The T5 Q&a Thread

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Hi Grim, You helped me over two years ago on this thread with my current tank, and the thread is still going strong!!

Now, I have a 75G 40L X 24W X 18H, Rimless no eurobraces.

I picked up the 36" ATI 8 bulb dimmable PM (dimmable is amazing).

The tank will be sps dominant with a few chalices and LPS off to the sides in the sand.

I am trying to find a good order for the bulbs.

The bulbs I purchased were 5 x blue plus, 1x aquablue, 1x fiji pruple, 1x Ge 6500K, UVL Actinic White.

Yes, 9 bulbs to play with the order for now.

My order now seems all wrong, I am pretty sure this what I have started with.

Front
Blue +
aquablue
Blue +
GE
Actinic White
fiji purple
Blue +
Blue +

Thanks for the help.
 
What better for a frag tank? I wanted something cheap and the sunblaze 4x24 or fishneed it 4x24 what is better?
 
Hi Grim, You helped me over two years ago on this thread with my current tank, and the thread is still going strong!!

Now, I have a 75G 40L X 24W X 18H, Rimless no eurobraces.

I picked up the 36" ATI 8 bulb dimmable PM (dimmable is amazing).

The tank will be sps dominant with a few chalices and LPS off to the sides in the sand.

I am trying to find a good order for the bulbs.

The bulbs I purchased were 5 x blue plus, 1x aquablue, 1x fiji pruple, 1x Ge 6500K, UVL Actinic White.

Yes, 9 bulbs to play with the order for now.

My order now seems all wrong, I am pretty sure this what I have started with.

Front

Thanks for the help.

Blue +
Fiji Purple
Blue +
GE
Blue Plus
Actinic White
Blue +
Blue +
 
Unfinished will be fine if it isn't going to be a display

and a second note with a 4 bulb I looking to get a white light with a very small hint of blue. I'll be grow mangroves and macro in the frag tank as well. waht would be for best par and keep a little blue?

also could you point me to the thread where al the t5's pictures are?
 
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and a second note with a 4 bulb I looking to get a white light with a very small hint of blue. I'll be grow mangroves and macro in the frag tank as well. waht would be for best par and keep a little blue?

also could you point me to the thread where al the t5's pictures are?

I don't have the picture thread bookmarked, maybe someone else does?

2 ATI Blue Plus, 1 ATI Aquablue and a GE 6500K Daylight should get you right about where you want to be.
 
Hello to all. I have a 36x20x20 tank and wish to make it sps dominant. How many 39w t-5 lights should I use to get light all the way down there. BTW I plan on using icecap 430's. Thank you.
 
Grim, you are a stud at keeping up with this thread and helping everyone out with their questions. We all appreciate it. Here's my request to you:
I'm looking at getting the CAD Artisian 50 g. 24" x 24" x ~18". I'm looking at ATI fixtures for their 6 bulb setups (too many?) and was wondering if the SunPower would be the fixture of choice or should I drop the extra $200 for the PowerModule. What's the big benefit?
Oh I have a big dersa, maxima, and 50/50 SPS / LPS.

Bulb selection and positions (here's my guess from reading but will be way off probably):

Aquablue
Blue+
Fiji
Blue+
GE6.5K
Aquablue
 
Grim, you are a stud at keeping up with this thread and helping everyone out with their questions. We all appreciate it. Here's my request to you:
I'm looking at getting the CAD Artisian 50 g. 24" x 24" x ~18". I'm looking at ATI fixtures for their 6 bulb setups (too many?) and was wondering if the SunPower would be the fixture of choice or should I drop the extra $200 for the PowerModule. What's the big benefit?
Oh I have a big dersa, maxima, and 50/50 SPS / LPS.

Bulb selection and positions (here's my guess from reading but will be way off probably):

Aquablue
Blue+
Fiji
Blue+
GE6.5K
Aquablue

Change the bottom lamp to another blue plus instead of the aquablue.

Sunpower will be great if you can mount it so it's 6 inches or so above the tank. Honestly if you are going to have SPS in back and clams in front on the sand 8 lamps would probably be better.With 6 you are only hitting about 16 inches front to back with good PAR. Be careful where you place high light critters.
 
Didn't see the 8bulb PM. Wow 1G for the light +bulbs. May want to reconsider lighting options a bit. Thanks Grim and may need to chime back in when I decide on the light situation.
 
Good day to you Grim,

I've another question for you. And so you know, I AM an SPS guy. :)

I'm upgrading to a 150gal (72"X18"X28") aquarium from the standard 90gal that I'm currently running. The 150gal setup comes with (4) 5ft T5 lights (Actinic+, Pure Actinic, Daylight, and 50/50) with individual reflectors and (2) Workhorse ballasts . My 90 gal (48"X18"X24") currently has (2) 250w Radiums with regular spider reflectors and (2) 4ft Giesemann Actinic +(6 months use) on an Icecap 430 for supplementation. I'm open to mixing/matching. My areas of question begin here.

I'm know your not going to recommend the (4) T5s over a 72"X18"X28". So...I need your recommendation. :)

Metal Halide:
Should I try to transfer my Radiums over to the 150gal and then use 2 of the 5footers on the outside for supplementation as well? or 4 of em??

T5:
Or would you perhaps go all T5 and "Jerry rig" my (2) 4ft T5s with my Icecap in with the (4) 5 ft T5s to have a total of 6 bulbs over the tank?? Any thoughts??

OH. I have a new 4 ft Pure Actinic I could use. And one more thing...The 4 T5 bulbs I'd be receiving are "Probably already a year old" so if you have ideas here for new ones, I'm all ears. Much appreciated.

:beer:

-Blake
 
Grim -

I've got a 110X, dimensions are 48Lx18Wx29D. Planning to squeeze 8 54W T5s in the canopy using individual Aquactinics reflectors and overdriving the lamps with IceCap 660s. I'll probably still need to be careful about placement of light-demanding corals, but I don't intend to keep much in the way of SPS, maybe a few key specimens in the upper half of the tank. Definitely no clams, mostly a mixture of softies, LPS, zoos, and a sebae anemone.

I'd like to figure out a lamp assortment that will give an excellent visual impression, but I'm not a big fan of an overly blue tank just for the sake of making the corals fluoresce. Of course, good growth is also important.

Would you mind giving me a suggestion for the lamp assortment and order?

Thanks,
Sean
 
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It's time to change the bulbs on the 24" sundial with newer/better ones. I'm just not sure what tubes to try.

The 24" Sundial comes 4x24w Current Slimpaq T5HO tubes. Two are 10k daylight, and two are 460nm actinic. I want to try something different this time. Seems like there's a wider variety of bulb choices then when I bought the fixture 18 months ago.

The tank is 20g with frogspawn, clam, acans, zoos, palys, mushrooms, and a button coral.

This is the setup now
10k slimpaq
460nm actinic slimpaq
10k slimpaq
460nm actinic slimpaq

What should I go with this time?
Im open to a new look or keeping it the same. I wouldn't mind upping the par though, if possiable.
 
Good day to you Grim,

I've another question for you. And so you know, I AM an SPS guy. :)

I'm upgrading to a 150gal (72"X18"X28") aquarium from the standard 90gal that I'm currently running. The 150gal setup comes with (4) 5ft T5 lights (Actinic+, Pure Actinic, Daylight, and 50/50) with individual reflectors and (2) Workhorse ballasts . My 90 gal (48"X18"X24") currently has (2) 250w Radiums with regular spider reflectors and (2) 4ft Giesemann Actinic +(6 months use) on an Icecap 430 for supplementation. I'm open to mixing/matching. My areas of question begin here.

I'm know your not going to recommend the (4) T5s over a 72"X18"X28". So...I need your recommendation. :)

Metal Halide:
Should I try to transfer my Radiums over to the 150gal and then use 2 of the 5footers on the outside for supplementation as well? or 4 of em??

T5:
Or would you perhaps go all T5 and "Jerry rig" my (2) 4ft T5s with my Icecap in with the (4) 5 ft T5s to have a total of 6 bulbs over the tank?? Any thoughts??

OH. I have a new 4 ft Pure Actinic I could use. And one more thing...The 4 T5 bulbs I'd be receiving are "Probably already a year old" so if you have ideas here for new ones, I'm all ears. Much appreciated.

:beer:

-Blake

Whatever you do is going to require more lighting, you'd need 6 80 watt T5's on Ice Cap 660's or 3 halides to support SPS in that tank. The cheapest solution would be to add a 3 halide and use those with 2 of the 5 foot T5's. Use the 430 to run 2 ATI Blue Plus T5's or a Blue Plus and Actinic.

If you want to make a couple SPS islands you could use 4 80 watt T5's with 2 Halides but it will have an obvious spot light effect.
 
Grim -

I've got a 110X, dimensions are 48Lx18Wx29D. Planning to squeeze 8 54W T5s in the canopy using individual Aquactinics reflectors and overdriving the lamps with IceCap 660s. I'll probably still need to be careful about placement of light-demanding corals, but I don't intend to keep much in the way of SPS, maybe a few key specimens in the upper half of the tank. Definitely no clams, mostly a mixture of softies, LPS, zoos, and a sebae anemone.

I'd like to figure out a lamp assortment that will give an excellent visual impression, but I'm not a big fan of an overly blue tank just for the sake of making the corals fluoresce. Of course, good growth is also important.

Would you mind giving me a suggestion for the lamp assortment and order?

Thanks,
Sean

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

Use the 4 blue plus on one ballast for your dusk/dawn lamps.
 
It's time to change the bulbs on the 24" sundial with newer/better ones. I'm just not sure what tubes to try.

The 24" Sundial comes 4x24w Current Slimpaq T5HO tubes. Two are 10k daylight, and two are 460nm actinic. I want to try something different this time. Seems like there's a wider variety of bulb choices then when I bought the fixture 18 months ago.

The tank is 20g with frogspawn, clam, acans, zoos, palys, mushrooms, and a button coral.

This is the setup now
10k slimpaq
460nm actinic slimpaq
10k slimpaq
460nm actinic slimpaq

What should I go with this time?
Im open to a new look or keeping it the same. I wouldn't mind upping the par though, if possiable.

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