The T5 Q&a Thread

[The Grim Reefer]

Re: Halides to t5

Re: Halides to t5

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14257345#post14257345 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hoffmant
I am going from 3-250 hamilton halides to 8 reto tek lights in 60" because of the heat build up in my tank even with lots of fans. The lights are in a hood with the top open but with the fans i go through about 20 plus gal a week. The tank is 68x24x24 and even though i have a chiller i dont want it to run all the time. I live in Canada and there is only 1 dealer in 60" bulbs and all he sells is giesemann. I am getting 2 midday, 3 aquablue, 2 true actinics, 1 actinics plus. Can you suggest a order from front to back and what lights should start in the morning than afternoon than the evening along with run times. Should the 1and3 lights be on one ballast and 2 and 6 be on another? I am verry new to the t5 game and going through your site comments i cant find this answer. The bulb choice is by my supplier because i like my 14000k hamiltons, what so you think. Only giesemann rember.

If you havent ordered lamps I would use more Actinic Plus lamps.

I would do

Actinic Plus I
Aquablue III
Aquaflora (or Midday) III
Actinic Plus II
Midday III
Actinic Plus II
Aquablue II
Actinic Plus I

Id use 2 Ice Cap 660 and 1 Ice Cap 430 ballast with two of the Actinic Plus lamps running on the 430 for stage 1 Dusk Dawn then the other 2 Blue Lamps and 1 Aquablue (The Aquablue is white with a slight blue tint.

 

[goreefers]

Hi Grim, I am getting a 48" 6X54W Tek light fixture tomorrow from a LFS. I was wondering what would be the best bulbs combination as well their arrangements for this particular fixture. I am keeping mostly sps and some lps and 1 clam. Thanks for your help.

 

[sanababit]

Grim, sorry to keep bothering you, i posted some pics of bulb ends, they are blackish as you can see, does this tell me that the bul has lost PAR?, i have a ATI powermodule and the logo ends are where the outlet holes from the fixture are, should i turn them around or get new bulbs and put those with the logo facing the end with no holes on the side of fixture?

Thanks

Sana

 

[Todd March]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14259047#post14259047 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sanababit
...should i turn them around or get new bulbs and put those with the logo facing the end with no holes on the side of fixture?

YES, you should turn them around, this is how you should have themâ€"logo facing the side with no holes. You will notice holes up inside the fixture, at the ends of the reflectors, where the air comes through, cooling the cold spot and then traveling down the tubes to the end where the vent holes are in the side. You can feel the warm air coming out of these vent holes when the fixture is operating...

You might also experience brighter and better colored bulbs by setting your fan converter setting to 9 volts, as I have found...

 

[sanababit]

but what about the black ends, are they burnt?, i had the fan running from spring, SUMMER, fall till january at 4.5v until grim told me i was running the fan to slow so i bump it up to 9v, i am affraid that the bulbs have lost PAR, hey Tod how long have you had your bulbs?, have you changed them?, thanks for your help

Sana

 

[LCN]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14259152#post14259152 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Todd March
YES, you should turn them around, this is how you should have themâ€"logo facing the side with no holes. You will notice holes up inside the fixture, at the ends of the reflectors, where the air comes through, cooling the cold spot and then traveling down the tubes to the end where the vent holes are in the side. You can feel the warm air coming out of these vent holes when the fixture is operating...

You might also experience brighter and better colored bulbs by setting your fan converter setting to 9 volts, as I have found...

Great info. Never knew about the bulb placement. The fan at 9v works wonder.

 

[Todd March]

Grim might have more info on the dark ends, but from your pics it looks like normal fluroescent wear and tear to me...

My bulbs are now 6 months old, and I am starting to replace them. The new UVL actinics are only a month old, and next I'll change out the Blue+, and then a few weeks later the Fijis and Aquablues...

 

[sanababit]

Tod, you decided to change them after 6 months?, did you notice something different, like loss of color on corals, more nuissance algae growth, etc...thanks

Sana

 

[ocarius]

Hey Grimm

Im getting the new ATI fixture coming out for my standard 55 gallon, should i go with 4 x 54 or 6 for color options.. and what bulbs would you use.

Oh this is of course for a reef tank. 3 inch sand base.

Thanks

 

[rtparty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14260474#post14260474 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ocarius
Hey Grimm

Im getting the new ATI fixture coming out for my standard 55 gallon, should i go with 4 x 54 or 6 for color options.. and what bulbs would you use.

Oh this is of course for a reef tank. 3 inch sand base.

Thanks

4 bulb.

ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
ATI Aquablue or GE 6500K
ATI Blue Plus

 

[Todd March]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14260426#post14260426 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sanababit
Tod, you decided to change them after 6 months?, did you notice something different, like loss of color on corals, more nuissance algae growth, etc...thanks

Sana

They are a little dimmer, and the Fiji's highlight pinks and reds a little less, but nothing too terribly dramatic... I have just heard from too many knowlegable European reefers who take the hobby very seriously that after 6-8 months and they should be changed for the best results. We'll see....

 

[ocarius]

Ok T5 fans after long exhausting research I think Ive decided to go with T5's, using an ATI fixture.. either the best one out now, or wait for the Sunpower. I'm using a 55 gallon tank, and it seems that I'll be able to use this setup to run SPS corals without much of an issue.. or at least most of them. How about tridacnid clams? Could they get enough light to survive 18" below the water line in my substrate?

 

[The Escaped Ape]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14254780#post14254780 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rtparty
The order I listed is the order for the bulbs to go in. You want the Pro Color towards the front so it strikes the viewing sides of the corals.

If you want to switch anything you could switch the back 2 bulbs. So like this:

ATI BP
ATI PC
ATI BP
ATI AB

That way if switch 1 and 4 are dusk dawn you get the Aquablue and Blue Plus together for it. Just an idea

Thanks again. I feel like you guys should get some sort of medal for this thread. :beer:

 

[Yuki]

I have a 24" Icecap T5 retro kit. What amount of air flow should i be putting across the end caps? I bought computer fans that blow 31cfm. Will these cool enough and not over cool to keep the bulbs at optimum output? Also, do I need to be blowing across both sides of end caps?

Thank you Yuki

 

[bllfish]

Hi Grim,
Its that time of year again and I need to replace my retro Tek fixture, 4 T5 54W bulbs. I believe you told me to use
front to back

ATI blue +
UVL Super Actinic
UVL Aquasun
ATI blue +

Is this correct or do you have a better recommendation?

Thanks for your suggestions over the years.
Bill

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14258896#post14258896 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by goreefers
Hi Grim, I am getting a 48" 6X54W Tek light fixture tomorrow from a LFS. I was wondering what would be the best bulbs combination as well their arrangements for this particular fixture. I am keeping mostly sps and some lps and 1 clam. Thanks for your help.

Front
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Aquasun
ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
ATI Blue Plus

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14259223#post14259223 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sanababit
but what about the black ends, are they burnt?, i had the fan running from spring, SUMMER, fall till january at 4.5v until grim told me i was running the fan to slow so i bump it up to 9v, i am affraid that the bulbs have lost PAR, hey Tod how long have you had your bulbs?, have you changed them?, thanks for your help

Sana

The Black ends are not a happy thing but doesn't mean the lamps are dead either. If you have any spare lamps that are new or slightly used try throwing one in next to the same lamp in the fixture and see if the old lamp is noticably darker than the new one.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14260474#post14260474 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ocarius
Hey Grimm

Im getting the new ATI fixture coming out for my standard 55 gallon, should i go with 4 x 54 or 6 for color options.. and what bulbs would you use.

Oh this is of course for a reef tank. 3 inch sand base.

Thanks

If you plan on anything other than SPS Clams and anemones stick with 4 lamps.

Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
GE 6500K Daylight
Blue Plus looks nice

 

[goreefers]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14263886#post14263886 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Front
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Aquasun
ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
ATI Blue Plus

Thank you Grim. will get those bulbs and put them in accordingly.

 

[msn711]

I'm planning to get the Aquactinics TX5 for my new 40 breeder (LPS/SPS) this week. I want a 20k look, something a little bluer than my current Phoenix 14k. I was thinking:

ATI Blue Plus
KZ Fiji Purple
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue Special
ATI Blue Plus

Is this a good idea?