The T5 Q&a Thread

[Husky_1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8248403#post8248403 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
The Tek is worth the money. If you plan a halide I would use a canopy and use retros. 4 Tek retros with a good halide would be good.

Thanks Grim...

 

[Husky_1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8248121#post8248121 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mkarston
I've learned that if you having trouble fitting lights to your current tank, scapping it all together and upgrading to bigger tank opens up a world more of options.

Good point, I guess to pull it off correctly, I should downsize first, then upsize...This way I cover all of the options.

 

[jezzeaepi]

any coments on the 4 bulb vs 6 bulb dillema im having?

 

[cwal]

I have a Aquactinics 36" 5 bulb fixture for my 58 gallon tank, the bulbs i got are as follows:

Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Aquasun
UVL Super Actinic
ATI Aquablue
Giesemann Actinic Plus (Reef Geeks was only had one ATI Blue Plus)

I would like more of a white look (not so blue), is there a reason to use 3 blue to 2 white type of bulbs or could I put in
Front
Aquablue
blue plus
aquasun
blue plus
Aquablue

do I have to use the super actinic?

 

[84jeepjohn]

Ok I'm gonna chime in on this.

I just picked up a 100 gl (roughly) tank. 60.5L X18D X20T
I've decided to go with T-5 retros, but I'd like to have as many as possible over the tank for lighting options.
The big question is do I go with 48" staggard or 60" and non staggard?

If I did the 48" and staggard Could I san 8 lamp into the hood?
The TEC 8 bulb is 20" wide and the 6 bulb is 15"
OR
just do a 6 bulb 60"

I'd rather do the 48" because of bulb avalibility, but I'm undecided as of now. I do NOT think I'd need to do an ICECAP retro and overdrive the bulbs, so it's looking like the TEC for me, just what flavor?


Thanks John

 

[sarduci]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8253848#post8253848 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jezzeaepi
any coments on the 4 bulb vs 6 bulb dillema im having?

Tek fixture, whatever size fits your tank is the easy answer. It'll give you a good rang of lighting options.

Personally, I have MH lights right now, I won't miss the shimmer at all.

 

[sarduci]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8255281#post8255281 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 84jeepjohn
Ok I'm gonna chime in on this.

I just picked up a 100 gl (roughly) tank. 60.5L X18D X20T
I've decided to go with T-5 retros, but I'd like to have as many as possible over the tank for lighting options.
The big question is do I go with 48" staggard or 60" and non staggard?

If I did the 48" and staggard Could I san 8 lamp into the hood?
The TEC 8 bulb is 20" wide and the 6 bulb is 15"
OR
just do a 6 bulb 60"

I'd rather do the 48" because of bulb avalibility, but I'm undecided as of now. I do NOT think I'd need to do an ICECAP retro and overdrive the bulbs, so it's looking like the TEC for me, just what flavor?


Thanks John

Unless you want your tank light to look different left to right, the only thing that matters is number of bulbs front to back. It lets you layer the light and come up with a color that you see out of the front. I don't know why you'd want one half of your tank look different than the other.

 

[84jeepjohn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8255635#post8255635 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sarduci
Unless you want your tank light to look different left to right, the only thing that matters is number of bulbs front to back. It lets you layer the light and come up with a color that you see out of the front. I don't know why you'd want one half of your tank look different than the other.

I do not want it to look different, but it seems the bulb choice for 60" is not that hot.

 

[sarduci]

24" and 36" lights end-to-end together might be an option, but you'll need twice as many ballasts as in the 60" setup. Don't know off hand exactly how much room you need to do them end-to-end though.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8249275#post8249275 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jezzeaepi
Hello, I am looking to upgrade to t5's soon. I have a 40g tank that has a 36 x 15 inch foot print. Should I do the 4 x 39 tek fixture or the 6 x 39 fixture? Right now its a mixed tank. I ahve a few softies, a few zoas, a bunch of lps and a few sps. Will the 6 lamp fixture be too much light for them? Is there any heat issues with the 6 lamp vs the 4 lamp?

Currently I am running a 192w PC fixture and its nearring the time to change bulbs. My growth has been slow with this, and I want to upgrade to better lights. I have realised my errors in my initial light purchase and want to get soemthing thats not a POS.

Thanks,
Jesse

Split the difference and gt this

http://www.aquactinics.com/Store/T5_HO_Lighting_Systems.htm

SHould be plenty for anything you want to raise. Go with a couple actinics, a couple blues and a daylight and you will get a sweet look and about the right amount of PAR for a mixed reef.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8254162#post8254162 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cwal
I have a Aquactinics 36" 5 bulb fixture for my 58 gallon tank, the bulbs i got are as follows:

Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Aquasun
UVL Super Actinic
ATI Aquablue
Giesemann Actinic Plus (Reef Geeks was only had one ATI Blue Plus)

I would like more of a white look (not so blue), is there a reason to use 3 blue to 2 white type of bulbs or could I put in
Front
Aquablue
blue plus
aquasun
blue plus
Aquablue

do I have to use the super actinic?

You don't HAVE to run the SA but I think you will be glad you did. I would try this

Front
Aquablue
SA
Aquasun
Blue Plus
Auqablue

You may need to swap the position SA and aquablue.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8255281#post8255281 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 84jeepjohn
Ok I'm gonna chime in on this.

I just picked up a 100 gl (roughly) tank. 60.5L X18D X20T
I've decided to go with T-5 retros, but I'd like to have as many as possible over the tank for lighting options.
The big question is do I go with 48" staggard or 60" and non staggard?

If I did the 48" and staggard Could I san 8 lamp into the hood?
The TEC 8 bulb is 20" wide and the 6 bulb is 15"
OR
just do a 6 bulb 60"

I'd rather do the 48" because of bulb avalibility, but I'm undecided as of now. I do NOT think I'd need to do an ICECAP retro and overdrive the bulbs, so it's looking like the TEC for me, just what flavor?


Thanks John

6 48's will be fine. If the lights are much more than 5" above the water you don't really even need to stagger them. For lower mounted lights even staggering them a few inches each way will get you an even coverage to the ends.

 

[Henry Bowman]

Hey Grim, and others that are contributing to this thread

I started following this thread a few days ago and am looking at various T5 options. I went to the aquatinics web site and emailed him regarding ice cap ballasts. He replied by telling me that he is making a 6 lamp unit with icecaps with led's etc. Do you think that this unit is work the extra cash?

http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/ca...=1088&osCsid=bb28ba7fd583743dc7ffeabf862a23bf
it's going to end up at over $900 with lights

or this light will do the trick http://www.aquactinics.com/Store/T5_HO_Lighting_Systems.htm I am setting up a 90gl tank that is 24" deep .

I am planning on stocking sps (in the top of the tank) and some clams with maybe some softies or mushrooms down low.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

The IC powered unit is going to be a lot better for SPS but if you are willing to keep them up on the rocks the 5 lamp unit will be fine. Not sure I'd try a high light clamp like a maxima on the sand with only a 5 lamp unit though.

 

[Wolfmann81]

Henry, I would be a bit concerned with the lighting you are looking at, being that your goals are clams/sps. You probably know that the best play woul be to go with MH's, but I understand we all don't have the room, nor temperature controls to use MH's. However, if you are going to go with sps/clams, I am thinking that the 5 lamp fixture would not be enough. The IC unit (like Grim said) would certainly be more beneficial to the cause, but of course the price tag comes along with it. If you have some more room, you could look at a T5/MH combination hood.

 

[jezzeaepi]

Sounds like a good compromise to me Grim thanks. I want to go with 2 suns, 2 blues and just 1 SA I think, for the higher par. What I have seen out of the SA bulbs leaves me dissapointed as far as par goes. Should I get my bulbs from aquatinics.com as well, or should I spring for the ati bulbs from reefgeek?


Aquatinics has a "aquaz" brand (sun, actinic and a pure actinic),
D&D(aquablue, pure actinic), UVL super actinic, and a coralview bule+ actinic.

If I went aquatinics Id probably get 2 aquaz sun's, 2 d&d aquablues, and the uvl SA.

or should I go with a different combo from ReefGeek?

Thanks,
Jesse

 

[Philby]

OK T5 users - i need some help with the configuration of my 4 bulb retro system.

I've got 2 Icecap 430 retros over a 40 Breeder

I'm trying to figure out how to wire the 4 bulbs and how the bulbs should be configured.

Right now the 2 interior bulbs are wired onto the same ballast, and the 2 exterior aren't wired at all.

Should i leave them like this? or do 1st + 3rd on 1 ballast, 2nd + 4th on the other?

Also how should my bulbs be configured?

I've got 2 UVL Super Actinic's, 1 UVL 50/50 (12K) and 1 UVL "daylight" (10K)

I was thinking...

Front
SA
10K
12K
SA

TIA

 

[ninjafish]

Does anyone know if a Tek fixture can run only one bulb on each ballast, or do both bulbs need to be run at once?
Just want to make sure I could run dawn/dusk with only two bulbs.

Would a tek fixture with only two bulbs work on a 29x16x16 tank for zoos and rics? I am building the tank so if there is a shape that would be better, let me know. Thanks for the great info.

- Chad

 

[Philby]

I don't have a TEK, but how i understand is you need 1 ballast per "set" of lights you want to have on at a time.

so that would mean on a 2 bulb system, you'd need 2 ballasts...

 

[sarduci]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8257013#post8257013 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Philby
I don't have a TEK, but how i understand is you need 1 ballast per "set" of lights you want to have on at a time.

so that would mean on a 2 bulb system, you'd need 2 ballasts...

Most T5HO ballasts that have end of life protection and program start can only support up to 2 bulbs. The IceCap 660 can do more than two. Generally speaking, either bulbs are in pairs or singles, and the pair of bulbs turns off together when the ballast is turned off.