The T5 Q&a Thread

[jeffnsa]

grim and others,

thank you for this thread, i have not been able to read this all because of time constraints so i have to ask. i am down sizing from a 140gl to a 100gl at 60 inches long. i have 2 bta's and a tube anem. and will have mainly zoas rics and some lps. can i keep these under a 4 bulb combo and what bulbs would you recomend for a slightly blue look to help colors really pop.

thanks jeff

 

[revclyburn]

Hey Grim, Hahnmeister,

what corals, namely SPS, stonies can I keep with my Tek 6x54 fixture. Was told that I don't have enough light for Monti's, but I think I do. Can you tell if I'm right?

rev

 

[hahnmeister]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9306433#post9306433 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by revclyburn
Hey Grim, Hahnmeister,

what corals, namely SPS, stonies can I keep with my Tek 6x54 fixture. Was told that I don't have enough light for Monti's, but I think I do. Can you tell if I'm right?

rev

Your fixture should be able to grow higher-light SPS in the top 6-10 inches of your 90g... medium light SPS (most common) up to about 20" down... maybe a little more depending on the bulbs you use. Im taking a educated guess, but your T5s most likely produce PAR levels in the 100 range at the bottom of your tank... and thats even good enough for some SPS like suharsonoi.

 

[hahnmeister]

Ill try to take some of Grim's workload off here...
4 bulbs sounds fine jeffnsa... 54 or 80watters.

For sligtly blue with colors poping...
1- UVL Sun
2- ATI blue+
1- ATI aquablue

if you get the chance, as an option you may want to order an extra actinic... UVL super actinic or G-man true actinic 03, and swap it in for maybe a blue bulb or the aquablue to vary the light a little bit.

Regards,
Jon

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9305241#post9305241 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jeffnsa
grim and others,

thank you for this thread, i have not been able to read this all because of time constraints so i have to ask. i am down sizing from a 140gl to a 100gl at 60 inches long. i have 2 bta's and a tube anem. and will have mainly zoas rics and some lps. can i keep these under a 4 bulb combo and what bulbs would you recomend for a slightly blue look to help colors really pop.

thanks jeff

 

[hahnmeister]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9304237#post9304237 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TekCat
With all the traffic on this thread, I suppose my question got lost here it is again:

I have 90g tank, so I was thinking....
Canopy will be 48x18 inches. Given that the SLR width is 2.5", 18" could house 7 bulbs overdriven to 80W.

Is my reasoning sound and doable? If so, I'd like to get away from using splash lens, what hight the bulbs should be from the water?

Thanks in advance

Sounds do-able. WIth 7 bulbs Id say you could also run 4 bulbs on an IC660 and then the extra 3 on regular ballasts... running the daylight bulbs on the IC for raw output, and the blue/actinic on the regular ballasts to keep them as blue as possible. you can mount your bulbs as close to the water as possible as long as you leave enough room to have some fans blowing across the bulbs... esp with the icecap run bulbs. You can also overlap icecap reflectors... the edge of one can slide into the edge of the next... allowing for a 2.25" width and then you can get a full 8 bulbs over your 90g (might as well).

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9304237#post9304237 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TekCat
With all the traffic on this thread, I suppose my question got lost here it is again:

I have 90g tank, so I was thinking....
Canopy will be 48x18 inches. Given that the SLR width is 2.5", 18" could house 7 bulbs overdriven to 80W.

Is my reasoning sound and doable? If so, I'd like to get away from using splash lens, what hight the bulbs should be from the water?

Thanks in advance

6 lamps would be plenty. Keep them 4 to 6" above the water so salt spray isn't an issue. Shoving a 7th lamp in there will leave you lighting the front or rear brace as much as the tank with one of the lamps.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

And thanks Jon,

I GOT BLISTERS ON MY FINGERS!!!

 

[hahnmeister]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9304436#post9304436 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by slavearm
Grim,

It looked to me like the 39w powermodule units were actually running 54 watt osram ballasts. Do you know if this is actually the case, or were mine eyes deceiving me.

I am pretty sure this isn't news to anyone either, but from the osram docs, the ballasts are Quicktronics HT Prostarts made by Sylvania. QTP4x54T5HO/UNV PSN HT W which spec wise appears to be the same except with 120-277V ability.

Thanks,

Slavearm

Its possible that their ballasts are auto-swtching as far as the bulbs go. The ballasts are designed to sense how many bulbs they are running (1 or 2), so adding in the technology to tell which wattage they are running shouldnt be that much of a jump. Hammerstrom told me that the Sylvania 54watt QTP ballasts arenet switching like that, but Ill test that out to see if it doesnt work anyways. I know their 39-24 watt ballasts run either obviously. As far as the OSRAMs, its highly possible that the 54s are running 39s. I know that the Universals/Advance ballasts that Tek uses in their units do the 54/39 watt thingy too.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9304436#post9304436 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by slavearm
Grim,

It looked to me like the 39w powermodule units were actually running 54 watt osram ballasts. Do you know if this is actually the case, or were mine eyes deceiving me.

I am pretty sure this isn't news to anyone either, but from the osram docs, the ballasts are Quicktronics HT Prostarts made by Sylvania. QTP4x54T5HO/UNV PSN HT W which spec wise appears to be the same except with 120-277V ability.

Thanks,

Slavearm

I think I have the stuff here to try to confirm the ballast on the PM. As far as I know they are VS ballasts, not Osrams. As soon as I finish my current project I will wire up a known 39 watt ballast and confirm it to the output of the Powermodule. All I know for sure is the 39 watt Powermodule is damned bright.

 

[TropTrea]

Now this could be an interesting combination for my 120. I have 24" for lights and at 2.25" per reflector would mean I could run 10 bulbs. Now If I over drive them at 80 watts each that would give me 800 watts of power.

With 800 Watts of T-5 power the question is how high of a par could a set up like kick out? Would the neighbors in the next county see the glare if I lighted the tank up at night?

Looking through comercial T-5 fixtures I have seen some that run up to 12 bulbs in a 24" X 48" fixture. They are converting at work to T-5 ceiling lights and replacing each 400W hide with a 6 X 54 Watt fixture. this drops them down to about 25% savings on lighting but the areas lite up by the t-5's are definatly brighter the areas still on hides.

Dennis

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9307105#post9307105 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hahnmeister
Sounds do-able. WIth 7 bulbs Id say you could also run 4 bulbs on an IC660 and then the extra 3 on regular ballasts... running the daylight bulbs on the IC for raw output, and the blue/actinic on the regular ballasts to keep them as blue as possible. you can mount your bulbs as close to the water as possible as long as you leave enough room to have some fans blowing across the bulbs... esp with the icecap run bulbs. You can also overlap icecap reflectors... the edge of one can slide into the edge of the next... allowing for a 2.25" width and then you can get a full 8 bulbs over your 90g (might as well).

 

[jeffnsa]

thank you hahnmeister,
your knowledge is greately appreciated.

 

[D-Rod]

It looks like i'm stuck with a Tek T-5 54w 4 lamp fixture since my current tank is a 72 bowfront and the fixture is 12" wide and the ends of the bow are also 12" will this be enough for an anemone, clam and corals?

I don't have a canopy so retro's are out. The tank is about 20" deep

Thanks in advance.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Never fear, Grim is here

http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=586

 

[D-Rod]

Thank you, Your awesome!!!!!!
Whal bulb selection would you recommend.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9307510#post9307510 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Never fear, Grim is here

http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=586

 

[slavearm]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9307142#post9307142 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hahnmeister
Its possible that their ballasts are auto-swtching as far as the bulbs go. The ballasts are designed to sense how many bulbs they are running (1 or 2), so adding in the technology to tell which wattage they are running shouldnt be that much of a jump. Hammerstrom told me that the Sylvania 54watt QTP ballasts arenet switching like that, but Ill test that out to see if it doesnt work anyways. I know their 39-24 watt ballasts run either obviously. As far as the OSRAMs, its highly possible that the 54s are running 39s. I know that the Universals/Advance ballasts that Tek uses in their units do the 54/39 watt thingy too.

I was actually under the impression it doesen't switch, and would overdrive the bulbs, who knows exactly how much though.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

D-Rod

Front

Aquablue
UVL Super Actinic
UVL Aquasun
Blue Plus
Blue Plus

 

[tigga]

Hey How would you rate the "Coralvue 2x24W T5HO Retrofit"? Is it a good alternate to the sunlight supply Tek 2x24W lights?

Also what's with the "Sunlight Supply NEW Wave 4x24W hood". Its like 20$ extra compared to the Teklight 2x24W teklights.

 

[TekCat]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9307104#post9307104 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
6 lamps would be plenty. Keep them 4 to 6" above the water so salt spray isn't an issue. Shoving a 7th lamp in there will leave you lighting the front or rear brace as much as the tank with one of the lamps.

Thanks Grim. Warning about 7th lamp would be lighting a brace does make sense, question though: if the reflectors snap onto the lamp, wouldn't it be possible to direct the light at the angle instead of shining straight down to the brace?

The reason I want more than 6 bulbs is to add 3000K (which I love how it works out for me now) in to the mix. like this:

-front

Blue+ (balast 1)
SuperAct (balast 1)

AquaBlue (balast 2, overdrive ICECAP)
3000K (balast 2, overdrive ICECAP)
AquaBlue (balast 2, overdrive ICECAP)

SuperAct (balast 1)
Blue+ (balast 1)

-back

 

[toasty23]

were isthe best place to buy 4x54w icecap retro kit?

 

[TekCat]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9307105#post9307105 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hahnmeister
You can also overlap icecap reflectors... the edge of one can slide into the edge of the next... allowing for a 2.25" width and then you can get a full 8 bulbs over your 90g (might as well).

Wont overlapping reflectors reduce their perfomance? I have 8 bulb fixture right now without individual reflectors, it sucks