The T5 Q&a Thread

[westmoorenerd]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14096029#post14096029 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Crustman
Hi Grim,
I don't understand this. My T-5 fixture is 35 1/2 inches long. My bulbs without counting the prongs are 33 inches long. With the prongs, about 34 1/2 inches. My bulbs are 39 Watt. Bulbs that I have found (ATI) are 24 inch, 36 inch or 48 inch. I have a 8 bulb fixture that came with my setup. Do I look for 33 inch bulbs for this. It is a 65 gallon tall tank. I was really looking forward to the ATI bulbs but don't know where to buy them at a 33 inch size. What bulbs can I use?
Thanks

You're going to want to look for the 36" lights.... easiest way to check is to go by wattage.

 

[Crustman]

Thanks Westmoorenerd, I wonder why they are called 36 inches when they are shorter than this?

 

[westmoorenerd]

size of bulbs with holders? idk

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14086937#post14086937 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jcjule
hi grim

I need some advice here
I just set up a new lighting system with an icecap 660 009, 4 24w T5s (2 actinics & 2 10K) and waterproof endcaps.
All new from Drs Foster & Smith
I set up the system and everything worked fine

I have been turning the system on for 1 hour the last 4 days until yesterday that it would not start
The 2 actinics start for 1 second and then shut off, and the 2 10,000K seem burned at the ends

I've been told that this happened because i don't have fans so i will install them this week. How many fans?
Also, do you have any other idea what may have cause this?

One fan blowing in from the back at each end so the air is directed at the lamp ends/encaps.



You may have fried those two lamps. Make sure they are in the endcaps all the way. You could swap their positions with the others and see if they flash when you turn on the ballast. If the IC ballast detects a lose or bad lamp it shuts down. Usually if the lamp and circuit is good it will flash when the ballast is first turned on.

If you move the lamps and they don't flash they are probably toast. If they do flash and the two you swapped them out with don't then you need to check your wiring connections and endcaps.

If you follow the brown pair and purple pair of wires out from the ballast you will see that one of each of those wires go to a endcap rather than having two wires going to each endcap like on the other side of the lamps. There will be a jumper wire running between each of the two endcaps with the same color wires. If either of those jumpers has come lose it would cause the exact symptom you are describing.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14088136#post14088136 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Icefire
Well I think I'll try to find 2 used Icecap 430 to power 6x 54w overdrived and put some reflector on them.

Another 400$ at least..

You need one 430 and one 660. You can only run 2 T5 lamps on a 430. (Ice Cap says you MAY be able to run 3 24 watt lamps)

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14088548#post14088548 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by KisselDanny
Grim,
I just bought a 48" tek 5 8X54w T5 lighting fixture for my 75g tank and I have a couple questions. First of all Im not sure how I should place the bulbs. I have four actinic+ and for aquablue+ right now(should I have 4 of each?). Should I place two actinic+ bulbs on each edge of the fixture and then put the four aquablue+ bulbs in the middle so they turn on seperatly? Also how high should the light be from the water? My tank is 20" deep. Thanks.

You can place the lamps like that. I would pull one Aquablue and put a UVL Aquasun in it's place. Could use an ATI Pro Color or UVL 75/25 or GE 6500K Daylight instead. You are just boosting the Red, Yellow and light green spectrum to help bring out Yellow, purple and pink colors.

Keep the fixture at least 4" above the water/

 

[ReefEnabler]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14096334#post14096334 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Crustman
Thanks Westmoorenerd, I wonder why they are called 36 inches when they are shorter than this?

I think 36" is just "nominal" and not an exact measure. Yes I hate that stuff too but it makes for a nice round 3ft number I guess

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14088875#post14088875 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by o0jmadr0x0o
what blue bulb are you reffering to? i want to add more blue to my tank, but do not want to sacrifice growth.

ATI Blue Plus

The Quantum PAR meter I use under reads blue spectrum. I always figured that meat a basically white lamp with a lot of extra blue added like the Aquablues probably were the highest PAR lamps. They may be but according to people who attended a conference where Sanjay Joshi spoke when he did his PAR tests on T5's using a spectrometer he found the ATI Blue Plus had higher PAR than the UVL Aquasun which was the highest PAR I had seen out of the current selection of lamps

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Re: Re: Re: Bulb Question

Re: Re: Re: Bulb Question

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14089017#post14089017 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefer357
Grim, thanks for the response I was thinking about getting new fixture and since the Aquactinics Constellation and the 6 bulb ATI power module are almost the same price which one would you recommend? Like I said before mostly zoos and acans in the tank with 22" depth and 48" across.

Thanks

ATI, It's sweet.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14089067#post14089067 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by camlov2
I am setting up a 50 (36x18x18) gallon tank which will include sps for sure (maybe a clam later). I was wondering what 36 inch light fixture you would recommend? The shop I normally deal with sells Tek lights but I have heard good things about aquactinics.

tek 6 bulbs
aquactinics 5 bulbs (but better cooling?)

also what bulbs would you recommend with the light you pick?

Thanks in advance.

Brian

Aquactinics

Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Super Actinic
UVL Aquasun
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14089254#post14089254 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by snaza
Other way round

The ATI blue plus actually has slightly more PAR. Grab a blue plus. the aqua blue is white with a blue hue.

Actually I couldn't get that info. I am betting the Aquablue has the higher PAR due to the fact it has a high concentration of blue in it as well.The Blue Plus is probably closer to it than previously thought.

 

[ooja3k]

Today I just received a new set of lights. Same combination as before, but the old ones were 12 mos. old.

It was amazing how much more vibrant the colors in the tank were after putting in the new lights.

If anyones lights are getting oldish, i would highly recommend getting some new bulbs. The difference is absolutely noticeable!!

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14089662#post14089662 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Icefire
Grim, I think I found a better idea, change my overflow type for a vertical one, which would give me 4" more of light to use.

Install 8 reflectors and 8x 54w T5HO (4 with an 660 for daylight, 4x with an WorkHorse7 for Dusk/Dawn).

Bulb choice would probably be:

4 Blue plus
2 Aquablue aplus
1 UVL Super Actinic
1 Daylight

Currently have and I like it:

2x Blue plus
2x Super Actinic
3x Aquablue plus

Suggestion?

What you have listed will look nice, I would go with that.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14089805#post14089805 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by anin
so i am in the process of downgrading from my 75g to a 40breeder(16"deep) or a 50g (18" deep). on the 40g i thought of doing 2 ati slr 2x39w retro kit running 2 blue pluses and then adding either 2 or 4 powerbrites 10,000k. But i think i may get a 50g instead(18"deep) so i am not sure is it worth wasting all that money on the powerbrites? instead i can just get 4x39w retro for the 50g. I don't really want to be experimenting with animals...since i couldn't find info on how good the leds are in par...so should i just get the 4x39w slr kit? or try the led method? Thanks

4 T5's. Use 2 blue Plus, 1 Aquasun and 1 Super Actinic.

 

[deeemaa]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14083853#post14083853 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
No, There is a difference between bent aluminum and real reflectors. The Nova Pro is better than the old version but still is a large step behind the Tek.

thanks alot! you guy are always so helpful! mucb appreciated!:rollface:

 

[snaza]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14097002#post14097002 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Actually I couldn't get that info. I am betting the Aquablue has the higher PAR due to the fact it has a high concentration of blue in it as well.The Blue Plus is probably closer to it than previously thought.

Opps. sorry. My Apogee quatum meter actaully reads the blue plus SLIGHTY higher par.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14090665#post14090665 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by elmatth1
would 6 bulbs be too powerful for mushrooms, rics, and zoos on a 20l tank, or would they be fine if placed near or at the bottom and place the SPS higher up?

I really don't know how powerful the T5's would be on a reef tank as i've never seen them in person. I would like to keep a clam or two once my tank matures for a year or so, though, so I don't want to go with too weak of lighting.

Boy, Clams and Shrooms in that little tank. Thing is the shrooms don't like the bright light but the clams need it. I would maybe look into one of the little Current 1 x 150 watt halide with T5 fixtures. Outter orbit I think they are called.

You could place the clams (and other high light critters) in the center below the halide and the other stuff outside under the T5's.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14092381#post14092381 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jimpierce7
I just ordered a set of bulbs for my NEP.

front?
ATI blue plus
ati procolor
ati blue plus
ge 6500k
ati blue plus
ati aqua blue special

is that the right order for them to be in?

Thats good. the first third and fifth lamps are one the same circuit so you will have the blue plus lamps for dusk/dawn which looks good.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14097087#post14097087 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by snaza
Opps. sorry. My Apogee quatum meter actaully reads the blue plus SLIGHTY higher par.

The Quantum under reads blue. So the blue plus shows say 300 on the Quantum but in reality it is 350. Just pulling numbers out of the air as a demonstration.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14095660#post14095660 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by nicole977
Thanks, so far I've only seen fixtures 48" or 72" on all the regular sites, but no 60"s. I guess 60" is just not a common size. What makes ATI better/different that UVL? Does UVL make the 60" T-5 bulbs too that you know of? All I know is I'm ditching my PCs for something better soon.

Reefgeek has 60" Powermodule fixtures and will had 60" sunpower fixtures soon.

UVL is not making 60" lamps for now. GE, Giesemann, ATI and KZ do. Aquascience probably does too.