The T5 Q&a Thread

[ncny21802]

Grim- I got my new fixture today. Thanks for all the help on the bulbs and recomended this fixture over the TEK Elite. I'm running the combo you have on your website

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Question for you. DO you still think it is optimal to run the fans at 9V for optimum performance? Also, based on the picture above, is the fixture high enough above the tank to start with? I had the nova extreme pro which was right on top of the water basically. I run dusk/dawn 10 hours and the others run 6 hours. Maybe cut that back from 6 to 5 to start??

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Grim- I got my new fixture today. Thanks for all the help on the bulbs and recomended this fixture over the TEK Elite. I'm running the combo you have on your website

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Question for you. DO you still think it is optimal to run the fans at 9V for optimum performance? Also, based on the picture above, is the fixture high enough above the tank to start with? I had the nova extreme pro which was right on top of the water basically. I run dusk/dawn 10 hours and the others run 6 hours. Maybe cut that back from 6 to 5 to start??

Nice rock work.

I think the height and time should be OK, just watch your critters.

 

[ncny21802]

Nice rock work.

I think the height and time should be OK, just watch your critters.

Thanks! I'll keep a close eye on them. What about running the fans at 9V compared to the recomended 4.5v? That won't cool them too much and effect performance would it?

 

[twelvejewelz]

i just got my bulbs today that you advised me to order so i put it as follows:
front:
Blue Plus
Fiji purple
Blue Plus
Aquablue special

prior to this i had:
Gmann pure actinic plus (violet bulb)
Blue plus
Aquablue special
Blue plus

i think i liked that combo better to be honest i think the tank looks alittle to light now and not blue enough. I think i may go for 3 blue plus and the Fiji purple. Or I may try 2 blue plus, the fiji purple and the pure actinic plus. ill let you know how i like the other 2 and ill post pics of all 3 combos in a row .Im glad i dint put the 10k in or that would have been way to bright. what do u think of my other 2 choices im going to try?thanks buddy youve been a great help!

 

[ricwilli]

ATI's actinic looks close

Thanks Grim

Do you think that the Universal/Advance ballasts are any good to run 80w bulbs?

 

[Gondore]

Grim- I got my new fixture today. Thanks for all the help on the bulbs and recomended this fixture over the TEK Elite. I'm running the combo you have on your website

[/IMG]

[/IMG]

Question for you. DO you still think it is optimal to run the fans at 9V for optimum performance? Also, based on the picture above, is the fixture high enough above the tank to start with? I had the nova extreme pro which was right on top of the water basically. I run dusk/dawn 10 hours and the others run 6 hours. Maybe cut that back from 6 to 5 to start??

I really like the look of your tank here. What bulbs are you running and in what order?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Thanks! I'll keep a close eye on them. What about running the fans at 9V compared to the recomended 4.5v? That won't cool them too much and effect performance would it?

9v works best

 

[The Grim Reefer]

i just got my bulbs today that you advised me to order so i put it as follows:
front:
Blue Plus
Fiji purple
Blue Plus
Aquablue special

prior to this i had:
Gmann pure actinic plus (violet bulb)
Blue plus
Aquablue special
Blue plus

i think i liked that combo better to be honest i think the tank looks alittle to light now and not blue enough. I think i may go for 3 blue plus and the Fiji purple. Or I may try 2 blue plus, the fiji purple and the pure actinic plus. ill let you know how i like the other 2 and ill post pics of all 3 combos in a row .Im glad i dint put the 10k in or that would have been way to bright. what do u think of my other 2 choices im going to try?thanks buddy youve been a great help!

All worth trying

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Thanks Grim

Do you think that the Universal/Advance ballasts are any good to run 80w bulbs?

OK but I think Ice Cap's 660 end up being cheaper cause it can run 3 lamps.

 

[jfoxx81]

question i have a standard 110..dimensions are 60x24x18 something like that....i am currently running 2 marineland fixtures each holding 4 bulbs...
i have never replaced the bulbs on the tank been about 6 months now and i am not sure of how long they were in there before i bought them., but i am ready to change
questions is what lights do i need...all i can tell is that each fixtures has 2 blue bulbs and two white ones but not sure what bulbs to buy, if this makes any sense? HELP

 

[coyote97]

I've been having lots of problems with algae and I think it's related to the length of time I'm running the lights. I have the following set-up:

Front
ATI Blue Plus - IC 430
Fiji Purple - IC 660
ATI Blue Plus - IC 660
Actinic White - IC 660
GE - IC 660
ATI Blue Plus - IC 430

Could you please tell me how long I should be running each of the sets of lights. I've been running the IC 430 with just the two ATI Blue pluses in the morning and at sunset. Running all 6 lights in the middle of the day. If someone could recommend a schedule I would appreciate it.
Thanks,
Dennis

 

[twelvejewelz]

i just got my bulbs today that you advised me to order so i put it as follows:
front:
Blue Plus
Fiji purple
Blue Plus
Aquablue special

prior to this i had:
Gmann pure actinic plus (violet bulb)
Blue plus
Aquablue special
Blue plus

i think i liked that combo better to be honest i think the tank looks alittle to light now and not blue enough. I think i may go for 3 blue plus and the Fiji purple. Or I may try 2 blue plus, the fiji purple and the pure actinic plus. ill let you know how i like the other 2 and ill post pics of all 3 combos in a row .Im glad i dint put the 10k in or that would have been way to bright. what do u think of my other 2 choices im going to try?thanks buddy youve been a great help!

well i let the combo you advised me to put run for a few hours and i have to say Grim you know your stuff. Im going to keep it like you said the tank looks absolutely amazing right now! Thank you so much . I have 1 more question and ill leave you be lol. Since My old bulbs that i just replaced were alittle over a year old should i put a shorter light period for a few days cause the par is higher as well? Thanks Again im very pleased!!

 

[dastratt]

Hello and thanks again Grim for answering all these questions!

My 10x39W ATI PM arrived. Can anybody tell me which bulb positions are
the "sunset" ones?

I bought 12 bulbs:
6 ATI Blue +
3 ATI Aquablue Special
1 GE 6500k daylight
1 KZ Fiji Purple
1 UV 75/25

Any suggested order would be appreciated

 

[ncny21802]

I've been having lots of problems with algae and I think it's related to the length of time I'm running the lights. I have the following set-up:

Front
ATI Blue Plus - IC 430
Fiji Purple - IC 660
ATI Blue Plus - IC 660
Actinic White - IC 660
GE - IC 660
ATI Blue Plus - IC 430

Could you please tell me how long I should be running each of the sets of lights. I've been running the IC 430 with just the two ATI Blue pluses in the morning and at sunset. Running all 6 lights in the middle of the day. If someone could recommend a schedule I would appreciate it.
Thanks,
Dennis

10 hours dusk/dawn and 6 hours daylight is what is listed 100 times in this thread. Some people run 8 hours daylight, depends on your setup. Phosphates and water quality cause 99% of algae issues, not your lights. Plus if your water quality is good you could run your lights for 16 hours straight and algae won't become an issue.

Sorry Grim...question was for you, correct me if I'm wrong

 

[vinniemabuna]

Hi, thanks for your help in the past, I hope you can help me again. I have a 2 bulb current fixture on my 28 gallon bow tank, the stock bulbs are not very good tank looks dim. Im able to buy a 130 watt PC fixture for a good price my questions are about the amount of heat going in my tank, i live in AZ, enough said ! Will this fixture be very bright compared to the other one ?Thanks for your help.

 

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

Looking for a 4 lamp config. that will give PAR for SPS with visible actinic and an overall say true 12-13K look.(crisp white with a nice hint of blue)

 

[rtparty]

I've been having lots of problems with algae and I think it's related to the length of time I'm running the lights. I have the following set-up:

Front
ATI Blue Plus - IC 430
Fiji Purple - IC 660
ATI Blue Plus - IC 660
Actinic White - IC 660
GE - IC 660
ATI Blue Plus - IC 430

Could you please tell me how long I should be running each of the sets of lights. I've been running the IC 430 with just the two ATI Blue pluses in the morning and at sunset. Running all 6 lights in the middle of the day. If someone could recommend a schedule I would appreciate it.
Thanks,
Dennis

I would bet that water quality is the algae issue but old bulbs are notorious for algae growth.

How old are your bulbs? Do you properly cool them?

The IC ballasts overdrive and your bulbs only last about 9 months at the most. I would actually look at replacing them around 8 months, especially the blue bulbs.

I would however not be running a Fiji Purple, Actinic White and GE 6500K all together. That is like algae central with those spectrums.

Pull the Actinic White/Fiji Purple for another Blue Plus and possibly switch the GE to an ATI Aquablue. That will make your tank bluer but algae doesn't like blue light like corals do.

 

[rtparty]

Looking for a 4 lamp config. that will give PAR for SPS with visible actinic and an overall say true 12-13K look.(crisp white with a nice hint of blue)

A visible actinic pop and keeping it around 12k? That is going to be tough with only 4 bulbs IMO.

The best 4 bulb combo I have seen is 2 ATI Blue Plus, 1 KZ Fiji Purple and 1 ATI Aquablue.

I am really interested in changing out one of my Blue Plus for a KZ Superblue just to see if there really is a difference.

 

[rtparty]

Hello and thanks again Grim for answering all these questions!

My 10x39W ATI PM arrived. Can anybody tell me which bulb positions are
the "sunset" ones?

I bought 12 bulbs:
6 ATI Blue +
3 ATI Aquablue Special
1 GE 6500k daylight
1 KZ Fiji Purple
1 UV 75/25

Any suggested order would be appreciated

I think it is 3 and 8 on that fixture but am not 100% sure.

I don't understand why ATI couldn't do three stage lighting on the 8 and 10 bulb fixtures. Makes absolutely no sense to me.

However I would try this combo (shot in that dark as I have never played around with a 10 bulb combo)

ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue
UVL 75/25
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus
KZ Fiji Purple
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus

That combo looks good to me on paper. Might want to try the GE in place of an Aquablue just to see what you think.

 

[rtparty]

question i have a standard 110..dimensions are 60x24x18 something like that....i am currently running 2 marineland fixtures each holding 4 bulbs...
i have never replaced the bulbs on the tank been about 6 months now and i am not sure of how long they were in there before i bought them., but i am ready to change
questions is what lights do i need...all i can tell is that each fixtures has 2 blue bulbs and two white ones but not sure what bulbs to buy, if this makes any sense? HELP

For an 8 bulb setup I would try 5 ATI Blue Plus, 1 ATI Aquablue and 2 KZ Fiji Purple. Also buy an extra Aquablue in case the above combo is too blue.

Change out the bulbs one or two at a time over the course of a few days. That should keep you from shocking your corals with all the new light.