The T5 Q&a Thread

[PrivateJoker64]

Thanks to all who have contributed to this thread, especially Grim!
I tried to read this whole thread from the beginning today and my eyes are bleeding. LOL
I am setting up a standard 29 with the Tek 4-24w 24" setup from ReefGeek.
I want to keep it mostly shrooms / rics / lps but I know I won't be able to keep from adding a couple acros at the top cause I love them.
Anyone think this won't be an adequate light rig?

 

[dhoch]

The Reefer91... Only 4 lamps on an IC 660 ballast.

PrivateJoker64... you should be good with that over a 29...

Dave

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7792715#post7792715 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by redfisher17
Hi, I'm considering T5's for a 65g (48x18x17). Would the 4x54w Teklight be a good choice for a mixed reef with SPS in the upper stratum? I was looking at the 6x54, but after seeing how much light these things put out, I'm afraid it would be too much.

Thanks for you help!

4 would be enough but I like the option of having more lamps so you can have more control over the look.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7793183#post7793183 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Reefer91
hey grim- do you think that 4 80 watt T-5 lights with individual reflectors is enough to support SPS in the upper half aof a 125g, which is 22" tall

Read the post above your's

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7793128#post7793128 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jjoos99
I am running 4 80w overdriven t-5s and my acros have lost there color from too much light and that is over a 60 inch 120 gal. tank. I have since taken 2 of the overdriven bulbs and switched them to a standard ballast and didnt notice much of a difference at all.
Jeff

The 80 watt lamps aren't overdriven all that much on the IC. What mix of lamps are you using?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7793423#post7793423 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dhoch
Wow... good to see you back here grim...

redfisher... yeah thats a good choice for your tank

jjoos99... visiably you won't notice much of a difference, but if you put a par meter up to it you will...

TheReefer91... yes... I have a 180 which is the same height, and I use 7 T5 bulbs over it (and 1 URI VHO)... no problem with SPS... even lower light ones down at the sand no problem (monti digi, hispadia for example)...

Dave

How goes your PAR tracking project?

 

[dsds]

hi grim...you really feel t5's are as good or better than m/h...i'm setting up a 50gl breeder (36x18x18)with center support and dont want to run 2 halide because of heat....and reading your replies and others have me kind of hooked on t5's...my tank plans are a mixed reef.......so i'm leaning towards a tek 8 bulb..do i need to do ice cap reflectors and what wattage do you think i should use..thanx in advance for your help

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7793544#post7793544 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dsds
hi..can anybody give me some advise...50gl tank..36x18x18..looking for a good light setup..i dont know if i should run 2-175w halides w/2 t5's...by aquactinics...or just run all t5's...(5 bulbs)..i keep leathers..would like some clams and sps..lps...the works......please any help would be appreciated...thx

I gotta disagree with Hahn here, maybe. If you want to include lower light critters with the SPS and stuff then the halides are a better choice. If you want to stick with SPS, LPS (with the exception of open brains)and clams only, then the T5's are great. 175 watt halides are plenty of light over an 18" tall tank. The downside is should you upgrade to a larger tank, say 24" tall then you would be weak on lighting. Decisions, Decisions.

 

[dsds]

hi grim...i want to keep...sps...lps...clams and leathers...so are t5's the way to go....its really is confusing......thx dsds

 

[dsds]

grim...if i do 2 m/h cause of center brace...i got to worry about heat then...since the lights i buy need to sit on the tank..

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7794940#post7794940 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dsds
hi grim...you really feel t5's are as good or better than m/h...i'm setting up a 50gl breeder (36x18x18)with center support and dont want to run 2 halide because of heat....and reading your replies and others have me kind of hooked on t5's...my tank plans are a mixed reef.......so i'm leaning towards a tek 8 bulb..do i need to do ice cap reflectors and what wattage do you think i should use..thanx in advance for your help

One of the things to remember is that your tank isn't very tall. You don't need a lot of punch and at that depth the IC reflectors will only have a small advantage over the Tek. You could probably easily get by with 4 Tek T5's over that tank. I would go with 6 just to be able to have a wider variety of lamps but that is a option. I'd run a couple of Super Actinics, 2 Blueplus, an Actinic white and a sun.

T5 isn't better than halide. Properly set up they will deliver similar results using less power and creating less heat.

 

[redfisher17]

Thanks Grim. In reference to the post above (halides for low light corals), are you saying that soft corals would not be a good idea even with the 4-bulb Teklight on my 65? I really want to try the T5's this time around, but don't want to give up the softies..

thanks for your help

 

[dsds]

grim...thanx for your help...i really appreciate it....what wattage should i get...thx dsds

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7794999#post7794999 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dsds
grim...if i do 2 m/h cause of center brace...i got to worry about heat then...since the lights i buy need to sit on the tank..

Here's the deal, With T5's if you have enough light for a clam on the sandbed you have enough light for a clam anywhere on the sandbed. That makes it hard to keep lower light critters happy. With halides you have a hot spot under the lamps where you can place a clam and between the lamps it is less intense so you can sneak lower light softies in there.

As far as heat goes call and talk to Tom at aquactinics. He seems to be really straight up. I know of a few peole around the boards that use his halide fixture that is designed to sit right on the tank and they don't seem to have an issue with heat.

 

[dsds]

thanx grim....i did talk to tom...his m/h set up...2 ..175w and 2 t5's...$805.00...and then i couldnt upgrade say to a 65gl or taller

 

[The Grim Reefer]

You would be boarderline on a 24" tall tank with 175's.

 

[dsds]

grim...thanx...you 've been a help........dsds

 

[jjoos99]

acros lost color

acros lost color

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7794912#post7794912 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
The 80 watt lamps aren't overdriven all that much on the IC. What mix of lamps are you using?

In my homemade retro I am running 1 aquablue, 2 blue + and 1 ge daylight. Right now I have the 2 blue+ overdriven and the day/ aquablue on a workhorse. I notice that the daylights dont seem to be recommended as much as they were 10 months ago when I set my lighting up. My tank is one of the pioneering reef tanks back in the late 80s and is a 5ft 120 gal.
Thanks
Jeff

 

[abendx]

grim.... what do you recommend bulb wise for a 90gal (48x18x24)?

i was thinking.... 1 6500, 2 aquablue, 3 blueplus.... does that sound right.... (this is a new tank and will have a mixed reef.... a little of everything).

also.... i was looking at the tek 6x54.

thanks!

 

[The Grim Reefer]

There is a guy in the SPS forum who is trying a 3000K lamp instead of the 6500. Initially he says it makes the pinks look better and blues if I remember right. I think his name is mothra.

look for a thread called "corals lightening in my 55" or something like that in the SPS forum. A few people have had the corals lighten up under T5's. I thought adding a lamp like a 3000K with more red spectrum might really help with shallow water acros that would see more red nature. It is still a little early to proclaim it a sucess but you might follow that thread and get some ideas.