The T5 Q&a Thread

[ari5736]

With mainly non photosynthetic corals in my tank mainly gorgs and carnation that are red, purple and blue colorored, I am running 2 - 36"- 39w bulbs on a 660 ballast. 1 Actinic White T5 - UV and 1 Super Actinic R T5 Fluorescent - UV. I tried 2 super actinic and tank was to purple colored and 2 actinic white is 2 white for my taste. Any recommendations to swap out a bulb for a different color bulb or to add another 1 or 2 bulbs to the mix. This is almost strictly for appearance as I said the corals are nps.

 

[sbonder]

You are really limited because of the 20" length. If you want an anemone you are either going to have to go with a halide or be OK with having a 24" fixture hanging over the ends. I don't think I would try an anemone under the 18" current lamps and they are the only one's making T5 HO less than 24 inches long.

A 4x24 Tek would be enough for it.

So, I should bail on the anemone, and stick to softies and clown fish. Would the small pc fixtures like this one be okay?
http://www.marinedepot.com/Coralife...s-Coralife-ES53124-FILTFIPCTI-ES53124-vi.html

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Grim, can you link me to some info or reasons why you feel the workhorse is an inferior ballast. Id like to make the best decision with my dollars.

It turns out sls has been using the workhorse ballasts in their standard tek fixtures for some time now. Will the workhorse tek not perform as well as a tek with advanced ballasts?

The people who designed T5 lamps designed them to run on ballasts with certain certifications including end of life protection and programmed start, neither of which workhorse ballasts include. SLS used them for a short time then went back to real T5 ballasts then I am not sure when but they have supposedly reverted back to the workhorse ballasts. I tested a Workorse 7 agtainst a DYnamic T5 ballast and the workhorse consumed slightly more power, created slightly less light but also didn't supply a steady amount of light. The Dynamic held right around 131/132 while the workhorse would peak at 125 and drift as low as 112 or so. That doesn't account for the loss of longevity due to the hard start rather than programed start.

They work and in some fixtures like the 72 inch Aquactinics Constellation are a necessary evil due to space constraints but I don't want to use them.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

With mainly non photosynthetic corals in my tank mainly gorgs and carnation that are red, purple and blue colorored, I am running 2 - 36"- 39w bulbs on a 660 ballast. 1 Actinic White T5 - UV and 1 Super Actinic R T5 Fluorescent - UV. I tried 2 super actinic and tank was to purple colored and 2 actinic white is 2 white for my taste. Any recommendations to swap out a bulb for a different color bulb or to add another 1 or 2 bulbs to the mix. This is almost strictly for appearance as I said the corals are nps.

I would get a standard ballast rather than overdriving. Try an ATI Blue Plus in front of the Actinic White.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

So, I should bail on the anemone, and stick to softies and clown fish. Would the small pc fixtures like this one be okay?
http://www.marinedepot.com/Coralife...s-Coralife-ES53124-FILTFIPCTI-ES53124-vi.html

Yeah. I would rather have the 18" current T5 than the PC's. With the Current T5 you could probably keep a torch coral and clowns will sometimes host in those.

 

[ari5736]

I would get a standard ballast rather than overdriving. Try an ATI Blue Plus in front of the Actinic White.

Why is that, heat? If I put in a 3rd or 4th bulb I will no longer be overdriving correct?

 

[philosophish]

The Dynamic held right around 131/132 while the workhorse would peak at 125 and drift as low as 112 or so.

@ Grim,

Did you test the ballasts in the sunpower/powermodule as well?

I was leaning towards a tek fixture myself since I wont need all the extra light of these two or potentially the elite; but if bulb life and performance is going to be diminished it will likely end up costing more to own an inferior fixture.

Are any of the new fixtures on the market able to fill this niche below the ati uber lights? Or is the tek, even with workhourse ballasts, still the best in this "lesser" category?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Why is that, heat? If I put in a 3rd or 4th bulb I will no longer be overdriving correct?

You will still be overdriving it. You don't really need the intensity so what's the point? Ice Cap ballasts are great but if you don't need the additional intensity you are giving up a tiny bit of lamp life and using more power. With only 2 lamps heat shouldn't be a big issue.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

@ Grim,

Did you test the ballasts in the sunpower/powermodule as well?

I was leaning towards a tek fixture myself since I wont need all the extra light of these two or potentially the elite; but if bulb life and performance is going to be diminished it will likely end up costing more to own an inferior fixture.

Are any of the new fixtures on the market able to fill this niche below the ati uber lights? Or is the tek, even with workhourse ballasts, still the best in this "lesser" category?

ATI Uses the Vossloh Schwabb ballasts which are the same as Osram and Sylvania,

The Aquactinics Constellation 48" version uses good ballasts. Ice Cap has a fixture out but I have heard it doesn't use fans. If that is the case I wouldn't mess with them. For the price I would buy a standard Tek and add external cooling to it rather than pay for the elite.

 

[rick12]

hi again G.R. please give lighting advise on my 2 tanks

hi again G.R. please give lighting advise on my 2 tanks

tank #1
40g breeder 18" deep.
running wavepoint 36" (4t5s)
aquascape:
SPS on the top,
middle is LPS--chalice and favia, acans
bottom is zoas, and rics.

tank #2
40g breeder 18" deep.
running wavepoint 36" (4t5s)
aquascape:
all sps and clams

thank you

also, is KZ fiji purple same as a uvl 75/25?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

tank #1
40g breeder 18" deep.
running wavepoint 36" (4t5s)
aquascape:
SPS on the top,
middle is LPS--chalice and favia, acans
bottom is zoas, and rics.

tank #2
40g breeder 18" deep.
running wavepoint 36" (4t5s)
aquascape:
all sps and clams

thank you

Front
ATI Blue Plus
KZ Fiji Purple
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus

Both tanks.

 

[snaza]

Don't know anything about the KZ blue but nothing about the performance of their other lamps would cause me to even consider trying one if they put the same premium on the price they do their other lamps.

Front
ATI Blue Plus or Gmann Act Plus
GE Daylight or Giesemann Midday
Blue Plus or Act plus.

hey thanks,

not sure if i can get the GE in australia. would the gman miday 6000k do the trick? Im not to worried about the look of the lights just want good sps colour and growth. still reckon 2 blue+ and a midday?

while im here i just got my 10bulb ATI PM for my Display. what would you reckon for SPS colour?

thanks

 

[The Grim Reefer]

hey thanks,

not sure if i can get the GE in australia. would the gman miday 6000k do the trick? Im not to worried about the look of the lights just want good sps colour and growth. still reckon 2 blue+ and a midday?

while im here i just got my 10bulb ATI PM for my Display. what would you reckon for SPS colour?

thanks

Giesemann or even just use an Aquablue.

For 10 lamps I would use 6 ATI Blue Plus, 2 Fiji Purple and 2 Middays or Aquablues.

 

[todd141]

Grim's homepage recommendations...

Grim's homepage recommendations...

On your homepage, your recommendation for a 6 bulb fixture is as follows:

listed front to back

Blue Plus, Super Actinic, UVL Aquasun, Blue Plus, UVL 75/25,
Blue Plus

Any reason to deviate from this?

thanks for all your help...

 

[The Grim Reefer]

On your homepage, your recommendation for a 6 bulb fixture is as follows:

listed front to back

Blue Plus, Super Actinic, UVL Aquasun, Blue Plus, UVL 75/25,
Blue Plus

Any reason to deviate from this?

thanks for all your help...

Yeah. Not my homepage so I can't update the stuff.

Use the Actinic White instead of the Aquasun, Use a Aquablue instead of the 75/25

 

[todd141]

OK - thanks.

 

[robertifly]

Hey Grim, time to bulb up my nep. Is there one place online where I can get all of the bulbs you are recomending to use in a 6 bulb fixture? Thanks Robert

 

[jrp1588]

Hey Grim, time to bulb up my nep. Is there one place online where I can get all of the bulbs you are recomending to use in a 6 bulb fixture? Thanks Robert

I got all my stuff from reefgeek.com

 

[robertifly]

Thanks I have used them before and like they service but I didn't notice they carry all:
listed front to back

Blue Plus, Super Actinic, UVL Aquasun, Blue Plus, UVL 75/25,
Blue Plus

Any reason to deviate from this?

thanks for all your help...

Yeah. Not my homepage so I can't update the stuff.

Use the Actinic White instead of the Aquasun, Use a Aquablue instead of the 75/25

 

[ckusnierek]

Hey Grim,
I got my T5 stuff from PA yesterday.

I got a heavy SPS 125.

I ordered a 8 TEK 2 SLR, 4 ATI AB special, 3 Blue +, and a KZ Fiji. 2 IC660 one IC430
But I can only fit 6 over the 125

I wanted ATI reflectors but I did not have the time to wait.

Any way, I talked to reefgeek and the guy said the ATI reflectors really are not meant for retros. and to just stick with 6 TEK reflectors and I will be just fine.

3 AB Special
2 Blue +
1 KZ fiji

Does that sound ok to you?

another option would be to mount 6 above the tank
4 AB special
2 Blue+

And then mount the KZ and another blue + not directly over the tank but aimed towards the tank. But that kinda sounds like a PITA.

Thoughts?
coming from 2x 250w halide I want to keep the SPS happy. I have them gorwing almost all the way down to the sand.