The T5 Q&a Thread

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12982971#post12982971 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Gooli
thank you...i am a little surprised because the current talk of the month has sps tank with 10xt5s on 31" front to back..i figured i was proportionally ok with 7xt5sand 24" front to back.

The reflectors and better cooling make the ATI kick out some serious PAR. IME with a 6x80 overdriven system using 4 Ice Cap and 2 Tek reflectors I only got 145 PAR at the sand on a 22.5 inch tall tank. That is a little light for a serious SPS tank. I guess if you want to change lamps every 8 months or so a standard driven system would work.

 

[Gooli]

alright..cool..thank you

 

[lukinrats]

Need a little advice... I have the oddly measured 75 gallon tank (48" x 12.5 x 30") I have the 8x 54 watt over it, since it is so deep... I am running:
front:
b+
super act
actinic
Aquablue
b+
Ushio 10000k
b+
actinic
back:

So, anyway, ever since I started putting some SPS in the tank, they have all bleached... I cant get any of them up higher than about 2/3 of the way to the top... Do I just have too much light or what... I have a PAR meter coming, but my god it takes apogee forever to deliver those things... My set up is the Catalina aquarium retrofit that I modded by replacing the reflectors w/ ice caps... There is one reflector for every two bulbs... Very brightly lit, and I have the lights 9" from the surface... The only coral besides all my softies that seems to be ok with the lights, is an A.Tenius(?) colony... Could this be only because all the rest are frags?
They had great color when I got them... There are G.slimer, Montipora spongodes, Red Digi, and Green cap... They are all growing like crazy, but seem to have slowed since I replaced one of my 10000k's with an actinic

My photoperiod is 2 x 54 actinics come on 1 hour before the rest...Stay on for 12 hours a day
All others come on and stay on for 10 hours and go out 1 hour before the 2 x 54 actinics

I seem to have read a lot lately about T5's causing bleaching... I am wondering if I should swap to halides now... If I do decide to do the halide thing, would 2 x 150 HQI be enough?

Any ideas?

Later,
Nathan

 

[eros]

Bulb advice for 75 gallon

Bulb advice for 75 gallon

I just purchased a 4x54watt T5 retro kit from reefgeek.com but havent decided on which bulb combo to get. Can tell me the best bulb combo for my application out of the bulbs they have available? I have very little experience with lighting. I am running a 75 gallon tank that is mostly FOWLR but some polyps and a frogspawn but am looking to add more coral and maybe a BTA. Thanks
Steve

 

[ataller]

Grim,

I am lighting a 30 gallon long (36x12x16) with a Nova Sundial. I would like to upgrade the bulbs now and if necessary depending on what coral I end up keeping upgrade the fixture to something with proper reflectors later on.


Since my reflectors are not ideal I was thinking about going with 2x ATI Aquablue and 2x ATI Blue+ for their high PAR. Do I need a true actinic?

With this setup do you think I would be limited in what I kept considering the relatively shallow tank?


Adam

 

[The Grim Reefer]

If the tank is 12.5 tall then yes you are cooking the corals. If its 30" tall I doubt too much light is an issue. If you have 8 lamps over it I assume it's 30" front to back. Take those reflectors back off.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12983554#post12983554 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lukinrats
Need a little advice... I have the oddly measured 75 gallon tank (48" x 12.5 x 30") I have the 8x 54 watt over it, since it is so deep... I am running:
front:
b+
super act
actinic
Aquablue
b+
Ushio 10000k
b+
actinic
back:

So, anyway, ever since I started putting some SPS in the tank, they have all bleached... I cant get any of them up higher than about 2/3 of the way to the top... Do I just have too much light or what... I have a PAR meter coming, but my god it takes apogee forever to deliver those things... My set up is the Catalina aquarium retrofit that I modded by replacing the reflectors w/ ice caps... There is one reflector for every two bulbs... Very brightly lit, and I have the lights 9" from the surface... The only coral besides all my softies that seems to be ok with the lights, is an A.Tenius(?) colony... Could this be only because all the rest are frags?
They had great color when I got them... There are G.slimer, Montipora spongodes, Red Digi, and Green cap... They are all growing like crazy, but seem to have slowed since I replaced one of my 10000k's with an actinic

My photoperiod is 2 x 54 actinics come on 1 hour before the rest...Stay on for 12 hours a day
All others come on and stay on for 10 hours and go out 1 hour before the 2 x 54 actinics

I seem to have read a lot lately about T5's causing bleaching... I am wondering if I should swap to halides now... If I do decide to do the halide thing, would 2 x 150 HQI be enough?

Any ideas?

Later,
Nathan

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Re: Bulb advice for 75 gallon

Re: Bulb advice for 75 gallon

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12984194#post12984194 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by eros
I just purchased a 4x54watt T5 retro kit from reefgeek.com but havent decided on which bulb combo to get. Can tell me the best bulb combo for my application out of the bulbs they have available? I have very little experience with lighting. I am running a 75 gallon tank that is mostly FOWLR but some polyps and a frogspawn but am looking to add more coral and maybe a BTA. Thanks
Steve

Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Super Actinic
UVL Aquasun
ATI Blue Plus

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Re: Bulb advice for 75 gallon

Re: Bulb advice for 75 gallon

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12984194#post12984194 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by eros
I just purchased a 4x54watt T5 retro kit from reefgeek.com but havent decided on which bulb combo to get. Can tell me the best bulb combo for my application out of the bulbs they have available? I have very little experience with lighting. I am running a 75 gallon tank that is mostly FOWLR but some polyps and a frogspawn but am looking to add more coral and maybe a BTA. Thanks
Steve

Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Super Actinic
UVL Aquasun
ATI Blue Plus

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I'd do 1 Blue Plus, 1 Actinic, 1 UVL Aquasun and 1 Aquablue. On that short a tank you can keep most critters under that light.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12984831#post12984831 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ataller
Grim,

I am lighting a 30 gallon long (36x12x16) with a Nova Sundial. I would like to upgrade the bulbs now and if necessary depending on what coral I end up keeping upgrade the fixture to something with proper reflectors later on.


Since my reflectors are not ideal I was thinking about going with 2x ATI Aquablue and 2x ATI Blue+ for their high PAR. Do I need a true actinic?

With this setup do you think I would be limited in what I kept considering the relatively shallow tank?


Adam

 

[ataller]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12985556#post12985556 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
I'd do 1 Blue Plus, 1 Actinic, 1 UVL Aquasun and 1 Aquablue. On that short a tank you can keep most critters under that light.

Thanks Grim will do.

Adam

 

[DjScibbity]

Grim, one more question,
My tank (90 gal Oceanic) has the Euro brace style and thus only has an opening in the top of the tank that is roughly 11.5" wide. (with a solid black brace all around - no light penetration) All the 48" fixtures (Solar flare, constellation, power module) are 14-15 inches wide. WHat will this mean for me?

-JP

 

[lukinrats]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12985487#post12985487 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
If the tank is 12.5 tall then yes you are cooking the corals. If its 30" tall I doubt too much light is an issue. If you have 8 lamps over it I assume it's 30" front to back. Take those reflectors back off.

Grim I am sorry for not being more specific... Actually, NO!!! The tank is 48" wide, 30" deep - about 3 or 4 inches for the sandbed, and is 13" front to back (if you count the thickness of the glass)... I had Catlina squeeze 8 bulbs into 11.5"... I was having a hard time finding a unit with enough bulbs to light my 30" tall tank, and that was still under 12.5" front to back... I had them put the 8 bulbs because of the depth in the tank

So, now that I have given the proper information... What would be your recommendation? Still take the reflectors off? I mean, right now, the tallest live rocks in my tank only go up to about 6" below the surface... This is where I was putting my frags at first... Every one that put there, bleached within a couple of days... I then realized what was going on, and moved them all to the sand bed... They all colored back up... I am slowly moving them up in the tank now, but a couple of them are already starting too bleach again... I have the one Acro colony that is doing fine, and the rest are frags... Is this just the way that it will be with frags? They are all growing really well, but have no color

Thanks,
Nathan

 

[reefboy12]

Grim,

Has the Kz fiji purple bulb changed? I believe you mentioned something about this in a earlier post? I was thinking of giving them another try. But still have only used ones from a year ago.

thanks as always,
Ron

 

[eros]

Re: Re: Bulb advice for 75 gallon

Re: Re: Bulb advice for 75 gallon

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12985533#post12985533 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Super Actinic
UVL Aquasun
ATI Blue Plus

Thanks Grim!

 

[andrsn]

Wondering if someone could help me decide on a powermodule for a 25.5x18.5x25 oceanic tech tank with no sps. I was looking at the 4X24 or the 6X24. I going to have zoas and other easier corals to begin with as this is a step up from a FOWLR tank i have running now. Also a bulb combo for the 4 or 6x24 that would look good as these will be my first purchase of T5 lighting

 

[Zestay]

ok so me and the girl have finalized on the following lighting scheme for our 90 gallon

2x175 watt HQI
4x 54watt T5


im ording the kit from hellolights i know the reflectors arent up to PAR... hehehe pun intended... but its what i can budget these days

but i also know that some 90 gallon tanks run off of 4x t5 so i think everything will be peachy in the par department

i think i want 14k bulbs for the halides which hellolights offers hamliton 14k or phenoix 14k or XM 15k im leaning towards the hamliton or the pheonix

now where i need the most help is in the t5 department
is there any real reason i shouldnt grab the 10 dollar
"TRU" actenic bulbs
and 2 of the 10ks?
is the UVL super actenic a purpleish blue or a blue blue?

i want my tank to have a blueish look / crisp white with popping colors.

 

[sailfish2]

what par

what par

I was looking around and having a hard time finding many par reading for different fixtures.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Also was trying to see what if any fixture can give me a par reading of at least 450 at a depth of 11.5"?

I know it matters what bulbs but is this possible? How many bulbs and what configuration would it take to get these number.

This would be for a sps frag tank and I will not consider a t 5 unit if I can't get at least 450 PAR. I have 250 mh over the tank now.

Thanks for any guidance.

Joe

 

[ddetar00]

Exhausted !!!!

Exhausted !!!!

Okay, the fam iand I planned on a Tulsa zoo trip today, so while in the area I figured I would check with the LFS's in Tulsa and pick a couple of bulbs... NOBODY CARRIES UVL OR ATI!!! here in Springdale the same story, I looked on Marine Depot, they have UVL but no ATI.... is there a Sponsor or a popular supplier that I can get these from???

Again your assistance is deeply appreciated...

 

[andrsn]

Re: Exhausted !!!!

Re: Exhausted !!!!

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12987508#post12987508 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ddetar00
Okay, the fam iand I planned on a Tulsa zoo trip today, so while in the area I figured I would check with the LFS's in Tulsa and pick a couple of bulbs... NOBODY CARRIES UVL OR ATI!!! here in Springdale the same story, I looked on Marine Depot, they have UVL but no ATI.... is there a Sponsor or a popular supplier that I can get these from???

Again your assistance is deeply appreciated...

Check out Reefgeek I believe they carry the bulbs you are looking for

 

[racingrich]

what would be better a 48" 8x69w t5 ho
or a 4 or 5 x54w t5 ho the tank is a 90 gal. soft coral in the future