The T5 Q&a Thread

[krowleey]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13079134#post13079134 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Kinda tall tank, I'd do 6 lamps in Ice Cap reflectors.

would i need a canopy built for this? and thanks for all the help.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13078057#post13078057 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Dancing4raiin
How do you change the endcaps on a T5 Fixture, and where should i buy them.

I think they are the twist locks some of the vendors sell. I would call reefgeek and see if the twist lock endcaps they sell are the ones Tek uses.

 

[TulsaReefer]

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...

Sorry you were disappointed, but you've discovered what those of us who live here deal with and that is that that none of our LFS here carry ATI or UVL in stock. The one store that did carry UVL went out of business last winter after the big ice storm.

I typically order mine from either DIYReef.com or ReefGeek.com since both carry the entire line of tubes of ATI and UVL as well as others. So far I've never been disappointed, and usually get them in a couple days from either place.

If you ever get a chance, feel free to visit us at OMAS (Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society), we meet on the third Saturday of every month and always welcome guests. Check www.omas.org for details of the club and meetings.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13078366#post13078366 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kangym
Hi Grim reefer,
1. Setting up a 60Lx30Wx25H SPS dominant tank. Will run one TX5 (5x54W) and one 6x54W ATI powermodule. Need the light bulb recommendation for reeflux 12K look or bring out good color and growth. and hanging height from water level? Which one used for dawn effect?
2. Setting up a 48Lx18Wx12H SPS frag tank. Will run one 6x54W ATI powermodule. Will it overkill? Just for fast growth and color up. Again need light bulb recommendation (no dawn effect) and hanging height from water level.
Thanks

Wouldn't it be cheaper to just get a 10 lamp Powermodule for the first tank rather than getting 2 fixtures?

For the 11 lamps

Front TX5 fixture

ATI Blue Plus
UVL Super Actinic
UVL Aquasun
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Pro Color

ATI Blue Plus
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Aquasun
UVL Super Actinic
ATI Blue Plus

You may have to tweak the positions to get a good dusk dawn effect. You want to get the Super Actinics and Blue Pluses going. The positions for the TX 5 would give you a good stage one with the 2nd and 4th lamps (actinic and Blue Plus) being on one circuit. If you can get a second Blue Plus and Super Actinic on the ATI for stage 2 great.

I would do a 6 lamp Tek light for the frag tank. Powermodule would be overkill. Hang the Teklight a few inches over the tank

Front
ATI Blue Plus
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Aquasun
ATI Blue Plus
GE 6500K Daylight

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13079140#post13079140 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by krowleey
would i need a canopy built for this? and thanks for all the help.

Oh, yeah. Aquactinics TX5 would work for a fixture or the 6 lamp Powermodule.

 

[Whyireef]

The Grim is awesome, thanks for this thread folks.

In my quest to light my 50g (36x18x18), I've settled on T5.

I am looking at the Aquactinics TX5, but I'm interested in the ATI Powermodule (4x39) or (6x39) or the Giesemann Reflexx (4x39) with passive (metal heatsink) cooling:

The better choice for either a 50g (36x18x18) or a 65g (36x18x24)?:

1. Aquactinics TX5 (5x39)
2. Giesemann Reflexx (4x39)
3. ATI Powermodule (4x39)
4. ATI Powermodule (6x39)

I've ruled out the Tek and the Current line-up.

Many thanks

 

[andy51632]

This will be on a 240gal(96x24x24) mixed reef in a canopy. Think I want to go with 8x48" and 4x60" ice cap slr retros. I will stagger these bulbs starting with 2x48" then 60" centered then 2x48" ect.. Could you give my some bulb recommendations?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13080460#post13080460 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Whyireef
The Grim is awesome, thanks for this thread folks.

In my quest to light my 50g (36x18x18), I've settled on T5.

I am looking at the Aquactinics TX5, but I'm interested in the ATI Powermodule (4x39) or (6x39) or the Giesemann Reflexx (4x39) with passive (metal heatsink) cooling:

The better choice for either a 50g (36x18x18) or a 65g (36x18x24)?:

1. Aquactinics TX5 (5x39)
2. Giesemann Reflexx (4x39)
3. ATI Powermodule (4x39)
4. ATI Powermodule (6x39)

I've ruled out the Tek and the Current line-up.

Many thanks

Passive cooling dont cut it. The ATI fixture has a very dense metal structure that makes a great meat sink and if you cut the fans the output goes to crap.

In your case I would do the TX5 for the smaller tank and the 6 lamp ATI for the bigger one.

 

[Mykel Obvious]

Hey Grim,

First, You ROCK for this thread and all your time helping us T5 newbies!! (There are several of you who have spent hours working on this, but it's all Grim's fault :lol: )

Ok, so my brain is fried from reading the first 20 pages since the last split :shudder:

I'm looking for a 36" T5 fixture (and bulb combo) to place over my 65 gallon mixed reef with a 6" DSB (water column 18" at deepest) Basically all corals to be placed in 36x18x18... SPS in top 1/3 to 1/2, LPS middle to bottom, Softies and Zoas at 18" near sand bed

Budget is in the 36" Nova Extreme Pro or 6x39W Tek range... I like the Tek reflectors, but the fans on the Nova Pro are a +... I've looked at the Aquactinics TX5 5 Lamp fixture, but I can't see paying $80 more for one less bulb unless it is miles ahead of the Tek and Nova Pro (I think a 9.5" fixture would look tiny on the 18" wide tank and worry about coverage from front to back as well... really wish they did a 7 bulb Aquactinics for wider tanks)

So the ATI is out as I just can't stimulate the economy all by myself at this time and the Aquactinics is just a bit above where I want to go unless it is A++

Which fixture do you think would be best of the 3 (Aquactinics, Tek or Nova Pro) and what bulb combo would you recommend to put some pop in the corals

I'd like to be able to keep whatever tickles my fancy (as long as my water params allow) from SPS to Zoas to Clams and anything in between

Thanks again Grim (and everyone else)

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13080595#post13080595 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by andy51632
This will be on a 240gal(96x24x24) mixed reef in a canopy. Think I want to go with 8x48" and 4x60" ice cap slr retros. I will stagger these bulbs starting with 2x48" then 60" centered then 2x48" ect.. Could you give my some bulb recommendations?

you should use 12 or 16 48" lamps ran end to end toi create 6 rows of lamps. The 48" lamps with endcaps are actually slightly less than 48" long so they should fit.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13082628#post13082628 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mykel Obvious
Hey Grim,

First, You ROCK for this thread and all your time helping us T5 newbies!! (There are several of you who have spent hours working on this, but it's all Grim's fault :lol: )

Ok, so my brain is fried from reading the first 20 pages since the last split :shudder:

I'm looking for a 36" T5 fixture (and bulb combo) to place over my 65 gallon mixed reef with a 6" DSB (water column 18" at deepest) Basically all corals to be placed in 36x18x18... SPS in top 1/3 to 1/2, LPS middle to bottom, Softies and Zoas at 18" near sand bed

Budget is in the 36" Nova Extreme Pro or 6x39W Tek range... I like the Tek reflectors, but the fans on the Nova Pro are a +... I've looked at the Aquactinics TX5 5 Lamp fixture, but I can't see paying $80 more for one less bulb unless it is miles ahead of the Tek and Nova Pro (I think a 9.5" fixture would look tiny on the 18" wide tank and worry about coverage from front to back as well... really wish they did a 7 bulb Aquactinics for wider tanks)

So the ATI is out as I just can't stimulate the economy all by myself at this time and the Aquactinics is just a bit above where I want to go unless it is A++

Which fixture do you think would be best of the 3 (Aquactinics, Tek or Nova Pro) and what bulb combo would you recommend to put some pop in the corals

I'd like to be able to keep whatever tickles my fancy (as long as my water params allow) from SPS to Zoas to Clams and anything in between

Thanks again Grim (and everyone else)

Get the 8 lamp tek. If you move to higher light corals you can add an external fan to the Tek and get a nice boost in output.

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

 

[Mykel Obvious]

I'm gonna assume you meant 6 bulb Tek

How would you add fans to the 2.5" fixture? Clamp ons? Any recommendations?

Thanks again!!

 

[hpglow]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13079129#post13079129 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Unless you want clams on the sandbed out front 4 four footers in Ice Cap reflectors will be enough. If you want to do clams a 2 and 3 footer out front would work.

Gotta use the smaller Ice Cap reflector because the Teks are over 3" wide, they wont work.

Ok, so after I get that setup... What would be a nice lamp setup to get some crisp light blue light comparable to a 14k mh? and still have all the colors pop?

And as always thanx for your time and help Grim.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13082871#post13082871 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mykel Obvious
I'm gonna assume you meant 6 bulb Tek

How would you add fans to the 2.5" fixture? Clamp ons? Any recommendations?

Thanks again!!

Yeah, 6 lamps

A clamp on fan array will work. I am going to do an experiments to see what the most efficient placement is.

 

[kangym]

Thank you Grim Reefer. I will take your advice and go for 10x54W powermodule. Just wonder how wide the 10 bulbs powerdule can cover from front to back? The dimension of the fixture is 21.5"W. I don't have SPS at front. But pretty heavy SPS load on the back of the tank.
For the bulb arrangement, I notice there is no ATI aquablue in the combination. You add GE 6500K Daylight and UVL Pro Color instead. Is GE 6500K Daylight for fast growth and UVL Pro Color for coloring up?
I've already ordered one TX5. Will it overkill for the frag tank?
Thank you again.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13083052#post13083052 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hpglow
Ok, so after I get that setup... What would be a nice lamp setup to get some crisp light blue light comparable to a 14k mh? and still have all the colors pop?

And as always thanx for your time and help Grim.

4 lamps go

Blue Plus
Super Actinic
Aquasun
Blue Plus

 

[urville]

Does anyone, or can anyone post photos of the bulbs and possibly tank of a UV 75.25?

These SunSun BL-BIO bulbs really make things pop. I'm a bit worried as they are chinese and hard to get here, not sure how the guy i bought the fixture from got them... nevertheless...

This link states they are virtually no different from AquaMedic bulbs...
SunSun Bulb Article

The link to purchase them from that place says this:

BL-Bio: is intended to raise the blue lighting of the aquarium. The lamp only gives mostly blue light with a wavelength of 400-500 nanometers, with the maximum at 420 nm. In freshwater aquariums can be a very interesting kind of aquarium, especially in styles "Psevdomore" and "Fantasy". In marine mandatory, so many animals are very demanding to a blue spectrum.

I'm just trying to get the same pop these give.

 

[Todd March]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13083946#post13083946 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by urville
...this link states they are virtually no different from AquaMedic bulbs...

Well, that's not saying much, as most with any experience will tell you that the AquaMedic T5's are among the worst on the market--horrid color and low intensity...

 

[MG21]

Hey Grim,

Just got my 2 48 inch Aquactinics Constellations for my 475 and set my bulbs up according to your combos (THANKS). As soon as i turn them on the GFI trips. Do you know the amps these units are pulling? Will be running 2 of these along with H&S 300 skimmer, 2 wave boxes, 2 6100 and 2 6000 Tunzes with reeflo Barracuda pump. Should I have an electrician come out and put a dedicated circuit for the tank? Currently run 3x 250 watt metal halides plus 150 watts of actinics and have no problem on my 240. Thanks!!

 

[urville]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13083968#post13083968 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Todd March
Well, that's not saying much, as most with any experience will tell you that the AquaMedic T5's are among the worst on the market--horrid color and low intensity...

I know, and I'm not arguing thier quality. I just know they make things really pop across a pretty good band of color. If a crap bulb can do that, a great bulb should be able too if not more, right? Just making sure thats all...