The T5 Q&a Thread

[dustinc]

I ordered a 6x24 watt ATI fixture for my 34 gallon cube. I ordered the following bulbs:

4xATI Blue+
1xFiji Purple
1xGE Daylight
1xAquaBlue

What placement should I go with and which daylight bulb should I use? Thanks

Dustin

 

[birch]

Grim, back in January I asked you for a good bulb combo that was more white than blue and provided good growth to get me started. This bulb combo has been great, now I would like something a bit more blue to bring out more fluorescent colors while still providing good growth. I have sps throughout the tank and lps on the sandbed in a 75 gallon. Current combo is:
Front
ATI Blue plus
UVL 75/25
GE 6500K daylight
ATI blue plus
UVL aquasun
ATI blue plus

Thanks!

 

[tehfeer]

Has anyone tried to add shimmer to a t-5 setup using 3w LEDs? I have a 8 bulb 32 inch long ati t-5 that I would like to add the shimmer effect too.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I ordered a 6x24 watt ATI fixture for my 34 gallon cube. I ordered the following bulbs:

4xATI Blue+
1xFiji Purple
1xGE Daylight
1xAquaBlue

What placement should I go with and which daylight bulb should I use? Thanks

Dustin

Front
ATI Blue Plus
Fii Purple
Blue Plus
GE 6500K
Blue Plus
Blue Plus

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Grim, back in January I asked you for a good bulb combo that was more white than blue and provided good growth to get me started. This bulb combo has been great, now I would like something a bit more blue to bring out more fluorescent colors while still providing good growth. I have sps throughout the tank and lps on the sandbed in a 75 gallon. Current combo is:
Front
ATI Blue plus
UVL 75/25
GE 6500K daylight
ATI blue plus
UVL aquasun
ATI blue plus

Thanks!

Bllue Plus
UVL Actinic White
Blue Plus
GE 6500K Daylight
Blue Plus
Blue Plus

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Has anyone tried to add shimmer to a t-5 setup using 3w LEDs? I have a 8 bulb 32 inch long ati t-5 that I would like to add the shimmer effect too.

I haven't tred it but supposedly you will get some.

 

[Bagged94Ranger]

Hey Grim, i'm trying to adapt my eye to the blue plus/aquablue setup and my eye just thinks its too blue...i used to run a 10000k/true 03 setup.

How would a 6500k bulb do in place of one of the other bulbs as far as color?

 

[Zach.Attack6]

Want to place the order for my 6 x 54 sunpower, for my standard 90, gonna be sps dominated

want to know what bulb pattern

From the back of the tank:


"¢ ATI blue plus
"¢ ATI blue plus
"¢ GE 6500k
"¢ ATI Aqua Blue
"¢ KZ Fiji Purple
"¢ ATI blue plus

what do you think?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Hey Grim, i'm trying to adapt my eye to the blue plus/aquablue setup and my eye just thinks its too blue...i used to run a 10000k/true 03 setup.

How would a 6500k bulb do in place of one of the other bulbs as far as color?

It will decrease the amount of blue you are seeing.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Want to place the order for my 6 x 54 sunpower, for my standard 90, gonna be sps dominated

want to know what bulb pattern

From the back of the tank:


"¢ ATI blue plus
"¢ ATI blue plus
"¢ GE 6500k
"¢ ATI Aqua Blue
"¢ KZ Fiji Purple
"¢ ATI blue plus

what do you think?

Should look good.

 

[bhelne01]

I have a 90 gallon that i have stocked with a mixture of LPS 2-3 clams, and SPS
I have a 6 bulb Current NovaExtreme 6x 54 ho with SLR and I was wondering what you would recommend for lighting and the configuration for the bulbs from first to back. i just purchased an ATI aquablue special but if you recommend that I replace it with something else I do it
I am looking for good color and growth

thanks in advance

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I have a 90 gallon that i have stocked with a mixture of LPS 2-3 clams, and SPS
I have a 6 bulb Current NovaExtreme 6x 54 ho with SLR and I was wondering what you would recommend for lighting and the configuration for the bulbs from first to back. i just purchased an ATI aquablue special but if you recommend that I replace it with something else I do it
I am looking for good color and growth

thanks in advance

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

 

[bhelne01]

thanks

 

[vamaro]

I am new to SPS. I want to replace my stock Current USA T5 bulbs with bulbs that will help me get good color from SPS. Not sure what type of bulbs to get, how to set them up and how long to run them.

Tank is 72L x 30W x 24H

My light is a Current USA 72 inch Extreme T5.

There are 12 X 39W bulbs total. 4 bulbs (all blue) are on one switch and 8 bulbs (6 white and 2 blue) are on the other switch.

I have the light sitting on the legs that came with the light. The bottom of the light is about 3 inches above the tank.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I am new to SPS. I want to replace my stock Current USA T5 bulbs with bulbs that will help me get good color from SPS. Not sure what type of bulbs to get, how to set them up and how long to run them.

Tank is 72L x 30W x 24H

My light is a Current USA 72 inch Extreme T5.

There are 12 X 39W bulbs total. 4 bulbs (all blue) are on one switch and 8 bulbs (6 white and 2 blue) are on the other switch.

I have the light sitting on the legs that came with the light. The bottom of the light is about 3 inches above the tank.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

You want to keep the SPS up higher in the tank.

I would do 4 rows of ATI Blue Plus, 1 ATI Aquablue and a UVL Actinic WHite.

 

[killagoby]

Put the actinics front and read. Should look good.

Grim,

Why would you do the actinics front and rear? Is it because the 75.25's have more par?

Thanks,
Killa

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Grim,

Why would you do the actinics front and rear? Is it because the 75.25's have more par?

Thanks,
Killa

The 75/25 has an off color caste to the light that doesn't look nice as a stand alone lamp so you want the blue of the actinics to be what you see through the front of the glass and reflecting off the back

 

[JMLewis]

Hey Grim,

In the very near future im going to be upgrading from a 55g to a 100g SPS/LPS/Clam Tank. Im planning on running 2 x 250w 14k Hamiltons and 4 x 54w T5 HOs with individual reflectors. For my T5s i was thinking about putting 4 actinics or true actinics, but then i was wondering if i should put a 10k or 2 in there and do 2 act and 2 10ks or mabey 3 and 1. Your opinion on this would be greatly appreciated.

Also whats with the actinic and true actinic etc i see in the bulb selections. Is one better than the other to use? Thanks!

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Hey Grim,

In the very near future im going to be upgrading from a 55g to a 100g SPS/LPS/Clam Tank. Im planning on running 2 x 250w 14k Hamiltons and 4 x 54w T5 HOs with individual reflectors. For my T5s i was thinking about putting 4 actinics or true actinics, but then i was wondering if i should put a 10k or 2 in there and do 2 act and 2 10ks or mabey 3 and 1. Your opinion on this would be greatly appreciated.

Also whats with the actinic and true actinic etc i see in the bulb selections. Is one better than the other to use? Thanks!

I would do a Blue Plus, UVL Super Actinic, a UVL 75/25 and Blue Plus in that order, 2 in front and behind the halide. It will look eerie with no halides on and pop some extra blue with it on but the 75/25 will help pop some reds.

 

[vamaro]

You want to keep the SPS up higher in the tank.

I would do 4 rows of ATI Blue Plus, 1 ATI Aquablue and a UVL Actinic WHite.

Grim, should I run all of the lights at the same time?

Thanks again!