The T5 Q&a Thread

[eyecancer]

Grim,

I have a 55 with a 4x54 t5 fixture and it's about time to replace the stock bulbs. I have no intentions of keeping sps but I would like to think I would be able to keep a bubble tip along with lps. Confirm/deny? Also bulb recommendations? Thank you.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Hey Grim, great job. Right now I have an ATI blue plus and aquablue special per your reccomendations. I am thinking that shortly I will be switching to a 4 bulb setup over my 40 breeder. What do you recommend for getting a bit bluer of a look but at the same time I want to be able to grow SPS. Thanks.

Add a Couple more Blue Plus, they have plenty of PAR.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Grim,

I have a 55 with a 4x54 t5 fixture and it's about time to replace the stock bulbs. I have no intentions of keeping sps but I would like to think I would be able to keep a bubble tip along with lps. Confirm/deny? Also bulb recommendations? Thank you.

If it's a decent fixture like a tek no problem with the BTA. On a cheap fixture you want to have a place where the anemone can be on top of the rocks.

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

 

[vidson]

Grim, I just picked up a 48 inches long x 18 inches front to back x 16 inches deep aquarium. I am looking at lighting it with T5s and I currently have SPS and LPS corals.

My equipment
4 Aquactinics reflectors (48inch)
1 icecap 660
1 icecap 430
I can either go 4 bulb or 6 bulb. I like the 14k look. What bulb combo would u recommend? Should I go 4 or 6 bulbs?

 

[JonSadowsky]

Grim

Thanks for all the great help you are to everyone here.

I have just gotten two of the new KZ "SuperBlues" from Aquarium Specialty and I think that these are worth you taking a look at. In my fixture side by side with ATI Blue+ they appear to be more intense. I have also compared them to the AquaScience 20K with the same result.

Just a heads up on a possible good new product for us SPS keepers.

BTW - I think some sort of comparison chart as a sticky for the thread might cut down on the repetitive questions...

Thanks again.

Jon

 

[pardalis]

Has anyone tried or heard anything about the Wavepoint bulbs?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Grim, I just picked up a 48 inches long x 18 inches front to back x 16 inches deep aquarium. I am looking at lighting it with T5s and I currently have SPS and LPS corals.

My equipment
4 Aquactinics reflectors (48inch)
1 icecap 660
1 icecap 430
I can either go 4 bulb or 6 bulb. I like the 14k look. What bulb combo would u recommend? Should I go 4 or 6 bulbs?

I hate to be the barer of bad news but you should really get new ballasts, the Ice Caps are overkill on that tank but you can make them work if you mount the lamps high enough, like 8 inches above the water.

Front
ATI Blue Plus on 430
UVL Actinic Whire 660
ATI Aquablue 660
ATI Blue Plus on 430 ballast

If you can't mount the lamps at least higher than 6 inches above the tank you REALLY need to use standard T5 ballast.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Grim

Thanks for all the great help you are to everyone here.

I have just gotten two of the new KZ "SuperBlues" from Aquarium Specialty and I think that these are worth you taking a look at. In my fixture side by side with ATI Blue+ they appear to be more intense. I have also compared them to the AquaScience 20K with the same result.

Just a heads up on a possible good new product for us SPS keepers.

BTW - I think some sort of comparison chart as a sticky for the thread might cut down on the repetitive questions...

Thanks again.

Jon

How old were the AS and ATI lamps when you made the comparison?

 

[almees]

Replacing lights

Replacing lights

I currently have these light on my 125 gallon tank 6x 18x 20

I have tech 2 reflectors and IC ballast if that matters

back:
80W - 60IN AQUA BLUE +
80W - 60IN ACTINIC +
80W - 60IN AQUA BLUE +
80W - 60IN MIDDAY
80W - 60IN PURE ACTINIC
80W - 60IN AQUA BLUE +
Front:

I would like to add some par and increase my blue a bit. What would you recomend.

Thank You.

 

[jennmac415]

JonSadowsky

I would love to see some pics comparing the bulbs and also a tank pic with the new bulbs on it...

thanks!

 

[jeremyreef]

grim,
i know you recommend Triad, Sylvania, and Vossloh Schwabb ballasts for normal driving but are advance ok? thought i read a while back that you said they are. also is $55 a good price for a 2x54w ballast? thanks

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I currently have these light on my 125 gallon tank 6x 18x 20

I have tech 2 reflectors and IC ballast if that matters

back:
80W - 60IN AQUA BLUE +
80W - 60IN ACTINIC +
80W - 60IN AQUA BLUE +
80W - 60IN MIDDAY
80W - 60IN PURE ACTINIC
80W - 60IN AQUA BLUE +
Front:

I would like to add some par and increase my blue a bit. What would you recomend.

Thank You.

Pull the Pure Actinic for another Actinic Plus. The Actinic Plus has as much or more PAR than the Aquablue so don't be afraid to use as many as you want. I had 4 Actinic Plus, 1 Aquablue and 1 GE daylight on my 125 and it looked way cool and had great PAR.

Here's a few crappy shots of the tank under those lights

 

[killagoby]

Front
Blue Plus
UVL Actinic White
Halide
Blue Plus
Blue Plus

About the same look with everything on but with just the T5's running it will be blue with a slightly purple tint to it. With 2 75/25's you would have less PAR and a lot more of a purple look with just the T5's running.

Thanks Grim!

 

[almees]

Pull the Pure Actinic for another Actinic Plus. The Actinic Plus has as much or more PAR than the Aquablue so don't be afraid to use as many as you want. I had 4 Actinic Plus, 1 Aquablue and 1 GE daylight on my 125 and it looked way cool and had great PAR. =QUOTE]


I did not mention I will be replacing all my bulbs. What brands should I stick to for the combination you listed above? I had all geissmans but hear great things about other brands.

What order should the light be in from back to front?

 

[milkman55]

Based on my previous post, I have now acquired the eight bulbs for my TEK fixture. My TEK (and maybe all model) has two swithes that fire the center four bulbs on one and the outer two bulbs on both sides with the other switch.

I search back through the thread, but could not find a specific example of any 8 bulb TEK were you gave the order from front to back.

I have the following bulbs - 4 ATI Blue Plus, 2 ATI Aquablue Spec, 2 UVL Actinic White, and 1 GE 6500K, which is one more than I need, but wanted to play around with the GE vs. the Aquablue Spec.

I assume the four bulbs on the outside are the first on in the morning and last off and then the center four bulbs are just on during the peak of the day?

What order would you suggest to achieve the right mix when only 4 bulbs are on vs. all 8 bulbs?

Thanks for all the help.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Pull the Pure Actinic for another Actinic Plus. The Actinic Plus has as much or more PAR than the Aquablue so don't be afraid to use as many as you want. I had 4 Actinic Plus, 1 Aquablue and 1 GE daylight on my 125 and it looked way cool and had great PAR. =QUOTE]


I did not mention I will be replacing all my bulbs. What brands should I stick to for the combination you listed above? I had all geissmans but hear great things about other brands.

What order should the light be in from back to front?

Depending on you dusk/dawn slots
Front
ATI Blue Plus
KZ Fiji Purple
Blue Plus
GE 6500K Daylight or ATI Aquablue
Blue Plus
Blue Plus

You can tweak the positions so you get all blues for dusk dawn or even try the Fiji with 2 blues.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Based on my previous post, I have now acquired the eight bulbs for my TEK fixture. My TEK (and maybe all model) has two swithes that fire the center four bulbs on one and the outer two bulbs on both sides with the other switch.

I search back through the thread, but could not find a specific example of any 8 bulb TEK were you gave the order from front to back.

I have the following bulbs - 4 ATI Blue Plus, 2 ATI Aquablue Spec, 2 UVL Actinic White, and 1 GE 6500K, which is one more than I need, but wanted to play around with the GE vs. the Aquablue Spec.

I assume the four bulbs on the outside are the first on in the morning and last off and then the center four bulbs are just on during the peak of the day?

What order would you suggest to achieve the right mix when only 4 bulbs are on vs. all 8 bulbs?

Thanks for all the help.

Yep for the Dusk/dawn

Try this

Front
Blue Plus
Actinic White
Blue Plus
GE
Aquablue
Aquablue
Blue Plus
Blue Plus

 

[jb61264]

What vendors can supply me with all three of the following bulbs that you have recommended to me in the past?

ATI Blue Plus
UVL Actinic White
GE 6500K Daylight

 

[jeremyreef]

grim,
i know you recommend Triad, Sylvania, and Vossloh Schwabb ballasts for normal driving but are advance ok? thought i read a while back that you said they are. also is $55 a good price for a 2x54w ballast? thanks

:spin3::spin3::spin3:

 

[Frogmanx82]

Grim, I have a 5 bulb set up on a Aquactinics Tx5

2x ATI blue plus
ATI aquablue
UVL Actinic white
GE 6500

I have some SPS now and a crocea clam so I want to keep my par up. The lights have been in since August last year.

So I have a few questions.

When do I need to replace bulbs?
Should I do it all at once or stagger them? if staggered, is one bulb prone to longer life than another?
I see actinic + and fuji purples recommended alot and I think I may take out the GE 6500. The blue + seems like a staple so I assume I get more of those. What about the other 3 bulbs?