The T5 Q&a Thread

[The Grim Reefer]

I just did a order for 2 ati blue plus,1 kz fiji purple,1 ati aqua blue for my 4 x 54w fixture that is on a 90 gal lps coral tank. When I place the order I was told that people that ordered a 4 bulb setup sometimes changing out the aqua blue for a ge daylight 6500k. So I also ordered that bulb, what bulb should I start with?
Rich

Either, it's all personal taste so there is no right and wrong.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Hey grim! I did what you said and got 4 blue plus, aquablue, and uvl actinic white. Colors seem pretty good but not purple enough to my liking. Which bulb should I switch out with for a Fiji purple? Kinda want to keep the uvl actinic white too. So it's either the blueplus or aquabule. Any suggestions? Thank bro

oh and I have a black backround on my tank...should I remove it? There wad a thread on not putting backrounds or painting the back of the tank which improves par? but it wouldn't open the thread on my pc. If you can help that would be great.

Try it in place of a Blue Plus first but either would be OK.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Well I'm finally going to break down and get a t5 unit. I have a 75 gallon sps dominated tank with sps starting just below the half way point in the tank. What would be my best options? I really wanted to get a constellation because I don't want to hang anything from the ceiling but it seems like they are not making them anymore. What do people do who get an ATI fixture without an option to hang from the ceiling? How many bulbs should I get?

Thanks.

6 lamps. Current makes some poles that attach to the back of the stand that curve over the top of the tank for hanging a fixture that might work. Some people use shelf brackets on the wall behind the tank to suspend the fixture from too.

Something like what kuwatwo linked

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2009-04/diy/index.php (good link)

The current version just curves over the tank. Any decent DIYER could build in in an afternoon.

 

[rs1831]

Thanks. Would either pm and sunpower work? Would a 36inch fixture be enough light?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

6 lamps. Current makes some poles that attach to the back of the stand that curve over the top of the tank for hanging a fixture that might work. Some people use shelf brackets on the wall behind the tank to suspend the fixture from too.

Something like what kuwatwo linked

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2009-04/diy/index.php (good link)

The current version just curves over the tank. Any decent DIYER could build in in an afternoon.

Either would be fine. I'd do 48" but 36" would work fine.

 

[liz62]

I just did a order for 2 ati blue plus,1 kz fiji purple,1 ati aqua blue for my 4 x 54w fixture that is on a 90 gal lps coral tank. When I place the order I was told that people that ordered a 4 bulb setup sometimes changing out the aqua blue for a ge daylight 6500k. So I also ordered that bulb, what bulb should I start with?
Rich

bump

I am also looking for the correct bulb's to buy for a 4 - 54watt fixture - something that gives me max. SPS growth.

 

[mudguard2005]

I am in a dilemma about which way to go. I have a 2 DE 250Watt HQI (Phoenix) on icecap and 4 PC (can be switched to T5 if needed). I am getting a new tank that's 125 gal (60x24x20) - 20 inch depth. I am thinking if I should switch over to T5 fixture (tek elite 6x54w) or keep the 250Watt HQI. What are your thoughts. Thanks!!

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Thanks. Would either pm and sunpower work? Would a 36inch fixture be enough light?

either would be fine

 

[The Grim Reefer]

bump

I am also looking for the correct bulb's to buy for a 4 - 54watt fixture - something that gives me max. SPS growth.

Same answer I gave Rich

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I am in a dilemma about which way to go. I have a 2 DE 250Watt HQI (Phoenix) on icecap and 4 PC (can be switched to T5 if needed). I am getting a new tank that's 125 gal (60x24x20) - 20 inch depth. I am thinking if I should switch over to T5 fixture (tek elite 6x54w) or keep the 250Watt HQI. What are your thoughts. Thanks!!

If you do just T5's you want 8 over that tank. All personal choice as far as halide vs T5's.

 

[yoccm]

Hey Grim - I am definitely convinced that ATI is the way I want to go. Since my tank will be built in the wall and the fixture will be hidden I am not as concerned with the aesthetics so I thought about the sunpower vs the pm. Are they basically the same fixture but in different housings?

Also - my tank is 72L x 30 D (front to back) X 26 H. If the Sunpower is the way to go do you think it would be ok to put either 2 4x80W 60" fixtures on it or should I go 1 4x80W and 1 6x80W?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Hey Grim - I am definitely convinced that ATI is the way I want to go. Since my tank will be built in the wall and the fixture will be hidden I am not as concerned with the aesthetics so I thought about the sunpower vs the pm. Are they basically the same fixture but in different housings?

Also - my tank is 72L x 30 D (front to back) X 26 H. If the Sunpower is the way to go do you think it would be ok to put either 2 4x80W 60" fixtures on it or should I go 1 4x80W and 1 6x80W?

That would work. The Powermodule is supposed to be slightly better but not a huge difference.

 

[Cosharkfan]

I've learned a ton in this thread - for example, before reading it I didn't know I could get 80w 60" T5 lamps!

I've got a 135g Oceanic Reef Ready (72"x18"x24"h), and two Icecap 600 ballasts from my last reef tank - been out of the hobby for the last 8 years. Want to keep sps and zoas. I sounds like I can hook up 3 80w lamps to each ballast, add good reflectors to each, and be in pretty good shape for sps (I know the last 6" on each end of the tank will be under-lit, but the overflows are in the corners, so the ends have very little usable space anyway), but what lamp combination would be the best for growth and color?

Thanks!

 

[King Nine]

Well my 72" Nova Extreme came in yesterday. Grim recommended that I replace all the stock actinics with ATI Blue Plus and one of the whites with an UVL Actinic White. I tweaked it a little and replaced only two rows of the blue and left one original blue.

After setting it up I left the left side as original and put the new bulbs on the right. When just the morning/evening blue bulbs were on I couldn't tell hardly a difference at all in color or coloration of my fish (I haven't converted the tank to a reef yet. This light is the first step before I move my reef stuff over from my 75g). After all the main lights came on there was a huge difference. The stock 10k bulbs on the left made a putrid green hue mixed with the blue bulbs. The one lone Actinic White bulb was enough to make the right side look way better. My orange shoulder tang looked great while on this side of the tank. Not so much on the other.

It was way to white for me with this set up so I took out another of the 10ks and put one of the stock actinic blues back in. I'm planning on ordering two more actinic whites to replace the 10ks all together. That will leave me with two Blue Pluses, two Actinic Whites and two stock Actinic Blue bulbs. Grim ( or others ) what is your opinion before I reorder?

 

[yoccm]

Quote:
Originally Posted by yoccm
Hey Grim - I am definitely convinced that ATI is the way I want to go. Since my tank will be built in the wall and the fixture will be hidden I am not as concerned with the aesthetics so I thought about the sunpower vs the pm. Are they basically the same fixture but in different housings?

Also - my tank is 72L x 30 D (front to back) X 26 H. If the Sunpower is the way to go do you think it would be ok to put either 2 4x80W 60" fixtures on it or should I go 1 4x80W and 1 6x80W?

That would work. The Powermodule is supposed to be slightly better but not a huge difference.

So do you think I should go with 8 bulbs or 10 bulbs for a 30inch wide tank?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I've learned a ton in this thread - for example, before reading it I didn't know I could get 80w 60" T5 lamps!

I've got a 135g Oceanic Reef Ready (72"x18"x24"h), and two Icecap 600 ballasts from my last reef tank - been out of the hobby for the last 8 years. Want to keep sps and zoas. I sounds like I can hook up 3 80w lamps to each ballast, add good reflectors to each, and be in pretty good shape for sps (I know the last 6" on each end of the tank will be under-lit, but the overflows are in the corners, so the ends have very little usable space anyway), but what lamp combination would be the best for growth and color?

Thanks!

Front
Blue Plus
KZ Fiji Purple
Blue Plus
GE 6500K Daylight
Blue Plus
Blue Plus

Make sure you have a fan at each end on the back blowing air down the rows of endcaps to keep the lamps cool.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Well my 72" Nova Extreme came in yesterday. Grim recommended that I replace all the stock actinics with ATI Blue Plus and one of the whites with an UVL Actinic White. I tweaked it a little and replaced only two rows of the blue and left one original blue.

After setting it up I left the left side as original and put the new bulbs on the right. When just the morning/evening blue bulbs were on I couldn't tell hardly a difference at all in color or coloration of my fish (I haven't converted the tank to a reef yet. This light is the first step before I move my reef stuff over from my 75g). After all the main lights came on there was a huge difference. The stock 10k bulbs on the left made a putrid green hue mixed with the blue bulbs. The one lone Actinic White bulb was enough to make the right side look way better. My orange shoulder tang looked great while on this side of the tank. Not so much on the other.

It was way to white for me with this set up so I took out another of the 10ks and put one of the stock actinic blues back in. I'm planning on ordering two more actinic whites to replace the 10ks all together. That will leave me with two Blue Pluses, two Actinic Whites and two stock Actinic Blue bulbs. Grim ( or others ) what is your opinion before I reorder?

Whatever you do using 4 rows of blues will be best. Try 4 blue 1 Actinic White and 1 10K and see what you think. Then change the 10K for an actinic white and see which you like better.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

quote:
Originally posted by yoccm
hey grim - i am definitely convinced that ati is the way i want to go. Since my tank will be built in the wall and the fixture will be hidden i am not as concerned with the aesthetics so i thought about the sunpower vs the pm. Are they basically the same fixture but in different housings?

Also - my tank is 72l x 30 d (front to back) x 26 h. If the sunpower is the way to go do you think it would be ok to put either 2 4x80w 60" fixtures on it or should i go 1 4x80w and 1 6x80w?




So do you think i should go with 8 bulbs or 10 bulbs for a 30inch wide tank?

10

 

[King Nine]

Whatever you do using 4 rows of blues will be best. Try 4 blue 1 Actinic White and 1 10K and see what you think. Then change the 10K for an actinic white and see which you like better.

I did try that but didn't mention it. That is why I want to order the other actinic whites in. Since I was going to take out the stock 10k I just didn't know if you had another bulb that would help with coral coloration. I remember reading a post from you on here that there were certain bulbs that helped with reds and such. Thanks for the recommendation on the blue plus and the actinic whites. ( I also think it is funny that the actinic white bulbs glow purple.)

 

[King Nine]

Now that I think about it I believe it was a Fiji Purple bulb. Would that be a good addition?