The T5 Q&a Thread

[ilovetrains]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9708276#post9708276 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
If you want anemones the 150 watt halides aint gonna cut it/

What would you recommend instead?

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

250 watt halides or good T5's.

 

[ilovetrains]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9708423#post9708423 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
250 watt halides or good T5's.

Any particular housings or modules? I am not sure if I will just try and buy an all in one housing that is ready to go, or build a canopy for the tank (which may difficult for a bowfront) and fit in the retro kits or something like that.

Edit: also, how important are the LED night arrays?

Edit 2: how about this one? Note: I do not see a ready made 72 inch housing for T5 bulbs.

 

[skey44]

a while back i saw a light box style hanging canopy for these lights anyone have any experience? what materials, joints, hardware etc work best.. im thinking 1x4 sides(kreg jig joints)with 3/4" plywood top painted with black krylon paint. what problems am i gonna run into? i don't want anything fancy or expensive just something i can swing outa the way that functions and looks simple and clean. i want a fan, IC 660 ballast, and tek II reflectors. basically what a tek light could and should be!

 

[disbjohn]

how does the t5 actinic compare to the VHO actinic? do the t5's fluoresce as much as the VHO's?

 

[jamesdawson]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9708819#post9708819 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by disbjohn
how does the t5 actinic compare to the VHO actinic? do the t5's fluoresce as much as the VHO's?

No.

VHOs, especially a URI/UVL super actinic on IC ballasts will "pop" the fluorescent capable corals more than T-5s will.

Even though T-5s with good reflectors put out more light, VHO actinics have so much more phosphor they have the advantage in the actinic dept IMHO/IME.

James

 

[TropTrea]

What sized Tank?
Big things are to keep it as open as possible for heat exchange and in your case you might even be able to get away without a fan provided you remotly locate the ballast.
Give me a little more specifics and I could even design something for you.

Dennis

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9708612#post9708612 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by skey44
a while back i saw a light box style hanging canopy for these lights anyone have any experience? what materials, joints, hardware etc work best.. im thinking 1x4 sides(kreg jig joints)with 3/4" plywood top painted with black krylon paint. what problems am i gonna run into? i don't want anything fancy or expensive just something i can swing outa the way that functions and looks simple and clean. i want a fan, IC 660 ballast, and tek II reflectors. basically what a tek light could and should be!

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9708320#post9708320 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ilovetrains
What would you recommend instead?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Aquactinics has a 72" T5 fixture that would work and they have pretty nice halide units too. If you can do a retrofit a few Lumenmax reflectors with 250 watt lamps would do well.

 

[pammy]

Hi Grim. If I go with a combo MH / T5 fixture....would you still recommend the same T5's that you recommended below (that recommendation was for T5 only). It would have a 150W MH, but I'm not sure what the included MH bulb is, as far as the "K".

Thanks.
Pam

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9677416#post9677416 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer


ATI Blue Plus
UVL Super Actinic
UVL Aquasun
ATI Aquablue

 

[cartoonbear]

Im lookin for the limitations on my 60"x18"x24" with 6*54 watt T5 HOs with SLR reflectors

3 aquablues and 3 blue pluses

 

[skey44]

it is an aga ninety(90) gallon tank. 48x18x24 so somewhere in the neighborhood of 48x14, i want to start with a 4 bulb IC 54w system with future plans to add a less expensive pair or actinics if i desire. would like the ballasts to be external and i definately want to offer a fan for bulb cooling

 

[ilovetrains]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9709779#post9709779 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Aquactinics has a 72" T5 fixture that would work and they have pretty nice halide units too. If you can do a retrofit a few Lumenmax reflectors with 250 watt lamps would do well.

can you point me toward a website with the fixture you are recomending? Thanks

And one more question. I was reading the instruction manual for one of these and it recomended replacing all bulbs (MH and T5) every year. Is that normal?? It makes those LED fixtures look a lot more affordable when you factor in 335 a year in bulbs!!:eek2:

i found this one:
http://www.championlighting.com/product.php?productid=80159&cat=0&page=1

and
http://www.championlighting.com/product.php?productid=80166&cat=0&page=1
does not have any t5, but I wondered if the twin 36 inch housing with 30 watt flourescent bulbs I have would be enough to supplement.

 

[Fish_Freek]

What is the best bulb order for these four bulbs?

Blue plus
ULV super actinic
aquasun
aquablue special

thanks

 

[bayislandsreef]

I have a question please. I am starting a 90 aga and would like to have sps in the future. Would Tek t5ho 6x54 or aquactinics tx5
be better? are they enough?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9710932#post9710932 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pammy
Hi Grim. If I go with a combo MH / T5 fixture....would you still recommend the same T5's that you recommended below (that recommendation was for T5 only). It would have a 150W MH, but I'm not sure what the included MH bulb is, as far as the "K".

Thanks.
Pam

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9677416#post9677416 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer


ATI Blue Plus
UVL Super Actinic
UVL Aquasun
ATI Aquablue

Try this
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Super Actinic
UVL Super Actinic
ATI Blue Plus

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9711075#post9711075 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cartoonbear
Im lookin for the limitations on my 60"x18"x24" with 6*54 watt T5 HOs with SLR reflectors

3 aquablues and 3 blue pluses

You should be able to raise anything as long as you keep the highest lighting critters up off the bottom.

 

[cartoonbear]

cool! great ta hear!

thx much

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9711128#post9711128 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ilovetrains
can you point me toward a website with the fixture you are recomending? Thanks

And one more question. I was reading the instruction manual for one of these and it recomended replacing all bulbs (MH and T5) every year. Is that normal?? It makes those LED fixtures look a lot more affordable when you factor in 335 a year in bulbs!!:eek2:

i found this one:
http://www.championlighting.com/product.php?productid=80159&cat=0&page=1

and
http://www.championlighting.com/product.php?productid=80166&cat=0&page=1
does not have any t5, but I wondered if the twin 36 inch housing with 30 watt flourescent bulbs I have would be enough to supplement.

The first fixture you found would work, the halides with 4 T5's.

Here is the T5 fixture http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1184

 

[ilovetrains]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9711433#post9711433 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
The first fixture you found would work, the halides with 4 T5's.

Here is the T5 fixture http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1184

Thanks for the suggestion, but, well, it kind of looks like overkill?:eek1:

DO I really need that much light? I would be at 280 for bulbs plus shipping, so about 1K, maybe a little more.

I am still curious about how often the bulbsneed to be replaced.

I also found this combo light:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250104274739

Cheaper than other places, but unsre about qaulity.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9711948#post9711948 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ilovetrains
Thanks for the suggestion, but, well, it kind of looks like overkill?:eek1:

DO I really need that much light? I would be at 280 for bulbs plus shipping, so about 1K, maybe a little more.

I am still curious about how often the bulbsneed to be replaced.

I also found this combo light:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250104274739

Cheaper than other places, but unsre about qaulity.

You get what you pay for. 72" tanks are expensive to light. I would get name brand lighting/

12 to 18 months on T5 lamps.