The T5 Q&a Thread

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

What colors do you think you are missing in your tank?

I don't have a large enough mixture of SPS colors so I am unsure. It looks good, just slightly different.
I would like it to be slightly brighter though when all 6 lamps are running.

 

[atp0726]

Order of light combo

Order of light combo

I just purchased a Tek 6 bulb 48" fixture for my 90 Gallon

The guy on Reef Geeks recommended:
4 Blue Plus
1 Fiji Purple
1 GE 6,500k

I wanted a blue light, not TOO blue, but I also wanted a light that will bring out reds slightly, as well have have effect on Zoas that makes them appear to glow slightly. Do you think his selection is right for what I want? Keep in mind I want a tank that is not too dark. I want to see a range of colors other than Blue.

Hey Grim, I like this combo but, not sure what the order these bulbs shoud be. What do you recommend as far as order front to back?

 

[atp0726]

Bulb order?

Bulb order?

Hey Grim, I like the below combo of lights from a previous post. What order would you put these from front to back?

4 Blue Plus
1 Fiji Purple
1 GE 6,500k

Would you change out any of these bulbs? I have mainly LPS with some SPS towards the top. I want to maximize the colors as well as get good growth.

 

[atp0726]

Dup Post, Sorry!

Dup Post, Sorry!

New to this forum stuff and couldnt find my first post so I posted again. Please reply to second post.

 

[Mzulu]

I was planning a 20g frag tank and I just found out I can get a good deal on a 40g breeder setup with a tek 6x39w regular fixture. In the frag tank I want a little of everything. I will mainly have sps but I will have some zoas, kenya trees, frogspawn, and duncans. Around 50% will be sps. Will the Tek be fine or would it be better for me to sell the Tek and get a different fixture? Also what bulbs would give the most growth without sacrificing too much color?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I was under the impression that a ati 6x24 would be plenty for a 24x24x17 tank? My tank is 4 weeks into the cycle and about to purchase the 6x24, do i need to consider the 8x24? I plan on a mixed reef.

6 is enough on that short of a tank unless you want clams out on the sandbed, then I'd do 8

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I don't have a large enough mixture of SPS colors so I am unsure. It looks good, just slightly different.
I would like it to be slightly brighter though when all 6 lamps are running.

Try swapping the Aquablue for a GE 6500K or Geisemann midday. They have more yellow and should brighten the look up a little but wont take away from the pop.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Hey Grim, I like this combo but, not sure what the order these bulbs shoud be. What do you recommend as far as order front to back?

Front
Blue Plus
Purple
Blue Plus
GE
Blue Plus
Blue Plus

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I was planning a 20g frag tank and I just found out I can get a good deal on a 40g breeder setup with a tek 6x39w regular fixture. In the frag tank I want a little of everything. I will mainly have sps but I will have some zoas, kenya trees, frogspawn, and duncans. Around 50% will be sps. Will the Tek be fine or would it be better for me to sell the Tek and get a different fixture? Also what bulbs would give the most growth without sacrificing too much color?

4 ATI Blue Plus and 2 GE 6500K would do fine on that setup. The GE's are cheap and have enough spectrum you should get all your colors.

 

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

Thanks Grim....I was thinking along those lines but was looking at the GE 6500K and KZ Koral Light & New Gen.
I will consider the G-mann midday as well.
So leave the four Blue +, check.

 

[RattlerSkin]

Grim-

I am upgrading to a 60G tank which is 48x16x15 and I am going to be using an ATI SunPower 6x54 fixture. I intend on keeping my current LPS/NPS and eventually adding an anemone and clams, with the possibility of SPS at a later date. The fixture is currently set up as:

BACK
Purple Plus
Blue Plus
Aquablue Special
GE Ecolux 6500k
Blue Plus
UV Aquasun

What do you think I will get out of that setup as is? It looks a little white right now, but the tank isnt running so I cant be sure. I obviously want to get the pop out of the colors that i'm not getting with my current LED setup, but I also realized that I dont have a true actinic bulb.

What do you think? Thanks.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Grim-

I am upgrading to a 60G tank which is 48x16x15 and I am going to be using an ATI SunPower 6x54 fixture. I intend on keeping my current LPS/NPS and eventually adding an anemone and clams, with the possibility of SPS at a later date. The fixture is currently set up as:

BACK
Purple Plus
Blue Plus
Aquablue Special
GE Ecolux 6500k
Blue Plus
UV Aquasun

What do you think I will get out of that setup as is? It looks a little white right now, but the tank isnt running so I cant be sure. I obviously want to get the pop out of the colors that i'm not getting with my current LED setup, but I also realized that I dont have a true actinic bulb.

What do you think? Thanks.

Thats gotta look Gawdawful. I'd order a couple more Blue Plus but until you get new lamps arrange them like this

Front
Blue Plus
Purple Plus
Aquasun to be replaced by Blue Plus
GE 6500K
Blue Plus
Aquablue replaced by Blue Plus

Don't sweat an actinic because the Blue Plus has actinic output. In your case you don't need the extra par so if you want a more subdued dusk/dawn you can add a couple actinics. In that case arrange your current lamps as above then once you get actinics....

Front
Blue Plus
Actinic
Purple Plus
Ge 6500K
Blue Plus
actinic

 

[TropTrea]

Grim-

I am upgrading to a 60G tank which is 48x16x15 and I am going to be using an ATI SunPower 6x54 fixture. I intend on keeping my current LPS/NPS and eventually adding an anemone and clams, with the possibility of SPS at a later date. The fixture is currently set up as:

BACK
Purple Plus
Blue Plus
Aquablue Special
GE Ecolux 6500k
Blue Plus
UV Aquasun

What do you think I will get out of that setup as is? It looks a little white right now, but the tank isnt running so I cant be sure. I obviously want to get the pop out of the colors that i'm not getting with my current LED setup, but I also realized that I dont have a true actinic bulb.

What do you think? Thanks.

My thoughts are your present set up probably is extremly heavy in the Yellow and Red end of the spectrum. It would not be a bad light combonation for a fresh water plant tank but for a reef you need light centered around the colder end of the light spectrum.

Now personal preference on color comes into play as far what you want it to look like. With 6 bulbs I would pick up two ATI Blue Plus bulbs. On personal preference I'd use them to replace the GE 6500 first and secondly the AQUA Sun. This will kick your tank much bluer.

But as I said personal preference is also a big factor. So if it turns too blue for you you could try keeping either of the Aqua Sun or the GE 6500 and swapping out the AQUA BLUE SPECIAL.

Bottom line is you want the 4 BLUE PLus Bulbs to give you enough BLue light. I would also strongly recommend you keep the Purple Plus to give you a bit of kick in the Red end. Then the final 5th bulb in your set up needs to boast the colors other than just blue and each of your remaining 3 bulbs will give you a little different spectrum effect. But they would all work as far as coral growth goes. Since you have them already try each for a day or two and then settle on the combo that best pleases your eye.

On a side note I initialy got my 8 bulb fixture wth 4 10,000K bulbs and 4 Atinic Bulbs. I thought it looked great but as the bulbs aged I started changing them. At one point I added a GE 6,500K bulb and thought everything looked a little yellow. Then I changed the room lights to Daylight CF bulbs and the tank looked real yellow to me. As I changed bulbs around through the years I find myself using more and more bulbs that are strong on the blue end of the spectrum. My evening viewing right now after the mid day bulbs turn off consists of 2 Atinics and 2 Blue Plus bulbs, which I like but I will admit I could get more pop in it with a purple plus instead of one of the Atinics.

 

[Ogitrev]

I'm getting ready to design and build my canopy... Is there a standard height I should keep the bulbs above the water? I was thinking 6 inches... If it matters how deep my tank is, it's 26 inches deep.

Thanks!
::Tommy

 

[Miller_Time]

Any idea if I could get by with the 6 bulb 24" aquatic life fixture for a 36"x16"x18" tank. (57g)

I can get a killer deal on one that's only 2 months old, or should I look into the 36" fixtures?

Thanks!

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I'm getting ready to design and build my canopy... Is there a standard height I should keep the bulbs above the water? I was thinking 6 inches... If it matters how deep my tank is, it's 26 inches deep.

Thanks!
::Tommy

6 would be good.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Any idea if I could get by with the 6 bulb 24" aquatic life fixture for a 36"x16"x18" tank. (57g)

I can get a killer deal on one that's only 2 months old, or should I look into the 36" fixtures?

Thanks!

It would work as long as you don't stock high light critters at the ends of the tank.

 

[nurjrk]

Hello, looking to start a 20 gal long mixed reef. Wanting to get a 24in. 4 bulb t5 with lunar lights....something that's not gonna break the bank please. What would you recommend?
Thanks,
Jeff

 

[jimrawr]

Hey Grim do you think a 6x24" Powermodule will work for SPS over a 92g corner tank where the corals are mostly twords the front of the tank and in a straight line going across the tank?

 

[TropTrea]

Which T5 lamp will make the corals glow more the Blue plus or the Actinic 03?

It realy depends upom which particular coral you have. There have been over 70 different chemicals found in corals with each absorbing light and one frequency and emiting it at another longer frequency. Roughly 60% of these corals absorb light between 417 nm and 468 nm, then about 80 % absorb light between 402 nm and 520 nm. Others absorb light through the other frequencies but only about 20% are in that last marginal group from 380nm up to 590 nm. An example of the extrem high end would be the Coral Faviina Echinopora with DS Red that absorbs light at 589nm and emits light at 609 nm.

Now the Atinic Bulbs usualy are listed as 420 nm which is where there peak is at and they usualy have a high drop off with virtualy no light emited 400 nm or at 450 nm. The Blue plus bulbs are centered at about 460 nm for there peak and drop of to near 0 at around 425 nm but do emit light and longer wavelenghts even in the green and yellow range.

This is basicly why I recomend that if you have bulbs you consider at least one Atinic bulb. Others disagree as the Pure Atinic bulbs are not the pretties especialy when they are on alone.