The T5 Q&a Thread

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13979573#post13979573 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by timespinner
Just curious what the recommended distance from the water surface to the T5 fixture is? My tank has both SPS and zoas, and is exactly 24" deep.

If you have a splash shield it can be as close as you want. With no shield at least 4"

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13981793#post13981793 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by snaza
Quick question for you grim,

i:m running a 7 bulb IC retro on my 120. i have fans blowing in from the back which SLIGHTLY helps PAR output. I put my apogee sensor on the cross brace just above water level and i get 700. If a hook up another fan blowing in from the front (directly at the sensor) the par increases to 850. Because cool air is blowing on the sensor is that giving me false readings?

thanks

I don't know. Move the sensor and do the same thing with the fan.

You are running Ice Cap ballasts I assume. If you are play around with cooling. Try cooling just the label ends of the lamps and both ends. also try with a fan blowing on the center of the lamps. I had never played with the cooling with an overdriven system.

With normally driven T5's blowing a fan on the middle of the tube kills the output. Maybe different when overdriven. If you can get us some data it would be helpful.

 

[snaza]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13983448#post13983448 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
I don't know. Move the sensor and do the same thing with the fan.

You are running Ice Cap ballasts I assume. If you are play around with cooling. Try cooling just the label ends of the lamps and both ends. also try with a fan blowing on the center of the lamps. I had never played with the cooling with an overdriven system.

With normally driven T5's blowing a fan on the middle of the tube kills the output. Maybe different when overdriven. If you can get us some data it would be helpful.

This is just HO with osram ballasts. I have fans already cooling the ends. If i move the sensor away from the middle(with the middle fan still on) output drops again. It seems the more fans I put on the More output i get.

 

[Giga]

what we be good for my mangrove tank. getting a 4x24w t5ho?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13983792#post13983792 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by snaza
This is just HO with osram ballasts. I have fans already cooling the ends. If i move the sensor away from the middle(with the middle fan still on) output drops again. It seems the more fans I put on the More output i get.

Move your sensor to the side and take a reading with the middle fan on and then off. Let the lamps run about ten minutes with the fan off to see if it makes a difference. It has been my experience blowing air directly on the center of the tubes drops the output big time. If your center fan isn't blowing right on the lamps it may help with output.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13984519#post13984519 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Giga
what we be good for my mangrove tank. getting a 4x24w t5ho?

Depends on how close the plants will be to the light but 4 x 54 watt should be fine.

 

[tsiebel]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13983402#post13983402 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
HQI aka double ended halides are great which can be the problem. They have a hell of a lot of output assumming you run them on the Magnetic HQI ballast. Thats what I meant about the halides not being overkill unless they were HQI which is easier to type than double ended. I think HQI is actually a brand of lamps in Europe but it gets attached to double ended lamps here.

Ok So if im running say an 250watt aro electronic ballast with hqi it will not make a differance. Also if there a benifit down the line to buying hqi, selection for example. Im looking to buying at hello lights and i could get the mogul with luminarc or the simple parabolic with a hqi.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13985541#post13985541 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tsiebel
Ok So if im running say an 250watt aro electronic ballast with hqi it will not make a differance. Also if there a benifit down the line to buying hqi, selection for example. Im looking to buying at hello lights and i could get the mogul with luminarc or the simple parabolic with a hqi.

Last I looked there was a better selection of double ended lamps than single.

Running on electronic ballasts the Double ended lamps don't really put out any more light than the single ended ones. If you are going to use 3 halides I would do the Double Ended lamps with the electronic ballasts and 14K lamps like the Phoenix. If you do 2 halides use good 10K lamps like the XM's in the bigger lumenarc style reflectors. They will spread the light out better.

 

[tsiebel]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13985578#post13985578 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Last I looked there was a better selection of double ended lamps than single.

Running on electronic ballasts the Double ended lamps don't really put out any more light than the single ended ones. If you are going to use 3 halides I would do the Double Ended lamps with the electronic ballasts and 14K lamps like the Phoenix. If you do 2 halides use good 10K lamps like the XM's in the bigger lumenarc style reflectors. They will spread the light out better.

I guess i could get the luminarc stealth with the double ended. I havnt decided on tank size either i am going back and forth between the 125 72" long and 120 deep 48"long. for the 120 Would you go with 2 250watts hqi in luminarc with 2x 48" t5s front and back? Also if I would go with the 120 is that big enought to house a blue hippo tang?

 

[jopo43]

T5 Marineland 48X36

T5 Marineland 48X36

Grim
I currently have a 75G with the Aquactinics TX5 Series 48 inch T5HO Fixture with 5 bulbs.
Can I just buy another one of these for the 200G marineland thats 48X36?
That would give me 10 bulbs if so what bulbs should I buy and in what order to place them?
Thanks
Joe

 

[oneoffcustom]

Grim Reefer,

wow you have done one heck of a thread. I tried to read to find a situation like mine but this is split city. I have a 29 gallon that i want to do sps and lps. I was wondering what amount of wattage i needed and about how many bulbs would be needed to keep sps in a standard 29 g tank?also what colors would you use?

 

[chrissreef]

Hi, what are some good T5 reflectors? I have some coralvue ones and I think there could be better ones out there.

I also thought about just going w/o reflectors and just getting 2x the # of bulbs since my only goal is to supplement 250MH (make tank appear bluer)

Thanks!

 

[rtparty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13988443#post13988443 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chrissreef
Hi, what are some good T5 reflectors? I have some coralvue ones and I think there could be better ones out there.

I also thought about just going w/o reflectors and just getting 2x the # of bulbs since my only goal is to supplement 250MH (make tank appear bluer)

Thanks!

IceCap or Reefgeek reflectors are the best

 

[rtparty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13988293#post13988293 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by oneoffcustom
Grim Reefer,

wow you have done one heck of a thread. I tried to read to find a situation like mine but this is split city. I have a 29 gallon that i want to do sps and lps. I was wondering what amount of wattage i needed and about how many bulbs would be needed to keep sps in a standard 29 g tank?also what colors would you use?

I would say 4 bulbs. Either the IceCap retro or a TEK 4 bulb fixture would work. If you can wait a little bit, order the new ATI Sunpower.

Grim has been testing the Sunpower and is really liking it.

As for bulb combo:

ATI Blue Plus
UVL Aquasun
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus

Also click on the red house in Grim's posts. You will find A LOT of info there.

Hope that helps!

 

[rtparty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13988293#post13988293 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by oneoffcustom
Grim Reefer,

wow you have done one heck of a thread. I tried to read to find a situation like mine but this is split city. I have a 29 gallon that i want to do sps and lps. I was wondering what amount of wattage i needed and about how many bulbs would be needed to keep sps in a standard 29 g tank?also what colors would you use?

I would think 4 bulbs is good for that tank. Get the IceCap 4x24W retro or if you want a fixture the TEK 4 bulb or the new ATI Sunpower would be good choices.

Grim has the Sunpower is really liking it.

As for bulbs:

ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue
UVL Aquasun
ATI Blue Plus


Hope that helps!

 

[holdyourlight]

Grim i am running the 4 bulb tek lamp in this config:
blue plus
gman aquablue 11k
blue plus
blue plus

believe it or not its still a little too white for my eyes. obviously i am looking to replace the aquablue in the mix. i tried the uvl 75/25 (14K) but that bulb is a white bulb mixed with an actinic bulb-and is a purple-not a blue bulb. what should i try next? i was thinking a Aquascience 15k, they make a 17.5k but i think that would actually be too much blue with the 3 blue pluses. what do you think?

 

[reefboy12]

Holdyourlight,

Repace youe aquablue with a kz 14k (new generation coral light)...much bluer then a aquablue.

Ron

 

[Todd March]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13994143#post13994143 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefboy12
Holdyourlight,

Repace youe aquablue with a kz 14k (new generation coral light)...much bluer then a aquablue.

Ron

+1

 

[holdyourlight]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13994342#post13994342 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Todd March
+1

Thanks Todd and reefboy, will try that!

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13985717#post13985717 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tsiebel
I guess i could get the luminarc stealth with the double ended. I havnt decided on tank size either i am going back and forth between the 125 72" long and 120 deep 48"long. for the 120 Would you go with 2 250watts hqi in luminarc with 2x 48" t5s front and back? Also if I would go with the 120 is that big enought to house a blue hippo tang?

Those lights would be fine for a 120 but if you want a hippo get a 125 for the extra swim room. My tank is 5 feet long and it isn't really enough for the tang.