The T5 Q&a Thread

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11843503#post11843503 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mjstover
So T-5 are just a little better the powercompact and no where near MH??

Read the other responses.

Say you put 2 good 150 watt metal Halides over a 55 gallon tank (at a realistic operational height) and a 4x54 watt Tek Light T5 which is the base of the "good" T5 systems. You could put 4 Aquablues in the Tek witch is going to look as good as any 10K halide lamps I have ever seen and I would place money that even without the active cooling of the higher end T5 units the Tek will beat all but the best halide systems on the market. I'd bet my NRA membership the 4x54 watt ATI powermodule will beat any 150 watt halide setup out there.

Now if you are going to run a big chiller so you can have the Halides right at water height all bets are off.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11844904#post11844904 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by PCIALF
Thanks

So blowing from the back of the tank to the front the 2' span? rather than 1 side for the 4' span?

is the 4 fan enough placed in the middle or a couple 2 fans separated

sorry to be a pain

All you are really trying to do is move air around. I would do 2 of the 2 fan units and place one at each end of the light so they are blowing near the ends of the lamps. I think you will get much better lamp/Ballast life doing it that way.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11847498#post11847498 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by T8T
Grim-

Will be setting up mixed 120g 48x24x24. Going with IceCap VHO T5 retro from reef geek. I would like a bluer look but still allow for decent growth on my sps corals. What Color combo to go with:

Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
GE 6500K Daylight
Blue Plus
ATI Pro Color
Blue Plus
Aquablue
Blue Plus

Should be pretty Blue and have good PAR.

 

[James77]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11848028#post11848028 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mjstover
You are right about the Sundial. I wonder even if this individualy contoured refelctor is that much better then the ones they have in the Nova Extreems. Now supposing that I would do the test with individual reflectors I would not think they could make any more then a 30 - 40% difference. I think this is even high. so say that was the test and it improved the t - 5 to say 900. That is still a 600 point difference. also I put the SunPod up on its legs that it comes with and I would say it pushed the light 3 more inches off the top. I still got a 1480 reading. I think I will do afew more test form different spots in the tank and different levels. However I just don't see how the T-5s can come anywhere close. The thing is though I know I have see many pic's on here with T-5 lighting and they look very good. So I dont know..

Here is a thread with PAR readings- one of the tanks, fijiblues, shows the T5 readings in the grid style.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=11694233#post11694233

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Re: T5 Bulb Selection

Re: T5 Bulb Selection

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11847598#post11847598 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chris023
Grim,
I have recently got a new 150 gallon up and running, a couple on months now. I am using T5 lighting and wondering if I made the right decision on my bulb selection.

The tank is 60x24x24. I went with a staggered 48" bulb configuration where I have 2 10K staggered in the back portion; 1 420nm actinic centered in the back/middle; 1 10k centered in the front/middle; and 2 18k staggered in the front portion. This is about the maximum number of bulbs I could fit in the canopy.

I am growing LPS (Torch, Bubble), Zoanthids, Ricordia, and varius Mushrooms in the front portion of the tank. I plan on putting SPS in the middle/back of the tank, where they would be closer to the light source.

I definately need more blue. I see that there are many many bulbs that have more blue in their spectrum (e.g. 11K AquaBlue Plus, 75/25 14K AquaBlue, ActinicPlus, Super Actinic, Super Actinic Blue, Pure Actinic, etc).

What would give me the best of both worlds of growth and pleasing to the eye? Should I just try switching out a couple of bulbs and see how things in the tank react? Should I not bother going with staggered config and have everything centered (even though I am using 48"bulbs in a 60"tank)? entire new configuration. Attached is a couple of photos of the light setup. Thanks for your help.

Un stagger the lamps. I uses 48" lamps on a 60" tank, its fine. Get a couple of Blue Plus/Actinic Plus/Blue Pro lamps and put one up front and one toward the back. Make sure the actinic is no further back than the middle of the tank.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11847789#post11847789 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by roadrace21
Grim thanks for a ton of info here, got a quick question.

110gal tall 48" wide 30" deep right now have a MH DE 250 on one side with the other having 2 24" URI actinic whites VHO's with a pair of 46.5" super actinic VHO's run off a ice 660. the ice will run the t5's and was thinking about switching over to T5's what bulbs would you recomend? was thinking about sticking with the uri's. Also the MH is between the VHO's so front to back its VHO Super, (left 2X24 whites) (right MH) back row is a VHO super.

Thanks

Wait a minute, 48 long and 30 deep as in front to back? How tall is the tank?

If your tank is more of a standard size 110 you need to decide if you want T5 or halide cause you aint gonna fit 4 reflectors and a halide in there.

 

[roadrace21]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11849001#post11849001 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Wait a minute, 48 long and 30 deep as in front to back? How tall is the tank?

If your tank is more of a standard size 110 you need to decide if you want T5 or halide cause you aint gonna fit 4 reflectors and a halide in there.

water is 30" deep. its a standard 110gal tall
right now there vho's have reflectors in the tubes so I would be adding single reflectors to each tube. so right now it looks like this from the top( except I have no idea why when it posts it screws it up, but I am guessing you can figure it out)

super actinic 46.5"
===============================
______________
24"actinic white | |
============= | MH |
actinic white | |
============ |______________|

super actinic 46.5"
==============================

that should make a whole lot more sense now.
a lot of people said it would never work/ look strange but I love the look and it lets me keep softys on the left and some real nice sps on the right

 

[suppressivefire]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11846982#post11846982 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
You mean VHO as in the onld VHO T12 lamps? If thats the case marine depot. If your talking the T5 VHO then I would do a hybrid system. Do 2 of the old T12 VHO Actinics and 2 ATI Blue Plus T5's. The 660 ballast can run them all. The VHO Actinics are still the best but they cant match the T5 blue plus

I was planning on doing all t12 so should i do super or regular actinics? and should i do all 4 actinic? also how do you do t5 vho?

 

[EvilE]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11848534#post11848534 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Should be able to pull a year if the lamps are cooled with fans. People have gone over 18 months but you definatly aren't getting top performance doing that.

even the actinic?

 

[mr.maroonsalty]

Many thanks.
Sorry, with so few pictures I haven't been able to get through the whole thread, but if you don't mind generalizing what animals are being kept under four foot budget minded fixtures over the average 20" or so deep tank 70-90g? For a point of departure lets say a Tek 4 bulb, tek six bulb and the Ati four bulb fixtures?

 

[PCIALF]

I must say I have never seen anybody so dedicated to helping so many. I want to on behalf of everybody who has posted in this thread thank you Grim for all of the knowledge you have shared!!

 

[tamsam]

what t5 would be better on a 125, a 72" 6x80 or 2 36" 6x(?)

 

[mr.maroonsalty]

second that!

 

[mayham72]

hey grim

hey grim

ok my canopy is 26" wide with blocks on the inside and yes the lights are snug but man they work great. and at 860 watts pretty bright. some-thing else i am trying is i installed metal flashing in the canopy the reflect more light. what about the 75/25 at reef geek?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11849141#post11849141 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by roadrace21
water is 30" deep. its a standard 110gal tall
right now there vho's have reflectors in the tubes so I would be adding single reflectors to each tube. so right now it looks like this from the top( except I have no idea why when it posts it screws it up, but I am guessing you can figure it out)

super actinic 46.5"
===============================
______________
24"actinic white | |
============= | MH |
actinic white | |
============ |______________|

super actinic 46.5"
==============================

that should make a whole lot more sense now.
a lot of people said it would never work/ look strange but I love the look and it lets me keep softys on the left and some real nice sps on the right

Blue Plus///////////////////
Super Actinic HALIDE
Blue Plus
Aquablue////////////////////

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11849205#post11849205 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by suppressivefire
I was planning on doing all t12 so should i do super or regular actinics? and should i do all 4 actinic? also how do you do t5 vho?

T5 VHO is a T5 lamp ran on an Ice Cap ballast. It overdrives them.

T5 has a way better selection of lamps than VHO. With good reflectors 4 T5's on an Ice Cap ballast will have better output than a lot of 250 watt halide setups.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11849405#post11849405 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by EvilE
even the actinic?

Should. The Actinic will be the first to lose its mojo, then blues and 50/50's after that

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11850182#post11850182 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mr.maroonsalty
Many thanks.
Sorry, with so few pictures I haven't been able to get through the whole thread, but if you don't mind generalizing what animals are being kept under four foot budget minded fixtures over the average 20" or so deep tank 70-90g? For a point of departure lets say a Tek 4 bulb, tek six bulb and the Ati four bulb fixtures?

I've seen clams under a 24" tall tank with a 4x39 watt Tek light.

On a 20" tall with a 4 lamp ATI there is nothing I would hesitate to keep under the lights. With a Tek you would have to use a little common sense as far as coral placement.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11850393#post11850393 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by PCIALF
I must say I have never seen anybody so dedicated to helping so many. I want to on behalf of everybody who has posted in this thread thank you Grim for all of the knowledge you have shared!!

Thanks, It keeps me from going nuts but lately its beginning to seem a little too much like a job:rollface:

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11850641#post11850641 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tamsam
what t5 would be better on a 125, a 72" 6x80 or 2 36" 6x(?)

Depends what you want to raise. If you want a tank full of high light critters the 12x36". For a mixed reef the 6x80 should be fine.