The T5 Q&a Thread

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Hey grim Thanks for all your help in the past right now I am running a 90 gallon with 6 geisman bulbs tek reflectors overdriven by an ice cap ballast. they are three footers I staggerred (I have a 6 foot tank and wanted to keep with the 3 foot bulbs on all of them) I am upgrading to a 120 from the 90 so in addition to the 6 bulbs how many more do you reccommend and what bulb configuration. Geissmans of course
thanks
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13970117#post13970117 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jfl14609
Hey grim Thanks for all your help in the past right now I am running a 90 gallon with 6 geisman bulbs tek reflectors overdriven by an ice cap ballast. they are three footers I staggerred (I have a 6 foot tank and wanted to keep with the 3 foot bulbs on all of them) I am upgrading to a 120 from the 90 so in addition to the 6 bulbs how many more do you reccommend and what bulb configuration. Geissmans of course
thanks
Click to expand...

2 more

Front
Act Plus
Pure Actinic
Aquaflora
Act Plus
Midday
Act Plus
Aquablue
Act Plus
 
Hey Grim,

Hows the Sunpower testing going? We finally have an ATI dealer in australia now so i'm keen to get the new sunpower

thanks
 
Anyone that knows this may answer.

I just went through over 40 pages and can't find the post that explains why Workhorses are such a garbage ballast.

I have a member in my local forum that wants details and like I said I can't find the post that talked about it.

Grim, what makes the WH so bad? Also do you recommend Universal Accu-Start or Vossloh-Schwabe?

I think I remember you saying flip a coin, they are both good.
 
Hi Grim,

I've just set up a 90 gallon soon to be reef tank. I'd like to keep mixed corals and a few clams (if possible). The dimensions are 48"long x 24" tall x 18" back to front. I've been looking at the tek t5 fixtures and dont' know if I should go with 4 or 6 bulbs? I
 
I currently have 2 400w MH with lumenarcs on my 120g SPS tank, I was wondering if changing to an 8 bulb powermodule would be good for my corals to keep growing and coloring up nicely but also save some energy?
 
I've almost come to the point of throwing out my t 5 fixture {tek 6 bulb} and going MH.
My bulbs right now are

front to back

ati 54watt blue +
super actinic
ati 54 watt pro color
ati 54 watt blue +
fiji purple 54 watt
ati 54 watt blue +

I have a extra bulb laying around its an aqua sun

I've played with the placement of the bulbs and still the corals will not color up even close to the same as others. Any help on me getting the most out of my corals..

I also tested everthing in the tank and came up with
ca 440
mg 1450
alk 9
no2 0 no3 0
ph 81.4
The tank is a 120 with a 75 galloon sump/fuge. The flow is provided vis a snapper with oversized impeller and 2 maxijet 900's with the high flow mods.I've raised the fixture up and now sits about 8" off the water. The tank consist of lps and sps

Any imput welcomed
Thanks
 
Last edited:
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13971230#post13971230 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jfl14609
What bulb is the aquaflora comprable to. I have have alott of bulbs but of course not one of those
Click to expand...

Aquasun or pro color, it has a reddish tint to it.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13971377#post13971377 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by snaza
Hey Grim,

Hows the Sunpower testing going? We finally have an ATI dealer in australia now so i'm keen to get the new sunpower

thanks
Click to expand...

It's going to be a few days before I can give you exact numbers for comparison but with 6 Aquablues in the fixture I am getting PAR of 348~352 on the sand. My Constellation did in the mid 200's BUT I wasn't running all Aquablues either.

I would not hesitate for a second to recommend this unit based on what I have seen so far. ATI isn't going to be able to hold the price due to the change in the exchange rate but the fixture is still going to be priced right. I expect at a minimum it will perform as well as the Aquactinics Constellation. I personally like the look of the Constellation better but if the ATI fixture were black I would call it a draw. The fans on the ATI are nearly silent while the constellation does have moderate fan noise, not bad but you can hear it.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13971876#post13971876 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rtparty
Anyone that knows this may answer.

I just went through over 40 pages and can't find the post that explains why Workhorses are such a garbage ballast.

I have a member in my local forum that wants details and like I said I can't find the post that talked about it.

Grim, what makes the WH so bad? Also do you recommend Universal Accu-Start or Vossloh-Schwabe?

I think I remember you saying flip a coin, they are both good.
Click to expand...


Those are both good.

YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR

The Workhorse is a cheap ballast. It uses slightly more power and produces slightly less output than real T5 ballasts. T5 lamps were designed to be started with a programmed start. The workhorse uses a hard start. The workhorse also lack the end of life circuit that shuts down the ballast should a lamp fail to prevent damage.

The workhorses run the lamps OK but for the price difference you are way better off with the spec T5 ballasts. If you have space issues or happen to have a box of Workhorses laying around why not but just to save a few buck they aren't worth it.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13972101#post13972101 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Rbacchiega
Hi Grim,

I've just set up a 90 gallon soon to be reef tank. I'd like to keep mixed corals and a few clams (if possible). The dimensions are 48"long x 24" tall x 18" back to front. I've been looking at the tek t5 fixtures and dont' know if I should go with 4 or 6 bulbs? I
Click to expand...

6 lamps. Get an Azoo 2 fan clamp on fan array and clamp it to the back of the tank so it blows across the fixture in the center. Do not point the fan directly at the lamps. It is better to have the air blow over the fixture from above than to blow directly on the lamps.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13972115#post13972115 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ganjero
I currently have 2 400w MH with lumenarcs on my 120g SPS tank, I was wondering if changing to an 8 bulb powermodule would be good for my corals to keep growing and coloring up nicely but also save some energy?
Click to expand...

Be a good swap. Espeially if you like more blue in the light. The blue Halides don't have as much PAR as the more white ones but the Blue T5 lamps have more PAR than the sun lights.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13973117#post13973117 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BucNtears
I've almost come to the point of throwing out my t 5 fixture {tek 6 bulb} and going MH.
My bulbs right now are

front to back

ati 54watt blue +
super actinic
ati 54 watt pro color
ati 54 watt blue +
fiji purple 54 watt
ati 54 watt blue +

I have a extra bulb laying around its an aqua sun

I've played with the placement of the bulbs and still the corals will not color up even close to the same as others. Any help on me getting the most out of my corals..

I also tested everthing in the tank and came up with
ca 440
mg 1450
alk 9
no2 0 no3 0
ph 81.4
The tank is a 120 with a 75 galloon sump/fuge. The flow is provided vis a snapper with oversized impeller and 2 maxijet 900's with the high flow mods.I've raised the fixture up and now sits about 8" off the water. The tank consist of lps and sps

Any imput welcomed
Thanks
Click to expand...


Assuming your lamps aren't over 6 months old they shouldn't be an issue. Flow could explain lack of color in SPS but not LPS. If it's just SPS lacking color check for polyp extension. You could have issues with pests like red bugs stressing out Acros that would cause them to lose color.

I really don't think too much light is your problem. I'd lower it back down.

If you have the splash shield on the Tek light and your tank room gets fairly warm you may have killed the lamps. If you have a unused Blue Plus laying around or can borrow on fire it up next to another blue plus in the fixture and see if there is much difference in the look.

I would not run a splash shield on a Tek fixture.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13973117#post13973117 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BucNtears
I've almost come to the point of throwing out my t 5 fixture {tek 6 bulb} and going MH.
My bulbs right now are

front to back

ati 54watt blue +
super actinic
ati 54 watt pro color
ati 54 watt blue +
fiji purple 54 watt
ati 54 watt blue +

I have a extra bulb laying around its an aqua sun

I've played with the placement of the bulbs and still the corals will not color up even close to the same as others. Any help on me getting the most out of my corals..

I also tested everthing in the tank and came up with
ca 440
mg 1450
alk 9
no2 0 no3 0
ph 81.4
The tank is a 120 with a 75 galloon sump/fuge. The flow is provided vis a snapper with oversized impeller and 2 maxijet 900's with the high flow mods.I've raised the fixture up and now sits about 8" off the water. The tank consist of lps and sps

Any imput welcomed
Thanks
Click to expand...
It can take several weeks of steady, unchanged conditions (maybe even a couple months) for the colors to brighten up and look like other people's tanks. Don't expect instant gratification.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13973303#post13973303 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Aquasun or pro color, it has a reddish tint to it.
Click to expand...

anything from geissman I am going for heavy 14k look
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13973726#post13973726 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Assuming your lamps aren't over 6 months old they shouldn't be an issue. Flow could explain lack of color in SPS but not LPS. If it's just SPS lacking color check for polyp extension. You could have issues with pests like red bugs stressing out Acros that would cause them to lose color.

I really don't think too much light is your problem. I'd lower it back down.

If you have the splash shield on the Tek light and your tank room gets fairly warm you may have killed the lamps. If you have a unused Blue Plus laying around or can borrow on fire it up next to another blue plus in the fixture and see if there is much difference in the look.

I would not run a splash shield on a Tek fixture.
Click to expand...

Grim, does my bulb setup look ok. I'm looking for a blueish tint.

thanks
 
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