The T5 Q&a Thread

[Fliger]

Just an update, I got the new fixture and the color combo is killer now that its all burned in. I’m running â€"œ

2x150W 10K (true 10K) on IC e-ballast

2x ATI Blue+
1x ATI Aquablue
1x UVL Superactinic

All T5’s are driven by standard (not overdriven) IC ballasts and have active cooling. I’m used to a very blue tank and this is MUCH more white/blue and much more natural. Total wattage is under 500 and this replaced a fixture drawing over 1000 â€"œ but I was using very blue bulbs. That’s one thing Iove about T5 â€"œ is you can use lesser wattage MH with a whiter spectrum giving you great intensity and supplement with bluer T5’s. Before T5’s I would have NEVER even considered 150W metal halide.

Thanks Grim.

 

[dallaskerley]

Hi Grim, I have a 90 Gal tank 4 feet by 24" deep. I am looking at the Ice Cap Solar flare for lighting. I keep some softies, lps and may want to try some SPS and a Maxima. Is this fixture too much light for LPS and Leathers? Would I be better off with the Aquatinics 5 light model? Thanks.

Dallas

 

[ROR]

So the fans don't need to blow along the tubes from each end? With my 8- 80W setup in an enclosed canopy (open at the back), would 1 Icecap fan in each end be enough? Would I have these blowing above the reflectors? I can mount them either in the ends (kind of ugly) in the top blowing down or in the back corners (do they need to be angled?). Which do you think would be best?

 

[altezza]

How high do i have to set my T5 from the water surface? 5" ?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8450922#post8450922 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dallaskerley
Hi Grim, I have a 90 Gal tank 4 feet by 24" deep. I am looking at the Ice Cap Solar flare for lighting. I keep some softies, lps and may want to try some SPS and a Maxima. Is this fixture too much light for LPS and Leathers? Would I be better off with the Aquatinics 5 light model? Thanks.

Dallas

As long as you keep the LPS and leathers down low you will be fine.

 

[dallaskerley]

THanks grim you are a great resource here.

Dallas

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8451274#post8451274 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ROR
So the fans don't need to blow along the tubes from each end? With my 8- 80W setup in an enclosed canopy (open at the back), would 1 Icecap fan in each end be enough? Would I have these blowing above the reflectors? I can mount them either in the ends (kind of ugly) in the top blowing down or in the back corners (do they need to be angled?). Which do you think would be best?

You could have the fans blowing in from the back spaced out towards the ends of the lamps. You just want to move the air so they don't need to blow directly on the lamps. I would try to have them blow level across the lamps so air passes under and over the lamps/reflctors if possible. Thats how I did my 125 and it worked pretty well. I drilled vent holes in mine and it helped. If you could cut vent slots in the top it would be better. If I was doing it again I would cut two rectangles in the top of the canopy and mount heating floor registers in the holes.

 

[ROR]

OK so this is a bit crude, but this was what I was thinking of doing, or were you thinking the fans should be a little more in from the end.

 

[horkn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8450922#post8450922 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dallaskerley
Hi Grim, I have a 90 Gal tank 4 feet by 24" deep. I am looking at the Ice Cap Solar flare for lighting. I keep some softies, lps and may want to try some SPS and a Maxima. Is this fixture too much light for LPS and Leathers? Would I be better off with the Aquatinics 5 light model? Thanks.

Dallas

some leathers LOVE tons of light. like toadstools. they thrive under a ton of light, and dont fare as well when not provided enough light.

my toadstool loves the intense t5ho light, and when i turned the reflector on my ge 6500k bulb sideways to lessen the PAR, it didnt like it as much. other guys in my club have 400w MH rigs, and the toadstools are HUGE, and love the light, even directly under the 400 watters...


now finger leathers (sinularia)dont care for a lot of light, i melted a colony of it under my lights, while the toadstool thrives.

but yeah, most LPS cant deal with too much light. keep them at the bottom of the tank.

 

[dallaskerley]

Horkn: I have a toadstool that is climbing to the top of the tank trying to get more light. The others, I'll move to the bottom of the tank. thanks for all the info.

dallas

 

[hahnmeister]

Depends on the LPS horkn.... my hammers, galaxea, chalice, yellow scroll, lords, and bubble love the higher light...

Most open brains do not. But besides this category, I cant think of many LPS that dont like loads of light.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8452170#post8452170 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ROR
OK so this is a bit crude, but this was what I was thinking of doing, or were you thinking the fans should be a little more in from the end.

I would just mount the fans flush and move them a bit towards the center so they blow across the lamps towards the ends.

 

[Tingy99]

I'm adding two more 54w t5's over my 90 for a total of six bulbs. I was just wondering what others are using for their on/off photo periods.

Currently I'm running 11hour actinic, 9 hour for the rest.

I'm changing to the following:

Front:
(first two on a workhorse ballast)
Giesemann Actinic/Blue+
UVL Super Actinic

(rest on an icecap 660)
UVL Aquasun
ATI Aquablue
UVL Actinic White
Giesemann Actinic/Blue+
Back

From perusing around it seems the average is around 12hours for the Actinics and 10hours for the rest.

Anyone have any suggestions? What are you using?

 

[horkn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8455664#post8455664 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hahnmeister
Depends on the LPS horkn.... my hammers, galaxea, chalice, yellow scroll, lords, and bubble love the higher light...

Most open brains do not. But besides this category, I cant think of many LPS that dont like loads of light.

add closed brains, pagoda cup, torch, frogspawn and hammer, lords, micromussa, fox and many others to the lower light section.

some will like higher light, other LPS wont

i dunno, its all relative really. some corals can cope, and thrive under high lighting, while others just die under intense light. heck everyone knows fox coral is a lower light coral, but hank (pres) has one thats up high in the tank, and thriving...

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8456341#post8456341 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tingy99
I'm adding two more 54w t5's over my 90 for a total of six bulbs. I was just wondering what others are using for their on/off photo periods.

Currently I'm running 11hour actinic, 9 hour for the rest.

I'm changing to the following:

Front:
(first two on a workhorse ballast)
Giesemann Actinic/Blue+
UVL Super Actinic

(rest on an icecap 660)
UVL Aquasun
ATI Aquablue
UVL Actinic White
Giesemann Actinic/Blue+
Back

From perusing around it seems the average is around 12hours for the Actinics and 10hours for the rest.

Anyone have any suggestions? What are you using?

You are likely giving the critters plenty of light as it is but if you want to extend your viewing time you could pump everything up an hour.

 

[zensaiyan]

hi grim. i asked you a question about two weeks ago regarding my lighting. here is what i said:

"i have an 8x39W t5 fixture from aquauniverse.com. here is a link to the specific fixture http://www.aquauniverse.com/compone.../category_id,62/option,com_phpshop/Itemid,31/
each bulb has individual reflectors. i did not have much of a choice. the tank is a 92g corner tank with mostly softies, zoas, and lps"

you said that the lights i have are better than the flat nova ones, but not much. they are sufficient for my purposes though.

would a tek light 6x39W fixture be a good improvement over my current fixture? would i see much of an improvement? the 8x39W fixture will not fit in the area i have to work with, so it is out of the question. i appreciate all the help you can give me.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

The 6 x39 Tek or look at the 5 lamp T5 from www.aquactinics.com
which would probably be even better.

 

[zensaiyan]

would i see a significant improvement in the look of the tank? and coral growth? what type of bulbs would you recommend for the 5 bulb fixture?

 

[daytriper]

D@D megatwins t-5 link Has anyone heard of this?
Can you get them in the USA?
http://www.aquacadabra.co.uk/deltec...n_t5_lights.htm

If you can please leave link.

I was going to use pc for my new light hood but now I want T-5. MY tank is 6 foot long I am going to use 3 250 6.5k and I want T5 bulbs to blue it up.

 

[daytriper]

Also what do you think of this(http://www.globeaqua.com/t5_kits.html)
I would like to get them with all 4 bulbs actinic.
Would 4 80 watt actinic make my corals look good under THe 3 250 mh 6.5 k?