The T5 Q&a Thread

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Thanks Grim. I don't particularly care about overdriving the T5s, though I would like to use my IceCaps if for no other reason than it saves me the cost of buying two new T5 ballasts. Is there a particular downside to overdriving the T5s?

Also, can you, or anybody else recommend a good source for the bulbs and other miscellaneous hardware? Thanks again!

Jason

Reefgeek for the lamps and such. As far as Overdriving it is going to create a little more heat, use a little more power and lower lamp life slightly. You also must cool the lamps when overdriving. On a regular setup you don't have to cool the lamps but it is a nice little bonus in output if you do.
 
4 bulb 36" tek retro
what bulb combo would you go with to bring out the color of the fish and corals.

The tank will be a 38"l x 24"d x 20" high

Lank will be mostly softies but I am considering trying a monti cap down the road (i know I may need to add another set of bulbs for it) May have a couple LPS
 
Hi Grim,


Need help in lighting my 36 X 36 x24 tank with a 12" canopy, mostly softies, lps, sps, zoos.

Option 1: retrofit with 6 or 8 bulbs
Option 2: 6 bulb 36" fixture ATI
Option 3: Whatevever you suggest.

Option 1: please provide relefctor brand and bulb combination
Front
1
2
3
4
5
6

Option 2: Please provide bulb combination and fixture
Front
1
2
3
4
5
6

Thank you very much.
 
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I have a 8 x 39w 36" fixture over a 30 gallon breeder frag tank. How high should I hang the light above the water level?
Bulbs are ATI and UVL

Thanks,
 
4 bulb 36" tek retro
what bulb combo would you go with to bring out the color of the fish and corals.

The tank will be a 38"l x 24"d x 20" high

Lank will be mostly softies but I am considering trying a monti cap down the road (i know I may need to add another set of bulbs for it) May have a couple LPS

Mount the lamps 4 to 6 inches above the tank.

Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus
 
Hi Grim,


Need help in lighting my 36 X 36 x24 tank with a 12" canopy, mostly softies, lps, sps, zoos.

Option 1: retrofit with 6 or 8 bulbs
Option 2: 6 bulb 36" fixture ATI
Option 3: Whatevever you suggest.

Option 1: please provide relefctor brand and bulb combination
Front
1
2
3
4
5
6

Option 2: Please provide bulb combination and fixture
Front
1
2
3
4
5
6

Thank you very much.

Blue Plus
Actinic White
Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue
Blue Plus
Blue Plus


I would probably do a 10 lamp powermodule or think about 2 6 lamp Sunpower over the tank if you want a lot of SPS. You need to keep them below the lamps and with only six that gives you about a 12 inch area of lighting.
 
By lower light do you mean LPS and Softies or strictly softies. Also, what are your thoughts on GLO ballasts?

Don't know anything about the ballast, if it is much cheaper than Triada or Sylvanias I would assume it's junk, you get what you pay for.

Lower light would be most softies and lower light LPS/
 
I have a 8 x 39w 36" fixture over a 30 gallon breeder frag tank. How high should I hang the light above the water level?
Bulbs are ATI and UVL

Thanks,

4 to 8 inches is a good ball park range. If you are raising high light critters keep it low, mixed keep it a little higher.
 
T5 bulb Advice for ATI PM

T5 bulb Advice for ATI PM

Hello,

I am getting an ATI PM 6x39 over a 90 gallon ELOS tank and will be keeping a mixed reef. I am debating which bulbs to get and what order to place them in and would really appreciate any advice.

Thanks so much for the info!!

Matthias
 
Well I am back to the dark side.
I was going to upgrade from my 24" giesemann 250w halide 2x24 t5 to the infiniti fixture to gain 2 more t5's but ended up buying the ATI sunpower fixture for my 57 rimless. I was going to get teh 24 in model but they were out of stock so I ended up with the 6 bulb 3ft fixture. Ill be sure to take pics. The plan for bulbs to start with are the following

ATI B+
UVL actinic white
ATI B+
ge 6500
ATI B+
ATI B+

Almost all sps with a few sps on the bottom of the tank. Hope this looks ok. As well as the fixture itself. Should have pics monday night !!
What do you think grim?
 
Hello,

I am getting an ATI PM 6x39 over a 90 gallon ELOS tank and will be keeping a mixed reef. I am debating which bulbs to get and what order to place them in and would really appreciate any advice.

Thanks so much for the info!!

Matthias

ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Actinic White
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue
 
Well I am back to the dark side.
I was going to upgrade from my 24" giesemann 250w halide 2x24 t5 to the infiniti fixture to gain 2 more t5's but ended up buying the ATI sunpower fixture for my 57 rimless. I was going to get teh 24 in model but they were out of stock so I ended up with the 6 bulb 3ft fixture. Ill be sure to take pics. The plan for bulbs to start with are the following

ATI B+
UVL actinic white
ATI B+
ge 6500
ATI B+
ATI B+

Almost all sps with a few sps on the bottom of the tank. Hope this looks ok. As well as the fixture itself. Should have pics monday night !!
What do you think grim?

Should be good, you may need to tweak the positions to get a good dusk/dawn pair.
 
Hell the Blue Plus has more PAR than the Daylights so I don't know why someone would claim the daylights cause bleaching :lolspin:

Anyway

Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
ATI Blue Plus
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Actinic White or KZ Fiji Purple
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Blue Plus

The Purple lamp is the Fiji Purple. When running just 4 lamps they are good but when you have more you can get the same effect running the pink UVL lamps. All you are doing is bumping the red spectrum some. In this case you have a slightly pinkish 75/25 as part of your dusk dawn which will make your pink and purple critters show up better than having just blue/actinics running. The actinic White will bump it even more with the rest of the lights on and the GE will bring in more yellow. WHat you end up with is a nice blue look but with enough red and yellow light to make all your colors show up nice. I don't know if you have ever seen a tank lite with just blue lamps but it tends to make yellow and pink colors look crappy.


With that said, how would you set up your dusk to dawn effect with the given bulbs?

Thank you.
 
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