The T5 Q&a Thread

[reverendmaynard]

Much easier than all that reflector changing and bulb adding would be to place layers of screening material between the lights and the tank such that it blocks the light down to somewhere near the level the vhos are at now. Then slowly remove the layers, 1 or 2 per week, until they are all gone.

 

[Reef_bones]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7773581#post7773581 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reverendmaynard
Much easier than all that reflector changing and bulb adding would be to place layers of screening material between the lights and the tank such that it blocks the light down to somewhere near the level the vhos are at now. Then slowly remove the layers, 1 or 2 per week, until they are all gone.

True...Much easier that way. I guess I can wait another week for the ICECAPS to come in. Then go that route. But I definately need to adjust them to the new set-up...4 39w t5 over a 29 may be to much.. Yeah I know a 29 is 30" and 39wt is 36" but this 29 has the plumbing and overflow in one end giving it 2 long veiwable sides, so my stand encloses the end with the plumbing..Overall its 37"...

 

[reverendmaynard]

Why not just go for the 4x24" bulbs? Save energy, and don't light the plumbing! There'll only be 3" of tank at each end of the bulbs.

 

[Reef_bones]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7773679#post7773679 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reverendmaynard
Why not just go for the 4x24" bulbs? Save energy, and don't light the plumbing! There'll only be 3" of tank at each end of the bulbs.

AH... Don't ask...lol..

I was going to do that, but this 29 is not the permanent home for the lights.. The 29 will be a seahorse tank with a 96w PC over it in another couple of months. The lights are going to eventually be over a 36x36x20 cube.... So I figured why order twice. When I am ready I have half the light I need and I can just order another 4 39wers... make sense?

 

[reverendmaynard]

I see.

Life is full of compromises.

 

[charlesjordanjr]

A person on our boards was asking if T5's would work on a 30" tall tank. With proper reflectors along with aquablues and blue+'s, what kind of corals could they keep in the bottom?

They probably won't be overdriven, but what could they keep if it was overdriven and what could they keep if it wasn't overdriven?
-Chuck

 

[The Grim Reefer]

You would want to use as many lamps as will fit over that tall a tank. Normally driven you would only want lower light softies in the lower part of the tank. If you did an Ice Cap system you could keep lower light clams and LPS on the bottom.

 

[HydroMan]

I have a VHO system driven by an icecap 660 ballast. I know, what am I doing here. I'm setting up a 65 gallon and would like to grow LPS throughout the tank and with VHO I'm concerned that I would be restricted to the upper half of the tank. The current plan is to have the VHO bulbs over the rockwork in the back and replacing the front two bulbs with T5's and icecap reflectors.

My concern is that the overdriven T5's would cause some LPS to not do as well. I've heard reports that echino, acans, and others fade under T5's. Does anyone have any experience one way or another with this?

My hope is that LPS that prefer less light could be moved towards the back of the tank and the high light LPS could be moved forward.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

LPS only on a 65 if you already have the VHO stuff maybe just sneak in a T5 Blueplus with the reflector at the front. They put out quite a bit of PAR and the blue will wash out the purple from the actinic. That shouldn't cause you any issues with overly intense light. You could maybe do a ATI Blueplus and UVL Actinic white T5 with a Super Actinic and Aquasun VHO. I would think it would be a nice looking combination.

 

[horkn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7773621#post7773621 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reef_bones
True...Much easier that way. I guess I can wait another week for the ICECAPS to come in. Then go that route. But I definately need to adjust them to the new set-up...4 39w t5 over a 29 may be to much.. Yeah I know a 29 is 30" and 39wt is 36" but this 29 has the plumbing and overflow in one end giving it 2 long veiwable sides, so my stand encloses the end with the plumbing..Overall its 37"...

yep, 3x39 is a ton of light on my 35g.

 

[Vanquishxxxx]

Sorry, jsut saw this thread and liked it, Would 4/54watt 6500k and 2/54 watt actinic blue t5's be enough for a 55g breeder tank, 20 inchs talland 48 inches long?. Or shoudl i go with 4/54watt 10k bulbs

 

[hahnmeister]

Hey Grim...I was going to make my next tank a 36x36x18"h 100g with dual 250wattDE halides...but now Im not so sure. Now Im thinking something long and narrow...to best use T5s (the place Im putting it will accomidate a 3x3 footprint, or something running the whole wall if its narrow enough. So Im thinking 96"x18"x18-24"h. Something like 135-150g. I was thinking twin banks of 6x54wattT5s on regular advance ballasts with IC SLRs. How tall of a tank do you think I can go with that and still keep clams and such on the bottom? Almost everything I keep it medium-high light... 18" tall? or can I go a full 24" high?

 

[horkn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7777032#post7777032 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Vanquishxxxx
Sorry, jsut saw this thread and liked it, Would 4/54watt 6500k and 2/54 watt actinic blue t5's be enough for a 55g breeder tank, 20 inchs talland 48 inches long?. Or shoudl i go with 4/54watt 10k bulbs

4x54 is a perfect amount of t5ho light on a standard 55g tank.
dont run all bulbs of one color, mix it up. that is one of the great advantages of t5ho. i would suggest only one 10k or 6-6500k day bulb and the rest bluer spectrums.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7777093#post7777093 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hahnmeister
Hey Grim...I was going to make my next tank a 36x36x18"h 100g with dual 250wattDE halides...but now Im not so sure. Now Im thinking something long and narrow...to best use T5s (the place Im putting it will accomidate a 3x3 footprint, or something running the whole wall if its narrow enough. So Im thinking 96"x18"x18-24"h. Something like 135-150g. I was thinking twin banks of 6x54wattT5s on regular advance ballasts with IC SLRs. How tall of a tank do you think I can go with that and still keep clams and such on the bottom? Almost everything I keep it medium-high light... 18" tall? or can I go a full 24" high?

I think I'd stick to 20" at most if you want clams on the sand. That sounds like a cool tank. I would much rather have a long tank than a cube.

 

[Karbo]

I'm going to buy a 59''x24''x28'' tank 165 g with sps and soft corals.

The lights will be 8x80w from ATI.

Will it be enough light? or it will be better mh?

Thanks

 

[abendx]

i have read this long beast.... and you guys have me pretty convinced that t5 is a good option to mh due to lower radiated heat, power consumption, bulb cost, bulb longevity, etc....

just a few questions to make sure i am straight. my tank is a new 90g (48x18x24) and i hope to be able to run a mixed reef (SPS, LPS, softies, maybe even a clam or two) in there when everything calms down.

.. is the tek really the best for the money? i am not rich, but willing to spend a few bucks for the right setup.
.. for my tank size and proposed inhabitants, is the 6x54 the way to go?
.. with the above 6x54, should the bulbs be 1 6500, 2 aquablue, 3 bluepluss lamps?
.. is there any reason to go with suspended or tank mounted mounts? (i don not run a canopy)
.. i should leave the top open (i.e. no glass) and if so.... does the acrylic covers that come with the lamps cause similar issues to a glass tank cover ?
.. i keep reading about shimmering and mh, does the t5 not give this ability?
.. is there any real reasons to go mh and not t5?

thanks for your guy's opinions!!!!!

 

[spmedi]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7770055#post7770055 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by vodomagoo
Im setting up my 40gal breeder soon for sps or lps not 100% sure yet and after going thru this thread Im heavly considering T5's but not sure on how many bulbs to go with and which fixture to go with any help would be great

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7770073#post7770073 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Probably go with 4/

What bulbs?

 

[hahnmeister]

abendx, yeah, the tek is prolly the best bang for the buck...not quite the best, but the best will cost you about $100 more and you would have to assemble it yourself (Im talking about an Icecap SLR retrofit).

I would go with at least the 6 bulb unit, if not the 8 bulb right off the bat. I have seen 8 bulb units over 75g tanks before. What it really comes down to is which bulbs you use. If you want the overall look to be bluer (more actinics, more blue+, and use aquablue rather than GE6500K), the extra 2 bulbs will come in very handy.

If you do not have a canopy, then you should consider the tank mounts or the cable mounts. I used chain to hang the fixture...its really up to you. Using the cable/chain means you can still mount the hood to a couple swingarms that would mount to the back of the tank as well...so your options are open.

The acrylic cover is a valid concern. Maybe Grim has a more informed opinion on this. IME, the teks dont need either as long as you are careful to avoid splashing (the aluminum reflectors corrode). I use a lid on the tank, because this keeps the humidity/evap down. I use 1/4" starphire though for the least light absorbtion...but it still reflects some. My thinking is that since the tek reflector takes up almost all of the tank, the reflected light should get cought by the reflector and get sent right back...at least some of it. The acrylic cover that you can buy might be a good idea, but I would be concerned about heat-buildup in the unit then. The teks use passive ventilation, and the acrylic means you are covering up a good amount of its 'breathing' area. I have heard this concern voiced by some that wonder if this isnt causing the bulbs to run hotter than their operating specs...Im not for sure.

There is no shimmer with T5. Shimmer requires a 'point-source', or for the light to come from a small source. When this source gets larger (through larger reflectors, linear bulbs, more bulbs, etc) then the light wave that was interrupted by one water wave is filled in by a light wave from elsewhere.

IMO, T5 and halide together is an unbeatable combo. Some corals seem to react differently to T5s...to look more 'pastel' in coloration. Some corals just dont seem to like it at all...like open brain corals and shrooms. But a 90g is a little narrow for a decent MH/T5 combo...I would go with a 120g (48x24x24) in that case. A good buddy of mine has a 120g with 2x250wattDE Ushio 10,000Ks and 4x54wattT5s using blue+ and actinic+ bulbs. His coloration and growth are just awesome at any point in the tank. He keeps clams, mostly SPS, acans/lords/blastos as well as hammer, frogspawn, and a lot of zoas. Everything grows like crazy and with the most intense coloration possible. The MHs give the intensity at the top and prevent the 'pastel coloring', and the T5s give the coverage and blue look.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7779354#post7779354 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Karbo
I'm going to buy a 59''x24''x28'' tank 165 g with sps and soft corals.

The lights will be 8x80w from ATI.

Will it be enough light? or it will be better mh?

Thanks

As long as the SPS is placed in the upper half of the tank you will be fine.

 

[hahnmeister]

spmedi,
Im not here to argue how many bulbs, but I do think having two more bulbs will allow you more flexibility down the road. 4 is 'enough', yes, but 6 will allow you to mix and match more blue and actinic bulbs if you prefer more of a 'deep blue sea' look.

For 4 bulbs, I would go GE6500K, blue+, blue+, actinic03

OR, if the 6500K is to 'yellow' for you, use aquablue, aquablue, blue+, actinic. It should look about the same...not as much blue, but then again, not as much yellow/green from the GE bulb either.

For 6 bulbs, I would go aquablue, blue+, actinic, actinic, blue+, aquablue. It will look more blue, but have the same if not slightly more output as the 4 bulb unit. Its the combo I use on my 40B at least.

It also depends on what you want to keep. LPS, SPS, softies, clams, high light, low-medium light?