The T5 Q&a Thread

[mrbill24]

I'm looking for a double check on my bulb selection for an ATI sunpower 6 bulb fixture. I have a standard 90g that has a 2x 150w 10k MH w/ 2x actinic PCs fixture over it. I like the overall color of it, but the PC ballasts have failed and its time to be replaced. I have a lot of green LPS in the tank (frogspawns, hammers, brains) so was thinking about a slight modification to the standard recommendation.

Aquablue
Blue Plus
Purple Plus
GE 6500K
Blue Plus
Blue Plus

Any opinion? My thinking is that the GE 6500k will help bring out the greens and bring the overall color temperature down a bit. I like a blue tint, but most pictures I see of others tanks are a bit too blue for my taste. Thanks.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I'm looking for a double check on my bulb selection for an ATI sunpower 6 bulb fixture. I have a standard 90g that has a 2x 150w 10k MH w/ 2x actinic PCs fixture over it. I like the overall color of it, but the PC ballasts have failed and its time to be replaced. I have a lot of green LPS in the tank (frogspawns, hammers, brains) so was thinking about a slight modification to the standard recommendation.

Aquablue
Blue Plus
Purple Plus
GE 6500K
Blue Plus
Blue Plus

Any opinion? My thinking is that the GE 6500k will help bring out the greens and bring the overall color temperature down a bit. I like a blue tint, but most pictures I see of others tanks are a bit too blue for my taste. Thanks.

That should be fine. Keep in mind that many of pic you see are more blue than what you'd see in real life. Just the nature of the beast with digital photography.

 

[SDonkey]

Hey grim! Awesome thread!
I have a 4 bulb aquatic life T5 fixture.
Been messing around with it and getting more purple than I want. Here are the ATI bulbs I have:
2 Blue +
1 Purple +
1 Aquablue

Any suggestion for order?
Thanks man!
Zack

 

[Brisc0]

Hey Grim. I have the 6x24" LET retro in a canopy over my 36" 40g Breeder. I am using
BP,PP,BP, 75/25, BP, BP. The canopy only allows the lights 5" off the surface. I am noticing some fading of the corals. I had photo acclimated them to their height (so I thought) but things are getting worse. Today I cut the photo period to
BP,PP - 9 Hours
BP,75/25 - 3 hours
BP,BP - 8 Hours

Do you think thats good enough? Can you shoot me your thoughts? I had been running full boar BP,PP - 12 hours, BP,75/25,BP,BP - 11 hours

Also, the lights are all in a bank in the center of the 36" tank. Many have suggested I stagger them. Do you think staggering will help distribute evenly? Or leave as is?

 

[JG1]

Try both and see which one you like better.

Just got done trying different slots.

The best look is the following:

1) B+
2) FP
3) B+
4) B+
5) B+
6) FP
7) B+
8) B+

Not sure if I like the dusk/dawn with the B+ up front and the FP in the back....maybe I just have to get used to it, but with all lights on the FP in the 6th slot looks best.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Hey grim! Awesome thread!
I have a 4 bulb aquatic life T5 fixture.
Been messing around with it and getting more purple than I want. Here are the ATI bulbs I have:
2 Blue +
1 Purple +
1 Aquablue

Any suggestion for order?
Thanks man!
Zack

Any way you like. I just wouldn't use the purple in the front or back slots.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Hey Grim. I have the 6x24" LET retro in a canopy over my 36" 40g Breeder. I am using
BP,PP,BP, 75/25, BP, BP. The canopy only allows the lights 5" off the surface. I am noticing some fading of the corals. I had photo acclimated them to their height (so I thought) but things are getting worse. Today I cut the photo period to
BP,PP - 9 Hours
BP,75/25 - 3 hours
BP,BP - 8 Hours

Do you think thats good enough? Can you shoot me your thoughts? I had been running full boar BP,PP - 12 hours, BP,75/25,BP,BP - 11 hours

Also, the lights are all in a bank in the center of the 36" tank. Many have suggested I stagger them. Do you think staggering will help distribute evenly? Or leave as is?

I wouldn't stagger the lamps. As far as photo period change it so the 75/25 and Blue Plus are on 10 hours, the 2 Blue Plus or a Blue Plus and Purple Plus on for like 4 hours and the last 2 on a couple hours and give it a month. If the color starts coming back start bumping up the 2 hour cycle and once it's to 4 hours you can extend the other 2 sets if that floats your boat but 4 hours a day of full lighting should be enough to make your tank happy. Just make sure the dusk/dawn is 10 or so hours. In my opinion you want enough light to keep your critters active for something close to a daylight cycle in the wild.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Just got done trying different slots.

The best look is the following:

1) B+
2) FP
3) B+
4) B+
5) B+
6) FP
7) B+
8) B+

Not sure if I like the dusk/dawn with the B+ up front and the FP in the back....maybe I just have to get used to it, but with all lights on the FP in the 6th slot looks best.

You could try moving both purple lamps back one slot so you have a purple in the front dusk/dawn slot and a blue and the rear and see what you think, I love that DD look.

 

[irocz2280]

Hey grim i had asked you a while ago about a config for my 48" 8 bulb nova extreme light fixture and you recommended 5 blue plus 2 purple plus and a ge 6500k, what color would this give the tank also my sps are not keeping there colors they are kind of washed out trying to get them more color their growth is good just not great colors i have a mix of lps and sps in the tank. acros,montis,frogspawn, hammer, torch , open brain, im am hoping its not a chem. prob as my levels seem adequate

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Hey grim i had asked you a while ago about a config for my 48" 8 bulb nova extreme light fixture and you recommended 5 blue plus 2 purple plus and a ge 6500k, what color would this give the tank also my sps are not keeping there colors they are kind of washed out trying to get them more color their growth is good just not great colors i have a mix of lps and sps in the tank. acros,montis,frogspawn, hammer, torch , open brain, im am hoping its not a chem. prob as my levels seem adequate

Those lamps should give you around 18K or so look. Unless the nova fixture just isn't giving you enough PAR to color up the corals those lamps should give you good color.

 

[AsahiToro]

Grim,

My LFS carries UVL and I can't find any ATI locally. I have a 2 bulb 24w T5 HO fixture. The tank is 11.4" deep. What UVL bulbs do you recommend for this setup? I was leaning towards a UVL 454 and a UVL Indigo Sun. Is the 454 similar to the ATI Blue +? Also, I might add a Ecoxotic Panorma LED strip to the fixture probably in 453nm. What T5 bulbs do you recommend if I add the LED strip? I'd go with a 4 bulb T5 fixture but my tank doesn't have much room from front to back to fit one. I won't be keeping any high light demanding stuff and want good color overall.

Edit: Oh, should I go with the UVL bulbs with reflectors built-in? The fixture is a Coralife Aqualight.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[jtrim123]

Hey Grim,
You recomended a good bulb combo a year ago and was wondering if there may be any new bulbs out now that you may recommend. I have a tek 6x54 with the dusk till dawn on the first an last bulb. I have a mixed reef. Thank for the help once again.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Grim,

My LFS carries UVL and I can't find any ATI locally. I have a 2 bulb 24w T5 HO fixture. The tank is 11.4" deep. What UVL bulbs do you recommend for this setup? I was leaning towards a UVL 454 and a UVL Indigo Sun. Is the 454 similar to the ATI Blue +? Also, I might add a Ecoxotic Panorma LED strip to the fixture probably in 453nm. What T5 bulbs do you recommend if I add the LED strip? I'd go with a 4 bulb T5 fixture but my tank doesn't have much room from front to back to fit one. I won't be keeping any high light demanding stuff and want good color overall.

Edit: Oh, should I go with the UVL bulbs with reflectors built-in? The fixture is a Coralife Aqualight.

Thanks for any advice.

454 and indigo with or without the leds. As far as the built in reflector I would pass if your fixture has any kind of reflector at all.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Hey Grim,
You recomended a good bulb combo a year ago and was wondering if there may be any new bulbs out now that you may recommend. I have a tek 6x54 with the dusk till dawn on the first an last bulb. I have a mixed reef. Thank for the help once again.

4 ATI Blue Plus, 1 Purple Plus and a Aquablue.

 

[thebanker]

Don't know if you guys read this on another site, but Sylvania has confirmed that the ATI Purple Plus and KZ Fiji Purple have different spectral outputs. Apparently Sylvania manufactures both bulbs.

Other than that, they haven't said anything else. Sort of interesting.

 

[chimmike]

Grim, what are the giesmann equivalents to the ATI blue plus, aquablue special, and purple plus? I think I can get the giesmann's locally and save a few bucks on shipping.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Don't know if you guys read this on another site, but Sylvania has confirmed that the ATI Purple Plus and KZ Fiji Purple have different spectral outputs. Apparently Sylvania manufactures both bulbs.

Other than that, they haven't said anything else. Sort of interesting.

Knew Sylvania made both lamp. Surprised they would bother commenting on something that is such a tiny part of their business LOL! Thanks for the info.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Grim, what are the giesmann equivalents to the ATI blue plus, aquablue special, and purple plus? I think I can get the giesmann's locally and save a few bucks on shipping.

Actinic Plus, Aquablue and nothing. Aquaflora might be worth a shot for a pink/purple lamp.

 

[chimmike]

4 to 6 inches above the water. 5 Blue Plus 1 Aquablue and 2 Purple Plus ATI lamps.

Would you say this is closer to 20k or 14k?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Would you say this is closer to 20k or 14k?

round 18K or so.