The T5 Q&a Thread

[racingrich]

sorry 8x39w not 69w

 

[Gravesj1s]

-Grim I have read so many posts in the lighting forum that I cant possibly remember if these questions have been asked already,so go easy on me guys.

Looking to light a 72 gal bowfront (48x 12" ends-15"center x 22 tall. some sps,clam or two the rest mixed. What would be realalistic options for t-5, 4-6 bulb fixture.
thanx, -Graves

 

[sbcaes]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12971833#post12971833 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Dunno on the sticky, something was in the works and just kinda fizzled. Here is a link to a site a guy has been trying to put together. It's still a work in progress http://tfivetesting.googlepages.com/home

I do have a sticky on another noard but for obvious reasons can't link to that

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

Hey buddy if i coudl only pick from salty critters selection of:

UVL Actinic White

UVL Aquasun

UVL Super Actinic

Giesemann Midday 6000

Giesemann Aquablue Plus

Giesemann Actinic Pure

Giesemann Actinic Plus

GE 6500K
(only available in 24" and 48")

What woudl you do to recreate what was posted =// ( again i thank you much for helping us.) =/

 

[eros]

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

Grim one more question for you. Which do you recommend from reefgeek for my tank. The Icecap or the Sunlight Supply

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12986034#post12986034 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 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

Black Euro bracing, damn how stupid is that???


Aquactinics TX5 would work or for high light a ATI 6 lamp powermodule would be OK too, should only be about 12" of reflector area.

 

[sgraves2505]

Grim -
Thanks for all the lighting support in this thread. I have searched dozens of pages of this thread, but have yet to find the bulb combo that I'm looking for. I have a 72 gal corner bowfront, and would like to be able to grow about anything (sps, lps, some clams). I have built a canopy and believe that I will be able to get three 24" and three 36" bulbs, arranged in the following order front to back:
24 -36 - 36 - 36 - 24 - 24

I already have one Ice Cap 660 and plan to purchase another. I already have five 24" bulbs. All are Giesemann - 2 Actinic+. 2 Aquablue, and 1 Middday.

I'm planning on purchasing a 3 bulb 36" Ice Cap retro kit from AquaCave and have a choice of Giesemann, Coralvue, AquaMedic and UL bulbs.

What combo would you suggest, given the bulbs I already have, and the options I have to purchase?

Also, with this 6 bulb combo, what should I expect to successfully grow? Should that be enough for clams?

Thanks again,

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12986064#post12986064 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lukinrats
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

I would move the frags down a bit. Watch your tank temp as well. That fixture has got to be getting hot with the lamps crammed so close together. It is posible you could get more light into that tank by pulling half the lamps out so the remaining 4 sit in the reflectors right. Sure would be an interesting test if you had a lux meter.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12986254#post12986254 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 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

Their Koral Light changed but not the Fiji Purple

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12986952#post12986952 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 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

I'd do the 6 lamps with heavy actinic for now so once you decide you want a clam or SOS you don't have to rebuy lights

Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Super Actinic
UVL Aquasun
Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
Blue Plus

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12987091#post12987091 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 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.

The UVL actinics are a little blue/violet/purple. Don't mess with the tru lamp. You should use 1 ATI Blue Plus or Giesemann Actinic plus and 2 UVL Super Actinics and either ATI or Giesemann Aquablue..

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Re: what par

Re: what par

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12987193#post12987193 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sailfish2
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

My Constellation give PAR in the 220's at 17 inches below the surface running 3 Blue Plus, 2 Actinic, 1 75/25 actinic combo and 1 Aquasun lamp. Not exactly a PAR monster lamp mix yet I think it would be close to what you are looking for.

In your case I think I would use the ATI Powermodule with 2 GE 6500K daylight lamps, 2 UVL Aquasun and 2 ATI Blue Plus lamps. SHould be plenty of PAR and broad spectrum too.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12987579#post12987579 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 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

I'd do the 5x54.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12988025#post12988025 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Gravesj1s
-Grim I have read so many posts in the lighting forum that I cant possibly remember if these questions have been asked already,so go easy on me guys.

Looking to light a 72 gal bowfront (48x 12" ends-15"center x 22 tall. some sps,clam or two the rest mixed. What would be realalistic options for t-5, 4-6 bulb fixture.
thanx, -Graves

If you want a clam I'd do a 4 lamp ATI Power Module.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12988744#post12988744 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sbcaes
Hey buddy if i coudl only pick from salty critters selection of:

UVL Actinic White

UVL Aquasun

UVL Super Actinic

Giesemann Midday 6000

Giesemann Aquablue Plus

Giesemann Actinic Pure

Giesemann Actinic Plus

GE 6500K
(only available in 24" and 48")

What woudl you do to recreate what was posted =// ( again i thank you much for helping us.) =/

Use the Giesemann Aquablue and Actinic Plus in place of the Blue Plus and ATI Aquablue

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Re: Re: Bulb advice for 75 gallon

Re: Re: Bulb advice for 75 gallon

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12988968#post12988968 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by eros
Grim one more question for you. Which do you recommend from reefgeek for my tank. The Icecap or the Sunlight Supply

Ice Cap

 

[eros]

Re: Re: Re: Bulb advice for 75 gallon

Re: Re: Re: Bulb advice for 75 gallon

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12989274#post12989274 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Ice Cap

You are the man. Thanks for the incredibly fast response.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12989115#post12989115 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sgraves2505
Grim -
Thanks for all the lighting support in this thread. I have searched dozens of pages of this thread, but have yet to find the bulb combo that I'm looking for. I have a 72 gal corner bowfront, and would like to be able to grow about anything (sps, lps, some clams). I have built a canopy and believe that I will be able to get three 24" and three 36" bulbs, arranged in the following order front to back:
24 -36 - 36 - 36 - 24 - 24

I already have one Ice Cap 660 and plan to purchase another. I already have five 24" bulbs. All are Giesemann - 2 Actinic+. 2 Aquablue, and 1 Middday.

I'm planning on purchasing a 3 bulb 36" Ice Cap retro kit from AquaCave and have a choice of Giesemann, Coralvue, AquaMedic and UL bulbs.


What combo would you suggest, given the bulbs I already have, and the options I have to purchase?

Also, with this 6 bulb combo, what should I expect to successfully grow? Should that be enough for clams?

Thanks again,

assuming this is the front 24-36-36-36-24-24 >back

Front
Actinic Plus
Actinic Plus
UVL Aquasun
G-Mann Aquablue
Aquablue
Actinic Plus

 

[snaza]

Hey grim,

are ATI and Geismann aqua blues exactly the same colour? i love the ATI but Gman and cheaper here.

cheers

Aaron

 

[crazydante]

Hey Grim,
I currently run a Current USA Nova Extreme Pro T5 With six 39 watt T5 bulbs. It sits on top of my 40g 36lx15wx16H. Its time for new bulbs and I need some advice. My tank is sort of a mixed reef with lots of zoanthids, some lps and a few sps. I would want a good combination with color that pop and good growth for sps. Thank you.

 

[lukinrats]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12989130#post12989130 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
I would move the frags down a bit. Watch your tank temp as well. That fixture has got to be getting hot with the lamps crammed so close together. It is posible you could get more light into that tank by pulling half the lamps out so the remaining 4 sit in the reflectors right. Sure would be an interesting test if you had a lux meter.

Grim,

I do have a lux meter, and when I got it, I put my results up on this thread... That fixture is putting out a lot of light, if you go by the lux meter... I posted my results in this thread before the last split
So what I am going to do, is repost that right under this post, so you can see it again

Thanks,
Nathan