The T5 Q&a Thread

[The Grim Reefer]

Hello Grim. I've made up some combos and would like your opinion on them for a 90G SPS tank with clams on the sand running a aquatinics solar flare. Looking for color (red, blues, greens, and PURPLES) but I think at this point more interested in good growth.

Current: Daylight is just ok but the Dusk/Dawn (2 & 5) not a big fan of, seems really yellowish to my eye.

Front
Blue +
UVL 75/25
Blue +
UVL Actinic White
Blue +
Blue +

Possible new combos:

Front
Aquablue
Blue +
UVL 75/25
Aquasun ?(I've notice you don't really recommend these anymore)
Blue +
Aquablue
Back

or

Front
Blue +
Blue +
Aquasun
Aquablue
Blue +
Blue +
Back

I have to buy all the lamps so any lamps are fair game (I would like to avoid the GE lamps for personal reasons if possible) and I'm open to any combo, whatever K rating except 10K or 20K would be fine I think.

Thanks for the help, again!

Bottom one would be good.

 

[Gondore]

ATI Sunpower

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

I have been hearing more and more that a 36'' is fine for a 48'' inch tank, even if it is sps dominated. What are your thoughts on this Grim?

 

[sjm817]

If you could get a hold of any kind of light meter I would try shutting down or even reversing the two center fans and see what happens.Even on an overdriven system a slight bit of airflow over the middle of the lamps dropped the output. Be really interesting to see what happens on the 80 watt lamps.

Grim, I finally got to messing around with the lux meter. Unfortunately, I could not test disconnecting the middle fans. There is no way to get in the back of the canopy to get at the connections without removing the whole canopy, and I dont have the time to do all that right now. I did play around a little though. I had the lux sensor mounted to the middle of the left cross brace. Not an ideal location, but good enough.

Time---Reading---comments
12:00---220---3 x B+ after reading stabilized. It went to 220 and never went down
12:15---822---all lamps on (3x B+, 2x AB, 1x KzP 822 max reading
12:20---800
12:25---786---stabilized at the reading
12:35---579---B+ off just AB & KzP
12:40---586---stabilized at this reading
12:45---799---all on
12:50---793
12:55---791
01:00---785---block middle exit vent
01:05---785---turn fans down from 12V to 9V (reduce speed and flow)
01:10---768---big drop in 5 min
01:15---791---fans back to 12V
01:20---1085--outdoors on bright sunny day

From what I can see, I may be a bit short on cooling capacity. I definitely dont have extra as slowing down the fans has an immediate negative effect.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I have been hearing more and more that a 36'' is fine for a 48'' inch tank, even if it is sps dominated. What are your thoughts on this Grim?

As long as you don't want high light critters at the ends it's fine.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Grim, I finally got to messing around with the lux meter. Unfortunately, I could not test disconnecting the middle fans. There is no way to get in the back of the canopy to get at the connections without removing the whole canopy, and I dont have the time to do all that right now. I did play around a little though. I had the lux sensor mounted to the middle of the left cross brace. Not an ideal location, but good enough.

Time---Reading---comments
12:00---220---3 x B+ after reading stabilized. It went to 220 and never went down
12:15---822---all lamps on (3x B+, 2x AB, 1x KzP 822 max reading
12:20---800
12:25---786---stabilized at the reading
12:35---579---B+ off just AB & KzP
12:40---586---stabilized at this reading
12:45---799---all on
12:50---793
12:55---791
01:00---785---block middle exit vent
01:05---785---turn fans down from 12V to 9V (reduce speed and flow)
01:10---768---big drop in 5 min
01:15---791---fans back to 12V
01:20---1085--outdoors on bright sunny day

From what I can see, I may be a bit short on cooling capacity. I definitely dont have extra as slowing down the fans has an immediate negative effect.

Are the center fans blowing out, if so a good thing.

The way too really tell is to shut down all the lights for a half hour or so then fire them all back up and watch the output. It should peak within a few minutes. If your cooling is adequate it shouldn't fall back more than maybe 10% once things heat up.

 

[sjm817]

All fans are blowing in. If the two outsides blow in, the two middle blow out, it would seem I would have lots of airflow in the back of the canopy and nothing up front.

Unfortunately, its a royal pain to do these kinds of tests since I have to remove the canopy to get at the fans. I can do the "all on" test easily enough. I kind of did. Even though I had the B+ on first, with all 6 bulbs they peaked at 822 fairly quickly. It dropped to 786 and stabilized there in 15 min which is only a 4 - 5% drop.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I'd call it good then.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

All fans are blowing in. If the two outsides blow in, the two middle blow out, it would seem I would have lots of airflow in the back of the canopy and nothing up front.

Unfortunately, its a royal pain to do these kinds of tests since I have to remove the canopy to get at the fans. I can do the "all on" test easily enough. I kind of did. Even though I had the B+ on first, with all 6 bulbs they peaked at 822 fairly quickly. It dropped to 786 and stabilized there in 15 min which is only a 4 - 5% drop.

I'd call it good then

 

[Merfin70]

Gents,

My LFS ordered a few too many KZ bulbs and is having a nice sale. Don't want to sound cheap but I'm thinking of stocking up for my next bulb change while the getting is good. I'll save a couple of bucks per bulb vs. shipping.

I'm running a 6x39w Sunpower. Any recommendations for an all KZ lineup from the following bulbs that they have available. Or am I asking for trouble by switching up to an all KZ lineup? They have the following available.

KZ SUPERBLUE
KZ CORAL LIGHT
KZ NEW GEN
KZ FIJI PURPLE

I'm currently running the following and am reasonable satisfied with the color if that helps with a KZ recommendation.

ATI B+
Fiji Purple
ATI B+
GE 6500
ATI B+
ATI B+

Thanks.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Gents,

My LFS ordered a few too many KZ bulbs and is having a nice sale. Don't want to sound cheap but I'm thinking of stocking up for my next bulb change while the getting is good. I'll save a couple of bucks per bulb vs. shipping.

I'm running a 6x39w Sunpower. Any recommendations for an all KZ lineup from the following bulbs that they have available. Or am I asking for trouble by switching up to an all KZ lineup? They have the following available.

KZ SUPERBLUE
KZ CORAL LIGHT
KZ NEW GEN
KZ FIJI PURPLE

I'm currently running the following and am reasonable satisfied with the color if that helps with a KZ recommendation.

ATI B+
Fiji Purple
ATI B+
GE 6500
ATI B+
ATI B+

Thanks.

Unless they are marked down to the point of being less expensive than the other brands I would grab a couple Fiji's and call it good.

I really don't know anything about their Blue. You could use a Coral Light in place of the GE but it will make your overall look more blue so be aware.

 

[topmav1]

Thanks!

 

[clevebill]

bulbs

bulbs

for the heck of i tried this combo
b+
75/25
b+
75/25
b+
it really makes the corlline pop and corals the color is a 15kish look a little purple but that might be because the coralline really showing.reminds me of the vho look back in the day.i tried aquablue specials and midday all seamed to wash out every thing when i ran 3 b+ 2 aquablue specials way to windex looking.

 

[HiroPro]

Hey Grimm - Awesome work. Don't know how you keep up.

Setting up a 120G - 48x24x24 and want a mixed tank. Clams, lps, sps, zoas, etc.

Looking at the ATI 8x54W PM fixture and wanted to know what bulb combo you would suggest.


Thanks!!

 

[Flowbot]

Is this an ok light cycle:
actinic bulbs run 8 hrs
daylight bulbs run 5 hrs
I have a lot of SPS so I was wondering if I should bump up either light cycle?

 

[ddmiller38]

Nova Extreme 4x39w

Nova Extreme 4x39w

I have a Nova Extreme 4x39w on a 40 gallon beeder and have mostly soft corals and yesterday I wired an icecap 660 to the bulbs and was wondering with bulbs to buy. Want growth and also want to pop the colors in the corals. Like the blue look as well.

Thanks

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Hey Grimm - Awesome work. Don't know how you keep up.

Setting up a 120G - 48x24x24 and want a mixed tank. Clams, lps, sps, zoas, etc.

Looking at the ATI 8x54W PM fixture and wanted to know what bulb combo you would suggest.


Thanks!!

5 ATI Blue Plus, 1 Aquablue, 1 Actinic White and 1 GE 6500K Daylight

 

[ncny21802]

ATI Sunpower or TEk Elite? I have the 36" TEK Elite on order but heard it won't be until late May early June before they ship. I am using the Nova Extreme Pro now and want to upgrade. ATI Powermodule is out of my range but I could swing the Sunpower. TEK Elite is very cheap at $309. Do you think the Sunpower is worth the extra $180?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Is this an ok light cycle:
actinic bulbs run 8 hrs
daylight bulbs run 5 hrs
I have a lot of SPS so I was wondering if I should bump up either light cycle?

I'd maybe bump the actinics up to 10 hours

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I have a Nova Extreme 4x39w on a 40 gallon beeder and have mostly soft corals and yesterday I wired an icecap 660 to the bulbs and was wondering with bulbs to buy. Want growth and also want to pop the colors in the corals. Like the blue look as well.

Thanks

3 blue plus and a UVL Actinic White. Hope you have fans on that fixture.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

ATI Sunpower or TEk Elite? I have the 36" TEK Elite on order but heard it won't be until late May early June before they ship. I am using the Nova Extreme Pro now and want to upgrade. ATI Powermodule is out of my range but I could swing the Sunpower. TEK Elite is very cheap at $309. Do you think the Sunpower is worth the extra $180?

Yes. Real T5 ballasts and proven performance come with a cost.