The T5 Q&a Thread

[butchik]

I have a Tek T5 setup on a 40 breeder and the current bulb combo is as follows:
Giesemann Actinic Plus
Giesemann Aquablue
Giesemann Midday 6000K
Giesemann Actinic Plus

My question is that I don't think the red colors are popping out that much, can I replace the midday with a 12000K or a 6500K? Will that make a difference in color? Will it affect the growth of my corals? Thanks.

 

[trd47]

Grim

Currently I have 4 blue+, 1GE 6500 and 1 75/25 and my red planet is now yellow and my tubs pink jade no longer fluoresce and some of my greens have darken and blues no longer pop.

What do you think of 4 b+, 1 aquablue special and 1 fiji purple on a powermodule 36"? It's for an sps dominated tank with clams. Will it be enough light?

Thanks
Eric

 

[The Grim Reefer]

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

Try and see. Hard to say. Might be more purple than some want.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I have a Tek T5 setup on a 40 breeder and the current bulb combo is as follows:
Giesemann Actinic Plus
Giesemann Aquablue
Giesemann Midday 6000K
Giesemann Actinic Plus

My question is that I don't think the red colors are popping out that much, can I replace the midday with a 12000K or a 6500K? Will that make a difference in color? Will it affect the growth of my corals? Thanks.

I'd try a Fiji Purple in place of the 6000K

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Grim

Currently I have 4 blue+, 1GE 6500 and 1 75/25 and my red planet is now yellow and my tubs pink jade no longer fluoresce and some of my greens have darken and blues no longer pop.

What do you think of 4 b+, 1 aquablue special and 1 fiji purple on a powermodule 36"? It's for an sps dominated tank with clams. Will it be enough light?

Thanks
Eric

Should be plenty. The Aquablue and Fiji are good increases in PAR.

 

[trd47]

Should be plenty. The Aquablue and Fiji are good increases in PAR.

Cool one more question will the colors on my corals pop?

Thank you Sir!

 

[shaggy5687]

i bought a current usa 4 bulb 24watt t5 fixture some months ago... ive been told that the bullbs that come with it 2 460nm actinic and 2 10,000k current brand as well arent the most effective in fact not very effective... my question is or are i want to change the bulbs and id like for there to be a more blue look in the daytime than there currently is but i still want to achieve good growth... whats reccommended actinic-wise and white light -wise... and what brands are tried and true

 

[Stripe01]

What is everyone's light cycle like? I decided to do actinics from 10-7 and daylights from 11-5. Is that good enough or do I need to run any of the sets longer?

 

[Ryan45]

Grim need some help, right now I am running 4x54 watts 2 10k and 2 460nm Actinic.

I have mostly softies and zoa's/pallys.

I really like the Blue look and what I have now is really too yellow/white for my taste.

Here is what I am thinking let me know if I should change.

Front to back

ATI Blue Plus
Fiji Purple
ATI Aquablue Special
ATI Blue Plus

 

[Stripe01]

Grim need some help, right now I am running 4x54 watts 2 10k and 2 460nm Actinic.

I have mostly softies and zoa's/pallys.

I really like the Blue look and what I have now is really too yellow/white for my taste.

Here is what I am thinking let me know if I should change.

Front to back

ATI Blue Plus
Fiji Purple
ATI Aquablue Special
ATI Blue Plus

That's the combo he recommend to me. I really like the look, although it isn't super blue. It has a crisp 14k look to it.

 

[Chuck H.]

Grim,

Just swapped out my stock 150w HQI Nanocube hood for a 20" Nova Extreme Pro 6 x 18w T5 HO fixture. Today is day 1 and I like what I'm seeing so far with the cool running fixture. I don't intend on swapping out any bulbs yet (not going to waste the brand new stock bulbs: 3 10K and 3 Actinic Blue) and there isn't much to choose from in 18" anyway. However, Nanotuners will soon offer 18" UVL 30w VHO T5s of various spectrums. I guess my question is this: is it possible to run a VHO rated bulb as only HO? I guess I could retro the fixture with the appropriate ballasts for VHO, but I'm not that handy. What do you think?

 

[ncny21802]

I have the Nova Extreme Pro 36" fixture with 6X39w T-5's. Would a sunpod 2 X 150W HQI be a better light to keep sps? I have a great bulb setup, just curious. Also, if I stayed with T-5 what would be a better fixture than the NEP? My budget is about $450 max. Tank is a 46 gallon bow. I don't really like the NEP system, came with the tank. What about an Aquaticlife 36" 6 bulb fixture. Is that better then the Nova?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Cool one more question will the colors on my corals pop?

Thank you Sir!

Yes

 

[The Grim Reefer]

i bought a current usa 4 bulb 24watt t5 fixture some months ago... ive been told that the bullbs that come with it 2 460nm actinic and 2 10,000k current brand as well arent the most effective in fact not very effective... my question is or are i want to change the bulbs and id like for there to be a more blue look in the daytime than there currently is but i still want to achieve good growth... whats reccommended actinic-wise and white light -wise... and what brands are tried and true

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

It will be more 15K blue.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

What is everyone's light cycle like? I decided to do actinics from 10-7 and daylights from 11-5. Is that good enough or do I need to run any of the sets longer?

I'd increase the actinics out to 10 hours a day or so

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Grim need some help, right now I am running 4x54 watts 2 10k and 2 460nm Actinic.

I have mostly softies and zoa's/pallys.

I really like the Blue look and what I have now is really too yellow/white for my taste.

Here is what I am thinking let me know if I should change.

Front to back

ATI Blue Plus
Fiji Purple
ATI Aquablue Special
ATI Blue Plus

Fine

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Grim,

Just swapped out my stock 150w HQI Nanocube hood for a 20" Nova Extreme Pro 6 x 18w T5 HO fixture. Today is day 1 and I like what I'm seeing so far with the cool running fixture. I don't intend on swapping out any bulbs yet (not going to waste the brand new stock bulbs: 3 10K and 3 Actinic Blue) and there isn't much to choose from in 18" anyway. However, Nanotuners will soon offer 18" UVL 30w VHO T5s of various spectrums. I guess my question is this: is it possible to run a VHO rated bulb as only HO? I guess I could retro the fixture with the appropriate ballasts for VHO, but I'm not that handy. What do you think?

I REALLY wish UVL would come up with something else to call their lamps, there is no industry standard for VHO T5 yet and it confuses people. It's just their designation for their lamps being designed to overdrive with an Ice Cap ballast but they will run just fine on a standard ballast.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I have the Nova Extreme Pro 36" fixture with 6X39w T-5's. Would a sunpod 2 X 150W HQI be a better light to keep sps? I have a great bulb setup, just curious. Also, if I stayed with T-5 what would be a better fixture than the NEP? My budget is about $450 max. Tank is a 46 gallon bow. I don't really like the NEP system, came with the tank. What about an Aquaticlife 36" 6 bulb fixture. Is that better then the Nova?

If you want to upgrade look at the ATI Sunpower. If that's out of you budget a 6 lamp Tek light would be an upgrade.

 

[bryman]

Looking for a little different color...

Looking for a little different color...

It will be fine over that tank. You are looking at about 12 inches front to rear for the reflectors so it should be good.

Try 4 ATI Blue Plus, 1 UVL Actinic White and a GE 6500K Daylight.

Hi Grim and other T5 experts, thanks again for the advice - my Sunpower is making the corals in my 90G Tech very happy. However, I've been thinking about possibly changing some of the bulbs. The corals seem pretty happy, aside from one browning staghorn frag, but I have noticed that some of the colors seem somewhat washed out and not quite as crisp as they could be. My bulb combo is as Grim recommended as I originally asked for good growth with some blue - front of fixture is on the right:

Front
ATI Blue +
ATI Blue +
GE 6500k Daylight
UVL Actinic White
ATI Blue +
ATI Blue +
Back

Does anyone have a recommendation for a white/blue look that makes all the colors pop and still offers good growth? Thanks in advance!

 

[Chuck H.]

Thanks Grim! That's good news for when additional 18" bulbs are available to provide us 20" NEP users some more options.