The T5 Q&a Thread

[4n4sd4]

one more ?

one more ?

In addition to the questions I posted before, do I even need to overdrive any of the T5's or would just HO be good enough to run softies, LPS, and maybe some clams?

Thanks again!

 

[SSpiro]

Re: one more ?

Re: one more ?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12209382#post12209382 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 4n4sd4
In addition to the questions I posted before, do I even need to overdrive any of the T5's or would just HO be good enough to run softies, LPS, and maybe some clams?

Thanks again!

Also curious about this.

 

[kenyacat]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12208612#post12208612 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by serum153
He means to get a 4x54w vho icecap retro which comes with the 660 ballast and a 2x54 t5ho icecap. The 4x54 is overdriving the bulbs to 80w which will keep clams happy on the bottom. I just purchased the 4vho icecap retro and the bulb combo grim suggested was:
Front:
Blue+
Super Actinic
Aquasun
Blue+
The look is awesome and I wish I could describe it.
I paid $367 total includes shipping from reefgeek and it only took 2 days to get to me as they ship out of CA.

THANKS GRIM!!!!!!!!!!

The only problem with that is I do not have an existing hood and I know nothing about wiring stuff or building things. I doubt I will have any clams. Since my rock work will be minimum, most all corals will be down near the bottom. What is the difference between T5 and VHO?

I obviously do not know what I am looking for. On Marine Depot, the 36" is listing as 380w and the 46" is listed at 440w. None of those work out to be 54w bulbs. I do not know what "The 4x54 is overdriving the bulbs to 80w" means - could you explain. Also I thought thought those bulb colors were T5. The bulbs that come with the retro kit do not seem to be those colors. The white ones do not have a K rating that I can see. Seems like way too much wattage for a 75, I must be missing something here.

 

[st9z]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12196519#post12196519 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by st9z
has anybody with a Nova Extreme (not pro) ever tried modifying the sytem with individual reflectors with success?

sooo nobody have tried retro fitting their Nova Extreme???

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12203486#post12203486 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bezlar
Grim?

my tank is 60x24x24 would you go with outer orbit 250 mh w 4 54w t5 or aquatinics solor flare both 4 foot fixtures? Or somthing else? No more than $1000 budget.

Thanks

Before getting halides measure the bracing on the tank to make sure they wouldn't be under he halides. Solar Flare or Constellation fixtures would be fine for the T5's if you cant do the halides.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12203599#post12203599 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by LisBorden
Hi Grim

I am getting a T5 HO retro kit in the next couple of weeks and need input on the bulbs that I should choose. I have looked at my options with Giesemann and URI....It will be running on a 55g tank, that will house predominantly softies and LPS with the potential for some SPS later on. I will be running 4 bulbs with individual reflectors. So what is the recommended bulb combination? should I get 10K and actinics? or should I get a 65K, 10K and actinics? any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance

Lis

Gmann Actinic Plus
UVL Super Actinic
UVL Aquasun
Gmann Actinic Plus

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12203419#post12203419 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kenyacat
Okay, now I am confused. I cannot find this 6 lamp Ice Cap retro. Where do you suggest I go looking for that? I did find a 4 lap kit, what that raised some more questions. Are this VHO as opposed to T5? What is the difference? There seems to be no picture where I was looking and no mention of wattage. What wattage is a 660? Also you mention using the 660 in 4 of the spots, what goes in the other two spots?

A couple weeks ago you suggested some bulb combinations in the T5 for both a 6 or 8 lamp fixture. What kind of look am I going to get with a 660 and whatever else? What kind of Kelvin rating are they?

Sorry for so many questions, but I do not know a lot about lighting and cannot seem to find a site for these lights that is informative.

Thanks

You get a 4 lamp Ice Cap VHO T5 retro which will overdrive 4 lamps on a IC 660 ballast/ Then get a 2 lamp Ice Cap HO retro which has the better reflectors but a standard T5 ballast. This will be your dusk/dawn pair. Run a blue and actinic lamp on this set.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12203992#post12203992 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kenyacat
Grim said "Get a 6 lamp Ice Cap retro. If you are going to do clams or SPS use a Ice Cap 660 on 4 of the lamps. "



Sorry, I waited too long to edit, so I had to repost. I wanted to mention that I had been planning on getting the Tek fixture. I have since read a post you posted to someone saying not to get a Tek. Any particular reason why they are not so good?

Thanks

Workhorse ballasts, no active cooling, legs and splash shield are options you have to pay for.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12205577#post12205577 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pdabj
Hey Grim, I Got the Icecap retro kit from Reef geeks(4 X 54w). I also bought 4 more bulbs for my 660 Icecap ballast. I now have 4 blue Plus, 1 Aquasun, 1 Pro Color, 1 75/25 UVL and 1 Aquablue. Which 4 bulbs would you run on the 660 ballast? Thanks

Aquasun, Aquablue Pro Color and a Blue Plus on the 660.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12206299#post12206299 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hooked on reef
my tank is 72x24widex30tall do you think two 36" (20x39w) ati powermodules would be sufficient to keep clams on the sand. Would icecap retrofits with icecap ballast and reflector (9 rows of 24w+54w) be over kill. I still would like to keep some shrooms. Anyone have ati's on a 30" deep tank.

The ATI's would work.

If you want shrooms and clams in the same tank you should do halides. Place the clams and other high light critters under the halides and the shrooms out away from the lamps.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Re: Upgrading my 90's lighting.

Re: Upgrading my 90's lighting.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12208971#post12208971 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 4n4sd4
Grim,

I have read so much of this thread and while i have seen a lot of questions that come close to my set up not completely so i appreciate you running through this for me!

I am looking to upgrade my 90's current lighting. i am running two 175 halides, with VHO actinic supplementation. I am looking to do a T5 retro. I am currently running mainly softies, LPS, and a couple of anenome's. I dont see much SPS in my future but would like to have the light available if I decide to add some. I would like to ad some clams so I want to make sure i have light covered for anything i may want to add to the tank.

I was going to add T5 supplementation to my VHO/halide set up so I currently have some sylvania 2x54 T5HO ballasts and Icecap SLR reflectors, end caps, and standoff's. I am now thinking of switching to all T5 and was looking at the Icecap T5VHO 4 bulb retro driven by the 660.

I am looking to run 6 if not 7 bulbs if I can fit it under the canopy. Is 7 bulbs overkill? Am I better off overdriving the 4 bars, and running the other 2 or 3 as only HO or would you recommend all 6 or 7 bulbs be overdriven? If you feel 4 overdriven with two or three running HO could I always swap the ballast latter and overdrive all 6 or 7 if I go SPS? I am going to mount them to the top of the canopy which has doors on the front to access the tank. The lights will sit about 10" off the water. Is that height going to be ok? I want to make sure I have enough room to get in and work.

Can you please also suggest a bulb combination for me? Can you please suggest which ones to use where, whether you suggest overdriving all or only some of them? I would like to know not only which bulbs to run for color, but also which ones to run where for a good dusk / dawn and then full light times. I like a nice crisp blue/white color with good color "pop" I was previously running 14K halides and was pretty pleased with the colors, but might like a little bluer, but not to much.

Thanks in advance for your help!!!!

Front
ATI Blue Plus (Normally Drivn ballat
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Super Actinic Normally Driven
UVL Aquasun
ATI Aquablue
Blue Plus

With the overdriven lamps you will have planty of par Run the normally driven pair fopr dusk/dawn.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12206350#post12206350 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SSpiro
This may have been asked.. but is it possible to convert a 48" PC fixture into a T5 fixture?

Anything is possible. Practical on the other hand is a whole different story. You wouldn't want to do that.

 

[neyugn0w01]

Anyone looking to try the new KZ generation II bulbs should give it a shot. Gives off a much more bluer color then the ATi aquablue.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I prefer the ATI Aquablue but either will work

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12207114#post12207114 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by shackscs
Hey Grimm,

I am ordering my bulbs and want to double check the following:


Blue Plus = 39W Blue Plus T5 HO Fluorescent
Aquasun = 39W 10000K AquaSun T5 HO Fluorescent
Super Actinic = 39W Super Actinic T5 HO Fluorescent
UVL 75/25 = 39W 75/25 14000K AquaBlue T5 HO Fluorescent
Blue Plus = 39W Blue Plus T5 HO Fluorescent
Aquablue = 39W 12000K Aquablue Special T5 HO Fluorescent

The Aquablue is the one I am not truly sure about since Reefgeek lists two different Aquablue bulbs:

39W 12000K Aquablue Special T5 HO Fluorescent
and
39W 11000K Aquablue Plus T5 HO Fluorescent

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by shackscs
Hey Grimm,

I picked up a 72" Nova Extreme pro with 12 bulbs. I am looking to get the same 14k look that you hooked me up with on my 4 bulb 36" fixture for my 65.

What would you suggest for 14K or 20K look?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Blue Plus
Aquasun
Super Actinic
UVL 75/25
Blue Plus
Aquablue

Let us know how it looks. Should be like 14K with some actinic.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12209218#post12209218 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by justinzimm
I wanted to double check what everyone was saying before I went out and purchase a 2 X 54 (48 inch) retrofit kit. I need to make sure the kit will fit into my custom hood. I only have a little over 47 1/8" inches inside my hood. Can anyone confirm that the sunlight supply kit is less than this (including endcaps)?

Thanks,
Justin

Someone can maybe measure but I think you need just over 47.5 with water proof endcaps.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Re: one more ?

Re: one more ?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12209382#post12209382 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 4n4sd4
In addition to the questions I posted before, do I even need to overdrive any of the T5's or would just HO be good enough to run softies, LPS, and maybe some clams?

Thanks again!

If you want clamps overdrive 4

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12209943#post12209943 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kenyacat
The only problem with that is I do not have an existing hood and I know nothing about wiring stuff or building things. I doubt I will have any clams. Since my rock work will be minimum, most all corals will be down near the bottom. What is the difference between T5 and VHO?

I obviously do not know what I am looking for. On Marine Depot, the 36" is listing as 380w and the 46" is listed at 440w. None of those work out to be 54w bulbs. I do not know what "The 4x54 is overdriving the bulbs to 80w" means - could you explain. Also I thought thought those bulb colors were T5. The bulbs that come with the retro kit do not seem to be those colors. The white ones do not have a K rating that I can see. Seems like way too much wattage for a 75, I must be missing something here.

Get an Aquactinics constellation fixture. Because of the splash shield it can be sat right on the tank. That will make up for not overdriving plus their is a 7th lamp. Add another Blue Plus to the mix previously recomended.

The VHO fixtures marine depot sells is a T12 VHO fixture, not T5. Different animal

 

[SSpiro]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12213649#post12213649 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Anything is possible. Practical on the other hand is a whole different story. You wouldn't want to do that.

I figured.. Thanks!

New question:

18" T5 HO fixture on a 10-gallon tank.

Can I keep LPS and a clam you think? Only 12" deep tank, with a 4" DSB..

 

[ericad289]

hey grim,
you posted earlier in a comment if you want shrooms and clams go MH. I just ordered the ati for my 75 gallon. I have close to 20 shrooms give or take currently under my 2 - 40 watt flourescents. My main reason for going t-5 is to upgrade on corals and clams. Can i save my shrooms. They are currently attached to a 30 lb rock so it would be kind of hard to move them.

 

[kenyacat]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12213797#post12213797 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Get an Aquactinics constellation fixture. Because of the splash shield it can be sat right on the tank. That will make up for not overdriving plus their is a 7th lamp. Add another Blue Plus to the mix previously recomended.

The VHO fixtures marine depot sells is a T12 VHO fixture, not T5. Different animal

Forgive me again, what does "That will make up for not overdriving" mean? I was thinking of hanging to give me more room to work in the tank and having those glass strips on the top that open. How far from the top of the water can I put the light and it still be okay?