The T5 Q&a Thread

[Felixc395]

Great. I'd prefer my tank to be illuminated by a high Kelvin light with a good brand, such as 15k to 20k. With 4 bulbs, what would you suggest I get. I'd also like two to be actinic bulbs if possible.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Great. I'd prefer my tank to be illuminated by a high Kelvin light with a good brand, such as 15k to 20k. With 4 bulbs, what would you suggest I get. I'd also like two to be actinic bulbs if possible.

The Blue Plus lamps give you about as much fluorescence as actinics.

I would do 3 ATI Blue Plus and 1 UVL Actinic White. It will be blue with a slightly purple tint.

 

[Felixc395]

The Blue Plus lamps give you about as much fluorescence as actinics.

I would do 3 ATI Blue Plus and 1 UVL Actinic White. It will be blue with a slightly purple tint.

Great! I would want to create a dawn to dusk effect on the aquarium. I'd use a timer, so which bulbs would be used as the dawn/dusk bulbs and which would be serviced as the daylight?

 

[RufRidn]

Grim,

I have another tank its 90 gallons 48x18x30. I have a 48" 4 bulb current usa nova with stock bulbs, what should I change the bulbs to?

Thanks

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Great! I would want to create a dawn to dusk effect on the aquarium. I'd use a timer, so which bulbs would be used as the dawn/dusk bulbs and which would be serviced as the daylight?

Use 2 Blue Plus for dusk/dawn. The AW lamp is bright with a pink tint to it so it will give a nice contrast for your daylight pair when it kicks in.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Grim,

I have another tank its 90 gallons 48x18x30. I have a 48" 4 bulb current usa nova with stock bulbs, what should I change the bulbs to?

Thanks

A better fixture :rollface:

2 Blue Plus, and ATI Aquablue and KZ Fiji Purple

 

[RufRidn]

LOL, what fixture do you recommend?

 

[roushracer]

LOL, what fixture do you recommend?

Anything with individual reflectors, like ATI, TEK, etc...

 

[RufRidn]

Mine have the newer slr reflectors does that make it better?

 

[Felixc395]

Use 2 Blue Plus for dusk/dawn. The AW lamp is bright with a pink tint to it so it will give a nice contrast for your daylight pair when it kicks in.

Awesome! Thanks so much for the great advice! Thank you also for replying so quickly. My tank should flourish soon thanks to your advice!

 

[newsalt]

Grim:

There's another thread on RC where the fellow found a great bulb combo to give a 20k look. The combo is:

(Front)

ATI blue +
KZ fiji purple
ATI blue +
Giesemann Actinic+ (about the same as a blue +, little less par)
UVL super actinic
ATI blue +

(Back)

I have an Aquactinics 72" fixture that has 2 rows of 7 bulbs. What would you recommend putting in as the 7th bulb in the above combo to still give the 20k look?
Thanks

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Mine have the newer slr reflectors does that make it better?

It helps some but on a 24" tall tank I would want at least a Tek for any serious amount of SPS or clams.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Grim:

There's another thread on RC where the fellow found a great bulb combo to give a 20k look. The combo is:

(Front)

ATI blue +
KZ fiji purple
ATI blue +
Giesemann Actinic+ (about the same as a blue +, little less par)
UVL super actinic
ATI blue +

(Back)

I have an Aquactinics 72" fixture that has 2 rows of 7 bulbs. What would you recommend putting in as the 7th bulb in the above combo to still give the 20k look?
Thanks

ATI blue +
KZ fiji purple
UVL Super Actinic
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Blue +
ATI Aquablue or Fiji Purple
ATI Blue +
(Back)

Use 3&5 for dusk dawn and 1,4 and 7 next with the Aquablue and Fiji for the Daylight. Using 2 Fiji Purple would give you a bit of purple to the light but more subdued look than the aquablue

 

[Doureefa]

Hey Grim ...
I have a tek fixture that is 48" and 4 bulbs. Currently I have 2 aqua blue plus and 2 aqua blue specials, both ATI. I remember when I first got the fixture, you recommended me a combination of different color bulbs ranging from uvl to giesemann to ATI. I need different bulbs soon. Can you recommend me, again, front to back different bulb combination. Thanks

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Hey Grim ...
I have a tek fixture that is 48" and 4 bulbs. Currently I have 2 aqua blue plus and 2 aqua blue specials, both ATI. I remember when I first got the fixture, you recommended me a combination of different color bulbs ranging from uvl to giesemann to ATI. I need different bulbs soon. Can you recommend me, again, front to back different bulb combination. Thanks

Front
Blue Plus
UVL Actinic White
Blue Plus
Blue Plus

You could use a Aquablue in slot 3 if you want less blue look to the light.

 

[Tank2379]

Should look good. Kinda 14K or so.

Would that be to much?

 

[Nemo Niblets]

Hi,
I'm upgrading to a 120 gallon reef tank with the dimensions 48"x24"x24". I plan on it being mostly SPS dominated, but with softies such as mushrooms and zoas and LPS on the bottom to middle of the tank. I have narrowed my choices down to three T5 light fixtures due to the black color (The big woman vetoed a silver fixture).

1. Aquactinics Constellation 7x54w *$680.00, comes with mounting brackets*
2. TEK elite 6x54w *474.00+50.00 mounting brackets = 524.00*
3. TEK elite 8x54w *580.00+50.00 mounting brackets = 630.00*

I don't think the TEK 6x54w will be enough power for me to be satisfied forever, but at 150 dollars less than the Aquactinics I'm considering it...

The Aquactinics seems about perfect, but it is more expensive than the more powerful TEK 8x54w

The TEK 8x54w is cheaper, but only by 50 dollars. I would probably rather get more power, but I don't want to cook my lower light coral.

Which would you guys recommend?

Thanks so much!

 

[newsalt]

ATI blue +
KZ fiji purple
UVL Super Actinic
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Blue +
ATI Aquablue or Fiji Purple
ATI Blue +
(Back)

Use 3&5 for dusk dawn and 1,4 and 7 next with the Aquablue and Fiji for the Daylight. Using 2 Fiji Purple would give you a bit of purple to the light but more subdued look than the aquablue

Thanks for the recommendation Grim. I made one change to the 6th row and did this:
(Front)
Row 1-ATI blue +
Row 2-KZ fiji purple
Row 3-UVL Super Actinic
Row 4-ATI Blue +
Row 5-ATI Blue +
Row 6-ULV Actinic White
Row 7-ATI Blue +
(Back)

Row 3&5 just came on and I love the look so far. With this arrangement, what would you recommend for a photo period. I was going to do this:
11:30 am Row 3,5 ON
2:00 pm Row 1,4,7 ON
4:00 pm Row 2,6 ON
8:00 pm Row 2,6 OFF
9:00 pm Row 1,4,7 OFF
9:30 pm Row 3,5 OFF

 

[Felixc395]

The Blue Plus lamps give you about as much fluorescence as actinics.

I would do 3 ATI Blue Plus and 1 UVL Actinic White. It will be blue with a slightly purple tint.

Sorry for asking again. What Kelvin rating would this bulb combination simulate. I just don't want it to be too blue. I want it to be bluer than my 10k/actinic system now, so that my corals ''pop''.

 

[rangerD275]

Gads I got to put on my glasses before posting.

3 revision

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

Use the Blue Plus as dusk/dawn. You can do it in a few stages, each ballast will control 2 lamps so you can start with 2 blue plus, then add in another blue plus and a actinic white, then the last 2 blue pluses then the last two for midday. The ballasts don't come with switches, they can be plugged into appliance timers or you can get a reefkeeper.

Grim, as always thanks for the info. The kit I'm looking at is 2 hellolights 4 bulb retro's they each only use 1 ballast for 4 bulbs. How would that change things?