The T5 Q&a Thread

[chatyak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14400955#post14400955 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chatyak
Good day folks.

Just thought I'd ask for opinions here as well.

Currently I have the 48" TX5 T5 from Aquactinics over my 125 gallon, but I'd like to upgrade, or do I even need to?

I have GSP, Hammer, Frogspawn, and one ricordea, with a frag shipment of more LPS, Ricordeas, and some Acroporas and montiporas coming in.

If I need to upgrade, would this kit be ok?

Please let me know your reasoning, I am not well versed in lighting except that some coral need higher lighting and it depends on the tank depth.

Nevermind on that hood on eBay... read junk reviews.

Can I take apart the inside of my TX5 T5 light hood and just attach the bulbs to a canopy? Then add a few more bulbs to complete a retro kit?

I have never done anything like this so some detailed help would be greatly appreciated

 

[JOESWOODWORKS]

Which Bulb order should I use?

Which Bulb order should I use?

I just ordere this retrofit kit, 48" 4x54W SLR item # CI0049 from the Reefgeek. I also ordered these bulbs, ATI blue plus, UVL 75/25, ATI Aqua sun and ATI Blue plus. Which order should I put them in starting from front to back? Also, which order for dusk to dawn? I have a 75RR Gallon tank.

 

[Todd March]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14399845#post14399845 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
5 blue plus and 1 fiji Purple would be a great place to start. Order an ATI Aquablue as a spare and try it in the mix as well.

I'm with Grim, 4 Blue+ and 1 Fiji and 1 Aquablue is a great 20K look for coral coloration...

 

[louisvilleboy]

grim my tank is 72 inchs long i ordered the 8 bulbs 660 retro kit the bulbs are 60 inchs long they do not cover my tank i will have about 4 inchs on both ends that has no lights what should i do and my reflectors will be touching will that make a difference thanks

 

[muzz]

Who is selling the ATI sunpower? I did not see it on reefgeek site.

 

[MBVette]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14402385#post14402385 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by muzz
Who is selling the ATI sunpower? I did not see it on reefgeek site.

they have it, but its not on their site yet.

 

[zlwags85]

Grim - a few weeks ago I asked what the optimal number of bulbs for a 96"X30"wideX24"tall would be and you suggested 12. I have been looking at a ton of different retro kits for my canopy and need some help. I can swing somewhere in the 1,500 ballpark and was looking at doing 10 wide with the Icecap 660 Ballast and 48" bulbs. I would need 5 units to cover this and with the current President sale at champion, this would get me around that figure w/ Current USA bulbs.

Would this be a ok/good/great/superb option for that amount of money or could you suggest something better? Would 8 wide and a better unit be better or 12 and cheaper? I'm all ears!

link: http://www.championlighting.com/product.php?productid=21645&cat=688&bestseller

Want to keep LPS, few softies, and would like to have the option of a clam on the sandbed. Thanks tons!

 

[Joel A]

hey Grim, looking for the right color combination for my ATI sunpower fixture.

I'm pretty much looking to achieve the most PAR as possible, without getting yellow... looking for a crisp white to slight blue color, but still plenty of PAR (for sps).

Thanks..

 

[jennmac415]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14401136#post14401136 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Todd March
I'm with Grim, 4 Blue+ and 1 Fiji and 1 Aquablue is a great 20K look for coral coloration...

do you of any pics showing this combo??

 

[TriggerHappyDude]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14402750#post14402750 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Joander123
hey Grim, looking for the right color combination for my ATI sunpower fixture.

I'm pretty much looking to achieve the most PAR as possible, without getting yellow... looking for a crisp white to slight blue color, but still plenty of PAR (for sps).

Thanks..

Joander, I'm looking for the same color, a crisp white, with an ATI 4x24w 24" Powermodule, and I was told that (2) Aquablue Specials and (2) Blue Plus ATI 24w bulbs would give me that color I'm looking for.

I'm curious to what Grim has to say about this. I'm really not a blue light fan at all, so all white, crisp white to me is my goal. I could live with maybe a small tint of blue, but I just love the white!

 

[tdawgnjlo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14397427#post14397427 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Install your lamps so the labels are all at one end and blow the fan across those lamp ends, not the center of the tube.

Grim, is it better to have a fan blow at each end of the lights, or just the label end. I have two 3" fans and was going to set them to blow are on each end of the 54 watt T5's? If not ideal, would it hurt anything to have a fan blowing on each end of the T5 light light bulbs?

 

[Crawf71]

new tank getting set up. a question

new tank getting set up. a question

Good Day Grim,


Like many I'm in the process of setting up a new tank 48x24x24. I sort of torn between some lights. My options of course are 2x250w halides or a 48" Nova Extreme Pro, 6x54w fixture.(only cause I have it on hand). Will the t5 fixture work for this tank? And if so I used a bulb combo of

Front
Blue Plus
Super Actinic
Aquasun
Blue Plus
Blue Plus Aquablue special.

Will this combo work for beginner SPS, like Birdsnest? I got impessive growth from my monti cap and softies using this combo in my 72, I guess im unsure because of the number of bulb. So will this fixture work for this tank? And what combo would I use to get good growth and be a little blue, sort of like Phoenix 14ks halides.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14400464#post14400464 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by silentscream
like daveonbass above, I really enjoy the spectrum of the 20k bulbs. I've accumulated quite a few different 54W bulbs over the course of a year in trying to find the spectrum I like the most.

Most current setup. 4x54W tek retrofit kit, 3" above water.

Front
Blue +
Actinic
Fiji Purple
Blue +
Back

Is there enough output by this bulb combination to sustain corals? I've only had this combo for 2 or 3 days and have not seen any problems. I have Zoa's & LPS on the lower levels of the tank and SPS frags in the middle to upper levels of the tank, either mounted or on a magnetic frag rack.

Depends how tall your tank is but I would probably drop the actinic for an Aquablue

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14400978#post14400978 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chatyak
Nevermind on that hood on eBay... read junk reviews.

Can I take apart the inside of my TX5 T5 light hood and just attach the bulbs to a canopy? Then add a few more bulbs to complete a retro kit?

I have never done anything like this so some detailed help would be greatly appreciated

I'd probably sell the TX5 and put the cash towards a 6x80 watt refrofit.

I'd buy the 72" Nova Pro Extreme T5 system before the E bay junk.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14402247#post14402247 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by louisvilleboy
grim my tank is 72 inchs long i ordered the 8 bulbs 660 retro kit the bulbs are 60 inchs long they do not cover my tank i will have about 4 inchs on both ends that has no lights what should i do and my reflectors will be touching will that make a difference thanks

Just use the last 6 inches or so at each end of the tank for Mushrooms or other low light critters. .

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14402636#post14402636 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by zlwags85
Grim - a few weeks ago I asked what the optimal number of bulbs for a 96"X30"wideX24"tall would be and you suggested 12. I have been looking at a ton of different retro kits for my canopy and need some help. I can swing somewhere in the 1,500 ballpark and was looking at doing 10 wide with the Icecap 660 Ballast and 48" bulbs. I would need 5 units to cover this and with the current President sale at champion, this would get me around that figure w/ Current USA bulbs.

Would this be a ok/good/great/superb option for that amount of money or could you suggest something better? Would 8 wide and a better unit be better or 12 and cheaper? I'm all ears!

link: http://www.championlighting.com/product.php?productid=21645&cat=688&bestseller

Want to keep LPS, few softies, and would like to have the option of a clam on the sandbed. Thanks tons!

First hit reefgeek for the retros, for an extra 10 bux per retro kit you get to select your lamps, I wouldn't use current brand lamps on Ice Cap ballasts.

What you can do is get 1 VHO T5 retro (with IC Ballast) and set up 2 rows of lamps side by side and mount those over the area where you want clams or even SPS down lower in the tank and use the Ice Cap HO retros (Spec T5 Ballasts) for the rest of the tank. I must Have been thinking 30" tall. 10 rows of lamps should work on that setup. You could go with 4 rows over driven IC VHO T5's back over the front edge of the rock work/rear of the sandbed then use 4 rows of HO Tek II T5 retros (Wider Reflectors) over the rest. Thats 22" of illumination front to back. With the lamp array centered you will be stylin for about anything you want to raise.

Front
HO
HO
VHO
VHO
VHO
VHO
HO
HO

If you have enough timers you can set it up so the HO lamps turn on one row at a time (2 lamps per ballast) and 2 rows at a shot for the VHO's. Should be cool as far as a ramp up to full lighting.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14402750#post14402750 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Joander123
hey Grim, looking for the right color combination for my ATI sunpower fixture.

I'm pretty much looking to achieve the most PAR as possible, without getting yellow... looking for a crisp white to slight blue color, but still plenty of PAR (for sps).

Thanks..

4 ATI Aquablue, 1 ATI Blue Plus and one UVL Actinic White. Whole Lot of PAR.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14402938#post14402938 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ChrisMc73
Joander, I'm looking for the same color, a crisp white, with an ATI 4x24w 24" Powermodule, and I was told that (2) Aquablue Specials and (2) Blue Plus ATI 24w bulbs would give me that color I'm looking for.

I'm curious to what Grim has to say about this. I'm really not a blue light fan at all, so all white, crisp white to me is my goal. I could live with maybe a small tint of blue, but I just love the white!

Do 3 ATI Aquablues and a Fiji Purple. The Aquablues ate ice white with a slight amount of blue. With the slight purple of the fiju lamp you should be looking like 10K halide with good actinics running.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14403606#post14403606 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tdawgnjlo
Grim, is it better to have a fan blow at each end of the lights, or just the label end. I have two 3" fans and was going to set them to blow are on each end of the 54 watt T5's? If not ideal, would it hurt anything to have a fan blowing on each end of the T5 light light bulbs?

Having a little air hitting each end is my preferred method. The high end fixtures concentrate on the label end but the air flows past the opposite end too.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Re: new tank getting set up. a question

Re: new tank getting set up. a question

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14403806#post14403806 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Crawf71
Good Day Grim,


Like many I'm in the process of setting up a new tank 48x24x24. I sort of torn between some lights. My options of course are 2x250w halides or a 48" Nova Extreme Pro, 6x54w fixture.(only cause I have it on hand). Will the t5 fixture work for this tank? And if so I used a bulb combo of

Front
Blue Plus
Super Actinic
Aquasun
Blue Plus
Blue Plus Aquablue special.

Will this combo work for beginner SPS, like Birdsnest? I got impessive growth from my monti cap and softies using this combo in my 72, I guess im unsure because of the number of bulb. So will this fixture work for this tank? And what combo would I use to get good growth and be a little blue, sort of like Phoenix 14ks halides.

I wouldn't try SPS in a 24" tall tank with the Pro, you just don't have much margin for error unless you keep the SPS on top of the rocks. If you try it use the mix you list except use a Aquablue instead of the Super Actinic, you'll need the extra PAR.