The T5 Q&a Thread

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divemaster, your tank look plenty bright for anything.

i would try to keep any sps up in the top half of the tank though.


also, i wouldnt swap to ati bulbs fromt the slimpaq until they wear out, and even then, if you like the color, and you get good growth, why change?
 
Is one ballast manufacturer better than another for energy efficiency? I'm looking to add T5s to my 2x250w halide setup on my 120. I'd like to get the most efficent ballast possible if there's a difference from one to another.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7754854#post7754854 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by horkn
you mean 6 bulbs with ic reflectors , right?

because 6 OD IC ballasted t5s onan 18" tank would be overkill, except in at least a 24" tall tank. i have seen how bright 6x54 normally driven is in a 90g. i cant imagine 6 x80 overdriven on the same tank.
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Yeah 6x39W (36") with reflectors. Thats about 3.5 W/G, I am trying to get a BTA in my tank.
 
Divemaster Jim,

Why are you looking for more light? Aren't your corals doing well? And if they aren't, how's the rest of your parameters? I have to agree with Horkn.....looks plenty bright to me. Good luck
 
I got some replacement bulbs from ReefGeek this past week to replace a GE bulb that was starting to go. Just for the heck of it I replaced it with a new UVL bulb and now have 1 UVL and 2 Actinic + bulbs overdriven on my nano. I have to say its better than I expected. Very blue, but not so much that I dislike it and am thinking of trying it for awhile (kinda looks like a 20K radium tank).

My question is: Is this enough par for my sps? its in a 29 tank and most of the corals are midway up or higher. I haven't seen any ratings for par on the uvls and I don't expect it to be very high. On the other hand, I think my GE was way too bright and many of my corals were pretty light that were placed near the top.

thanks
 
Hey guys,

I've got a standard 125 aga, currently running 4x160w vho on 2 icecap 660s. When it comes time for bulb replacement, I believe I'll be switching to t5s, with the same ballasts.

Should I go with 4 60" bulbs, or 6?

Staggered, or centered?

Bulb combinations?

Any suggestions greatly appreciated.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7757400#post7757400 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ctreefer
I got some replacement bulbs from ReefGeek this past week to replace a GE bulb that was starting to go. Just for the heck of it I replaced it with a new UVL bulb and now have 1 UVL and 2 Actinic + bulbs overdriven on my nano. I have to say its better than I expected. Very blue, but not so much that I dislike it and am thinking of trying it for awhile (kinda looks like a 20K radium tank).

My question is: Is this enough par for my sps? its in a 29 tank and most of the corals are midway up or higher. I haven't seen any ratings for par on the uvls and I don't expect it to be very high. On the other hand, I think my GE was way too bright and many of my corals were pretty light that were placed near the top.

thanks
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If you are overdriven you probably have plenty of PAR but I am not sure the quality of light is going to be there. I'd want to sneak a daylight lamp of some sort in the mix just to give the SPS a little of the red spectrum they would see in nature. Maybe try a Actinic White UVL lamp to replace a Blueplus if you notice your growth stall out.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7757792#post7757792 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reverendmaynard
Hey guys,

I've got a standard 125 aga, currently running 4x160w vho on 2 icecap 660s. When it comes time for bulb replacement, I believe I'll be switching to t5s, with the same ballasts.

Should I go with 4 60" bulbs, or 6?

Staggered, or centered?

Bulb combinations?

Any suggestions greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

Depends on what you are trying to raise. If you just have softies and LPS 4 would probably work but I would go 6 just so you can mix up the lamps better. You can stagger the lamps a few inches each wat to make the light look even out to the edges.

I would run 1 Giesemann Pure Actinic, 2 Giesemann Midday, 3 blueplus plus. I am backing away from the GE lamps because they don't provide much in the way of red spectrum compared to the midday. I am thinking we are better off running 2 of the more yellow looking Midday lamps with 4 blue/actinics to wash out the yellow instead of using 1 daylight with a aquablues and 3 blue/actinics. Running actinic/blues and aquablues would probably be a great mix for a softie only tank.
 
Thanks for the reply grim.

I currently have a mixed tank, everything from shrooms, zoas, leathers, lps, a few sps. I don't plan on ripping my hair out over sps, so we'll see how that goes. I would like to add a clam or 2 down the road. From what I've been reading, it's possible that some of my lower light stuff like the shrooms, zoas and leathers may not thrive with the 6 bulbs, making more room for higher light corals. What do you think?

When you say "3 blueplus plus", are you referring to the G-man 11000k Aquablue Plus, ATI Blueplus, G-man Actinic Plus?

Depending on the answer above, do you think 2 of those, combined with the Pure Actinic will provide a strong flourescent effect for dusk/dawn?
 
I like the ATI Blue Plus. The Gmann Actinic Plus is nice too. One thing you can do is mount the Blue/actinic lamps at the front and the higher PAR sun/midday lamps at the rear and place your lower light softies in front of the rocks where they are somewhat shadded from the white lamps.

2 Blue Plus and a actinic would be a nice Dusk/dawn look
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7758475#post7758475 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tinytool
Will t-5 be alright to light a fuge, if so what bulb do you recommened and how many over a 24x20x18
Thanks
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Use either the GE 6500K daylights or maybe grab some of the 3000K horticutlure lamps. The GE's are probably cheaper. I'd run a couple over that sized fuge.
 
hey grim,
i asked about a friends 38g cube and u said that the 4 lamp will be enough to keep what he wants but is the 6 lamp a better choice or to much light? o ya its the 24" fixture
thanks
 
Another question...I'm trying to figure out the best way to incorporate t5's on my future tank. Tank size is 72x30x30 eurobraced. Here are the three options I came up with, which one do you guys think would work the best?

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Tiny tool,
Option 1 is my vote using 72" bulbs instead less bulbs to change
Option 2 and 3 seem like there is going to be bands of color change through your tank. Is the radium a 20k?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7760114#post7760114 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ccoral
Tiny tool,
Option 1 is my vote using 72" bulbs instead less bulbs to change
Option 2 and 3 seem like there is going to be bands of color change through your tank. Is the radium a 20k?
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They don't make 72" bulbs I suppose I could use 60" and stager them. but then i wont be able to use the Icecap reflectors. Yeah the radiums are 20k but on an HQI they are more white than blue and very bright. I was thinking there might be bands of colors with option 2 thats why I thought option 3 might be a good choice with the lenght bulbs in the mix. I'll probably only run my MH about 4 hours out of the day and the T5's the remainder thats why I'm trying to fit as many bulbs in as possible to try to fill any voids when the MH aren't on.

Also the Tank is going to be All SPS so I'm trying to get as much light as i can in there. Overkill? probably lol.
 
Hey Grim, got a question.

My T5 bulb setup is. 2xblueplus bulbs on the Triad ballast and 2xblueplus and 2xaquablues on the IC ballast, all with IC reflectors. I thought my tank wasnt as blue as id like it to be. So what I did was remove the 2 reflectors off the 2 aquablue bulbs. Now im really liking the color im getting. Now my question is, you think im still getting plenty of PAR for SPS/clams?
 
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