The T5 Q&a Thread

[SassyAngel111]

Grim, I have a AquaMedic 6 bulb T-5 light fixture that has a flat reflector in it now, and I would like to add individule reflectors to it, I have already tried reflectors from Tek lighting and they don't work. Would you have any suggestions. I do not have a canopy on this tank.

Thanks in advance for the reply.

 

[SteveJakubiec]

Grim,

This is for my Marineland 300g 72"x36"x27" Deep Dimension Tank. I need help with lighting it, T-5's Preferably. Also, I have a canopy and Tswifty8 was explaining the retro fits things to me, but he told me to ask you. How would I set up a T-5 Retro fit thingamajig?

Yeah...where would be the best place to get one of these retro fit or retro kits, and what is the best one (if there is such a thing), also how many bulbs do you think I could use? Lastly, what type of bulb order, I asked before in the equipment forum but nobody really answered.

Thanks,
Steve

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13616624#post13616624 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SassyAngel111
Grim, I have a AquaMedic 6 bulb T-5 light fixture that has a flat reflector in it now, and I would like to add individule reflectors to it, I have already tried reflectors from Tek lighting and they don't work. Would you have any suggestions. I do not have a canopy on this tank.

Thanks in advance for the reply.

Aquactinics reflectors are only 2" wide. Aquarium Specialties sells them.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13616749#post13616749 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SteveJakubiec
Grim,

This is for my Marineland 300g 72"x36"x27" Deep Dimension Tank. I need help with lighting it, T-5's Preferably. Also, I have a canopy and Tswifty8 was explaining the retro fits things to me, but he told me to ask you. How would I set up a T-5 Retro fit thingamajig?

Yeah...where would be the best place to get one of these retro fit or retro kits, and what is the best one (if there is such a thing), also how many bulbs do you think I could use? Lastly, what type of bulb order, I asked before in the equipment forum but nobody really answered.

Thanks,
Steve

I would do 60" 80 watt lamps ran on Ice Cap ballasts. I would order the Ice Cap 60" retrofit kits from Reefgeek with lamps minus the reflectors. Aquarium Specialties from the sponsors page has 60" RG reflectors which are only 2.5 inches wide. Depending on what you want to raise I would get 9 or 12 lamps.

Front

ATI Blue Plus
GE6500K Daylight
ATI Actinic 03
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Pro Color
ATI Aquablue
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus

for 12 add
ATI Actinic 03
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus

Remember to add a fan at each end blowing in from the back down the rows of endcaps to cool the lamp ends.

 

[crazzy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13616252#post13616252 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Todd March
That's kinda rough, but it'll work, again, roughly...

3000K-4000K are really about the red/orange spectrum. 6500K is really a balanced daylight, and more balance, but have much more green-yellow spectrum than any other bulbs. But note that 6500K bulbs have as much blue as 20K bulbs, you just can't see it through the heavy green-yellow-red spectrum that the bulb excels at.

I don't know if I would say that white lampsâ€"10K-15Kâ€"are about "looks", other than if you mean that they give a more objective "natural" color. When talking coral color looks (as in enhanced colors), I think of blue bulbs...

Actinic bulbs are violet, and at the end of the ultraviolet spectrum, 420nm. This is also the peak of the photosynthethis. Ultraviolet light will fluoresce capable corals (usually greenâ€"those with GFP) the best.

Blue bulbs are at 440-450nm, and are blue. They can also fluoresce capable corals, though not nearly as well as true UV actinics.

Then you have the speciality bulbs like the Fiji Purple that fluoresce capable corals pretty well, and add much reds spectrum; or the Pro Color that is heavy in red, but doesn't drab things out like a 3000K for instance...

Two questions.
I understood that Corals utilize more of the blue area spectrum than what terrestial plants do, please explain more clearly "This is also the peak of the photosynthethis." as it pertains to corals?

Also "6500K bulbs have as much blue as 20K bulbs" I would assume that a bulb puts out a total of "X" light of different spectrums. If a 20K bulb puts out a preponderance of blue and little yellow red, how could a 6,500 bulb put out as much "blue" quantity wise?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Corals better use light from the Blue Green spectrum and to a lessor degree the Red spectrum beyond 620nm. That doesn't mean they don't use the other spectrums of PAR, they just don't do so as efficiently.

6500K output really depends on the lamp. Halide higher K (More Blue) lamps tend to be the result of removing red and yellow spectrum which also decreases the PAR. Fluorescent 20K's are created by replacing red and yellow phosphores with blue so they actually still have pretty darn goo PAR compared to a 6500K daylight lamp.

6500K is supposed to mimick the color of natural daylight. Slightly yellow but is essentally a balanced mix of red, blue, and green light. The GE 6500K Daylight is pretty close, just enough yellow to look slightly ivory color.

You Coral critters will grow quite well under just blue light. The reason for adding in other spectrums is for color rendering. The color we percieve is a result of reflected light. So an orange must have red and yellow light striking it to diplay it's true color. If you have blue/actinic light you can run alone try placing different colored objects under them and you will see just what I am talking about.

 

[Todd March]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13617273#post13617273 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by crazzy
Two questions.
I understood that Corals utilize more of the blue area spectrum than what terrestial plants do, please explain more clearly "This is also the peak of the photosynthethis." as it pertains to corals?

Also "6500K bulbs have as much blue as 20K bulbs" I would assume that a bulb puts out a total of "X" light of different spectrums. If a 20K bulb puts out a preponderance of blue and little yellow red, how could a 6,500 bulb put out as much "blue" quantity wise?

Okay no easy questions, but... Photosynthetic pigments are chemicals which reflect only certain wavelengths of visible light. This makes them appear colored. Plants, blossoms, coralsâ€"contain pigments which give them their colors. Now, pigments are very fussy about absorbing only certain wavelengths of light's color spectrum. Chlorophyll's are the green pigments, and all plants and algae which photosynthesize contain chlorophyll "a", and contain it to a greater degree than any other pigment (it is the primary pigment that absorbs light energy from the sun for photosynthesis). The maximum absorbencyâ€"or peak of photosynthesthisâ€"of chlorophyll "a" is at 420 and 660 nm. This is true for both the leaves on the Ficus tree in your entry hall, or the Acropora with zooanthelle within it's tissues in your reef aquarium.

Grim has already answered the second question very well...

 

[Todd March]

BTWâ€"the spectral peaks of chlorophyll "a" is why we are starting to see very specialized reef aquaria flourescent lamps like KZ's Fiji Purple, which appears absolutely tailored made for chlorophyll "a" (and boy I sure would like to see a spectral plot for this lamp...!)

The first time I saw the FJP lamp, I was amazed at how well it fluoresces GFP corals (almost as well as True Actinics), and yet still manages to make pinks, magentas, reds, and purples POP with the 600ish nm red spectrum it includes...

But of course the ongoing debate is just how much red light penetrates to these corals several meters or more under water...? The exact photosynthetic dynamics of the relationship between zooanthelle and chlorophyll "a" are still a bit sketchy...!

 

[Everyones Hero]

Thanks a lot for the answers.

I was asking because I want to get the best coral growth in my main tank, but I've been kicking around the idea of setting up a small T5 setup over my fuge & getting some plants to go with the macro.

Photosynthetic cells use light in the green to violet spectrum.

Lights with a lower K rating are more red while bulbs with a higher K rating are violet.

Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.

I'm just surprised corals don't use the the longer wavelength light like red, orange, & yellow since the water should stop the shorter wavelengths from getting through.

 

[spleen93]

Water absorbs the longer wavelengths, I believe (approximately absorbing red light to blue light in a ratio of 100:1) ... that's why the reds/yellows are not visible in deeper waters and why corals are optimized to utilize blue light.

 

[nemo's janitor]

Hmm...
If you take all the deeper species of coral, and cave corals. "Dendronephthya SP etc, most are red. SPS corals on the other hand tend to be blue/green and are in shallow water.

Would i then be assuming wrong that the better colour of sps corals would come from light of the red spectrum and the cave/deeper corals, light from the blue spectrum? Their natural defence against the UV.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Not sure on the UV protection. Could be more to do with heat absorbsion. Darker colors tend to absorb heat from light better than bright ones.

 

[nemo's janitor]

We know that T5 and Halides emit UV. It is the Zooxanthellae in the corals that produce the colour in corals and provide them with protection. (those that have Zooxanthellae)

I would then wonder if the frequency of a particular colour globe could be adjusted so that the colour did not change but the UV did. In this way one could select the desired colour globe and adjust only the UV to manipulate the coral colour.

 

[CamBarr]

what 36" retrofit would you recommend

 

[nemo's janitor]

I don't know that the technology exists or if it can be done. Just exploring theory.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13618812#post13618812 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by CamBarr
what 36" retrofit would you recommend

Ice Cap HO T5 retro from reefgeek.

 

[Glassman 99]

Hey Grim, Hello. Im pretty new to the SW stuff i have a 90 Gal. Perfecto I just got my lights from REEFGEEK, They are 6x54W SLR retro kit with the VOSSLOH ballast. Should i get the icecaps instead?? 2 660's??????? And what bulb combo should i use i know you know whats right and wrong....... Currently i have is

update These are the bulbs i currently have now

2 ATI BLUE Plus 54W
1 ATI 12000K Aquablue special 54W
1 ATI PRO COLOR 54 W
1 ATI 10000K AQUASun 54W
1 ATI Superatinic 54W


And do you think i can do a mixed reef with this setup of lights ???? My LFS said no WAY..... Thanks

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13619503#post13619503 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Glassman 99
Hey Grim, Hello. Im pretty new to the SW stuff i have a 90 Gal. Perfecto I just got my lights from REEFGEEK, They are 6x54W SLR retro kit with the VOSSLOH ballast. Should i get the icecaps instead?? 2 660's??????? And what bulb combo should i use i know you know whats right and wrong....... Currently i have is

update These are the bulbs i currently have now

2 ATI BLUE Plus 54W
1 ATI 12000K Aquablue special 54W
1 ATI PRO COLOR 54 W
1 ATI 10000K AQUASun 54W
1 ATI Superatinic 54W


And do you think i can do a mixed reef with this setup of lights ???? My LFS said no WAY..... Thanks

What you have should be fine for a mixed reef.

 

[chad508]

grim i read earlier someone asking about how to tell a good reflector. do you consider the reflectors that come with the icecap retro to be any good? if not is there anything better?

 

[Aqua Keepers]

Just curious, at what point does one need to think about overdriving bulbs? How does one determine if they are OK using a regular ballast vs ones that would overdrive bulbs?