus on WH 7
KZ Fiji Purple
ATI Blue Plus
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus on WH 7

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15550333#post15550333 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SkyPapa
Hi Grim,
Hope you won at the casino, I play poker at the Hard Rock Seminole Indian casino in Tampa.

Where do I mount fans?

I am adding 2 39w T5 retros to my 4 39w retro hanging fixture.
These are all the Reefgeek Icecap normal driven retros kits for a total of 6 39w lamps with lamps you recommended.

On an open bottom homemade hanging fixture that is 3 inches tall should I just mount the fans on top over the cold end drawing air up and out or blow on the lamps?

I see the vents on some of the high end fixtures kind of closer to one end, maybe a third of the length of the fixture.
Is that a better place and do they blow in or out?
I assume the fans blow out in both case but...

Thanks,

If anyone else knows what to do, while Grim is off enjoying himself, please post.

I won about a 10th of what the wife lost

I would look to add fans so that the label ends of the fans are directly cooled by the fan(s) and that the air blowing in from the fans will cause air to circulate through out the canopy.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15550861#post15550861 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by skippy823
just set a 125 72x18x24 gonna change from mh to t5s. do you think 6 60inch t5s will be enough or should i do 8? also i like growth with good color any bulb configuration you would recomend?

Do the 80 watt lamps. I would do 4 Blue Plus, 1 GE 6500K Daylight and 1 either ATI Pro Color or KZ Fiji Purple.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15554067#post15554067 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReeferJam
Hi Grim,

I have a 150g tank, 5X2X2. It is currently lit by 6 X 60" T5's powered by 3 Workhorse 7 ballasts under Tek 2 reflectors purchased last year.

I am due for new bulbs. I currently have all geissmans...2 aquablues, 2 actinic +, 1 midday, and 1 pure actinic.

While growth has been good (so long as my Ca reactor is keeping up), I feel color could be better. Mainly, my green monti caps and green digitata are really flat. Also, a poci with green polyps and the green polyps in my roscoe's blue are lacking as well. Oddly though, my neon green hydnophora looks incredible.

I've purchased 2 IC 660's and am in the process of deciding which bulbs to go with. I'm probably going to get aquaillumination reflectors from reekgeek so I can add more bulbs later.

Your input is greatly appreciated.

-RJ

Try 4 ATI Blue Plus lamps and 2 GE 6500K Daylights. The GE lamps tend to brighten up greens while the blue plus tend to make them fluoresce better. should look good.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15554221#post15554221 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mr. Thingdoer
I was not able to find the Aqua Blue or Actinic white locally, but have ordered them.

In the meantime, this is what I have been able to find and I have them in this order:

Front
ATI Blue +
ATI Blue +
UVL Aqua Sun
ATI Blue +
Geismann Actinic +
ATI Blue +

and here's what that looks like:

Looks good. I think I would try running the Aquasun with actinic white and the 4 blue pluses. Should look sweet.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15554611#post15554611 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rtparty
Grim,

How would this combo look?

2 Gmann Actinic Plus, 2 Gmann Aquablues and 2 UVL Super Actinics.

14k or 20k?

somewhere in between

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15556318#post15556318 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lyfey
Just wanted to see if anyone saw this article, its a breakdown of 3 UVL T5s. Great info here http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2009/3/review

Great to see someone with the equipment and letters after their name taking an interest in T5's. ABOUT TIME GUYS

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15557667#post15557667 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DANNY G2004
Hi Grim hope you could help me out my tank is 180g 72x24x24 curently 2x250HQI 14k phienix bulb I want to add some T5's maybe just 2 for more blue and to cut down on power consumption. What do you recomend I also don't want to over spend what would be the best for my system one more thing to add is that heat is not a problem I have about 400g total system volume.

A couple of 80 watt 60" ATI Blue Plus would be my choice.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15560224#post15560224 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by teog
Hi Grim,
I have a 12g 2x24 tank, its going to be a mix reef, nore sps though.

Have a NEP 6x54 and nova slr 2x54. This gives me a total of 8 bulbs over this tank. In order to fit the NEP in the canopy, I had to cut it down and remove the fans out of it.

Ive ordered two fans from a pc site and will be mounting them in the rear of the canopy for cooling. How do you think this will impact the bulbs?

Also I have access to giesemann bulbs locally so I wanted to stick with them exclusivley What bulb combo would you recommend?

Thanks,
teog

As long as you are cooling the lamp ends should be fine.

For lamps I would do 5 Actinic Plus, 2 Middays and 1 Aqua Flora,

 

[jet fixer]

My turn

My turn

Hey Grim,
I'm having trouble deciding between a 4 or 6 bulb light for a 75g 48"x18"x21" LPS tank. The stocking plans are a Hammer, Elegance, assorted Acans, Zoa's, and Ricordia. I will probably go with a 4" sand bed for a jawfish so the water level will not be that deep.

I like the looks of the 48" Aquaticlife T5 fixture but cannot find alot of feedback on them.
http://aquaticlife.com/t5ho/index.html

What would you recommend bulb/fixture wise?

I appreciate all the time you put into this thread, Thanks