The T5 Q&a Thread

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7337943#post7337943 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by nyvp
yes 3 side view front back and left. That why we agree'd not to go only T5's because of the light split. so it will have 4 - 250's MH down the center and 2 t'5s on each side of the MH's.

I needed to be reminded of the exact set up, things tend to get blurry as to who is doing what

I think I would go with 4 rows 54 watt lamps layed out like you listed but add 1 39 watt lamp mounted sideways at each end. that should make the light look even from all sides and get you an even look from end to end

l ________54's ________ l
l ________ 54's________ l
l Halides ---- ---- Halides l
l ________ 54's________ l
l ________ 54's________ l


Solid lines would be the 54's, dashed the 39's, sure it wont format well but you should get the idea.

 

[roader247]

I a post by Grim a few threads back that said with IC ballast if one bulb fails it won't work. Does anyone have a good way to test a bulb without putting it in a ballast and powering it up ? Can I use a meter ?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7338578#post7338578 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by roader247
I a post by Grim a few threads back that said with IC ballast if one bulb fails it won't work. Does anyone have a good way to test a bulb without putting it in a ballast and powering it up ? Can I use a meter ?

About the only way to confirm a fluorescent lamp is good is to fire it up.

 

[nyvp]

thats what we spoke of just confirming. what bulbs & ballasts to would you use with the 54's offset the 10k MH's? and for the 39 how many bulbs of what kind? ordering from reefgeek triad or icecap much difference for the big$ 's

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I would use actinic plus lamps for all. I would get the Ice Cap reflectors but stick with the standard triaf ballasts that come with the Tek light retro. I would just do 1 39 watt lamp across each end.

 

[nyvp]

now the antics are just to combat the 10k's color and not helping growth right? I would like the t5's to help on the coloring but also for growth.
BTW who sells them like that?

Also as usual "YOU DA MAN"
you truly are a outstanding source of knowledge Thanks
Joe

 

[The Grim Reefer]

The actinic plus lamps are going to help boost the PAR at the front and back. You could run Actinic Plus on the outside rows and Aquablues on the inner and get a bigger boost. The lumenarcs will spread the light better than 2 feet with pretty good intensity and you will be getting a decent amount out as far as 3 feet. I don't think you need to overdrive the T5 lamps but it couldn't hurt. You will need to run fans across the lamps if you do overdrive.

Are you going to have high light critters right at the front glass? If not just cheat all the lighting about 6" towards the back. No sense in wasting light at the front if you are going to leave it as an open sandbed.

 

[vanceny]

suggestion's please:

setting up a 90 gal and plan to have a mixed reef of mostly softies and lps, and easy sps (monti's). I was planning on getting the 6 bulb 54w tek fixture. Is this too much light for the tank I'm planning? I would like to be able to put the corals at all levels of the tank instead of just the bottom level.

I wanted the fixture because I planned on going open top but if i decide to build a canopy would the ice cap 4 bulb retrofit be a better option or not necessary?

thanks for the suggestions.

Vance

 

[vanceny]

also would like to put a clam in there someday. :0

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7340311#post7340311 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by vanceny
also would like to put a clam in there someday. :0

I'd do halides if you want to be able to have a clam, LPS and softies and all levels. With the halides you can just keep the high light critters under the lamps and place lower light corals in the areas away from the lamps. With T5's you are pretty much limited to high light only in the upper part of the tank.

If you do go with the Tek light I would get a 6 lamp unit. That should be fine for a clam on the sand but you would need to keep low and moderate light critters in the lower half of the tank.

 

[vanceny]

thanks Grim. glad to see that you're back.

with that said, the clam should go on the sand in a 6 lamp unit? I thought it would need to go higher up. So without the clam in my future would the 4 lamp unit be fine?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

You could keep a lower light clam on the sand or a higher light one up in the rocks. 4 lamps would work but I think 6 would be better. If you did a canopy and went with a 4 lamp retro upgraded to Ice Cap reflectors you would be OK. Then if you ever decided you wanted higher light critters you could add a couple more lamps or just overdrive the 4 you have.

 

[ghostrida3]

so w/ running 6x 54 t5s over a 72 gallon can u have the same versatility as metal hallides?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7341650#post7341650 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ghostrida3
so w/ running 6x 54 t5s over a 72 gallon can u have the same versatility as metal hallides?

You need to be careful with lower light corals but you should be able to keep about anything.

 

[ghostrida3]

thanks, is it cheaper to buy the retrofit kit or just to purchase everything already assembled?

 

[phallock]

Here's my situation:

I have a 105 Oceanic, 48x18x27. Same footprint as a 90, just a few inches higher. First tank so looking at softies, zoas, LPS at first.

Just built and installed a horizontal overflow that on second thought is probably too wide. It's 32" long, centered on the back of the tank at the top, and is 4" front to back:


So now between the overflow and front of the tank I have about 12.5" of surface... the dimensions on the 6x54w Tek retro at reefgeek says it's 15" wide. One lamp at least looks like it would be blocked.

Options are to: remove and rebuild, reducing overflow from 4" to 3" (grrrr!) but still only giving me 13.5", or maybe going with a 4x54W IC overdriven setup. Is that 15" number accurate? They're selling 2-light units that are listed as 4" wide - three of those would be 12". Maybe there are other options reflector-wise that I could squeeze 6 lights in that space?

I filled this tank up yesterday to test for leaks, the pump has been off all day, and the temp is 76.5. Have nothing against MH except that I'm worried about heat and having to get a chiller at this point.

 

[boalady]

Hey Guru Grim,
I have yet to see anyone mention the Coralvue T5 unit. It comes with individual reflectors and your choice of 10K or Actinic bubs. Would this be a good unit? I'm wanting 4- 48 inch bulbs over my 75 gallon tank for a mixed reef.

Thanks

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7342280#post7342280 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by phallock
Here's my situation:

I have a 105 Oceanic, 48x18x27. Same footprint as a 90, just a few inches higher. First tank so looking at softies, zoas, LPS at first.

Just built and installed a horizontal overflow that on second thought is probably too wide. It's 32" long, centered on the back of the tank at the top, and is 4" front to back:


So now between the overflow and front of the tank I have about 12.5" of surface... the dimensions on the 6x54w Tek retro at reefgeek says it's 15" wide. One lamp at least looks like it would be blocked.

Options are to: remove and rebuild, reducing overflow from 4" to 3" (grrrr!) but still only giving me 13.5", or maybe going with a 4x54W IC overdriven setup. Is that 15" number accurate? They're selling 2-light units that are listed as 4" wide - three of those would be 12". Maybe there are other options reflector-wise that I could squeeze 6 lights in that space?

I filled this tank up yesterday to test for leaks, the pump has been off all day, and the temp is 76.5. Have nothing against MH except that I'm worried about heat and having to get a chiller at this point.

Call up reefgeek and have him measure the actual area from the front edge of the front reflector to the rear edge of the rear reflector. I seem to remember it being about 12". If you look at the picture of a Tek hood the body is definatly wider than the lamp area. You might have a tad of a hangover at the rear but it isn't the end of the world. You could also check out the 5 lamp system Aquactinics.com sells. It might be a better fit for you.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7342416#post7342416 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by boalady
Hey Guru Grim,
I have yet to see anyone mention the Coralvue T5 unit. It comes with individual reflectors and your choice of 10K or Actinic bubs. Would this be a good unit? I'm wanting 4- 48 inch bulbs over my 75 gallon tank for a mixed reef.

Thanks

So order em up and give us a review

I haven't seen them but based on the pictures I think they would be worth a try based on the price. Even if you ended up having to swap the lamps out in a few months it wouldn't be a bad deal. They look pretty close to the design D&D sells in Europe.

 

[horkn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7342416#post7342416 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by boalady
Hey Guru Grim,
I have yet to see anyone mention the Coralvue T5 unit. It comes with individual reflectors and your choice of 10K or Actinic bubs. Would this be a good unit? I'm wanting 4- 48 inch bulbs over my 75 gallon tank for a mixed reef.

Thanks

i have seen a few reviews of them that were not so favorable. but that was all about the ballasts failing. the reflectors themselves look good. and i highly doubt anything else can really be an issue beside the ballasts, which would be easily swapped with different ones pretty easily, and cheaply.