The T5 Q&a Thread

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15615019#post15615019 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Felix T Cat
So I came here looking for a replacement set for my Nova Extreme Pro stock bulbs (4x10k's and 2x Actinics). Mixed reef, 40G breeder (although I'm eying up a 36" wide 65 gallon as well) with SPS, Zoas, Palys etc. I love the difference here but is there a better growth / lighting combo ?

Grim ?. Any suggestions ?. I've got 4 bulbs on one switch and 2 on the other. Would the suggestion be different if I went with the 65 instead of the 40g breeder ?

Thanks !!!

4 ATI Blue Plus, 1 UVL Actinic White and 1 GE 6500K Daylight is going to have a lot of PAR and look good.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15615289#post15615289 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bassist6108
Hey Grim, you helped me set up my t5 bulb set on my 40breeder. It has an aquactinic 5 bulb fixture. And my light looks way white and like my corals are all washed out looking.

Right now I have:
Geismann Midday 6000k
GM Pure Actinic Plus
Empty
GM Pure Actinic Plus
Nameless MIdday 6000 K

What would you recommend to get a better overall color? Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Actinic White
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus.

 

[olie]

hey whats up grim reefer i wanted to change my bulbs and get a 20k look i have a 4 bulb 24watt t5 fixture and wanted to know what bulbs to go with and what brand? its for a 20g tank.

 

[reefgeek31]

Re: Re: ATI PowerModule 10 bulb

Re: Re: ATI PowerModule 10 bulb

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15617886#post15617886 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
How many lamps are you going to use?

10 bulbs sorry It will bw ATI PowerModule 10 bulb

 

[jkeim1974]

Hey Grim I got a free 4 lamp t5 fixture left over from a warehouse we wired. I'm going to add Ice cap reflectors but whats a good bulb configuration and what could I grow under it. Its going on a 75 gallon tank.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15617930#post15617930 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by olie
hey whats up grim reefer i wanted to change my bulbs and get a 20k look i have a 4 bulb 24watt t5 fixture and wanted to know what bulbs to go with and what brand? its for a 20g tank.

3 ATI Blue Plus and a UVL Actinic white would be my choice. You could use a ATI Aquablue, GE Daylight etc. instead of the actinic white.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Re: Re: Re: ATI PowerModule 10 bulb

Re: Re: Re: ATI PowerModule 10 bulb

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15618057#post15618057 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefgeek31
10 bulbs sorry It will bw ATI PowerModule 10 bulb

Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Super Actinic
UVL 75/25
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Super Actinic
UVL 75/25
ATI Blue Plus

I think that will give you a super actinic and 75/25 for dusk/dawn. If you dont like it just swap the lamps with those in a position close to it to give you the look you want.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15618235#post15618235 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jkeim1974
Hey Grim I got a free 4 lamp t5 fixture left over from a warehouse we wired. I'm going to add Ice cap reflectors but whats a good bulb configuration and what could I grow under it. Its going on a 75 gallon tank.

2 ATI Blue Plus, 1 ATI Aquablue and a UVL 75/25 or KZ Fiji Purple.

 

[Auntbeez]

Hi Grim, Thanks for sharing your knowledge... I have browsed these pages many times.
So I have a Tek 6x54w T5 light that the bulbs need replacing on.
Could you address the difference between using a mix of ATI blue plus & ATI aqua blue VS a combo of 3 ATI blue plus, 1GE 6500K, 1 aqua blue & 1 UVL act. white 50/50. (I may go with 4 ATI blue plus, 1GE 6500K, & 1 UVL act. white 50/50 for a tad more blue).
Also could you suggest a front to back lay out if I go with one of the later combos?
Of course I want the best of everything, looks, par, growth etc. etc.

Your advice is priceless, thank you again.
Barb

 

[reefgeek31]

Re: Re: Re: Re: ATI PowerModule 10 bulb

Re: Re: Re: Re: ATI PowerModule 10 bulb

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15619530#post15619530 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Super Actinic
UVL 75/25
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Super Actinic
UVL 75/25
ATI Blue Plus

I think that will give you a super actinic and 75/25 for dusk/dawn. If you dont like it just swap the lamps with those in a position close to it to give you the look you want.

Grimm that is only 9 bulbs what do you think about a GE 6500k some where in there. just a guess i know it is pretty white( yellowish) lots of par. Sorry to ramble

 

[freedominco]

Help with new fixture

Help with new fixture

So I recently went from running a 4 bulb Current Nova fixture with a 4 bulb Odyssey PC fixture over my 90 gallon mostly LPS tank. I traded both my fixtures for 4 Industrial type T-5 fixtures all with individual reflectors I stuffed the four fixtures into my hood and have my 4 ATI bulbs from my old fixture running with the best of the bulbs from the new fixtures. I want my tank to pop, be bright I want to be able to keep anything I want in it. What would be the best route to go trying to use the ATI bulbs I already have?

front
ATI Pro Color (3 months old)
ATI Aqua Blue Special (3 months old)
Geismen Blue Plus (needs to be replaced)
ATI Blue Plus (3 months old)
ATI Aqua Blue special (3 months old)
Aqua Medic 1000k (needs to be replaced)
Current T-5 HO 1000K (needs to be replaced)
Sylvania Luxlineplus FHO T-5/860 (needs to be replaced)

Thanks Grim for the time it must take to keep up with this thread.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15621057#post15621057 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Auntbeez
Hi Grim, Thanks for sharing your knowledge... I have browsed these pages many times.
So I have a Tek 6x54w T5 light that the bulbs need replacing on.
Could you address the difference between using a mix of ATI blue plus & ATI aqua blue VS a combo of 3 ATI blue plus, 1GE 6500K, 1 aqua blue & 1 UVL act. white 50/50. (I may go with 4 ATI blue plus, 1GE 6500K, & 1 UVL act. white 50/50 for a tad more blue).
Also could you suggest a front to back lay out if I go with one of the later combos?
Of course I want the best of everything, looks, par, growth etc. etc.

Your advice is priceless, thank you again.
Barb

The reason why I suggest a daylight and a lamp with extra red in it is for color rendering. When you use a mix of blue plus and Aquablue you have a lot of blue and green light but not much else. Yellow corals as well as pink and purple colors tend to get lost when running so much blue/green spectrum.

What color rendering comes down to is the color we perceive an object to be is a result of the color of light an object reflects. So if you place a yellow object under mostly blue light there isn't a lot of yellow spectrum to be reflected so the object will look very dull. Certain pink corals look steel blue under Blue Plus lamps, when you hit them with a daylight in the mix it looks like someone swapped out the blue coral with a pink one.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: ATI PowerModule 10 bulb

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: ATI PowerModule 10 bulb

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15623031#post15623031 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefgeek31
Grimm that is only 9 bulbs what do you think about a GE 6500k some where in there. just a guess i know it is pretty white( yellowish) lots of par. Sorry to ramble

Oops

Try this

Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Super Actinic
UVL 75/25
Blue Plus
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
UVL Super Actinic
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Blue Plus

Again play with the mix for dusk dawn. Try an actinic/blue plus and a blue plus/75/25 too.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Re: Help with new fixture

Re: Help with new fixture

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15623603#post15623603 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by freedominco
So I recently went from running a 4 bulb Current Nova fixture with a 4 bulb Odyssey PC fixture over my 90 gallon mostly LPS tank. I traded both my fixtures for 4 Industrial type T-5 fixtures all with individual reflectors I stuffed the four fixtures into my hood and have my 4 ATI bulbs from my old fixture running with the best of the bulbs from the new fixtures. I want my tank to pop, be bright I want to be able to keep anything I want in it. What would be the best route to go trying to use the ATI bulbs I already have?

front
ATI Pro Color (3 months old)
ATI Aqua Blue Special (3 months old)
Geismen Blue Plus (needs to be replaced)
ATI Blue Plus (3 months old)
ATI Aqua Blue special (3 months old)
Aqua Medic 1000k (needs to be replaced)
Current T-5 HO 1000K (needs to be replaced)
Sylvania Luxlineplus FHO T-5/860 (needs to be replaced)

Thanks Grim for the time it must take to keep up with this thread.

If you are talking having 4 lamps you can't keep anything you want. You couldn't do that with 8 lamps with the industrial fixtures that tend to just have polished aluminum reflectors.

What brand are these fixtures?

For 4 lamps use one of your Aquablues and the Blue Plus and add a KZ Fiji Purple and another Blue Plus.

 

[serpent]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15617889#post15617889 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
4 ATI Blue Plus, 1 UVL Actinic White and 1 GE 6500K Daylight is going to have a lot of PAR and look good.

Grim, would this combo also work for a 55 gallon with Zoa/Paly, rics, and acans on the sand? I am looking for a new combination that will give me the most par with a blue hue. Thanks.

Nate

 

[freedominco]

Re: Re: Help with new fixture

Re: Re: Help with new fixture

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15624278#post15624278 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
If you are talking having 4 lamps you can't keep anything you want. You couldn't do that with 8 lamps with the industrial fixtures that tend to just have polished aluminum reflectors.

What brand are these fixtures?

For 4 lamps use one of your Aquablues and the Blue Plus and add a KZ Fiji Purple and another Blue Plus.

Grim the fixtures are made by sun systems and have tek reflectors for each different bulb, they came from a 320 gallon tank and the guy claimed that he use to keep claims on the sand bed running these lights. I am using 4 different fixtures for a total of 8 bulbs so using 8 bulbs what combo should I use for the highest PAR without to much yellow?

Here is a link to the fixtures:

http://www.sunlightsupply.com/hort/...DYFIT&title=Fluorescent Lighting&type=product

Thanks again Grim for your time it is appreciated.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15625705#post15625705 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by serpent
Grim, would this combo also work for a 55 gallon with Zoa/Paly, rics, and acans on the sand? I am looking for a new combination that will give me the most par with a blue hue. Thanks.

Nate

That should be fine.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Re: Re: Re: Help with new fixture

Re: Re: Re: Help with new fixture

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15626143#post15626143 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by freedominco
Grim the fixtures are made by sun systems and have tek reflectors for each different bulb, they came from a 320 gallon tank and the guy claimed that he use to keep claims on the sand bed running these lights. I am using 4 different fixtures for a total of 8 bulbs so using 8 bulbs what combo should I use for the highest PAR without to much yellow?

Here is a link to the fixtures:

http://www.sunlightsupply.com/hort/...DYFIT&title=Fluorescent Lighting&type=product

Thanks again Grim for your time it is appreciated.

OK

go with 5 Blue Pluses, 2 Aquablues and a Pro Color. If you pro color is toasted then go with a UVL Actinic white. Grab a GE 6500K Daylight too. Try it in place of an aquablue or blue plus to see what you thing.

 

[uhuru]

Going to be running a 10 x 39w ATI PM on a non-photosynthetic tank (originally bought it for an SPS setup). Looking to run about 6 pure actinic bulbs, 1 fiji purple, 2 blue+, 1 aquablue special.

Who makes the best pure actinic bulb and what do you think of this combo? I'm hoping to prevent algae overgrowth as the tank will be constantly infused with food. Also I'm going for a deepwater look.

 

[reefgeek31]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: ATI PowerModule 10 bulb

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: ATI PowerModule 10 bulb

Thanks Grimm you a god send! It would take me for ever to laern what you carry around in the head of yours. Thanks a lot

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15624250#post15624250 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Oops

Try this

Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Super Actinic
UVL 75/25
Blue Plus
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
UVL Super Actinic
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Blue Plus

Again play with the mix for dusk dawn. Try an actinic/blue plus and a blue plus/75/25 too.