The T5 Q&a Thread

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13464171#post13464171 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by snaza
Ive found a little more info on the sunpower. they are not made from aluminium like the PMs. the only have 1 fan instead of 3 for the 6 bulbs version. they are almost half the price

cheers

They are actually made of metal but have a cover that slips over the unit with the splash sield that's plastic. The performance is pretty good. I had one here for a couple months.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Re: Re: Re: The 44" Tank Challenge!

Re: Re: Re: The 44" Tank Challenge!

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13464272#post13464272 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ekrunch
100% SPS and probably a maxima clam or two. How about a 14 bulb retro? I've got 7 2x54w OSRAM/Sylvania Dimmable ballasts available if they're worth using.

Thanks,
Ed

Yeah, those would be great.

Use reefgeek, Aquactinics or Ice Cap reflectors

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13467260#post13467260 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by flyingphish

im buzzed...

ati blue+
ati blue+
uvl super actinic
ati aquablue special
kz fiji purple
ati blue+
gmann actinic
ati blue+

Nothing like a little blue huh Looks nice

 

[snaza]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13467416#post13467416 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
They are actually made of metal but have a cover that slips over the unit with the splash sield that's plastic. The performance is pretty good. I had one here for a couple months.

Do they perform as well as the powermodules? If i upgraded from my IC retro on osram ballasts would i gain any performance?

 

[gdm42001]

Aquactinics Solar Flare 48"

Aquactinics Solar Flare 48"

Grim,
I have a Elos 120 waiting in the garage, and have been looking at going with T5. What do you think of the Aquactinics Solar Flare?
I see on several posts you recommend the Aquactinics T5 Constellation, any reason that one is better?


I am planning mixed reef.


Thanks

 

[gary smith]

hi grim, i am in the process of making a 10x80 watt t5 luminary i have managed to get hold of 10 ati 5 cm reflectors and 5 double osram starters i will be installing 2 x120mm fans and will be copying the ati fixture but it will be made of ply instead of alloy.

i was wondering what the best tubes will be out of the following

guisemann pure actinic
guisemann power chrome
narva blue
aquamedic 10k
aquamedic 15k
fauna marin aquascience 15k or duo

plus do you know who makes the aquamedic tubes as i want them all to have the cool spot as the narvas do many thanks gary

 

[jeepboy_90]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13421051#post13421051 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
4 x 54 watt HO Ice Cap retro Ice Cap reflectors, Triad or Sylvania ballasts) willl be enough to raise whatever you want in thet tank

Grim,

Reefgeek does not have those ballasts, will the ones he sells work? Or should I just go VHO. What lights would you run on the first ballast and the second ballast.

 

[jeepboy_90]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13421051#post13421051 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
4 x 54 watt HO Ice Cap retro Ice Cap reflectors, Triad or Sylvania ballasts) willl be enough to raise whatever you want in thet tank

Grim,

Reefgeek does not have those ballasts, will the ones he sells work? Or should I just go VHO. What lights would you run on the first ballast and the second ballast.

 

[mcliffy2]

Grim - I'm sure this is somewhere in the 100+ pages, but have you done PAR tests on the Aquascience Blue bulbs? Are they similar to Blue Plus and Actinic+? Or they more of a true actinic? They say 22k, but IME Aquascience Special, which are supposedly 15k, are really more of a 10k look, so I take the kelvin rating with a grain of salt...

 

[ekrunch]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13469316#post13469316 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mcliffy2
Grim - I'm sure this is somewhere in the 100+ pages, but have you done PAR tests on the Aquascience Blue bulbs? Are they similar to Blue Plus and Actinic+? Or they more of a true actinic? They say 22k, but IME Aquascience Special, which are supposedly 15k, are really more of a 10k look, so I take the kelvin rating with a grain of salt...

Did you try here? BTW, Grim's little red house will get you here as well.
http://tfivetesting.googlepages.com/par

Ed

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13467968#post13467968 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by snaza
Do they perform as well as the powermodules? If i upgraded from my IC retro on osram ballasts would i gain any performance?

I doubt there would be a huge gain. One advantage is the ATI unit has a splash shield that allows the lights to be closer to the water so you get a nice gain there.

 

[ekrunch]

Re: Re: Re: Re: The 44" Tank Challenge!

Re: Re: Re: Re: The 44" Tank Challenge!

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13467427#post13467427 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Yeah, those would be great.

Use reefgeek, Aquactinics or Ice Cap reflectors

Perfect. I'll probably go IceCap because i've used them before and have had nothing but success.

Do you have any recommendations around bulbs combinations for a 14-bulb setup? I generally like that "Radium 20K on an HQI ballast" look. Slightly blue but still intense.

Thanks for the help Grim.
Ed

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Re: Aquactinics Solar Flare 48"

Re: Aquactinics Solar Flare 48"

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13468480#post13468480 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gdm42001
Grim,
I have a Elos 120 waiting in the garage, and have been looking at going with T5. What do you think of the Aquactinics Solar Flare?
I see on several posts you recommend the Aquactinics T5 Constellation, any reason that one is better?


I am planning mixed reef.


Thanks

For a mixed reef the Solar Flare is overkill. Constellation would be great, 8 lamp tek would work.

 

[wmilas]

I on this thread about 9 months ago when I was starting the planning of my new large tank. Well, the tank is hare and I'm in the middle of finishing the fishroom (plumbing, finishing touches, ect). Its come to the point where I need to select the lighting. I decided 9 moths ago to go T5 and that is still my intentions for color and heat issues.

Grim, you helped me out a ton 9 moths ago and hopefully you can help me again Anyone else with any of these large fixtures/option please feel free to speak up too

The tank is 120x36x30, 600 gallons (dual external overflows) with another 400 gallons in sump, frag, growout, quarantine and fuge tanks) I'm not aware of a tank this size lit only by t5, although I'm not up to date on some of the more exotic European systems.

My choice are:

* 2 X 10 bulb Icecap SLR retro (20 bulbs) either VHO or HO. (1600 watts HO, 2000 watts VHO)

* 2 X Sfiligoi Stealth 60" 8 or 12 bulb (leaning toward 12 bulb for the flexability) (1280 watts 8,
1920 watts 12)

* 2 X Ati 48" 10 bulb. (1080 watts)

So here is the question. Which do I chose? I'm looking to keep a mixed LPS/SPS tank. I'm pretty sure I'll be disappointed with the ATI over time.. although maybe not?

The Stealth over the Ice cap is purely a convenience thing. I've been DIYing much of my room (on a tank this big everything is DIY at some point). For about 600 more I can buy two of the stealth 12 bulb pendants and just hang them and be good to go. Also the diy light rack I'd build for the icecap t5 retro would most likely be at least 2x as thick as the stealth unit. I'm not completely space limited but it IS tight. I have about 22" of space above the tank and on a tank this big I'll be on top of it in that space quite alot.

If I go the retro route I'm confused over weather to go VHO or not. I hear a lot of people state they don't like the color shift overdriving the bulbs. Is this a huge issue? I'm leaning towards plain HO if I go this route for the ease of maintenance.

Any idea what the ballasts in the Stealth units are like?

Which option would you chose? Thanks much!

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13468960#post13468960 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gary smith
hi grim, i am in the process of making a 10x80 watt t5 luminary i have managed to get hold of 10 ati 5 cm reflectors and 5 double osram starters i will be installing 2 x120mm fans and will be copying the ati fixture but it will be made of ply instead of alloy.

i was wondering what the best tubes will be out of the following

guisemann pure actinic
guisemann power chrome
narva blue
aquamedic 10k
aquamedic 15k
fauna marin aquascience 15k or duo

plus do you know who makes the aquamedic tubes as i want them all to have the cool spot as the narvas do many thanks gary

All the fluorescents have the cold spot. Don't know who makes Aquamedics lamps, just that they suck.

Dont waste your money on the Aquascience lamps, those Giesemann and Narva lamps are all made at the same factory,

Narva blue, Gmann Actinic Plus and AS blue are all blue. Duo and Aquablue are about the same. Other than that the AS 10K lamp is different but I would rather have a GE 6500K daylight or the Gmann Midday for the price difference.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13469220#post13469220 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jeepboy_90
Grim,

Reefgeek does not have those ballasts, will the ones he sells work? Or should I just go VHO. What lights would you run on the first ballast and the second ballast.

The VS ballasts reefgeek has are the same as the Sylvania and Osram. T5's will smoke VHO's.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13469316#post13469316 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mcliffy2
Grim - I'm sure this is somewhere in the 100+ pages, but have you done PAR tests on the Aquascience Blue bulbs? Are they similar to Blue Plus and Actinic+? Or they more of a true actinic? They say 22k, but IME Aquascience Special, which are supposedly 15k, are really more of a 10k look, so I take the kelvin rating with a grain of salt...

The AS blue is the same as the Actinic plus giesmann as far as I can tell, both are made by Narva

 

[PEACEoutt]

hi, i am new to reefcentral, and i have been reading this thread to see what bulbs i want for my tank. i am going to be getting a tek T5 fixture, but i wanted to know what bulbs would be best so that the colors of the corals POP! i really like Szymon's tank and how it looks, so i was wondering if you could help me figure out what bulbs i would need in a 6 bulb fixture so it looks close to that. i don't want my tank to look too white, or too blue though. i just want my corals to look really colorful.

thanks

 

[gary smith]

thanks grim, i am based in the uk and can only get some of the lamps you are able to buy in the united states.
i will also be using a 60 led moonlight strip so i get a few glitter lines do you think this will be ok cheers gary

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: The 44" Tank Challenge!

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: The 44" Tank Challenge!

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13470050#post13470050 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ekrunch
Perfect. I'll probably go IceCap because i've used them before and have had nothing but success.

Do you have any recommendations around bulbs combinations for a 14-bulb setup? I generally like that "Radium 20K on an HQI ballast" look. Slightly blue but still intense.

Thanks for the help Grim.
Ed

Try something like this but order a few extra lamps so you can play.

front
Blue Plus
Super Actinic
UVL Aquasun
Blue Plus
Aquablue
UVL Aquasun
Blue Plus
Super Actinic
Aquablue
Blue Plus
UVL Aquasun
Aquablue
UVL Super Actinic
Blue Plus