The T5 Q&a Thread

[The Grim Reefer]

Yeah tony, only thing is that I don't think the 700+nm are NOT 10,000K bulbs. They are full-spectrum daylight. I might be mistaken about this, but nowhere did it say anything about a Kelvin rated lamp.

I am going to try and figure out how NM relates to 10K, and see if anyone in person is nearby with different light set-ups. This way I don't have to run around like a chicken with my head chopped off for lighting combination.

Don't even try, you'll get a headache. 700nm would be redish orange at best. They just pull these numbers out their ***.

 

[Chiefsurfer]

this is what I know about the bulb ratings. the K, is a Kelvin rating. Kelvin is the "scientific" temperature scales. The nm ratings refer to visible light spectrum. Not entirely sure what the exact numbers are, but for reference. The light spectrom varies from 0nm to 10,000nm. The human eye and brain can see and register from 200nm to 700nm. Bellow this is UV light which is too "white" for us to see, and above is too "red"(infa-red) for us to see. So, 400 is like a purple color, 420/460 is like a blue color, 550 is like a green, 650 yellow, 700 red/orange. The 700(as I read it in their literature) is a broad-spectrum that combines a lot of different wave-length spectrum colors, including orange/red. That is why we are getting a yellowish color out of it. It seems possible that a bulb may have 2 ratings. One in nm, that refers to wavelength color, and one in K, that refers to the termerature of the light.

Maybe i am all screwed up, but thats how I get it.

 

[Reefer08]

2 ATI Blue Plus, 1 UVL Actinic White and a UVL Super Actinic.

Thanks for the recommendation, I think I really like this combo. For a 4 bulb fixture would I benefit from adding a KZ fiji purple? The only reason I ask is because I plan on having a lot of red acans (lps frag tank), and im wondering if the fiji purple bulb would make them look better?

Thanks again for the help, much appreciated!

 

[creepdogg]

Mount that center fan as high as you can. Dialing the end fans back a notch would be a good idea, just don't go too far. Ballasts under the stand should still be OK. Curving piece of wood isn't going to make any difference. You can angle the reflectors slightly and do the same thing without going to all that trouble.

Sounds good, thanks again. Ill let you guys know the results. Im super stoked.

One last question

What timing would you recommend on my lamps coming on and off? I will be following your suggestion of 3 ballasts

 

[Pran]

What Light for my 8 light fixture

What Light for my 8 light fixture

Hi Grim/All

Currently I have SPS and LPS in my tank, but mostly SPS

Light fixture Tek 8 bulb 54 Watts 48 inch
my light configuration now is

Front
1 ATI blue plus
1 blue plus
1 Geisement Actinic
1 blue Plus
1 Fiji Purple
1 blue plus
1 Aqua Blue
1 blue plus


I am going to be replacing all my light bulbs soon, b/c 1 year is almost finishing

can you please suggest a good colour combination to buy, I would like more blue/purple look and more sps coral growth

this what i have in mind, please tell me something better

front
1 blue plus
1 blue plus
1 figi puple
1 blue plus
1 blue plus
1 figi pruple
1 blue plus
1 blue plus


thanks

Pran

 

[TonyV]

Grim - what kind of light period do you prefer for a mixed reef tank? I have LEDs, 2 Blues, and 2 whites which can all be controlled separately?

Thanks again for all your help.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Thanks for the recommendation, I think I really like this combo. For a 4 bulb fixture would I benefit from adding a KZ fiji purple? The only reason I ask is because I plan on having a lot of red acans (lps frag tank), and im wondering if the fiji purple bulb would make them look better?

Thanks again for the help, much appreciated!

The Actinic White puts off more red than the Fiji Purple.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Sounds good, thanks again. Ill let you guys know the results. Im super stoked.

One last question

What timing would you recommend on my lamps coming on and off? I will be following your suggestion of 3 ballasts

12 hours for dusk/dawn
8 to 10 hours for morning/evening
4 to 8 hours for midday

If you have a tank full of SPS give them more, softies and LPS less.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Hi Grim/All

Currently I have SPS and LPS in my tank, but mostly SPS

Light fixture Tek 8 bulb 54 Watts 48 inch
my light configuration now is

Front
1 ATI blue plus
1 blue plus
1 Geisement Actinic
1 blue Plus
1 Fiji Purple
1 blue plus
1 Aqua Blue
1 blue plus


I am going to be replacing all my light bulbs soon, b/c 1 year is almost finishing

can you please suggest a good colour combination to buy, I would like more blue/purple look and more sps coral growth

this what i have in mind, please tell me something better

front
1 blue plus
1 blue plus
1 figi puple
1 blue plus
1 blue plus
1 figi pruple
1 blue plus
1 blue plus


thanks

Pran

Maybe try a UVL Actinic White instead of the second Fiji Purple, it has a little broader spectrum but what you have should look nice too.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Grim - what kind of light period do you prefer for a mixed reef tank? I have LEDs, 2 Blues, and 2 whites which can all be controlled separately?

Thanks again for all your help.

10 to 12 hours for the blues and 6 to 10 for the whites. Whatever floats your boat for the LED's. They wont really affect the corals much.

 

[TonyV]

Ok so in that case, the Aquablue would be the white bulb and the Blue+ is the blue? I am still learning. Thanks.

 

[Pran]

Maybe try a UVL Actinic White instead of the second Fiji Purple, it has a little broader spectrum but what you have should look nice too.

ok thanks but I heard with blues the sps wont grow

can u please suggest me hoow I should change it so my corals will grow faster tooo


thx

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Ok so in that case, the Aquablue would be the white bulb and the Blue+ is the blue? I am still learning. Thanks.

Yep, zactly!

 

[The Grim Reefer]

ok thanks but I heard with blues the sps wont grow

can u please suggest me hoow I should change it so my corals will grow faster tooo


thx

PAR makes corals grow. The Blue Plus has been found to have higher PAR than the UVL Aquasun and GE 6500K Daylight. If you are worried about providing broader spectrum use UVL Actinic Whites instead of the Fiji Purple. That pepto pink color of the UVL's has more yellow in it than the Fiji Purple

 

[Pran]

PAR makes corals grow. The Blue Plus has been found to have higher PAR than the UVL Aquasun and GE 6500K Daylight. If you are worried about providing broader spectrum use UVL Actinic Whites instead of the Fiji Purple. That pepto pink color of the UVL's has more yellow in it than the Fiji Purple

alright..thanks alot for your help

I believe it was you who helped me choose my light last year


does the blue plus have more PAR than ATI Aqua Blue special?


I am not too sure about wide spectrum, I basically wnat like nice colour and faster SPS growth

I was under impression that white spectrum makes the corals grow more faster than blue


please advice if I should use more ati aqua blue special to get more growth or just use ati blue plus


is at blue plus more par than ati aqua blue?


thanks

 

[The Grim Reefer]

alright..thanks alot for your help

I believe it was you who helped me choose my light last year


does the blue plus have more PAR than ATI Aqua Blue special?


I am not too sure about wide spectrum, I basically wnat like nice colour and faster SPS growth

I was under impression that white spectrum makes the corals grow more faster than blue


please advice if I should use more ati aqua blue special to get more growth or just use ati blue plus


is at blue plus more par than ati aqua blue?


thanks

The Blue Plus and Aquablue will be very close in PAR. Aquablue probably isn't more than about 10% higher if even that.

 

[TonyV]

Grim - where can we see a pic of your tank and equipment?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Grim - where can we see a pic of your tank and equipment?

I am tankless at the moment while I decide where to set it up at.

This is the last one

I have a 120 in the garage waiting to be set up but I might go with a 90 instead due to space limitations in the area I want to put it.

 

[Smiless]

so I have a L55''xw24''xh24'' sps dominated aquarium. At the moment I'm running LED's but I want to change to T5. I've been thinking about the ATI sunpower 6x54w. Do you think thats enough light?

Also, if I buy the fixture I get a deal on ATI bulbs, can you suggest a good bulb config. I have access to KZ bulbs and Giessmann but they are more expensive.

Thanks

 

[nickxx4360]

I am new to t5 fixtures. I traded a MH fixture for a TEK 6 bulb T5 fixture. I notice some of the bulbs flicker before they come on. the others on a different switch come on right away. Is it because the bulbs are old or is there a problem with the ballast?

Thanks