The T5 Q&a Thread

[crazzy]

Thanx Grim Reefer, even though SW is only 14" deep?

 

[dadonoflaw]

i will do a retro kit if necessary but what i am trying to ascertain is if you were choosing to light my tank which setup would give more par? several three foot bulbs or five foot bulbs. 3footers would need less wattage but is there a difference in par here that i should be concerned about? thanx

 

[jamesdawson]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9671344#post9671344 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dadonoflaw
i will do a retro kit if necessary but what i am trying to ascertain is if you were choosing to light my tank which setup would give more par? several three foot bulbs or five foot bulbs. 3footers would need less wattage but is there a difference in par here that i should be concerned about? thanx

FWIW,

I have a 180 for my garage tank and I'm running 6 of the 5 foot T-5s with IC reflectors and ballasts and its hellaciously bright. I'm getting great coverage, growth, and color from this setup. I do blow inexpensive little 4-fan units across each end for bulb cooling and my lamps are at 14 months and still going strong.

Its a great setup that I heartily reccomend for everyone with a 180. As an added bonus, this tank doesn't need a chiller even in the summer (I use 2 of the 4-fan units blowing across the tank's surface on a controller).

James

James

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9670880#post9670880 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JDS
Grim what do you think the color will be with 6-80w t5 using
2-aquablue plue gieseman
2 ictinic plus gieseman
2 6500k GE
thanks!!!

Should be just slightly blue, kinda bright 14K halide look.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9671344#post9671344 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dadonoflaw
i will do a retro kit if necessary but what i am trying to ascertain is if you were choosing to light my tank which setup would give more par? several three foot bulbs or five foot bulbs. 3footers would need less wattage but is there a difference in par here that i should be concerned about? thanx

The Ice Cap retro would be best. You should be able to order the kits minus reflectors. You can get reflectors from Ice Cap direct. They give you 2 three foot reflectors per lamp and you overlap them and bolt them together. Much better than the Teks. The Aquactinics is good but it can't match an overdriven system.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9670906#post9670906 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by crazzy
Thanx Grim Reefer, even though SW is only 14" deep?

Sure, just use 175 watt lamps.

 

[dadonoflaw]

cool thanx grim i shall do as you suggest

 

[alex.parker]

More on 24" T5 applications

More on 24" T5 applications

So I'm pretty dead set on getting a CADlights 22G tank, as it will fit in the space I want to have a tank (although I have seriously considered changing to a 36" tank owing to lack of good 24" T5 pre-built options). Commercial 24" fixtures seem to either have no/cheesy flat reflectors and/or no fan. CADlights has a 6x24 fixture they sell with their 22G, but it seems to have a flat reflector and has no fan. Seems like a whole lot of electrons would be put into heating up the tank rather than lighting up the animals (but am open to differing opinions on that).

That said, with the 22G I will have 14" total water depth (plan on bare bottom ultimately carpeted w/polyps on frag supports, no sand, sand will be in separate fuge).

It is looking like I will have to DIY my lighting to get both high-quality parabolic reflectors and fan cooling in a 24" setup. So I am thinking Ice Cap retro from DIYreef. Much more expensive than their TEK retro - $220 vs $90 for 2x24, but IMO you almost always get what you pay for (or don't pay for).

So my questions:
1. Given the water depth I will have, and assuming I do everything I can to maximize PAR (Ice Cap reflectors, high PAR bulbs, fan cool the endcaps), will 2 lamps be sufficient to support SPS near the top of the tank (5-6" away from the bulbs) while still making the lighting tolerable for zooanthids etc on the bottom?

2. Given above 2 lamp scenario, would it be reasonable to run a glass cover on the tank to minimize evaporation/jumping fish (i.e. will the heat gain from the bulbs be minimal enough that I will not need to run open top for cooling purposes)? Is the light loss owing to a glass cover greater than with open top and an acrylic lens on the fixture itself (acknowledging that one or the other must be used to avoid getting water on the bulbs)?

3. What bulbs would be best to maximize PAR/coral growth with a 2 lamp setup?

4. Or should I just plan on going with the IceCap 4 bulb/660 ballast setup? If so am I lighting myself out of the zooanthid world (again assuming they are at bottom/sides of tank)?

5. In either scenario (2 or 4) is it feasible/worthwhile/required to remote the ballast? Most commercial fixtures seem to put the ballast in the hood. Would an additional wiring harness be required to move the ballast to under the tank?

Thanks in advance for your input - all opinions welcome!

Alex

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Get a 4 lamp tek with the acrylic shield which blocks less light than glass. Add this blowing across the top of the fixture from the back side of the tank http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produ...&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&pc=1&N=0&Nty=1

Problem solved.

 

[55semireef]

Grim I switched out a 54 watt pure actinic with an actinic plus made by Geismann. It looks awesome and is really bringing out a lot of different colors.

 

[jamesdawson]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9674507#post9674507 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Get a 4 lamp tek with the acrylic shield which blocks less light than glass. Add this blowing across the top of the fixture from the back side of the tank http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produ...&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&pc=1&N=0&Nty=1

Problem solved.

Alex,
If you want high quality, you could get one of the new Aquatinics 24" T-5 fixtures about to be released.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1091481

James

 

[Fish_Freek]

Grim , i currently run 2x95w VHO superactinics and a 2x39w T5 TEK retro with IC SLRs, 1-aquablue and 1-blue+. I am switching out the VHOs for another 2x39w TEK retro soon and am wondering which addditional bulbs would make my corals pop. Its a bit too blue and i would like it a little bit brighter but not white. I run a mixed reef (mostly softy tank with some LPS and a few SPS). I was thinking of running this combo:

front

Blue+
UVL superactinics
Aquasun or G-mann daylight or a GE 6500k
aquablue

This combo seems to be the standard for a 4 bulb setup, which i like. What daylight bulb would you reccomend for my tank? I did run a VHO URI actinic white not long ago that made my pinks and purples pop and i liked that, but running a aquasun kinda scares me because of the VHO version is WAY TOO PINK for me. Is the t5 verson of the aquasun toned down a bit as far as pink goes?

thanks

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I think with the blue plus and Aquablue running the aquasun will be no problem.

 

[sevenkillers]

Hey Guys.


I am thinking of upgrading my current light fixture for T5's.
The reason for the upgrade is that I have seen my electric bill climb since my utility keeps increasing there rates. So I am trying to reduce the heat so my chiller would run less, and trying to use less wattage bulbs.

My current configuration are as follows:
2-250 HQI 10,000K
1-250 HQI 14,000k

4-96 watts PC mix bulbs 420nm, and 460nm

I currently keep softies, zoos, mushroom, and a few sps.
the tank is 220 Gallon Reef Tank
72 inches long 24 inches wide, and 29 inches deep.


So my question are:
1- What fixture would you recomend?( I want a hood)
2- How many bulbs, and what type?
3- How high above the water should it be mounted.
4- I have several softies now would that light work for sps?

Thanks

 

[Fish_Freek]

Thanks Grim, does the bulb order look right?
thanks

 

[bigfruits]

which of these two bulbs would you guys say is better at bringing out color in corals? (not worried about PAR)

Giesemann pure actinic 03 or UV super actinic

thanks
-z

 

[pammy]

Hi GrimReefer. What would be a good combination of bulbs for a 5 light fixture? Would like it not too blue...and not too white. A nice happy medium. And if you're looking at a blue...and a blue plus and actinic and actinic+, does it matter which brand? (LFS only sells Giesmann and a couple other brands. Don't think they carry ATI. So would I want to order online, or use the brands that my LFS carries?)

Thanks, Pam

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9676764#post9676764 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sevenkillers
Hey Guys.


I am thinking of upgrading my current light fixture for T5's.
The reason for the upgrade is that I have seen my electric bill climb since my utility keeps increasing there rates. So I am trying to reduce the heat so my chiller would run less, and trying to use less wattage bulbs.

My current configuration are as follows:
2-250 HQI 10,000K
1-250 HQI 14,000k

4-96 watts PC mix bulbs 420nm, and 460nm

I currently keep softies, zoos, mushroom, and a few sps.
the tank is 220 Gallon Reef Tank
72 inches long 24 inches wide, and 29 inches deep.


So my question are:
1- What fixture would you recomend?( I want a hood)
2- How many bulbs, and what type?
3- How high above the water should it be mounted.
4- I have several softies now would that light work for sps?

Thanks

A 8x80 watt Ice Cap retro is about the best choice. I would run a GE 6500K, a Gieseman midday, 2 Aquablues 3 blue Pluses and a Pure actinic.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9676852#post9676852 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Fish_Freek
Thanks Grim, does the bulb order look right?
thanks

Probably

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9676891#post9676891 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bigfruits
which of these two bulbs would you guys say is better at bringing out color in corals? (not worried about PAR)

Giesemann pure actinic 03 or UV super actinic

thanks
-z

I liked the Super Actinic because the color is a tad more blue.