The T5 Q&a Thread

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7799566#post7799566 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 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!

I would now reco the ATI Sun over the GE. I would go with that, a UVL Super Actinic and actinic white with 3 blueplus. f you are going with higer light critters go with 2 suns and forget the actinic white. the actinic white is sorta like the aquablue except is has a pinkish hue to it. Looks nice with blue lamps/

 

[abendx]

thanks grim!!

i think i will get two suns and the actinic white and play with them....

what order do you recommend for both configs?

thanks again!

 

[Lenny C]

I know with MH there are general water penetration rules such as 250's for up to 24" and 400's for deeper tanks" and 150's for tanks up to 18"... and so on and so forth. My question is how deep does the light from T-5's penetrate the water? How would you light tanks that have the same footprint but, lets say one is 18" tall and that other 30"tall? For simplicity let's say you want a SPS dominated tank, because that seems to be what everyone is after now a days.

Dave

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7800637#post7800637 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by abendx
thanks grim!!

i think i will get two suns and the actinic white and play with them....

what order do you recommend for both configs?

thanks again!

Just make sure you have a blue at the front. Other than that you can swap things around to get the look you like.

Typical would be

Front
BluePlus
Actinic
Sun
Blueplus
Sun
Blueplus

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7800736#post7800736 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lenny C
I know with MH there are general water penetration rules such as 250's for up to 24" and 400's for deeper tanks" and 150's for tanks up to 18"... and so on and so forth. My question is how deep does the light from T-5's penetrate the water? How would you light tanks that have the same footprint but, lets say one is 18" tall and that other 30"tall? For simplicity let's say you want a SPS dominated tank, because that seems to be what everyone is after now a days.

Dave

I am not sure the old Halide depth guidlines are even usefull any more. With so many advances in lamps, ballasts and reflectors it seems like a good 250 can hit further down than 24" if the lamp doesn't need to be mounted too high above the tank.

With T5 my best guess would be the basic 4 lamp Tek system will be good for SPS up to about 18" tall. A Normally driven system with the better Ice Cap reflectors will probably be good for a little over 20 and on IC ballasts you could probably go 26". If you add more lamps you could bump all those depths but it would be hard to say how much. I know my 125 with 6 overdriven 80 watt lamps had enough intensity for montis on the sand. The 54 watt lamps overdriven are quite a bit brighter, a 4 lamp system put 183 UMOL's of PAR at the sand while a 6 lamp 80 watt IC driven system mounted slightly higher pulled down 145. That tank was 23.5 tall with about 2 1/2 inches of sandbed.

 

[reverendmaynard]

Hey Grim,

I've decided to go with the 4 bulb setup for now, since I can always add the other 2 and my current hood only has room for 4. I think this should still double or triple my par over my current home-made reflector vho setup. Currently, I'd have to go with Tek reflectors since icecap doesn't make 5' reflectors. Here's the configuration I think I'll try...

Front
Blueplus
Actinic
Blueplus
Midday

Seems like I'd have a nice blue look, with plenty of PAR for sps at the top back.

My questions...

I've heard that they've just come out with 72" T5s. Is this likely to be a viable option by the end of the year? Currently, Icecap only makes reflectors for 4'bulbs, do you know of any plans to make them for the 5'?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Helios has made a 72"T5 lamp for quite a while but they are such a PITA to ship they aren't really marketed over the net.

Sunlight Supply makes a 60" T5 reflector, reefgeek and specialty lighting sell them. Your mix of lamps should be pretty good for PAR but stick with the ATI brand of lamps if you can get them, they have better output than the D&D/Guesmann.

 

[reverendmaynard]

Thanks Grim.

I'm probably going to order from reefgeek, seems like eaverything's a few bucks less than other places. They only have the ATI Blueplus and 12000k Aquablue. For G-mann, 6000k midday, 11000k Aquablue, Actinic Plus, and Pure Actnic. They also have the GE 6500k.

So, I was thinking the 2 ATI Blueplus, 1 G-mann Pure Actinic, and either the G-mann 6000k or the 6500k ge.

Any thoughts?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Good, go with the G-man midday.

 

[reverendmaynard]

Cool. So, as an FYI for everyone, I'm looking at less than $250+shipping, to switch from VHO to T5, versus the $100+shipping or so to replace the VHO bulbs. I should double or triple my par (maybe more?) and use less energy.

Good deal, huh?

 

[reverendmaynard]

Last question, I swear.

2 blueplus or 1 blueplus and 1 actinic for dusk/dawn? The 2 front bulbs (#1 and #2 if numbering from front to back), #1 and #3, #1 and #4?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I'd do actinic and blueplus. I'd put the actinic at the front. I personaly like the 2 dusk/dawn lamps at the front/

 

[reverendmaynard]

So...

Ballast 1 = 2 front bulbs, Actinic, then Blueplus.

Ballast 2 = 2 rear bulbs, Blueplus, then Midday.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

But the midday in slot 3 and the Blueplus in the back

 

[reverendmaynard]

Ok. Thanks a lot. You've been a huge help.

 

[my2girls]

I have a Tek 6x54 fixture. I was thinking of overdriving the middle 4 bulbs. Is there room inside the fixture for an Icecap 660?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

No, you would have to remote mount it which is an option.

 

[thefuture]

double post.

 

[thefuture]

hey grim i have a 40 breeder and i was wondering if i can get away with keeping sps with just 2 bulbs. maybe overdriven. whats the diference in over driven and regular par wise?my tank is not deep so if thats what overdriving your bulbs are for then i guess i wont really need that. which bulbs should i get for just the 2 bulb setup?

by the way do u know any 1 with a retro or 36" t-5 fixture for sale?

 

[hahnmeister]

the future...I doubt 2 bulbs will be enough for any but the most deepwater species of acros, or if you limit yourself to nothing but daylight bulbs w/ no actinic / blue for output. I would consider 4 bulbs the minimum on a 40B, as they are only 39watts each...so two of them is less than 80watts...thats just not enough.