The T5 Q&a Thread

[The Grim Reefer]

Quick question, should be pretty easy for someone to answer.

2x24 bulbs with Icecap Reflectors should be enough for most corals in a 12" deep tank correct?

As long as they are belo the reflectors. Once you get more than a couple inches front or rear of the reflectors the PAR drops pretty good

 

[InsideJoke]

As long as they are belo the reflectors. Once you get more than a couple inches front or rear of the reflectors the PAR drops pretty good

The tank is a 20long. Moving a couple of inches in either direction of each reflector/bulb will either put you at the glass or at the other bulb.

 

[gusmanda]

2 ATI Blue Plus
1 ATI Aquablue
1 UVL Actinic White or KZ Fiji Purple

what's the benefit of 1 UVL Actinic White vs. 1 KZ Fiji Purple? Just the look? Or would corals grow better with one vs the other?

 

[becact]

Does the KJ Fiji Purple have good PAR? How does it compare to ATI's Aquablue special?

 

[Pike614]

Thanks again Grim! What retrofit reflector would you recommend? The Sunlight Supply TEK II T5 Retrofit Reflector, Icecap T5 clip-on reflector??
How far above the water (in a canopy) can you mount a retrofit T5 system?
Thanks!

 

[The Grim Reefer]

what's the benefit of 1 UVL Actinic White vs. 1 KZ Fiji Purple? Just the look? Or would corals grow better with one vs the other?

The fiji lamp is a little more subtle and costs about 10 bux more.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Does the KJ Fiji Purple have good PAR? How does it compare to ATI's Aquablue special?

Less but it wasn't a huge amount.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Thanks again Grim! What retrofit reflector would you recommend? The Sunlight Supply TEK II T5 Retrofit Reflector, Icecap T5 clip-on reflector??
How far above the water (in a canopy) can you mount a retrofit T5 system?
Thanks!

Ice Cap. I would mount the lamps 4 to 6 inches above the water.

 

[Pike614]

great thanks!

 

[Pike614]

Hey Grim, do you have any feedback on the TRU brand of T5 bulbs?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Hey Grim, do you have any feedback on the TRU brand of T5 bulbs?

You get what you pay for. If they sell their lamps more than a few dollars less than the other brands you can't expect the same performance.

 

[runyonh]

Hi Grim I need to replace the bulbs on my 4 bulb 24 inch current fixture on my nano. My question is I like the white look. However I would like my corals to have more of a pop. I do not mind a little blue, but I do not want to blue the tank out. I have Zoas, sps,lps, and the corals range the color spectrum. could you suggest a 4 bulb set up that would make my color pop, and not blue the tank out to much.

 

[TRichardson79]

Thanks Grim! I appreciate it.

 

[FranktheTankTx]

Grim -

Two questions:

1. I notice that most (if not all) of your recommendations do not include true actinic bulbs. Do the blue plus bulbs provide all the actinic needed? I do notice that the UV 75/25 bulb is a popular suggestion - does it provide actinic supplementation as well?

2. My understanding is that T5 lighting (using the right bulbs) provides very high PAR levels, maybe higher than most MH bulbs. What is proper coral acclimation procedure when adding new corals to the tank to ensure a healthy new addition?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Hi Grim I need to replace the bulbs on my 4 bulb 24 inch current fixture on my nano. My question is I like the white look. However I would like my corals to have more of a pop. I do not mind a little blue, but I do not want to blue the tank out. I have Zoas, sps,lps, and the corals range the color spectrum. could you suggest a 4 bulb set up that would make my color pop, and not blue the tank out to much.

ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus

That wont be all that blue and should fluoresce things well.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Grim -

Two questions:

1. I notice that most (if not all) of your recommendations do not include true actinic bulbs. Do the blue plus bulbs provide all the actinic needed? I do notice that the UV 75/25 bulb is a popular suggestion - does it provide actinic supplementation as well?

2. My understanding is that T5 lighting (using the right bulbs) provides very high PAR levels, maybe higher than most MH bulbs. What is proper coral acclimation procedure when adding new corals to the tank to ensure a healthy new addition?

Once all the lights are on it is very hard to tell their is an actinic in the mix yet by using them you give up a lot of PAR the blue plus has. The 75/25 has a lot of actinic in it but is more useful at adding some red an orange spectrum than fluorescing but they do help.

Acclimation depends on the lighting in the tank new arrivals come from. Anything less than 250 watt halides bleaching could be a concern.

 

[killagoby]

Hey Grim,

Why is it when you look at the graph for a 12k bulb it shows more 420nm in the spectrum, but a 14k peaks all at 460nm blue? Also, that graph for the 14k shows nothing in the 420nm range. If you look at the bulb color it looks like the 14k's are more "purple". Does that make sense?

Tks!
Killa

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Hey Grim,

Why is it when you look at the graph for a 12k bulb it shows more 420nm in the spectrum, but a 14k peaks all at 460nm blue? Also, that graph for the 14k shows nothing in the 420nm range. If you look at the bulb color it looks like the 14k's are more "purple". Does that make sense?

Tks!
Killa

If you are talking halides the more blue ones (14 and 20K) have a lot more blue than Actinic output. If you look at the graphs the 10K's are putting out more actinic than the blue lamps. Don't know why that is but my guess is that the salts they add to produce the blue light is absorbing more of the lower wavelength light that would otherwise be output from the lamp.

 

[holdyourlight]

a five foot fixture will work. 6 lamp ATI Sunpower would be my choice but the Nova extreme pro 6 foot one would work as would the 60" Tek.

would the PM be too much light if i am not keeping any sps save encrusting monti's?

do you like the sunpower a lot better than the tek??

thanks again

 

[Felixc395]

Hey Grim. I posted a thread in the reef chat section and I was wondering what lighting system would be good for my tank and someone suggested I ask you about T5 lights. I have a 37 gallon reef tank with soft corals and zoanthids. Dimensions are 30'' long, 12'' wide, by 17'' tall. I'd like to keep soft and all stony corals as well as clams. I was thinking metal halides but someone told me T5 would work. I'd prefer a fixture because I have a canopy. (sorry for being so picky) Which would you choose, metal halide or T5 for my case, and if you could what model?

Thanks!