The T5 Q&a Thread

[revclyburn]

Hey Grim

would a tek T5 ready fit (2 bulb) with 2 175 mh's be over kill for a 90 reef?

edwin

 

[The Grim Reefer]

No.

 

[Retzius]

Grim, help me configure my bulbs.

I have a 24X24X18 cube tank and will have a AB 150 watt 10K bulb in the center. I ordered 4 T5 bulbs, 2X blue plus, 1 superactinic, and an UV aquasun.

Should it be like this?

Front

Blue plus
Superactinic
150watt 10K
aquasun
Blue plus

Back

Thanks

 

[bdare]

Will Work for Advice?

Will Work for Advice?

Does anyone else think we should setup a PayPal account for Grim donations? I know I'd chip in. Seriously, what a guy! He graciously answers just about everyone's questions here (which I'm sure takes up a lot of his time) for the good of us all.

I just thought I would take a second to say "THANK YOU!"

 

[dustin Combs]

Can anyone find a vendor that has the Oceanlight T5 24" 8x24watt bulbs. Please pm me if you find one TIA!!

 

[pepsicola]

Grim reefer,
I got my tek light fixture and lights. They are awesome. Thank you for helping me and so many other people.

Linda

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Thats how I would try it first.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8996904#post8996904 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Retzius
Grim, help me configure my bulbs.

I have a 24X24X18 cube tank and will have a AB 150 watt 10K bulb in the center. I ordered 4 T5 bulbs, 2X blue plus, 1 superactinic, and an UV aquasun.

Should it be like this?

Front

Blue plus
Superactinic
150watt 10K
aquasun
Blue plus

Back

Thanks

 

[Retzius]

Thanks Grim!!

 

[reefboy12]

hey t5 experts,

I have a 25g tank with 3x 65w pcs & i'm thinking of changing to 4x24w t5s....but based on above lumen comparison it would decrease the amount of light in my tank? has anyone done a direct comparison 65pc vs 24w t5. I wouls love to be able to keep acros...I currently keep monticaps, digis, birdsnest, & porities with good results.

thanks in advance!

 

[goreefer]

reefboy,
I went from 220 watts of PC to 96 watts of T5. You cannot believe the difference.
I will never go back to PC's!

 

[The Grim Reefer]

4 24's over a 25is going to be bright enough for anything you want to raise.

 

[bigeyetuna]

Grim,

Oh great, all knowledgeable T-5 Guru,

I have a 75G with a 6 bulb retro 48"X54W. Its been a year since they have been running and I need to get some new bulbs. I mostly have SPS acros in the tank, a few clams and some LPS on the gravel. I want to get the best growth and color possible on my SPS corals.

Here is my current setup:

Front
1 Blue plus
2 Aquablue +
3 Daylight GE 6500K
4 Blue plus
5 Aquablue +
6 Pure Actinic 03
Back

Also, the middle two bulbs, 3&4 come on first in the morning and go off last in the evening for 30 minutes. What is your suggestion for replacement bulbs on the above setup and the order?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[glenns]

Hey T5 experts, I just completed upgrading my 75G reef tank from 4 54W T5's to 6. I've replaced all the bulbs and they are in the following order:

Front
1 Actinic plus - Giesemann
2 Pure Actinic 03 - UV
3 Daylight 6500K - GE
4 Aquablue + - Giesemann
5 Aquablue + - Giesemann
6 Actinic plus - Giesemann
Back

I noticed that the UV Pure Actinic is not all that bright. It is dimmer the further you get away from each end. The center appears to be getting a little brighter over time. Is this normal?

Thanks.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9000582#post9000582 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bigeyetuna
Grim,

Oh great, all knowledgeable T-5 Guru,

I have a 75G with a 6 bulb retro 48"X54W. Its been a year since they have been running and I need to get some new bulbs. I mostly have SPS acros in the tank, a few clams and some LPS on the gravel. I want to get the best growth and color possible on my SPS corals.

Here is my current setup:

Front
1 Blue plus
2 Aquablue +
3 Daylight GE 6500K
4 Blue plus
5 Aquablue +
6 Pure Actinic 03
Back

Also, the middle two bulbs, 3&4 come on first in the morning and go off last in the evening for 30 minutes. What is your suggestion for replacement bulbs on the above setup and the order?

Thanks,
Mike

Front
Blueplus
UVL Aquasun
UVL Super Actinic
Blue Plus
Aquablue
Aquablue

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9000852#post9000852 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by glenns
Hey T5 experts, I just completed upgrading my 75G reef tank from 4 54W T5's to 6. I've replaced all the bulbs and they are in the following order:

Front
1 Actinic plus - Giesemann
2 Pure Actinic 03 - UV
3 Daylight 6500K - GE
4 Aquablue + - Giesemann
5 Aquablue + - Giesemann
6 Actinic plus - Giesemann
Back

I noticed that the UV Pure Actinic is not all that bright. It is dimmer the further you get away from each end. The center appears to be getting a little brighter over time. Is this normal?

Thanks.

I really never noticed that on the 80 watter I ran. Didn't run the 54 watt actinic all that long but I didn;t notice it with that either.

 

[Twisted]

Ok. Well I took the plunge I called Reefgeeks this morning and orfered the Tek fixture with 6X54w. And they helped me select the bulbs for it, to get what he refered to as a 14000k type look, which is about what I want 20000k halides are too blue to me.

From what I have read, and hopefully understand on these forums, this thread especially, I will be able to grow any coral, and even support a clam in my 55gallon tank with this set up and this thrills me.

If this set up is even half as good as some of the claims I have read lately I know I will be happy.

Thanks a lot for the info you have been more then kind in answering questions The Grim Reefer. I told Reefgeeks they need to send you some free bulbs, but they said you have it all under control! <smile>

 

[rooroo]

I recently replaced two of my VHO bulbs with 36" T5s on an IceCap 430 (440?) ballast. After about 3 weeks of use at least one of the bulbs blew. I did not have fans blowing in the canopy at first, but then started getting the black rings on the end of the bulbs. So I turned on the fans.

My main question is is my fan setup going to be sufficient to keep this from happening again? I guess only time will really tell, and I can move around the location of the VHO vs T5 bulbs if it happens again(my husband will be upset if we have to do this but oh well). But I was hoping that someone would be able to tell me that this setup will likely be fine. Heres a picture. TIA.

As you can see the T5s are towards the ends, and the VHOs in the middle. The fans are offset, but they really blow directly down the length of the VHOs rather than the T5s. Think theres enough air flow around the T5s to get them to last longer?

 

[BigJPDC]

Hey I really like that hood design. For feeding, do you prop up the lights, or does the front flip up too? I might have put the fans in the back, blowing accross the standoffs, so they would be hidden from the front and sides, but that's just a nit.

jp

 

[rooroo]

Thanks! Its actually an Oceanic hood. Very nice quality. Originally it had two prop bars on the left and right but they had to be removed to fit the T5s in. So when I feed I have to prop all the way up just like in the picture. Its a small pain but its not a huge hood so I don't mind. I wish the front flipped down, it would make it easier.

My dad installed the fans, and he put them in the sides so that the air would circulate better (so we think). I don't mind the fans in the side too much, but I might eventually frame them in so they don't look so much like fans sticking out the side.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I haven't tried running the 36" lamps on an IC ballast. Try posting in the IC forum and see what they think.