The T5 Q&a Thread

[DheereCrossing]

Coming from an outsider, what I can infer from all this research blue vs. red/green light and PAR is that with more blue(ish) light the PAR reading will be lower than the same wattage whiter light but corals will make more efficent use of the blue photons at the same depth so the PAR values even out. I.E. (not real world numbers at all, just made up); blue 200 PAR = white 250 PAR at 20" deep as far as coral A is concerned.

Am I crazy here?

 

[jd474]

hey all, looking for some suggestions for a T5 noob. going to be used with a 10K Reeflux (ice cap ballast) 400 W MH. should i use 2 or 4 36" T5's and which color (going for a crisp white look and enough blue to make my corals pop). sps/clam dominated tank. dimensions are 36" x 36" x 24". thanks in advance.

 

[reefboy12]

Grim,

do you know anything about the g-man aquaflora bulb. What bulb spectrum does it have?

thanks,
ron

 

[Saltysteele]

Hey, Grim-

60"L x 24"D x 18.5"W

Mostly LPS (zoa's/paly's, acans, rics).

Running vho's right now.

Time to switch. I'm still going to run 48" actinic vho's on my 430.

Going to run three 48" T5HO's on my 660

What would you suggest for great color and growth?

anyone tried the 22K's or the fiji purples?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13650892#post13650892 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TulsaReefer
I posted this (by accident) as a new topic on this forum, but I really wanted to open up this discussion here, since it's pretty important relative to the discussion that goes on here about getting maximum PAR out of a set of T5 tubes.

Well some of my conceptions of PAR for different tubes were shattered last weekend when I went to a conference (CRASE) that Dr. Sanjay Joshi spoke at and he put up a few of his results from his T5 testing. I wasn't able to write down the info (bad pen) and taking a photo on a phone was useless, but one thing stuck out in my mind. His readings of the ATI Blue+ showed higher PAR than the UVL Aquasun. We spoke briefly on this and the theory is that since the Apogee meter reads Blue low, and Red/Yellow higher it may account for the difference in readings over the Licor meter. But it sure makes me wonder if my usage of "white tubes" to get higher PAR is really needed, and now I'm guessing that it's possible to keep the PAR high and use more blue style tubes...

I just reviewed the response curve for a Apogee meter, and it really under measures anything below about 460nm, and since a Blue+ tube output has a big spike at around 430, and then tapers down around 500 and has small spike again at around 550, I'm guessing that any readings we do with an Apogee meter will be significantly off, the peak at around 430 will be about 40% under represented by the Apogee. And the bulk of the output at around 450nm will also be under reported, by a smaller amount, but still a significant value. Take all this into account and I'm guessing that my notion of using something like an Aquasun to bring up PAR is probably wrong, I can more than likely use any of the Blue tubes get the color I want, and not really effect actual PAR readings in the end (actually they may go up by replacing an Aquasun with a Blue+).

So much for my view of the "whiter" tubes providing higher PAR than the more blue varieties... I guess I can rethink the whole thing. Not that it invalidates Apogee readings, just that we need to really take into account the blind spot the meter has in the blue and violet range. Makes me wonder what PAR an Actinic tube can provide when measured by a Licor meter?

That is one of the things I have suspected for a long time but I don't have a way to prove it so I am not promoting it. Sanjay's word is good enough for me. You wouldn't know how the Aquablue stacked up would you? I suspect it would be the highest PAR lamp but maybe not.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13649970#post13649970 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Montezuma
ok Grim, I came was able to get 2 x 660 ice caps and 8 reflectors. I plan to use this on my 48" 120g. i was thinking 4 per icecap.

Anyway, I need a good bulb combination. Front to Back

Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Super Actinic
UVL Aquasun
ATI Blue Plus
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
ATI Blue Plus

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13650953#post13650953 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jbrinker
I am setting up a new 90 - going from my old 55. I have T5 retrofit stuff on the way already, going to be 6 tubes eventually. I'd like to start with 2 and work my way up. Currently I have (4) 40W (normal output) flourescent lights on my 55. I keep only low-light stuff now, but would like to have the ability to keep more variety in the new tank.

I can take many of the suggestions in this thread for color mix, so I wont bother asking for a new suggestion here. But I was wondering- where does everyone buy these mixes of bulbs? What is the best source when you consider shipping - since the 48" tubes apparently go as oversize?

Suggestions appreciated.

Reefgeek.com

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13651902#post13651902 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DheereCrossing
Coming from an outsider, what I can infer from all this research blue vs. red/green light and PAR is that with more blue(ish) light the PAR reading will be lower than the same wattage whiter light but corals will make more efficent use of the blue photons at the same depth so the PAR values even out. I.E. (not real world numbers at all, just made up); blue 200 PAR = white 250 PAR at 20" deep as far as coral A is concerned.

Am I crazy here?

The meter will underreport the blue so there is more true PAR to begin with. Add to that the corals do more efficiently use PAR in the Blue/green range and it adds up to a pretty potent lamp.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13652745#post13652745 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jd474
hey all, looking for some suggestions for a T5 noob. going to be used with a 10K Reeflux (ice cap ballast) 400 W MH. should i use 2 or 4 36" T5's and which color (going for a crisp white look and enough blue to make my corals pop). sps/clam dominated tank. dimensions are 36" x 36" x 24". thanks in advance.

A couple of Blue Plus lamps should do it. If you decide to go 4 do 2 blue plus and 2 super actinics.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13653283#post13653283 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefboy12
Grim,

do you know anything about the g-man aquaflora bulb. What bulb spectrum does it have?

thanks,
ron

It is just a daylight type lamp with more red from what I understand

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13653625#post13653625 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Saltysteele
Hey, Grim-

60"L x 24"D x 18.5"W

Mostly LPS (zoa's/paly's, acans, rics).

Running vho's right now.

Time to switch. I'm still going to run 48" actinic vho's on my 430.

Going to run three 48" T5HO's on my 660

What would you suggest for great color and growth?

anyone tried the 22K's or the fiji purples?

I am not a big fan of the fiji lamp.

If you intend to run 5 lamps

Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Super Actinic
GE Daylight
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue or Fiji Purple

 

[Saltysteele]

well, i plan on 5, but 2 will be superactinic 48" vho's (until i can afford more reflectors, endcaps; and they're the only vho's i can find around here).

thanks, btw, you're awesome! :smokin:

 

[Logzor]

I just got my aquaactinics constellation:

Blue+
Blue Special
Geissman powercrhome pure actinic+
Blue+
Geissman powerchrome pure actinic+
Blue Special
Blue+

Looks AMAZING, will post a pic later. Sick looking with just the pure actinic+ !

 

[TulsaReefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13654188#post13654188 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
That is one of the things I have suspected for a long time but I don't have a way to prove it so I am not promoting it. Sanjay's word is good enough for me. You wouldn't know how the Aquablue stacked up would you? I suspect it would be the highest PAR lamp but maybe not.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to get the numbers down and so until Sanjay publishes it will stay a mystery (or someone else with a Li-Cor meter does some readings). I did run into an article by Dana Riddle and in Advanced Aquarist comparing the Li-Cor and Apogee and though the tests comparing them were with halides, it did show the Apogee reading low on a 20K halide by 7.3% on sunlight calibration and 12% on electric. It also showed on sunlight calibration to be 8.25% high on a 4000k halide. So even with that, if you add 7% onto the numbers for a Blue+ it does get very close to that of a Aquasun, especially if you take into account the Aquasun may read a little high because of it's output that could fall in that 4K over read range. I would tend to think that this means the Aquablue is probably one of the higher PAR tubes, but it will likely be close enough that it's almost trivial. What it does say is that you can probably fairly efficiently light a tank with tubes like the Blue+ and Aquablue and get enough PAR to sustain corals without needing something more like an Aquasun unless you just want it to provide extra color in the red/yellow range. So in my case, where I run 4 Blue+, 2 Aquablue Special, and 2 Aquasun, I may swap out an Aquasun for another Blue+ to bring the color back toward blue more. Right now it's pretty white when they are all running.

 

[glenns]

Grim,

I'm having some trouble with my Triad T5HO ballasts, by Universal Lighting. The ballasts come with the Tek retro kit from Reef Geek. The ballast are mounted upside down in my canopy, above the reflectors. One of them has developed a connection problem. It is where the AC connection is made. Other than replacing the ballast, do you have a suggestion on how to fix the problem?

Thanks.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

If it's the trace on the PCB you could re solder it. If you pry the top off the ballast case you should be able to unscrew the board from the base so you can get to the solder joint.

 

[beachroadbum]

Hey Now Grim,

I just set up an all softie tank so I can get away with low lighting. I have a 4 bulb tek light 36inch. I want the bluest light possible...could I get away with using 2 geissman actinic plus and two uvl super actinics? Will that give me enough par to get growth? The sandbed is 17 inches from the light fixture. Also the tek reflectors are stained pretty bad...will that affect par?

thanks!

best,
Jared

 

[ginger7286]

Hello Grim,

I too need a little assistance in the lighting araea. I have a Nova Extreme Pro T5 72" (12 bulb) over my 125 tank. I see you have listed lights for the front of the tank. I have a reef tank and I am beginning to collect softies. What are the best options for me? I love the blue tint to a tank, but I am unsure as to how much, and how much white light to actually use to maximize my growth and health inside my tank. Thanks,

 

[ukroylisa]

Need advice for T5 setup (Posted accidentally outside this thread)
Dear Grim,
I have a custom acrylic tank bought used, with DIY lighting hood. Tank 36" wide, 18" front to back and 28" from water level to top of DSB (What a pain). Due to bracing, open water area is 23" x 12". I am upgrading the lighting from 5 ODNO T8 GE daylights OD x2 on GE ultramax ballasts, and I VHO actinic. I want maximum PAR and a slight blue look with good coloration of corals. We plan to expand from mainly corralimorphs and rock anemones to zoa's, SPS, leathers and possibly a clam or two. I will be using 34" Aquactinic relectors to get maximum number of bulbs in the space available. Would you suggest we stick with 6 39W lamps or go for the 8 I can fit in, and OD'd or not? My LFS sells UVL and Geissman, and I bought 4 Sfiligoi super actinic 03 when they were on offer recently online. What would be your suggestions for a six and 8 bulb set-up, and would it be to my advantage to go for the ATI bulbs from reef geek.? Thanks in advance.
Roy

Interests: Reef/Fish

 

[smartinez72]

Hi Grim,
For 40G prop. tank w/ some sps would you suggest for great color and growth?
4, 5, or 6 tubes and in what order?
Thanks.