The T5 Q&a Thread

[spinoleo]

Grim I have a 36g corner with a 24" tec 4 lamp fixture with lps sps and an anemone looking to replace the lamps what would you suggest. I am not looking for fast growth on coral more towards better looks.also lamps position front to back thanks Ben

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Super Actinic
UVL Aquasun
ATI Aquablue

 

[jimnrose]

Reef, I'm joining the fan club. I'd like to design a DIY T5 reflector for a 72"Lx24"Wx17"D (125g) tank. How many lamps, reflectors, ballasts, fans etc. Would it be better to locate the ballasts outside (but next to) the reflector? Please, just point me in the right direction. I realize you are on the keyboard quite a lot.
Thanks, Jim

 

[h2con]

I bought a Current 48" Sundial for my 55g and want to get new bulbs. It has the factory 2x10k and 2x460 actnics. It doesn't look that good to me now. I would like to brighten up my corals color and glow. What combo and placement would you suggest?

 

[redhanded77]

Re: Re: recommendations for a 75g reef

Re: Re: recommendations for a 75g reef

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13434908#post13434908 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Aquactinics Constellation 7 lamp fixture. Aquarium Specialty from the sponsoors page will have them

Fronbt
ATI Blue Plus
Giesemann Midday or GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Aquasun
ATI Blue Plus
Midday or daylight
Blue Plus

You will get good color and growth with that setup.

any other recommendations beside the aquactnics constellation? how is the nova 8 or tek 8 fixtures?

 

[frenchie]

ok grim been running
3 ati blue specials
2 blue plus actinic
i mostly keep zoos, palys, ricordea.

my question is my ricordea seem to stay small like this is to much for rics so i have a variety of bulbs which would you recommend to get best color out of my corals.

i have fixture setup currently as combo above but i also have these xtra bulbs below to switch out if needed

geisemann aquablue plus 15k
kz fiji purple
glo 6700k

the fixture is a 5 bulb aquactinics tx5 on a 75 gallon tank.

 

[m_wonnacott]

what type of corals would I be able to keep under this light in a standard 55 gal assuming flo and parameters are correct. Also would a clam near the top be posible with it?


48 inch Current USA SunDial T5 HO 4x54W w/ Timers & LED

 

[flyingphish]

looking for some free advice:

fixture: 8X24w ati powermodule.

front to back:
ati blue+
ati aquablue special
ati actinic
ati blue+
ati procolor
ati blue+
ati aquablue special
ati blue+

this gives me a 14K look.

I would like more of a 20K look like I had before with the grotech photon 400w radium 20k 4X24w T5 (2Xati blue+, 1 ati actinic, 1 fiji purple) fixture that the ATI replaced.

thanks

jason

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13437039#post13437039 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jimnrose
Reef, I'm joining the fan club. I'd like to design a DIY T5 reflector for a 72"Lx24"Wx17"D (125g) tank. How many lamps, reflectors, ballasts, fans etc. Would it be better to locate the ballasts outside (but next to) the reflector? Please, just point me in the right direction. I realize you are on the keyboard quite a lot.
Thanks, Jim

6 lamps should do. The ballasts would be better in a dry cool area, back of the canopy or wall behind the tank. Use Ice Cap 660 ballasts each will run 3 lamps. 2 fans, on blowing in from the back at each end so they blow down the rows of endcaps.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13437123#post13437123 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by h2con
I bought a Current 48" Sundial for my 55g and want to get new bulbs. It has the factory 2x10k and 2x460 actnics. It doesn't look that good to me now. I would like to brighten up my corals color and glow. What combo and placement would you suggest?

Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Super Actinic
UVL Aquasun
ATI Aquablue

 

[Todd March]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13439781#post13439781 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by flyingphish
looking for some free advice:

fixture: 8X24w ati powermodule.

front to back:
ati blue+
ati aquablue special
ati actinic
ati blue+
ati procolor
ati blue+
ati aquablue special
ati blue+

this gives me a 14K look.

I would like more of a 20K look like I had before with the grotech photon 400w radium 20k 4X24w T5 (2Xati blue+, 1 ati actinic, 1 fiji purple) fixture that the ATI replaced.

thanks

jason

I would lose the Procolor (I really don't like this bulb), and replace it with a Fiji Purple. Very similar to what I am running, and very 20K... Also, get the Aquablue's a little closer to the center of your mix...

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Re: Re: Re: recommendations for a 75g reef

Re: Re: Re: recommendations for a 75g reef

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13437249#post13437249 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by redhanded77
any other recommendations beside the aquactnics constellation? how is the nova 8 or tek 8 fixtures?

You could use a Tek with no splash shioeld and a external fan and get close to the constellation.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13437388#post13437388 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by d.french
ok grim been running
3 ati blue specials
2 blue plus actinic
i mostly keep zoos, palys, ricordea.

my question is my ricordea seem to stay small like this is to much for rics so i have a variety of bulbs which would you recommend to get best color out of my corals.

i have fixture setup currently as combo above but i also have these xtra bulbs below to switch out if needed

geisemann aquablue plus 15k
kz fiji purple
glo 6700k

the fixture is a 5 bulb aquactinics tx5 on a 75 gallon tank.

Pull a Aquablue for the Fiji and see if that helps a little. Other than that pulling another Aquablue for a real actinic lamp (The Blue Plus is blue and has a lot of PAR) would help too

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13437513#post13437513 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by m_wonnacott
what type of corals would I be able to keep under this light in a standard 55 gal assuming flo and parameters are correct. Also would a clam near the top be posible with it?


48 inch Current USA SunDial T5 HO 4x54W w/ Timers & LED

Clams and SPS up on the rocks halfway or so should be fine.

 

[jimnrose]

Reef, thanks for your prompt reply. I guess the ballasts are the major heat source so I'll run a seperate fan for cooling the heat sinks. Do you think DIY (1/16" aluminum, 2.5" wide) would work?
I believe you had said to someone else to keep the lamps 4" above the water & I'll need to have a acrylic plate below the lamps. Is that right? Thanks, Jim

 

[intenseimage]

Just picked up a 48" NEP for my 75g RR today. This is replacing a Dual 150 x 130 PC Outer Orbit.

On the OO I was running 20k XM bulbs and was fairly happy with the coloring


Is there a bulb or 2 that I can swap out of the NEP to get more of the blue look or would it be best to swap all 6 --- and if so, which bulbs should I pick up.

I can order online but my LFS stocks UVL

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13440481#post13440481 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jimnrose
Reef, thanks for your prompt reply. I guess the ballasts are the major heat source so I'll run a seperate fan for cooling the heat sinks. Do you think DIY (1/16" aluminum, 2.5" wide) would work?
I believe you had said to someone else to keep the lamps 4" above the water & I'll need to have a acrylic plate below the lamps. Is that right? Thanks, Jim

If you heatsink the ballasts and they are in a cool area you don't have to use a fan on them. If the lamps are 4" above the water you don't need a shield unless you have serious aggitation on the water surface where salt spray is getting to them

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13441731#post13441731 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by intenseimage
Just picked up a 48" NEP for my 75g RR today. This is replacing a Dual 150 x 130 PC Outer Orbit.

On the OO I was running 20k XM bulbs and was fairly happy with the coloring


Is there a bulb or 2 that I can swap out of the NEP to get more of the blue look or would it be best to swap all 6 --- and if so, which bulbs should I pick up.

I can order online but my LFS stocks UVL

You probably want to get a ATI Aquablue and ATI Blue Plus and replace 2 of the 10K lamps with them.

 

[h2con]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13439852#post13439852 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Super Actinic
UVL Aquasun
ATI Aquablue

This will give me better color and growth than the stock Current setup of 2x10k and 2x460? I see the UVL Aquasun is a 10k bulb is it better than the Current 10k bulb that I have now? Thanks Grim!

 

[daveonbass]

ok I bit the bullet and bought a 24" 4 bulb t5 (with 3 moon leds) from the website "fishneedit.com".

This is for a temporay set up...it is not for my upgrade with will be the ATI 36" 6 bulb fixture. But since my tank NOW needs light too...I figured I'd get a cheap one to pass the time while I save more money and set this one up.

I got the 2 blue, 2 white set up...and the white are the 20K range bulbs...(I'm hoping for a pretty blue set up). I'm already guessing that it will not be the look I REALLY want...and so I ask you.

In a 24" 4bulb light...what would be a better bulb set up for good growth...and over all good appearance? And it what order?

Thanks in advance...

dave