The T5 Q&a Thread
- Thread starter JohnL
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Justin74
New member
Dunno.But I hear of more people ending up in trouble that hang out too long at the lounge
.Looking through some of his posts its obvious he spent a great deal of time there.But if you,or anyone finds out;do share,as wed all like to know,and hopefully avoid the same mistake,if indeed it was a mistake 
-Justin
JustOneMoreTank
New member
Hopefully the Grim Reefer will be allowed back. I dont have any idea what precipitated his banning but hopefully the moderators will see that he is truely a great asset to this online reef community and reinstate him.
We want Grim back !!!
We want Grim back !!!
Can't believe Grim is gone, but BRING HIM BACK!!!
So for those who follow this as I do, I need some input.
I have a 90g with a Tek 6x54 that I am very pleased with (2 more bulbs would be nice
). I am now considering using a 20g long I have lying around as a prop tank for SPS and LPS. As with the display, I can't tolerate much more heat, so I'm worried about the halide route. Would like to use T5s but the only 30" fixture I see is a Coralife 18w x2 with a single flat reflector.
So:
1. Should I go with the less effective Coralife and just use 3 or 4 of them? That would be alot of watts over a 20 with full length coverage. Maybe the multiple fixtures would compensate for the poor reflector. IDK?
2. Should I try to mod the coralifes with individual reflectors like the finnex mod? Can this be done with the Coralife fixture?
3. Go with a 24" Tek 4 bulb fixture? If so, how would I place the 24" fixture over the 30" tank? I can't hang it (wife's rule!!)
4. Just go with a 175w 10k halide? IDK how much heat they put out as I have never used halides, nor have I seen a 175w in action.
Finally, if I went with T5s should I use 11k bulbs for good growth with some bule for color? Or add 1 day 6500k?
Thanks for any input.
Steve
So for those who follow this as I do, I need some input.
I have a 90g with a Tek 6x54 that I am very pleased with (2 more bulbs would be nice
). I am now considering using a 20g long I have lying around as a prop tank for SPS and LPS. As with the display, I can't tolerate much more heat, so I'm worried about the halide route. Would like to use T5s but the only 30" fixture I see is a Coralife 18w x2 with a single flat reflector.So:
1. Should I go with the less effective Coralife and just use 3 or 4 of them? That would be alot of watts over a 20 with full length coverage. Maybe the multiple fixtures would compensate for the poor reflector. IDK?
2. Should I try to mod the coralifes with individual reflectors like the finnex mod? Can this be done with the Coralife fixture?
3. Go with a 24" Tek 4 bulb fixture? If so, how would I place the 24" fixture over the 30" tank? I can't hang it (wife's rule!!)
4. Just go with a 175w 10k halide? IDK how much heat they put out as I have never used halides, nor have I seen a 175w in action.
Finally, if I went with T5s should I use 11k bulbs for good growth with some bule for color? Or add 1 day 6500k?
Thanks for any input.
Steve
Justin74
New member
Yes more bulbs make up for the flat reflector on the pc's. Me personally its gonna be either T5 or halide,with a 20long youd have a hard time getting coverage from both of these but more so with halide.That being said a staggard 3 bulb combo would be great IMO for a prop tank(w/SPS w/in 4-5 in.below water surface) that your goal is growth and color, Id go with (2)11k's and a (1)GE6500k.If its a semi display for lack of a better word you may want to throw a blue+(actinic+) in the front of an 11 and GE6500k.This is assuming you figure out how your gonna suspend it,a hood of some sort would help big time.
Without it your pretty much stuck with something/anything that will plug,play,and fit.If I had to chose between the cheap PC or cheap T5 fixture,Id still go T5,but anticipate bulb life to be just as short.HTH.
-Justin
Without it your pretty much stuck with something/anything that will plug,play,and fit.If I had to chose between the cheap PC or cheap T5 fixture,Id still go T5,but anticipate bulb life to be just as short.HTH.
-Justin
Sorry I wasn't clear, but the Coralife fixture is a T5. It's a 30" 2x18w T5. That's why I thought maybe 3 of them for a total of 6 18w T5s may work. What are your thoughts with that info.
https://www82.safesecureweb.com/web...=PROD&Product_Code=CL58021&Category_Code=CLT5
Thanks for your help Justin
https://www82.safesecureweb.com/web...=PROD&Product_Code=CL58021&Category_Code=CLT5
Thanks for your help Justin
REMF
Premium Member
If it were me, answer to 1 - 2 - 3 I would build a inexpensive hood/canopy http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/2637/canopy.html and use 3 or 4 24" bulbs staggered to cover the entire tank
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You would have no shadows and even coverage throughout the tank. And you would save money doing a retro.
For #4 that would be a lot of heat IMO.
and last but not least, I would run 2 Actinic/Blue Plus and 2 Aquablue Plus.
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You would have no shadows and even coverage throughout the tank. And you would save money doing a retro.
For #4 that would be a lot of heat IMO.
and last but not least, I would run 2 Actinic/Blue Plus and 2 Aquablue Plus.
Justin74
New member
A hood for a retro would be the best bet (or DIY light rack)especially after the combined purchase of all those,and those are just NO T5 not HO.Not to mention you would not have the standard size versatility and would be stuck buying from Coralife for replacements.
After using the TEK yourself and seeing the high-output in action,I think youd be disapointed. And ya,things would get warm with all those fixtures as opposed to one ballast.
-Justin
After using the TEK yourself and seeing the high-output in action,I think youd be disapointed. And ya,things would get warm with all those fixtures as opposed to one ballast.
-Justin
turbonegro
Member
I have a 175gal tank 30 inches tall. Will I be able to go with t5s or is my tank to deep? I would like to do a mix of corals. thanks
REMF
Premium Member
Sorry Pete1399 I turned off the wrong button, I was sick of getting e-mail for every PM. It is working now.
A couple of great places to get your retro parts.
http://www.aqualuxlighting.com/
http://www.reefgeek.com/
A couple of great places to get your retro parts.
http://www.aqualuxlighting.com/
http://www.reefgeek.com/
horkn
New member
reefgeek cant get anywhere hear the price point of the aqualux DIY retros...
unless you are hell bent on cramming 6 bulbs where 5 can fit with the aqualux reflectors . and there really is no reason for that.
as far as height above te tank for t5ho.. i have mine near 6" over the surface of the water. There's plenty of light at the bottom of my tank
kau_cinta_ku
New member
REMF how many bulbs are you running on your 75 gal.? i am thinking of running 4 bulbs over my 75 with icecap reflectors and ballasts and am not tring to burn up my softies but later on i am planning on an sps tank which is why the icecap ballasts and will be able to add more bulbs if i need to. so do you think that 4 bulbs will burn my shrooms and kenya trees? if i keep a more blue look?
landragon
Premium Member
Kau_cinta_ku, keep in mind most of the "blue" bulbs on the market still have considerable par. You will need to keep the low light stuff on the bottom and and the fringes with 4 bulbs, in my experience. I am starting to run tests now on two identically set up tanks with T5HO. They are 2 x 37 gallon tanks with 4 bulb ATI 50/50 mix Aquablue/Actinic. One has only the actinics on reflectors one has all four bulbs with reflectors. Reflectors are Icecap. Ballasts are Universal Triad. Both tanks have only been set up three weeks yet and my schedule is to put the identical number of Shrooms in each tank in the same position. I have healed cuttings of several types of mushroom. These will go in in one week. Tanks have 30 lbs. Tonga each arranged similarly. and are bare bottom. A Maxi Stream mod is in each tank with 400's and propellers I reduced in size to give a gentle current all over. I will keep everyone posted and make a new thread about T5HO and softies. Although some people might not like it I suspect I will find that the color rendition and overal appearance of the tank will improve as well as polyp extention with the 2 reflector setup. However this brings up wether or not it would be better to do a 2 bulb 2 reflector setup instead. Half the initial and operational costs sounds good. I will test this after the other two have gone 6 weeks and compare the data.
I suspect I will find that the color rendition and overal appearance of the tank will improve as well as polyp extention with the 2 reflector setup. However this brings up wether or not it would be better to do a 2 bulb 2 reflector setup instead. Half the initial and operational costs sounds good. I will test this after the other two have gone 6 weeks and compare the data.
REMF
Premium Member
I am running 5, 54w bulbs with 2 workhorse 7 ballastââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s. 3 bulbs on 1, and 2 on the other. I donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t think the WH over drives the bulbs like an IC would. IC ballast will overdrive the bulbs so they will be more intense. To quote the great TGR
It all depends on what kind of shrooms you have also, some can take the light better than others. You will need to acclimate them using a couple layers of screen (3) and removing 1 layer a week.
Please keep us posted on the progress. Are you going to acclimate the shrooms in either tank or just fire up the lights on both tanks and keep your fingers crossed?
turbonegro
Member
I dont have a canopy. What would you recomend me getting?
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