The T5 Q&a Thread

[The Grim Reefer]

anyone know how this would look?

1-54W-48IN Aquasun UVL / UV Lighting T5 Bulbs
2-54W-48IN ATI Blue Plus T5 HO Fluorescent Bulb
2-54W -48IN 12000K ATI Aquablue Special T5 HO Fluorescent Bulb
1-54W-48IN ATI Pro Color T5 HO Fluorescent Bulb

Front
ATI Aquablue Special
ATI BLUE plus
ATI Pro Color
UVL Aqua SUN
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue special
Back

not really sure yet howit will be, just wanted 14k but wanted to have some reds and pinks popout that are more in the middle

Probably going to be a little more red than you want running the pro color and Aquasun

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Grim,
If I use t-5s to supplement my MH's, would I be best off to use ATI blue plus? Do the blue plus put out good par? Would I notice a par increase form a par meter? Thanks!

Yes, if you run them in good reflectors you will get a decent boost.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Even with the VHO blue/actinic?

Yes,

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Hey, should I put an acrylic cover over my 8 bulb tek light? Or should I leave the bulbs open? Its SPS anemone dominated.

No, the shield causes the fixture to get too hot and decreases the output.

 

[Tbduval]

Yes, if you run them in good reflectors you will get a decent boost.

Grim,
What would consider to be the SLR out there?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Grim,
What would consider to be the SLR out there?

ATI
Aqua Illumination
Aquactinic
Ice Cap
Tek

in that order

 

[jet fixer]

Hey Grim,
I'm setting up a 75gal 48"x18"x20" that will be Acan dominated with some zoa's and ricordia to fill in space all the recommendations are for mixed/sps tanks. I'm concerned about burning the acans and plan on suspending the fixture from the ceiling about 10"-12" over the tank
The four lighting fixtures I'm looking at are:
Icecap Illuminations
Aquactinics TX5
ATI 4x54 sunpower
Tek 4x54

Which fixture/bulbs would you recommend and in what order?


Thanks

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Hey Grim,
I'm setting up a 75gal 48"x18"x20" that will be Acan dominated with some zoa's and ricordia to fill in space all the recommendations are for mixed/sps tanks. I'm concerned about burning the acans and plan on suspending the fixture from the ceiling about 10"-12" over the tank
The four lighting fixtures I'm looking at are:
Icecap Illuminations
Aquactinics TX5
ATI 4x54 sunpower
Tek 4x54

Which fixture/bulbs would you recommend and in what order?


Thanks

TX5 for the extra lamp

Front
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Actinic White
UVL Super Actinic
ATI Blue Plus

Should be good.

 

[nadking]

Originally Posted by The Grim Reefer
You could stick with your 4x54 watt system and add 3 x 80 watt lamps to it.

Front
ATI Blue Plus 80 watts
UVL Actinic White
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus 80 watts
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Blue Plus 80 watts

That will have more par and spread the light out where you can have critters out to the ends as long as they are lower light. Anything goes in the center 4 feet, Use the 3 80 watt Blue Plus as your dusk/dawn

Do you think the 4x54 w bulbs staggered would result in uneven light with them being 4 different bulbs?
How do you think centering the UVL actinic white and ATI aquablue, and then staggering 2 GE 6500k's towards the rear would work out?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally Posted by The Grim Reefer
You could stick with your 4x54 watt system and add 3 x 80 watt lamps to it.

Front
ATI Blue Plus 80 watts
UVL Actinic White
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus 80 watts
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Blue Plus 80 watts

That will have more par and spread the light out where you can have critters out to the ends as long as they are lower light. Anything goes in the center 4 feet, Use the 3 80 watt Blue Plus as your dusk/dawn

Do you think the 4x54 w bulbs staggered would result in uneven light with them being 4 different bulbs?
How do you think centering the UVL actinic white and ATI aquablue, and then staggering 2 GE 6500k's towards the rear would work out?

Staggering the 54 watt lamps isn't a good idea because of the uneven light you will get. If that is what you are going to do run all Aquablue lamps.

 

[LKGRenegade22]

Ok my turn to pull from Grim's knowledge base. I have the 72" Nova Extreme Pro on a 180 (72X24X24). I'm mainly into softies and LPS but have some cap and a few acros up high that have been doing well. I also have 4 clams (1 squamosa, 1 maxima, 1 crocea, 1 derasa) and all have been doing well for months, even with the maxima on the sandbed. I have been running stock lights up to this point but am now ready to order some new bulbs. My main focus is COLOR. I am not nearly worried about growth rate as I am color. I want the most stunning coloration with my setup, and I think the 20K look is way too blue for my liking so I need to be somewhere in the 10-14K look. I really like the look of true 03 actinics and I would like to throw in one the KZ fiji purples in their also, if it will help some colors pop. So with that info what would be the best bulb configuration to put in my light? As you already know it has 12 39w bulbs, 6 on each side. Thanks in advance and I will post pictures after I order them and get them installed! :beer:

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Ok my turn to pull from Grim's knowledge base. I have the 72" Nova Extreme Pro on a 180 (72X24X24). I'm mainly into softies and LPS but have some cap and a few acros up high that have been doing well. I also have 4 clams (1 squamosa, 1 maxima, 1 crocea, 1 derasa) and all have been doing well for months, even with the maxima on the sandbed. I have been running stock lights up to this point but am now ready to order some new bulbs. My main focus is COLOR. I am not nearly worried about growth rate as I am color. I want the most stunning coloration with my setup, and I think the 20K look is way too blue for my liking so I need to be somewhere in the 10-14K look. I really like the look of true 03 actinics and I would like to throw in one the KZ fiji purples in their also, if it will help some colors pop. So with that info what would be the best bulb configuration to put in my light? As you already know it has 12 39w bulbs, 6 on each side. Thanks in advance and I will post pictures after I order them and get them installed! :beer:

I wouldn't even think of running an actinic. Your stuff might be doing OK but you sure as heck aren't exactly smothering them with PAR,

Front
ATI Blue Plus
Fiji Purple
Blue Plus
GE 6500K Daylight
Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue

That should give you good color and something in the neighborhood of 15K color.

 

[Mr. Right]

Has anyone use the Coral Vue Retros?

Anyone? :bounce2:

 

[zero26]

Just curious if my bulb combo is leading to algae growth here we go:
2 Icecap 660's
3 Aquablue plus
2 Actinic plus
1 Pure Actinic

All giesemann bulbs

 

[HighestOlive]

Grim,

I currently am running a Aquatic Life 4x54w with the following bulb combination over my 55 gallow sps heavy tank.

Front
UV 75/25
ATI Blue +
ATI Blue Special
ATI Blue +
Back

The Blue + bulbs turn on one hour before and one hour after the other two for a dusk/dawn effect (or really a day light to really blue effect).

When all bulbs are on everything in the tank looks a little washed out and the colors don't really pop that well. I am considering swapping out the 75/25 for a new bulb what would you recommend.

 

[winklebe]

Grim,
Firsts off --- You the Man!! Thanks for being so kinds as to answer so many questions.

Now my turn... I have a 65g (36X18X24) and for My B-day pops got me an Icecap 660. As I am currently running an off the shelf 2X96 PC unit. Now that I have the Ballast I am planning on building a custom hood that incorporates the t5's.

As I want to limit the cost for the initial build what would you recommend of the possible options?

1) Build a 4 bulb unit with the 660 and not worry about the dusk / dawn feature.
2) Build a unit that has the 4 t5's in the front of the tank run off the Icecap 660 and then place the existing PC unit in the back half and run 2 Actinic Bulbs for the Dusk Dawn
3) Buy a 2X39 universal Ballast and Have 2 T5's for Dusk / Dawn and 4 run off the 660 for day light.
4) Tear the case open on the PC unit and Place one of the in the front and one in the back and use the PC's to run Dusk / Dawn


-- Under options 1 and 2, I can work on getting a second 660 (when the Leaves start to fill in on the Money tree I just planted out back). They will provide room to add 4 more Bulbs for a total of 8 X 36". But I am concerned that 8 X 39watts may be over kill.

-- Option 3 seem doable as the Ballast I found Here http://www.ballastwise.com/item.asp?PID=26&FID=15&level=1 is only 20 bucks, But is this the right ballast and 2 would I find myself wanting more light later?

-- Option 4 leaves me with a torn apart unit that may never again serve its purpose. But Ill have a DIY unit with 3 Plugs running 4 39 w T5 and 2 96 W PC’s.

 

[PGUY1]

Grim...You always stick a GE6500 in your 6 bulb recommendation along with an actinic white and 4 blue+. Why? What does it bring to the table? How would sticking an aquablue in its place change the look? Thanks again. Phil

 

[babyjess210]

Grim
Can you help me with this issue? I have 2 advance ballast and 1 accustart ballast plug into my AC JR controller. When the lights are on my pumps, sump light and T-5 turn on whenever they feel like it. I called neptune and they told me the ballast was causing too much interference. The ballast are ground and i move the wire and controller away from the ballast. Anything i can try???
Kenny

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Just curious if my bulb combo is leading to algae growth here we go:
2 Icecap 660's
3 Aquablue plus
2 Actinic plus
1 Pure Actinic

All giesemann bulbs

If your lamps are old they can HELP with agae growth but it still comes back to water parameters. I had a weird outbreak that just had to run it's course. I had dosed with ice melt magnesium and I think it killed off my rock. My parameters looked great but still the algae. I think it was feeding off the nitrates locked in the rock from the die off and it just had to run it's course.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Grim,

I currently am running a Aquatic Life 4x54w with the following bulb combination over my 55 gallow sps heavy tank.

Front
UV 75/25
ATI Blue +
ATI Blue Special
ATI Blue +
Back

The Blue + bulbs turn on one hour before and one hour after the other two for a dusk/dawn effect (or really a day light to really blue effect).

When all bulbs are on everything in the tank looks a little washed out and the colors don't really pop that well. I am considering swapping out the 75/25 for a new bulb what would you recommend.

I would try swapping the positions of the 75/25 and Aquablue and see what you think. Only thing I could think of would be a 3rd Blue Plus and drop the Aquablue.