The T5 Q&a Thread

[skype]

Grim,
Can I get your input on how many and what kind of bulbs for a 48"L x 15" W x 16" H tank?
My canopy is about 4" off the water, with the bulb ends, it will drop it even closer to the water level. I have a thin piece of glass to cover the top. what do you think?

thanks

 

[slavearm]

I just got done measuring, and it looks like I have room for a 224 (72x30x24). Do you think 8 bulbs will be enough, or should I look at going to 10?

Thanks,

Slave

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9438534#post9438534 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
That should look sweet.

I would maybe do this though

UVL Super Actinic
BluePlus
AquaSun
AquaBlue
AquaBlue to Super Actinic
GE3K
BluePlus to Aquablue
UVL Super Actinic to Blue Plus

Might as well have the sencond Super actinic hitting the viewing side of the corals. I would try having a SA and Blue Plus for the dusk/dawn.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9453373#post9453373 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by skype
Grim,
Can I get your input on how many and what kind of bulbs for a 48"L x 15" W x 16" H tank?
My canopy is about 4" off the water, with the bulb ends, it will drop it even closer to the water level. I have a thin piece of glass to cover the top. what do you think?

thanks

4 54 watt lamps will be more light than you will know what to do with. With the glass it should work out good.

 

[JTEAGUE]

I just switched from a Coralife PC 260 watt 2.5 inches off the water temp was 79.5 with a fan over the sump. I switched to a tek light t5 4 bulb 216 watts 7 inches off the water temp went to 83.7 with fan running over the sump. I quickly removed the glass tops and replaced with egg crate. I put to small fans in the hood (open in the back and partially on the top) 1 blowing across the water the other blowing out the back. Temp went down to about 80.4 but I'm using three fans (total of 60 watts! Needless to say I'm confused about the heat comparisons for PC and T5.

I do love the light difference. I cant even compare it. I'm running 2 aquablue+ and 2 actinic+. It's really blue. I'll either have to get used to it or hope fro some suggestions HINT HINT!!!!!

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9453422#post9453422 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by slavearm
I just got done measuring, and it looks like I have room for a 224 (72x30x24). Do you think 8 bulbs will be enough, or should I look at going to 10?

Thanks,

Slave

If you are planning clams on the sand I would do 10, other than that 8 will do.

 

[sjm817]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9453422#post9453422 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by slavearm
I just got done measuring, and it looks like I have room for a 224 (72x30x24). Do you think 8 bulbs will be enough, or should I look at going to 10?

Thanks,

Slave

Split the difference and use 9. Since a IC660 can run 3 bulbs, multiples of 3 work well.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I would try having both fans blowing in down low. It could be the size of the Tek light is preventing the heat from venting out. Hopefully having both fans pushing cool air in down low will help force the hot air back out.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9453459#post9453459 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JTEAGUE
I just switched from a Coralife PC 260 watt 2.5 inches off the water temp was 79.5 with a fan over the sump. I switched to a tek light t5 4 bulb 216 watts 7 inches off the water temp went to 83.7 with fan running over the sump. I quickly removed the glass tops and replaced with egg crate. I put to small fans in the hood (open in the back and partially on the top) 1 blowing across the water the other blowing out the back. Temp went down to about 80.4 but I'm using three fans (total of 60 watts! Needless to say I'm confused about the heat comparisons for PC and T5.

I do love the light difference. I cant even compare it. I'm running 2 aquablue+ and 2 actinic+. It's really blue. I'll either have to get used to it or hope fro some suggestions HINT HINT!!!!!

 

[aquamariner]

Will I not mess up my reflectors and or bulbs with the salt creep and or small water splashes that will be hitting them?

 

[JTEAGUE]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9453588#post9453588 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
I would try having both fans blowing in down low. It could be the size of the Tek light is preventing the heat from venting out. Hopefully having both fans pushing cool air in down low will help force the hot air back out.

Grim, any thoughts on the bulb configuration? I will try the fans both blowing on the water. It makes sense when I sit back and think about it.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

4" above the water about the only way I get splashed is restarting the sump return. If you wipe down the reflectors every week a few minor splashes arent going to cause any issue.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9453590#post9453590 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by aquamariner
Will I not mess up my reflectors and or bulbs with the salt creep and or small water splashes that will be hitting them?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9453616#post9453616 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JTEAGUE
Grim, any thoughts on the bulb configuration? I will try the fans both blowing on the water. It makes sense when I sit back and think about it.

Pull an Aquablue and add a GE 6500K daylight. If you have any Yellow corals you will be amazed at the difference it makes.

 

[sgallagher7]

I have just recently purchased a used ( 9 month)tek 6 bulb T5 setup for my 75, that has the middle 4 bulbs wired to an Icecap 660. I understand that this will "overdrive" the middle bulbs. Is this the prefered way to go? Should I place the ballast inside the stand to reduce heat in the hood? Is there anything else I should know about? Newbie here with months of reading. The tank is not up yet.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

You will need to run a fan or 2 to keep the fixture cool. I would run 2 fans blowing across the fixture from the back

 

[sgallagher7]

Thanks grim. Im thinking 2 4" fans. Any quiet ones that you recommend? The tank will be in my livingroom, and everything I have purchased so far has very little noise or vibration.

 

[sgallagher7]

Also, will overdriving the bulbs cut into their lifespan?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I am not sure on the fans, I use Ice Caps. As long as you keep the lamps cool the life shouldn't decrease much. I got better than a year on my 80 watt system.

 

[sgallagher7]

Thanks. Next purchase is buying the bulbs. I have seen numerous post by you regarding the 6 bulb set-up. Because my setup will be overdriven, will using 1 aquasun, or GE 6500 be sufficient? The rest will be blue+, super actinics and aquablue. Im planning on softies, some zoa's and a few sps's.

 

[chrisd4421]

Grim and all,
I am getting ready to set up a 70G RR (36"x18"x24") and based on much research, I want to go with T5's based on heat issues with MH, the fact that I do not want a canopy and most of all, cost (initial and ongoing).

based on much of the research, I was set on the Tek 6x39W unit. After being blinded and numbed by about 60 pages of this thread, I am no longer sure.

Is this a good route? also, for a complete newbie to T5's what lighting combo's would you suggest along with 2 additional bulbs for trying different combos?

Thanks for this thread and all your advise to the thousands thus far!!!

Chris

 

[Urban_Squrill]

So on a aga 75 to keep clams would 6 bulbs work?

 

[rs1831]

Grim, I'm interested in purchasing a 6-39 Tek fixture for my 70 gallon tank. Do you think this is a good purchase? I'm kind of confused about what arrangement of bulbs to purchase as well. Any help with these questions would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Roland