The T5 Q&a Thread

[pwoller]

I am looking to get as close to the 20k Radium look with my 8 bulb tek light. Right now I have 5 blue plus 2 fiji purples and one aqua blue special and I like the dusk dawn but am not crazy about the day light look. I almost think running all blue plus is the look I'd like but I have a bunch of sps. What bulb combo should I run to get that radium look?

 

[TropTrea]

GRIM,
i have a 75 gal tank that i will be needing new lights on. i currently have 6x54 with ice cap reflectors with wave point bulbs. the tank is still cycling. i want to be able to keep sps on top and lps/softies on the mid to lower half. i did some research on what you reccomend but wasnt sure if this recipe would be best for that combo. here is what i found. i do want growth but at the same time i want the corals to floresce alot too.

ati blue+
uvl actinic white
ati blue +
ati aqua blue
ati blue +
ati blue +

please let me know if this selection would give good overall color. most of my corals are greens, reds, blues, yellows, and oranges SPS, lps are just welso and brains, etc... some nice color zoas as well.
thanks GRIM

I would replace one of the blue plus bulbs with an ati purple. It will give you a little more kick in the red while it still produces the same amount of blue as the blue plus.

Grim would probably tell you to also replace the UVL atinic white with a ge 6,500 K. but I would not go that route as I think the yellows would wash out your blues.

 

[TropTrea]

I am looking to get as close to the 20k Radium look with my 8 bulb tek light. Right now I have 5 blue plus 2 fiji purples and one aqua blue special and I like the dusk dawn but am not crazy about the day light look. I almost think running all blue plus is the look I'd like but I have a bunch of sps. What bulb combo should I run to get that radium look?

This is reaaly a trade off between your taste or eye and what you want to grow as far as the corals. If you realy like the all blue look then you not be puttting any light in your tank that is in the other parts of the color spectrum and also needed by the corals. As you increase the other colors especialy the reds and yellow that blue look with quickly wash away.

Trying to get a trade off I think even now your lacking in the longer wave lenght lights but you could try reducing to just of of the purple bulbs and replacing it with a blue +.

 

[j.trevino]

6 bulb fixture

6 bulb fixture

Hey grim I wanted to know which 6 bulb t5 ho fixture is the best for sps and lps? I have a 125g tank and it reqiures a 72" fixture. thanks.

 

[pwoller]

This is reaaly a trade off between your taste or eye and what you want to grow as far as the corals. If you realy like the all blue look then you not be puttting any light in your tank that is in the other parts of the color spectrum and also needed by the corals. As you increase the other colors especialy the reds and yellow that blue look with quickly wash away.

Trying to get a trade off I think even now your lacking in the longer wave lenght lights but you could try reducing to just of of the purple bulbs and replacing it with a blue +.

So what would you run then?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

returning to this thread after a long while and I realize I'm throwing in MH bulb questions. Outer Orbit fixture, 2x 250 MH and 4 T5 54w bulbs. Looking for as much "pop" as possible. Any suggestions ? (Note, I used your suggestions for a nova extreme pro 6 bulb over a 40g breeder an loved it). This new fixture currently has 2x Phoenix 14k and the 4 stock current 48" bulbs (which have unknown use on them)

3 ati blue plus with a ati purple plus in the 2nd position from the front

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I am looking to get as close to the 20k Radium look with my 8 bulb tek light. Right now I have 5 blue plus 2 fiji purples and one aqua blue special and I like the dusk dawn but am not crazy about the day light look. I almost think running all blue plus is the look I'd like but I have a bunch of sps. What bulb combo should I run to get that radium look?

Grab a couple more blue plus and play. Maybe 7 blue plus and 1 ge 6500K. You could run all blue plus if you really wanted too but I'd get tired of that look pretty quick myself. Just play around until you find a combo you like

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Hey grim I wanted to know which 6 bulb t5 ho fixture is the best for sps and lps? I have a 125g tank and it reqiures a 72" fixture. thanks.

A 6 lamp 60 inch ATI Sunpower is what I would run. It will cover the length pretty well as far as illuminating the tank at the end but you will want to place lower light critters in the last 6 inches or so at each side.

 

[ati70cutlass]

just wondering if 6x54 if enough for sps/lps/softie mixed or would 8x54 be better (75gal). both have ind. reflectors. wouuld getting the 8x54 be better and just replace with royal blue crees on those two sections? would the led benifit color at all? only 12.00 diff. between6-8 bulb fixture bare.

 

[BowieReefer84]

Setting up a 125 peninsula style tank viewable from three sides (room divider). It is going to be fowlr, and I am debating between a 4 bulb or 6 bulb fixture. Recommendations? I want to ensure it looks similiar from both sides as close as possible...

Thanks for the amazing input you provide on the site.

 

[shark007]

Hey Grim. I wana do a mainly sps tank but have all the colors pop as much as possible. I have a 8bulb 48in. Tekk light what bulbs in what order should I do? Thanks in advance.

 

[M Woodhill]

to Mr. reefer

I hang up my fixture 12 inches above the surface, will it make or must i lower the fixture.

best regards

mike

 

[stevedola]

just wondering if 6x54 if enough for sps/lps/softie mixed or would 8x54 be better (75gal). both have ind. reflectors. wouuld getting the 8x54 be better and just replace with royal blue crees on those two sections? would the led benifit color at all? only 12.00 diff. between6-8 bulb fixture bare.

6 bulbs would be plenty for that style tank. YOud be able to grow sps and clams in there too. My friend had a 90g softy/lps with an ati 4 bulb fixture that was awesome. Super healthy tank. He even had clams higher up on the rock.

I personally ran an aquatinics Tx5 (5bulb) unit on my 75 back in the day and it was great at growing sps and lps. I did have 2 of the bulbs on a ICecap 660 but...it would have been fine otherwise I believe.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

just wondering if 6x54 if enough for sps/lps/softie mixed or would 8x54 be better (75gal). both have ind. reflectors. wouuld getting the 8x54 be better and just replace with royal blue crees on those two sections? would the led benifit color at all? only 12.00 diff. between6-8 bulb fixture bare.

6 lamp fixture would be fine. You could add some external LED's if you want but you wouldn't need the PAR.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Setting up a 125 peninsula style tank viewable from three sides (room divider). It is going to be fowlr, and I am debating between a 4 bulb or 6 bulb fixture. Recommendations? I want to ensure it looks similiar from both sides as close as possible...

Thanks for the amazing input you provide on the site.

4 is enough

Blue Plus
GE 6500K
Purple Plus
Blue Plus

Should look sunny and pop colors really nice.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Hey Grim. I wana do a mainly sps tank but have all the colors pop as much as possible. I have a 8bulb 48in. Tekk light what bulbs in what order should I do? Thanks in advance.

Front
Blue Plus
Purple Plus
Blue Plus
GE 6500K
Blue Plus
Purple Plus
Blue Plus
Blue Plus

 

[jon99]

What t5 bulb (brand, kelvin temp, etc) would you recommend to boost coral growth???

I'm supplementing a 250w 20k XM mh lamp, which gives nice color, but very slow growth.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

What t5 bulb (brand, kelvin temp, etc) would you recommend to boost coral growth???

I'm supplementing a 250w 20k XM mh lamp, which gives nice color, but very slow growth.

ATI Blue Plus will give you growth. Unlike the halides the Blue T5's have a lot of PAR.

 

[iwishtofish]

I'm currently running these lights:

ATI Aquablue Special (1)
ATI Blue Plus (3)
GE 6500k Daylight (1)
KZ Fiji Purple (1)

I really like the fluorescing qualities of the blue plus when they are the only lights on, and have been considering just using all blue plus bulbs.

Is there a happy medium, though? With my current configuration, would dropping any single bulb reduce the "washout" of the colors? Thanks

 

[alrha]

I'm currently running these lights:

ATI Aquablue Special (1)
ATI Blue Plus (3)
GE 6500k Daylight (1)
KZ Fiji Purple (1)

I really like the fluorescing qualities of the blue plus when they are the only lights on, and have been considering just using all blue plus bulbs.

Is there a happy medium, though? With my current configuration, would dropping any single bulb reduce the "washout" of the colors? Thanks

probably swap the special for the blue plus.