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The T5 Q&a Thread
- Thread starter JohnL
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<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12931272#post12931272 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Dude or Dudette
You come off like you have a serious tude problem with the "I don't feel like reading through all these pages". I understand not wanting to look for the needle in the haystack but you could have worded that a lot differently. Sometimes I don't feel like answering the same questions 10 times a dayNot trying to bust your chops or nothing.
Anyway I had a chance to play with the 48" version of the Pro Nova and it isn't bad, they are getting closer to the Tek's but they need to improve the reflectors a bit. I don't know that I would try clams under it but properly placed SPS would be fine as long as the tank isn't over about 24" tall. Hopefully someone with a 72" fixture will chime in as well.
Or you can check out this thread
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?
Sorry about that, it was late when I posted that and I was kind of in a hurry to get to bed. But thank you for your input.
Man, I paid damn near $800 for my fixture. I feel like I got ripped off again.
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
No worries, it's just that sometimes we forget that when communicating in print that something we intended to say with a smile comes across a lot better in person than in print. I've re-read stuff I've posted and thought "damn I came across as nasty in that one"
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
Not really, For the price they aren't all that bad. Stick to the good quality lamps and it will do OK for a mixed reef.
Grim,
I have 2 150w Reeflux 10k's over my 120g mixed reef and I will be adding 2 48" T-5's to the tank. I only have a few easy sps corals, most of the coral are softies and lps. What would you recommend to supplement the Reeflux's? I was thinking 1 SuperActinic and maybe an Aquasun or Aquablue...
I have 2 150w Reeflux 10k's over my 120g mixed reef and I will be adding 2 48" T-5's to the tank. I only have a few easy sps corals, most of the coral are softies and lps. What would you recommend to supplement the Reeflux's? I was thinking 1 SuperActinic and maybe an Aquasun or Aquablue...
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
The actinic and Aquablue would be good for some pop and a little boost in PAR.
I am upgrading to a 90 gallon tank 48x24x18 and would like to keep sps and lps. I found these two lights and don't know which one to go with. Please help.
http://www.catalinaaquarium.com/pro...=1447&osCsid=28c3b3362083f460b94115df5b43d982
http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5...nch__8x54W_Tek_Light_T5_High-Output_Fixture_w!_Bulbs_(Black)_by_Sunlight_Supply
http://www.catalinaaquarium.com/pro...=1447&osCsid=28c3b3362083f460b94115df5b43d982
http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5...nch__8x54W_Tek_Light_T5_High-Output_Fixture_w!_Bulbs_(Black)_by_Sunlight_Supply
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
go with the Tek.
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Super Actinic
UVL Aquasun
ATI Blue Plus
Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue
Hey grim, I was wondering, I have a Solar Flare w/ the same bulb combo. I am only getting like 900 par .5" away from the bulbs with the polycarbonate lens on. I had the fixture about 4" off the water surface and was only getting about 700 par there. Then when going only about 5" under water it dropped to around 200, and about half way down in the tank on a 24" tall 120 I was only getting mid to high 100's par. I took this fixture off because my sps corals were not doing very well. Although, the tank was new maybe that was the issue with the corals, not sure. I am asking this because I recently read that you do not need as much par w/ t5 because they light up more tissue on the coral. I now use 2 250 watt halides w/ 1300 par above the water and roughly 400 half way down in the same 24" tall tank. I would really like to use the Solar Flare on this tank again. Do you think that the par comparisons I listed, I would be ok with the Solar Flare and that par value. BTW the t5 bulbs were ran for about 6 mos. at 8 hrs. a day before the test and the halides about 4 mos. at 6 hrs a day. Please let me know what you think. Thank you very much.
I happened to be in Petco yesterday and saw a 12", 8w, 8000k T5 put out by AGA. Said "Made in Germany" on it. Is there nothing else really in <24" T5's? I'd love to T5 my 12" cube, but nada. What could I use to get a couple of those AGA T5s over my (planted) cube? Think they could be OD?
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
Something isn't right. I read PAR on a friends fixture sitting on my tank. The sensor was about 17" under the water with the fixture sitting on the tank frame about an inch and a half above the water line (22" tall tank). Just running a super actinic and Blue Plus the PAR was in the 120's. Because of some hang on back equipment I had at the time the fixture couldn't sit back far enough so the front lamp was about half blocked by the tank frame. At the rear my live rock was a solid wall about 5" from the water surface so the light from the rear lamp was at least partially blocked and we got PAR in the high 300's. I think with my current rockscape and lack of HOB equipment it would do over 400. Even being 6" further away from the target I would expect your readings to be at least in the mid 200's.
You sure the fan is working? Could be the lamps are shot. With 4 blue plus, one pro color which is about the same output as a blue plus with a little luck, one super actinic and one UVL 75/25 my constellation did in the mid 200's. The blue plus were the highest output lamps in the fixture.
T5's might be able to sustain an existing colony with less PAR than a halide, at least the theory sounds good. I am not sure you would match the growth with less PAR though. It's an interesting concept that is unfortunatly above my pay grade
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
I dunno about overdriving them but for a 12" planted tank they should be OK. You couldd always grab a 24" T5 reflector and cut it in half to make good reflectors for the lamps.
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
This will sound more blue than it will look
Front
ATI Aquablue
UVL Super Actinic
UVL Aquasun
ATI Blue Plus
GE 6500K Daylight or Giesemann Midday
ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
ATI Blue Blue
Grab an extra Aquablue just in case. They are a crisp white light with a slight blue tint. If you think the above mix is more blue than you want just swap out a blue plus for the aquablue and it should get you there.
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