The T5 Q&a Thread

[Boostable]

Tek Fixture, no splash guard 6 to 8" above the water.

Front
ATI Blue Plus
GE 6500K Daylight
Blue Plus
Blue Plus
GE Daylight
Blue Plus

12 Hour Dusk/dawn

8 Hour Midday
Good Color, Good Growth.

Grim,

Is the 6 bulb unit adequate for my application or should I consider the 8?
Also, when you say midday are you talking about the Blue Plus units?

Thanks,

JW

 

[john90009]

yes im using a acrylic spalsh guard that i got from home depot- I use it cause my vlamingi tang likes to splash water into the sockets: / is it cutting down the par that much?

 

[jrp1588]

the tek unit I had ran super hot without the splash guard on. With the splash guard, it's even harder for heat to escape, cutting down your par drastically, and shortening bulb life. I imagine your bulbs were no good a while back from all that heat

 

[john90009]

how can i setup acrylic sheets for the lights so the ends are protected where a fish cant splash and make a fire?

 

[jrp1588]

you could try modding in some waterproof sockets. Or you could put an acryllic or glass cover over the tank itself...but that might drop your pH from trapped co2

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Yeah, the acrylic shield just kill the ouput. Even using the fan trick PAR dropped a bunch and I didnt even have the right shield so it didn't completely seal the unit.

 

[tonyespinoza]

So if I go with the AI reflectors plus ice cap ballasts, which direction should the fans blow in order to maximize PAR? I noticed the comment above that blowing along the length of a tek fixture is a no no.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

So if I go with the AI reflectors plus ice cap ballasts, which direction should the fans blow in order to maximize PAR? I noticed the comment above that blowing along the length of a tek fixture is a no no.

If you are doing a retrofit you want to cool the lamp ends, just blowing the fans in from the back at each side

 

[stone.david]

Sorry if this has been posted before, ive had a look in the tread but cant find anything.

What is the max height i can have with a all T5 system? 80W bulbs.

Thanks

 

[Boostable]

Tek Fixture, no splash guard 6 to 8" above the water.

Front
ATI Blue Plus
GE 6500K Daylight
Blue Plus
Blue Plus
GE Daylight
Blue Plus

12 Hour Dusk/dawn

8 Hour Midday
Good Color, Good Growth.

Grim,

I picked up (or will shortly) a 8 bulb Tek unit, what additions would you make to the above listing?

Thank,

JW

 

[tonyespinoza]

If you are doing a retrofit you want to cool the lamp ends, just blowing the fans in from the back at each side

This SPS tank's dims are 70 x 60 x 22 with half lit by halides and the other half by T5's.

The T5 retros will be in a hood that is open on top. There will be 12 T5 bulbs (80W each) on 660's with AI reflectors.

Questions:

Do I need to put fans running perpendicular to the bulbs at each end?

Does air need to flow above and below the tubes?

Or is it okay to cool the entire bulb by aiming larger fans down the length of the tube?
(This would cool one end way more than the other as well as the tubes themselves.) I have 10" fans that I run at low speed that seem to work well (quietly) for the halides.

 

[tonyespinoza]

This SPS tank's dims are 70 x 60 x 22 with half lit by halides and the other half by T5's.

The T5 retros will be in a hood that is open on top. There will be 12 T5 bulbs (80W each) on 660's with AI reflectors.

Questions:

Do I need to put fans running perpendicular to the bulbs at each end?

Does air need to flow above and below the tubes?

Or is it okay to cool the entire bulb by aiming larger fans down the length of the tube?
(This would cool one end way more than the other as well as the tubes themselves.) I have 10" fans that I run at low speed that seem to work well (quietly) for the halides.

 

[elitesurfer]

My first here.
I need suggestion on 4x24W bulb combo on 24" TEK fixture. Also what height should I be keeping it at above the water level / time schedule?
Mostly SPS on top column and lps on bottom.
Tank is Solana 20x20x20

Bulbs available:

Giessman: Midday, Aquaflora, Aquablue Plus, Actinic Plus, Pure Actinic
URI: AquaSun, Actinic White, Super Actinic Blue, 75/25, 454
AquaScience: 15000K, 17500K
KZ: Coral Light, Coral Light 2, Fiji Purple

Thanks =)

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Sorry if this has been posted before, ive had a look in the tread but cant find anything.

What is the max height i can have with a all T5 system? 80W bulbs.

Thanks

I wouldn't use them on anything over about 30" tall unless you are only doing softies.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Grim,

I picked up (or will shortly) a 8 bulb Tek unit, what additions would you make to the above listing?

Thank,

JW

Front
Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
Blue Plus
GE 6500k Daylight
Blue Plus
UVL Actinic White
Blue Plus
Blue Plus

 

[The Grim Reefer]

This SPS tank's dims are 70 x 60 x 22 with half lit by halides and the other half by T5's.

The T5 retros will be in a hood that is open on top. There will be 12 T5 bulbs (80W each) on 660's with AI reflectors.

Questions:

Do I need to put fans running perpendicular to the bulbs at each end?

Does air need to flow above and below the tubes?

Or is it okay to cool the entire bulb by aiming larger fans down the length of the tube?
(This would cool one end way more than the other as well as the tubes themselves.) I have 10" fans that I run at low speed that seem to work well (quietly) for the halides.

I would try to direct the air down from the top at each end if possible. The reflectors will keep the air from striking the lamps directly any where but at the ends which is what you want. If you used the fans all blowing in from the side it might work as well, just make sure you are only doing one side and the label ends of the lamps are all at that end.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

My first here.
I need suggestion on 4x24W bulb combo on 24" TEK fixture. Also what height should I be keeping it at above the water level / time schedule?
Mostly SPS on top column and lps on bottom.
Tank is Solana 20x20x20

Bulbs available:

Giessman: Midday, Aquaflora, Aquablue Plus, Actinic Plus, Pure Actinic
URI: AquaSun, Actinic White, Super Actinic Blue, 75/25, 454
AquaScience: 15000K, 17500K
KZ: Coral Light, Coral Light 2, Fiji Purple

Thanks =)

Front
Gmann Actinic Plus
Fiji Purple
Gman Aquablue
Gman Actinic Plus

4 to 6" above the water level for the fixture

 

[philosophish]

@ Grim,

You said you liked the 2 ge with 4 blue + combo.

How does it differ with 2 aqualblues instead of the ge's? Is the blue diminished, or does it just bring out other colors while keeping the same blue hue?

Danke

 

[The Grim Reefer]

@ Grim,

You said you liked the 2 ge with 4 blue + combo.

How does it differ with 2 aqualblues instead of the ge's? Is the blue diminished, or does it just bring out other colors while keeping the same blue hue?

Danke

Slightly less blue to the look but any yellow, pink or purple colors in the tank show up a lot better.

 

[elitesurfer]

Front
Gmann Actinic Plus
Fiji Purple
Gman Aquablue
Gman Actinic Plus

4 to 6" above the water level for the fixture

Thank you :love2: