The T5 Q&a Thread

[MJSavage]

I've read and can't find a system similar to mine.

What would you suggest for a 24" cube. I really like the look of PCs vs MH though the Phoenix 14K does look pretty good. I will have mostly SPS & clams though there will be some LPS & Ricordeas too. The back 5" will be overflow so really I need to light 24" X 19" X 21" deep (3" sand bed)

Thanks, I really appreciate your time and knowledge.

Mike

 

[mrcrab]

Mr. Grim,

I used you advice on the current tank, went with the Sunlight Supply Maristar unit and love it. I'm upgrading from my 120 to a 375 and want to use the same unit and add some suplimental actininc.

Old Tank Dimensions: 72" X 18" X 23"

New Tank Dimensions: 96" X 30" X 30" Starfire euro and cross bracing.

Maristar unit bulbs: 4 X 39 watt D&D pure Actinics AAA, 3 X BLV 10K 250 DE's

I'm currently switching out the BLV 10k's for Ushio 14k's a bit crisper white IMO.

I realize that it may not be enough light on the ends and towards the bottom of the new tank, I'll just need to be careful where I place things.

Questions: Which white lights would you suggest I cahnge out the pure actinincs in the Maristar unit for and which actinics and how much would you sugges I add to the setup?

I'm thinking 2 X 4' bulbs on each side of the Maristar, front and back. Which bulbs & reflectors would you suggest and which ballasts to drive them.

Thanks for you help

 

[hahnmeister]

I know someone with a 120g who had dual 250wattDE/HQI Ushio 10,000Ks paired up with 4x54wattT5s. The T5s are 2x actinico3's and 2x 20,000K/actinic+/blue+ type bulbs by CoralVue (I think thats the right mfg). Its an awesome looking tank... I cant even describe it... its kinda like a 20,000K-day tank... not 'deep blue sea' like a 20,000K, or crisp day-ble like a 14,000K, but very well rounded with a large blue spike... Thats why I kinda call it '20,000K/day' looking. The coral coloration is among the best Ive seen, and its not just the corals... I have seen the same corals in other systems and they just dont glow as much. They grow like mad as well (that is, when he can keep up with his calcium demands).

If you could only select half the T5 bulbs to halide bulbs (unless you wait for the new 4-row T5 Maristar fixtures), I would go with two rows of the actinic+ (the 20,000K bulbs that spike at 450nm)bulbs. Much brighter than your usual actinics (420nm spike)... almost as intense as your dayblue bulbs really...not dark and purple like a 03. Besides, Ushio 10,000Ks have loads of actinic in their spectrum already...so the actinics wont be missed much.

 

[mrcrab]

Thanks for the input hahnmeister. I'll keep that in mind.

Not particularly interested in getting another Maristar fixture at this point, just want to supplement the one I have on the bigger tank.

 

[yamaha racer]

hey grim my bulbs keep breaking from marine deptot and was wondering if they break again i can change the bulbs from 2 actinic plusses 1 aquablue and 1 midday to 3 actinic+ and i midday and iff it would give me more of the 14k look im looking 4
thanks
dan

 

[corywilson]

i ordered a 6 bulb 48'' TEK light today. I got 1 ATI Sun Pro, 1 ATI Aquablue, 2 ATI Blueplus, and 2 UVL Super Acitnics. My question is what bulbs are on what ballast. I'm trying to determine how I want to arrange them for the best dusk/dawn lighting.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7952578#post7952578 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mrcrab
Mr. Grim,

I used you advice on the current tank, went with the Sunlight Supply Maristar unit and love it. I'm upgrading from my 120 to a 375 and want to use the same unit and add some suplimental actininc.

Old Tank Dimensions: 72" X 18" X 23"

New Tank Dimensions: 96" X 30" X 30" Starfire euro and cross bracing.

Maristar unit bulbs: 4 X 39 watt D&D pure Actinics AAA, 3 X BLV 10K 250 DE's

I'm currently switching out the BLV 10k's for Ushio 14k's a bit crisper white IMO.

I realize that it may not be enough light on the ends and towards the bottom of the new tank, I'll just need to be careful where I place things.

Questions: Which white lights would you suggest I cahnge out the pure actinincs in the Maristar unit for and which actinics and how much would you sugges I add to the setup?

I'm thinking 2 X 4' bulbs on each side of the Maristar, front and back. Which bulbs & reflectors would you suggest and which ballasts to drive them.

Thanks for you help

The Blue Plus T5's will give you more PAR, I'd use them

 

[The Grim Reefer]

For people who asked questions directed at me I wasn't ignoring you, just somehow got un subscribed from this thread and wasn't getting the notifications.

However, I am going to be gone for several days, gotta go to cal to say goodbye to my Mom so I be outta here for a while.

 

[LePep]

Hello everyone, I’m in the process of setting up a 150 gal (48x24x30) reef consisting mainly of zoos, LPS, clams and a couple of SPS. The tank is going to be viewed from three sides; front, back and one side. I’ve read almost the entire thread and know that most of my questions were already answered but please bear with me (The 30 inch height is killing me!). My apologies but I really can’t decide what to buy.

What kind of T5 setup should I use, normal or overridden? 6 or 8 bulb? Could I keep mushrooms in the lower half without shade? I read that T5’s don’t look good when seen from a side viewed tank because different color and shades can be seen, has anyone had any experience with this?

Thanks is advance.

 

[Pufferpunk]

I'm wondering how high the bulbs should be placed from the water? I bought a canopy that had been used for MH & it's 18" tall.

 

[revclyburn]

What would be the different between a 4X54 t5 setup with a single reflector versus one with individual reflectors? Is it that much that you notice it, or is it more coral/invert driven? is the a big par difference?

revclyburn

 

[Pufferpunk]

revclyburn, Love your avatar! What is it?

 

[revclyburn]

rendention of Centropyge Boylei

should look like this:

5K per fish

revclyburn

 

[Pufferpunk]

Figures--looks $$$. Do you have one? Where are they from?

 

[revclyburn]

no way,

in picture form only, I can't afford them. But I keep on looking for them, maybe I can get them for less. Could you imagine if you got one and it died just after you got it. I would give up this hobby for sure.

Anyway, I have a friend in Japan that keeps a watch out for them, should I ever get lucky enough to get one/two, I would in a heart beat.

RevClyburn

 

[horkn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7993948#post7993948 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by revclyburn
What would be the different between a 4X54 t5 setup with a single reflector versus one with individual reflectors? Is it that much that you notice it, or is it more coral/invert driven? is the a big par difference?

revclyburn

well, it is more of a PAR thing. the nova with a single refelctor for the array of lights will be bright, but a tek unit with ind parabolics will be a lot brighter.

the big difference is where you plan on keeping sps in your tank. with an ind reflectored unit you cna keep them on the sandbed, but with a unit like the nova, you would need to keep them up high on the rocks. Just as a general rule at least. clams will be better off witha tek light than a nova, but if you look around, the guys that run the nova extreme by current, they have pretty darn good success with most things.

then theres the $$ difference, and that alone could make the decision for you, esp after seeing some of the nova lit tanks on this site.

i guess it all depends on what you want to keep, and where. as a mixed reef, well, its hard to debate the effectiveness of the nova units, although stuff may not grow quite as quickly as a tek light would.

 

[Robert Patterso]

Does anybody know if t5 ho bulbs would be overdriven with workorse 7 ballast? 2 bulbs 1 ballast. If so how much for 39 watters?
Thanks, Robert

 

[Pufferpunk]

Does anyone know how far the bulbs should be from the water? I have a canopy that was used for MH & it's very tall. The lights would be presently 10" from the water line.

 

[horkn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7995844#post7995844 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Robert Patterso
Does anybody know if t5 ho bulbs would be overdriven with workorse 7 ballast? 2 bulbs 1 ballast. If so how much for 39 watters?
Thanks, Robert

if you wire them the way they should be wired, the workhorse ballasts do not overdrive t5ho. my 3x39w t5ho retro is lit by 1 w5 ballast. its worked great going on 2 years when wired correctly.

 

[horkn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7995965#post7995965 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Pufferpunk
Does anyone know how far the bulbs should be from the water? I have a canopy that was used for MH & it's very tall. The lights would be presently 10" from the water line.

i would go more for like 4-5 inches, but with your setup, you should try to make a rack that you can alter the height on it. higher for acclimation of new corals, and lower if you have more light hungry stuff.


a few inches off the water is optimal, but in a case like mine, where they are 6" off, i wish they were higher yet. i have some coral bleaching issues even at 6" above the water.