The T5 Q&a Thread

[Pumped]

I recently setup a 20L. I'm running the LET kit from reefgeek, with AB spc and blue plus.
Would adding another two bulbs make a big difference in light? Does par values stack with additional bulbs?

 

[kmacartney]

What's your favorite Ice Cap bulbs?

 

[rtparty]

I figured it would be better for the SPS corals to have the bulbs run the length of the tank, instead of stopping 3" inches from either side.. If im wrong let me know. I was going to build a new canopy to accommodate 36" lights

Going to 36" bulbs will just waste light on each side of the tank. You aren't going to get more PAR going to longer bulbs.

I wouldn't spend the time and money on switching to 36" bulbs. Get better bulbs instead.

 

[kmacartney]

What's your favorite Ice Cap bulbs?

anyone?

 

[Tank2379]

Grim- Last time I when with 3ATI Blus Plus, 2 ATI Aqua Blue Special and 1 KZ Fiji Purple. Looking to get New Bulbs I have mostly SPS and a few LPS and Zoanthids-

Just wondering if there is any new suggestions you may have- I know there are some New T-5 Bulbs that have come out but don't know if I should go with something better than what I have?

Let me know

Thanks
Frankie

 

[Sohal Tang Tim]

Blues or Blue PLus???????

Blues or Blue PLus???????

Hi there...I have a 6 ft Sfiligoi fixture with 3 x 400 watt single ended MH
and 8 x T5 39watt supplement...... The supplement lighting is 2 rows of
2 on each of the front of the MH and behind the MH.... Each row consists
of 2 x 36inch T5 end to end......

I am going with RADIUM MH bulbs.....

What T5 would you supplement with that will make the colours pop like
crazy including red blastos and acans and red Ricordea looking deep red etc??????

Right now I am thinking of going all Blue Plus on the T5s with 1 row of Purple.

Another friend of mine said skip the Blue Plus and go with all Blue and 1 row
of purple.

So...blues or blue plus is the question?

Your thoughts input Grimm and others welcome.

Thanks for your help!


Tim

 

[chris88]

Again, i think your confusing the t5 bulbs blue plus are blue bulbs, what other blue blubs are you talking about? Actinic bulbs? if so i would never run all actinic bulbs it is way to narrow of a spectrum. To supplement The halides i would run the following.

ATI blue plus
ati purple plus

MH

Uvl super actinic
ati blue plus

If you want even more pop and you don't care about par then run two uvl super actinics instead of 2 blue plus.

 

[Sohal Tang Tim]

which is bluer?

which is bluer?

thanks Chris.

What is bluer looking the blue plus or the uvl super actnic?

If I went with the uvl super actinic instead of the blue plus to get more
pop will the tank not look a bit tooo blue due to the radiums also?


Also....IFFFF I replace the blue plus with the UVL super actinic for more pop
will I not end up with all UVL super actinic with only one row of purple then
or what will the config look like then? When you say replace 2 do you mean
replace 2 rows of 2 bulbs or do you mean 1 row of 2 bulbs?

Your opion pls....

Thanks again!
I am soooooooo glad I asked the previous question.

Tim

 

[TexanTrail]

Hello Mr. Grim!
I was given this T5 light fixture Odyssea 48" 216W (4x 54W) T5 HO Light Fixture Extendable Series
for my 48W X 12D X 18H FOWLR tank. 2 months old fixture. Comes with

2x 54W T5 HO lamps 10000K
2x 54W T5 HO lamps Actinic Blue
4x LED

Will these lights work? If not, what do you recommend? Also, I plan on putting the lights on a timer. The LEDs to come on at night. What order would you put them on and for how long?

Thanks,
David

Us 2 ATI Blue Plus, 1 ATI Aquablue and 1 ATI Purple Plus. Use the blue blue for dusk/dawn. These lamps are high PAR which will help with the low end fixture you have.

Just to be clear, when you say the blue blue for dusk/dawn, you are talking about the 2 ATI Blue Plus, correct?

Thanks again for helping us!
David

 

[chris88]

What K is the 400w radiums? The uvl super actinic is bluer then the ati blue plus but the uvl super actinic is more of a deep blue/violet and it has a narrow spectrum peaking at 420nm. The blue plus is more metalic looking and has a wider spectrum with a higher par peaking at 460nm. There is no doubt that the super actinic will pop the colors in your corals more but the blue plus dose add pop to. With 400w MH i wouldnt be worried about PAR so i think i would run the extra UVL super actinics like the way i listed below. Your corals will glow like crazy.


UVL SUPER ACTINIC / UVL SUPER ACTINIC
ATI PURPLE PLUS / ATI PURPLE PLUS

MH / MH / MH

UVL SUPER ACTINIC / UVL SUPER ACTINIC
ATI BLUE PLUS / ATI BLUE PLUS

thanks Chris.

What is bluer looking the blue plus or the uvl super actnic?

If I went with the uvl super actinic instead of the blue plus to get more
pop will the tank not look a bit tooo blue due to the radiums also?


Also....IFFFF I replace the blue plus with the UVL super actinic for more pop
will I not end up with all UVL super actinic with only one row of purple then
or what will the config look like then? When you say replace 2 do you mean
replace 2 rows of 2 bulbs or do you mean 1 row of 2 bulbs?

Your opion pls....

Thanks again!
I am soooooooo glad I asked the previous question.

Tim

 

[thebanker]

I am no scientists either but I am a high school teacher lol. Corals are animals I agree 100%, but corals get upwards of 97% of their energy in the form of sugars from the algae living in their tissue. The algae, through the process of photosynthesis create sugars which the pass on to the host coral. The reason for corals feeding through ingestion is to get fatty acids and proteins. As said earlier corals have single celled algae living in their tissue that photosynthesis at the same action spectrum as other plants and algae. Take a look at the charts below. Try this out, leave your tank totally dark for 2 months and do nothing but feed your corals. I promise you without a bit of doubt they will die. As the charts below show corals do sue red and blue light just like we both agree. All I am saying is that the algae within the tissue of corals use the same action spectrum as everyday plants or algae.

Chris88 you're right about chlorophyll's absorbtion ability. There are a couple other photosynthetic pigments in coral & zooxanthellae too. rtparty you're right about corals preferring bluer spectra.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/200...IQFjAB&usg=AFQjCNH4lIwE6q240hZf8gV8y8cnBbh3Sw

 

[chris88]

your link is broken?

 

[thebanker]

Crap. I'll repost at home. Firewall at work sucks. Yes I'm working, where did I go wrong?

 

[swissgaurd]

Hi there...I have a 6 ft Sfiligoi fixture with 3 x 400 watt single ended MH
and 8 x T5 39watt supplement...... The supplement lighting is 2 rows of
2 on each of the front of the MH and behind the MH.... Each row consists
of 2 x 36inch T5 end to end......

I am going with RADIUM MH bulbs.....

What T5 would you supplement with that will make the colours pop like
crazy including red blastos and acans and red Ricordea looking deep red etc??????

Right now I am thinking of going all Blue Plus on the T5s with 1 row of Purple.

Another friend of mine said skip the Blue Plus and go with all Blue and 1 row
of purple.

So...blues or blue plus is the question?

Your thoughts input Grimm and others welcome.

Thanks for your help!


Tim

im curious what Grim has to say about the selection of bulbs if you were to keep SPS

 

[kellerexpress]

Grim, I just picked up a 6x39 sunpower for a future build, for bulbs I went with 3x ati blue+
1-uvl SA
1-ati aquablue
1-ati purple plus. What order would you recommend running them? thanks

 

[Sapooloo]

Grim,
I'm looking to set up a 200g 48x36x27. I'm going to be getting an ATI fixture, and im wondering with the tank being a bit wide would i be able to get 1 8or10 bulb fixture or would i be better off getting 2 fixtures with the same amount of bulbs so that i can spread them out a bit. And as far as bulbs go, I'm looking for a good combo. My main concern is growth. After that color, but I don't want anything too blue. ill be going for a mixed reef with sps, and clams.

 

[Sohal Tang Tim]

So...Chris 88.....

So...Chris 88.....

Chris 88 thanks for your super suggestion....

So you are saying to go with the UVL Super Actinic in COMBINATION
with the Blue Plus and Super Purple Plus in the order that you stated correct?

You are not saying go all UVL Super Actinic right?

Also in your example/suggestion is the first line the FRONT of the tank?

Just want to be clear.

Oh ya..the Radiums are 20K

Thanks,
Tim

 

[Hirobo]

4 bulb setup

4 bulb setup

Hello Grim

im using a 4 bulb t5 setup to supplement my 10k mh could you suggest a bulb combo to help with pop? i have a few bulbs laying around to use blue pluses super actinic figi purple any suggestions would be great

Thanks

 

[darb85]

I have a 48" fixture with two 14K 250W MH HQI bulbs and Spots for 4 T5 bulbs. Right now they are all cheapy atintics. Looking at running 2 Blue Plus, a purple plus, and a UVL SA.

Good Idea? Looking for Color pop from SPS Corals. 2 bulbs on each side was thinking:

Blue+
Purple+
MH
UVL SA
Blue+

Thanks T5 Gurus

 

[nivekid]

I'm thinking of upgrading from a 2x55 watt PC unit on my 37 gallon tank to a 4x24 watt TEK fixture. I'd be getting the light from BRS on their black friday deal (10% off fixture and 25% off any bulbs ordered with it). Would this be an upgrade from my current unit? What bulb combination would you go with? I'm not a fan of super deep blue look, but I want my corals to pop!