The T5 Q&a Thread

[jrp1588]

very interesting indeed. I won't be able to afford it for a bit, hopefully some tests come out before it's time to make the decision

 

[Spoolfish]

Hi Grim,
I'm building a SPS dominated 250 DD it's 60x36x27 with rear corner overflows. I'm thinking of running a 60" 6 bulb PM in the front and a 48" 6 bulb PM in the back so I don't get to much light in the overflows. What is your opinion on this and what bulbs should I use to get about 20k.

Thanks for your help,
Jay

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Hi Grim,
I'm building a SPS dominated 250 DD it's 60x36x27 with rear corner overflows. I'm thinking of running a 60" 6 bulb PM in the front and a 48" 6 bulb PM in the back so I don't get to much light in the overflows. What is your opinion on this and what bulbs should I use to get about 20k.

Thanks for your help,
Jay

Should work good. I would do 8 ATI Blue Plus, 2 UVL Atini White and 2 GE 6500K Daylights. Grab an extra Blue Plus and a Couple of Aquablues for spares so you can play with the mix. You want one Actinic white and GE front of center separated by an blue plus and one of each rear of center the same way.

 

[LCDRDATA]

If you are doing 4 lamps and will be replacing 2 actinic and 2 10K's I would get 2 ATI Blue Plus, 1 UVL Actinic White and a GE 6500K Daylight. If I remember right the 4 outside lamps are on one circuit. Those should be your dusk/dawn lamps because the lack of concentrated light isn't going to produce the PAR those 4 together in the middle will.

Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Actinic White
Your 4 6 month old lamps
ATI Blue Plus
Tru Actinic

If you don't like the dusk/dawn with the Actinic White swap it out for another tru actinic.

I don't know about the Tru lamps other than I have seen them on sale for 10 bux. You can build a decent lamp for that price. I really need to buy some of these cheap lamps/fixtures and have some fun but running 2 houses right now is a bit costly and I just can't justify it, until the other house sells.

Grim -

I'm a little confused (maybe it's just too early). In your first description in the above post you recommend 2xATI Blue Plus, 1xUVL Actinic White, and one GE 6500K daylight. But in the "diagram" (front to back list) that follows, the 6500K is nowhere to be found, apparently replaced by a TRU actinic, and the UVL Actinic White optionally replaced by another TRU actinic. So I'm unclear where (or even if) the 6500K daylight belongs. Also, the context of your remark on the sale-priced $10 TRU lamps (normally $19) suggests that you meant to say they cannot build a decent lamp for that price. Did you mean the last position would hold an ATI "true actinic" vs. a TRU (brand) actinic?

You are correct that the four outside lamps are on one switch and the four center are on the other. Unfortunately they're all on the same circuit, which means I can only put one set on a timer (by leaving the switch "on" constantly) and the other is effectively manual - which often means the center comes on with the timer at 10 am and the outside waits until I get home from work at about 6:00 pm and turn it on and then all eight lamps go off together (on the timer) at 10 pm. :sad2: To make up the difference I leave the outside switch in the "on" position once or twice a week so all eight lamps run the full 12 hours the following day.

If I'm reading you correctly, you've recommended reversing that sequence and having the outside set run (on the current schedule) 10 am - 10 pm and the center set run for the shorter period. The new lamps would go in the outside positions so the increased PAR doesn't shock the tank, and then in six months they'd rotate to the center, four new lamps go in the outside, and the four remaining year-old TRU lamps in the center get thrown out. In other words:

Front
ATI Blue Plus (12 hours/day)
UVL Actinic White [optionally ATI "true actinic"] (12 hours/day)
Your 4 6 month old lamps (2 ea TRU brand 10k/actinic, 4-8 hours/day)
ATI Blue Plus (12 hours/day)
ATI "true actinic" (12 hours/day)

Other options mentioned as possibles (ATI Pro Color & Aquablue, UVL 75/25, GE 6500K daylight) are no longer players.

Is this correct?

Sorry if this is overly long/convoluted, I just want to make sure I'm clear on exactly what you're saying. Thanks so much!

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Grim -

I'm a little confused (maybe it's just too early). In your first description in the above post you recommend 2xATI Blue Plus, 1xUVL Actinic White, and one GE 6500K daylight. But in the "diagram" (front to back list) that follows, the 6500K is nowhere to be found, apparently replaced by a TRU actinic, and the UVL Actinic White optionally replaced by another TRU actinic. So I'm unclear where (or even if) the 6500K daylight belongs. Also, the context of your remark on the sale-priced $10 TRU lamps (normally $19) suggests that you meant to say they cannot build a decent lamp for that price. Did you mean the last position would hold an ATI "true actinic" vs. a TRU (brand) actinic?

You are correct that the four outside lamps are on one switch and the four center are on the other. Unfortunately they're all on the same circuit, which means I can only put one set on a timer (by leaving the switch "on" constantly) and the other is effectively manual - which often means the center comes on with the timer at 10 am and the outside waits until I get home from work at about 6:00 pm and turn it on and then all eight lamps go off together (on the timer) at 10 pm. :sad2: To make up the difference I leave the outside switch in the "on" position once or twice a week so all eight lamps run the full 12 hours the following day.

If I'm reading you correctly, you've recommended reversing that sequence and having the outside set run (on the current schedule) 10 am - 10 pm and the center set run for the shorter period. The new lamps would go in the outside positions so the increased PAR doesn't shock the tank, and then in six months they'd rotate to the center, four new lamps go in the outside, and the four remaining year-old TRU lamps in the center get thrown out. In other words:

Front
ATI Blue Plus (12 hours/day)
UVL Actinic White [optionally ATI "true actinic"] (12 hours/day)
Your 4 6 month old lamps (2 ea TRU brand 10k/actinic, 4-8 hours/day)
ATI Blue Plus (12 hours/day)
ATI "true actinic" (12 hours/day)

Other options mentioned as possibles (ATI Pro Color & Aquablue, UVL 75/25, GE 6500K daylight) are no longer players.

Is this correct?

Sorry if this is overly long/convoluted, I just want to make sure I'm clear on exactly what you're saying. Thanks so much!

You got it except get the GE lamp and use it to replace one of the Tru 10K's in the center 4 lamp section.

 

[jrp1588]

Hey grim, let's say I decide to buy a sunpower unit or the new TEK elite. I'd get the 6 bulb 48" of either. What bulb combo would you recommend? I've got a std 75gal and am going for a mixed reef. I think I've seen you recommend something like this for a 6 bulb combo.
ATI Blue +
UVL Actinic White
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue +
ATI Blue +
ATI Aquablue

My current bulb combo (which I don't especially care for, but the bulbs are new) is as follows

UVL Superactinic
UVL actinic white
UVL Aquasun
UVL Aquasun
UVL actinic white
UVL Superactinic

I think it's the aquasuns that are the problem, they give my tank a pink hue. I'd like to use as many of my current bulbs as possible. What would you recommend?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Hey grim, let's say I decide to buy a sunpower unit or the new TEK elite. I'd get the 6 bulb 48" of either. What bulb combo would you recommend? I've got a std 75gal and am going for a mixed reef. I think I've seen you recommend something like this for a 6 bulb combo.
ATI Blue +
UVL Actinic White
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue +
ATI Blue +
ATI Aquablue

My current bulb combo (which I don't especially care for, but the bulbs are new) is as follows

UVL Superactinic
UVL actinic white
UVL Aquasun
UVL Aquasun
UVL actinic white
UVL Superactinic

I think it's the aquasuns that are the problem, they give my tank a pink hue. I'd like to use as many of my current bulbs as possible. What would you recommend?

Get 3 Blue Plus and a Aquablue and use a Super Actinic and Actinic White with them. Just store your lamps you have now horizontally and use them up as you do lamp changes.

 

[Deepsea2005]

Should be fine

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

Grim,

I forgot to ask you.
With the combo above, how the color looks like?
Will it be more blue,or more white...?

Thanks again,

Khanh,

 

[steevareno2002]

Wow! How wide is your tank?

 

[jrp1588]

that is an insane amount of bulbs! lol.

So, I wonder how much I could get on ebay for my 5 month used 4' 6 bulb TEK unit. I have a 24 bulb led moonlight modded into the system. Do you think this would increase the value or decrease it? hah. Anyone think I could get $300 out of it?

 

[rangerD275]

very nice. I've been looking into modding my 6 bulb 48" TEK unit to have active cooling, but I may go this route instead. Anyone know a good place I could pick up either a TEK elite or a sunpower? The only place I've found a TEK elite is on reefgeek.com

Is this is an easy project? I have heard of folks just putting fans in their canopy, or on the tank aimed at their tek. Are you talking about adding fans to the fixture? I haven't seen this yet, is there a thread?

 

[jrp1588]

Yeah, there's a thread on here somewhere. painkiller1009 did it if you want to PM him. I don't have a link to the thread unfortunately

 

[mlb75]

OK while I haven't read the entire 200+ pages of this forum from what I've seen very few people use T5 exclusively with 6' tanks. With that in mind I'm still very tempted and would like to hear opinions on what I should expect.

My existing tank is a 180 (72x24x24) and I've got 3x400watt 10K reeflux bulbs (in luminarc mini's) with 2 60" T5's powered by an IC660 for blue supplementation.

I'm considering getting rid of the MH and going to an 8 or 9 bulb T5 setup with the current tank keeping in mind the distinct possibility of upgrading to a Deep Dimension 300 gallon (72x36x27) in the very near future. If I went with the DD tank I'd add another 3 or 4 bulbs.

The tank right now is a mixed reef but I want to start moving to a more SPS dominated system so that should be kept in mind. I also am a not a fan of bluish looking tanks I really like the whiter light.

Am I crazy?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Grim,

I forgot to ask you.
With the combo above, how the color looks like?
Will it be more blue,or more white...?

Thanks again,

Khanh,

15K or so with actinics running

 

[The Grim Reefer]

OK while I haven't read the entire 200+ pages of this forum from what I've seen very few people use T5 exclusively with 6' tanks. With that in mind I'm still very tempted and would like to hear opinions on what I should expect.

My existing tank is a 180 (72x24x24) and I've got 3x400watt 10K reeflux bulbs (in luminarc mini's) with 2 60" T5's powered by an IC660 for blue supplementation.

I'm considering getting rid of the MH and going to an 8 or 9 bulb T5 setup with the current tank keeping in mind the distinct possibility of upgrading to a Deep Dimension 300 gallon (72x36x27) in the very near future. If I went with the DD tank I'd add another 3 or 4 bulbs.

The tank right now is a mixed reef but I want to start moving to a more SPS dominated system so that should be kept in mind. I also am a not a fan of bluish looking tanks I really like the whiter light.

Am I crazy?

the 60" lamps work good on a 72" tank. You can only fit 9 or them over a 24" tank because of the reflector width. Would work for a 27" tall as long as you don't go crazy with SPS being low in the tank

 

[LCDRDATA]

You got it except get the GE lamp and use it to replace one of the Tru 10K's in the center 4 lamp section.

One more quick question - Where do you buy the GE lamps? I've checked the local & online vendors I normally use and none of them carry it. I've found 6000K lamps from Gieseman and AquaticLife, 6500K lamps from AquaMedic and CoraLife, and 6700K lamps from BlueLife, CoraLife, Current, and Hagen/LifeGlo. Are any of these a good substitute for the GE 6500Ks? Thanks!

 

[The Grim Reefer]

One more quick question - Where do you buy the GE lamps? I've checked the local & online vendors I normally use and none of them carry it. I've found 6000K lamps from Gieseman and AquaticLife, 6500K lamps from AquaMedic and CoraLife, and 6700K lamps from BlueLife, CoraLife, Current, and Hagen/LifeGlo. Are any of these a good substitute for the GE 6500Ks? Thanks!

The Giesemann would work.

Reefgeek and Aquarium specialties (I think) Sell the GE lamp.

 

[mlb75]

Any opinion on which config would be brighter on the 180 or 300, the 400MH with a couple t5 supplements or the bunch of T5? Also can I get the bright white with T5 alone or would it naturally gravitate more to the blues?

 

[mlb75]

Also with since I'd be going with the 60" bulbs are there sufficient options like with 36 or 48" bulbs?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Any opinion on which config would be brighter on the 180 or 300, the 400MH with a couple t5 supplements or the bunch of T5? Also can I get the bright white with T5 alone or would it naturally gravitate more to the blues?

You can get any color you want out of T5's. 400's in good reflectors would be more intense.