The T5 Q&a Thread

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How long have you been overdriving the lamps? I will be interested in the long term lamp performance, keep us posted

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


Thanks grim..Its been about 2 months now since I switched to the icecaps..As of right now no problems,But I'll keep you posted on any changes..Thanks again grim,I'll give that combo a shot.
 
By my readings the Blue Plus had good readings but according to a number of people Sanjay Joshi tested the Blue Plus with a spectrometer and they had the highest PAR of any lamp he tested which included the UVL Aquasun wich was the highest of any lamp I have tested.

Reason for that is the PAR meters under read blue light and over read red. I had always figured the blue plus was really good, I just didn't figure on them having more PAR than the Aquasun or GE Daylight.

And I would get the Sunpower, the Tek elite supposedly uses the workhorse ballasts. I prefer spec T5 ballasts to those.

Good deal. With the ATI Sunpower, I only see one cable. Does that mean it's all or nothing? I'd really like to have sunrise/sunset but if it's a superior unit, I can deal with it.
 
Good deal. With the ATI Sunpower, I only see one cable. Does that mean it's all or nothing? I'd really like to have sunrise/sunset but if it's a superior unit, I can deal with it.

No, there is a single cord going into the fixture but it splits up into two at the plug end of the cord so you get dusk/dawn
 
90 gal bowfront T5 replacement

90 gal bowfront T5 replacement

Grim, thanks in advance!

90 gal bowfront with 6 lamp/indiv. reflectors. Tank/bulbs are only 6 months old, and came with "included free" 3 blues and 3 10K's which are junk.

Mostly a softy tank, want to add a clam (high up on rock) later. Tank is totally washed out, mostly all white. With the depth of the 90 bowfront/Oceanic, can you please make bulb/brand suggestions.

Also thinking of addign a 24" 2 bulb in front of 6 bulb.

Gracias
 
65 gallon 150w 14k hqi 4 x39watt actinics mixed reef
u said front
ati blue plus
uvl actinic white
10k halide
blue plus
blue plus


its one of my displays so i want excellent color on my fish aswell as color on my corals. with decent growth. and the possibility of using a fiji or kz purple bulb. the 14k bulb that came with the fixture looks more on yellow side as it is.
 
ATI Aquablue
Blue Plus
UVL Actinic White
GE 6500K Daylight
Blue Plus
Blue Plus

Thanks a lot Grim!!

What do you think of the old style:

Actinic blue
10.000K
Actinic blue
10.000K
Actinic blue
10.000K

What would be the best placement for the bulbs in the ATI fixture I have?
If they would be fine, what's the best brand for Actinic blue and for the 10.000K now a days.
I know that we have many different options today for the combinations and so on...
I just thought about that a while ago and would like to have your opinion..

Grandis.
 
Grim, thanks in advance!

90 gal bowfront with 6 lamp/indiv. reflectors. Tank/bulbs are only 6 months old, and came with "included free" 3 blues and 3 10K's which are junk.

Mostly a softy tank, want to add a clam (high up on rock) later. Tank is totally washed out, mostly all white. With the depth of the 90 bowfront/Oceanic, can you please make bulb/brand suggestions.

Also thinking of addign a 24" 2 bulb in front of 6 bulb.

Gracias

4 ATI Blue Plus 1 UVL Actinic White and one GE 6500K Daylight will look blue but not too blue and give good growth.
 
65 gallon 150w 14k hqi 4 x39watt actinics mixed reef
u said front
ati blue plus
uvl actinic white
10k halide
blue plus
blue plus


its one of my displays so i want excellent color on my fish aswell as color on my corals. with decent growth. and the possibility of using a fiji or kz purple bulb. the 14k bulb that came with the fixture looks more on yellow side as it is.

The Actinic White will add the red like the Fiji purple. Either will work.
 
Thanks a lot Grim!!

What do you think of the old style:

Actinic blue
10.000K
Actinic blue
10.000K
Actinic blue
10.000K

What would be the best placement for the bulbs in the ATI fixture I have?
If they would be fine, what's the best brand for Actinic blue and for the 10.000K now a days.
I know that we have many different options today for the combinations and so on...
I just thought about that a while ago and would like to have your opinion..

Grandis.

ATI Blue Plus placed just like in the list you quoted
 
Ok Grim I've done my best to read through at least this last split and at this point figure I better just ask for your opinion.

I have a 90Gallon 18x48x24deep with NEP 6x54 watt T5 fixture. I am slowly moving toward more sps in my tank. I have local access to UVL blubs but I am open to ordering in whatever is going to bring out the most in my corals color/growth. I do like a blue hue to my lights but at the same time I don't want just blue in the light.

So there it is boss what would you suggest for bulbs going forward from here?
 
Ok Grim I've done my best to read through at least this last split and at this point figure I better just ask for your opinion.

I have a 90Gallon 18x48x24deep with NEP 6x54 watt T5 fixture. I am slowly moving toward more sps in my tank. I have local access to UVL blubs but I am open to ordering in whatever is going to bring out the most in my corals color/growth. I do like a blue hue to my lights but at the same time I don't want just blue in the light.

So there it is boss what would you suggest for bulbs going forward from here?

Best Blue lamp on the market is the ATI Blue plus followed by the Giesemann Actinic Plus. With the marginal fixture you would be well served going with one of those. ! would do 4 Blue Plus, the UVL Actinic White and a ATI Aquablue. Should give you max PAR and be pretty blue.n
 
Best Blue lamp on the market is the ATI Blue plus followed by the Giesemann Actinic Plus. With the marginal fixture you would be well served going with one of those. ! would do 4 Blue Plus, the UVL Actinic White and a ATI Aquablue. Should give you max PAR and be pretty blue.n

Can you recommend a source for the ATI bulbs?
 
Hey grim - I currently have a 4x24 AquaticLife T5 HO fixture with the following bulbs from front to back...
ATI Aquablue Spezial
AquaticLife 420/460NM
ATI Aquablue Spezial
AquaticLife 420/460NM


I know your not too familiar with the AquaticLife bulbs, but I have attached a spec sheet from them. Can you tell me how they stack up against the ATI Blue Plus? I am trying to keep a mixed reef with some SPS near the upper half of my tank. My tank specs are...

34 gallon
24" long
20" deep
15" wide front to back

I am thinking about adding another 2 bulb fixture right behind the 4 bulb fixture so I can get better results. Currently my SPS are just stagnant. Nothing except my LPS and softies are growing. Would you recommend adding the additional 2 bulbs? Which ones, Blue Plus?

My current light period is...

10:00am Actinics on
12:000pm Actinics and Whites on
8:00pm Actinics on and Whites off
10:00pm Actinic off and Moonlights on
11:00pm All lights and Moonlights off

Any changes recommend to my light period?

Thanks again for all your help.
 

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Hey grim - I currently have a 4x24 AquaticLife T5 HO fixture with the following bulbs from front to back...
ATI Aquablue Spezial
AquaticLife 420/460NM
ATI Aquablue Spezial
AquaticLife 420/460NM


I know your not too familiar with the AquaticLife bulbs, but I have attached a spec sheet from them. Can you tell me how they stack up against the ATI Blue Plus? I am trying to keep a mixed reef with some SPS near the upper half of my tank. My tank specs are...

34 gallon
24" long
20" deep
15" wide front to back

I am thinking about adding another 2 bulb fixture right behind the 4 bulb fixture so I can get better results. Currently my SPS are just stagnant. Nothing except my LPS and softies are growing. Would you recommend adding the additional 2 bulbs? Which ones, Blue Plus?

My current light period is...

10:00am Actinics on
12:000pm Actinics and Whites on
8:00pm Actinics on and Whites off
10:00pm Actinic off and Moonlights on
11:00pm All lights and Moonlights off

Any changes recommend to my light period?

Thanks again for all your help.

Judging by the spec sheet you had I would assume those blues are more on the actinic side than a Blue Plus which probably means less PAR but should look sweet as dusk/dawn. I would add a second fixture and depending which is best place the blue plus lamps in the better one and use the aquatic life blues as your dusk/dawn. I would also pull a Aquablue and replace it with a KZ Fiji Purple or UVL Actinic White. The added red will help bring out colors that tend to be lost with a lot of blue light.
 
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