The T5 Q&a Thread

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14306407#post14306407 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by XBlade
Mmm...good info. 60" doesn't sound like a bad idea at all. The idea for my tank was to be able to house just about anything with in reason. Having slightly less lighting on the ends could help me achieve this. As far as price, i'd rather not have to sell a kidney, however i do realize lighting can easily be one of the more important things in a tank. I'd prefer to stay under 500 bucks or so just to i don't have to work more overtime =p

Trying to light a 72" tank ain't cheap. There will be a 60" sunpower fixture but you are talking 730 with lamps shipped. You could try a Nova Pro Extreme T5 but it will use 12 lamps (6 rows of 2 39 watt lamps) so it isn't really much cheaper and it will limit you a bit on what you can raise but with good lamps in place of the stock lamps you can probably raise most critters in a 17" tall tank.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14307055#post14307055 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by vasilithegreek
Hey grim/guys,
Im new to the whole lighting game for corals,
I have a 24 gal nano cube and wanted to upgrade to t5 lighting im going to have a little of everything in there lps, sps, softies. What would be a good suggestion for a unit for my nano cube. Im really confused with all the lightings.

What are the dimensions of the tank>

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14308763#post14308763 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by greennd79
will they 75/25 give me the reds like the ati procolor?

I dunno about Like but they do add red. The Pro Color adds more red.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14311729#post14311729 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Corndork2
Hey all Im looking to light a 58g Oceanic 36"x18"x21.5" with only T5's. What is the best, cost effective way to do it? How many bulbs? Retro or fixture? Bulb config? Id like a fixture if it isn't too big of a hit to my wallet. Id also like to have a tank with colors that really pop. If possible maintaing a 12k to 20k look would be great. Id like to be able to keep mostly lps, ricordea, a couple clams and a couple monti's. Whats everyone's opinion?

6 lamp fixture would work fine. I think the ATI Sunpower is around 500 with lamps.

If that is out of the budget a 6 lamp Tek will work too, You would just need to either keep the clams on the rocks or stick with the lower light ones.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14311914#post14311914 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by vangogh121
Bulb selection?
Tank 48x48x24 rimmless
SPS dominant, LPS Zoanthid on bottom
Going from (4) 250 Pheonix.

Going to run 20 bulbs all on ice cap 600's

Please give me some direction on bulbs.

How are the corals placed in the tank? How high above the tank will the lamps be placed? I am betting 16 lamps will be plenty. You may not even need to overdrive them all. That will depend on how high above the water the lamps will be.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14312621#post14312621 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by anin
hey grim, sorry if this question was already asked before but, how are the aquaticLife t5 units? Not sure if you had done any testing on that unit but figured i would ask. My original plan was the icecap 4x39 slr retro..thanks

I know nothink......

A good unit will have cooling and advertise Miro aluminum for Parabolic reflectors.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14313285#post14313285 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by KJAhp098
Hey everybody...

Im trying to find a couple retro kits to set up in my new 300 gallon marineland tank. The dimensions are 6' x 3' and the tank is 27 inches deep. I will be keeping all SPS corals with a few LPS. The top of the tank has 2 braces and I already have a 400 watt halide with a lumenarc retro fixture for the middle section. I am trying to find a good T-5 retro kit that is 36" for the left and the right sections that will fit from front to back. I will also need bulbs so if anybody can help me out I would really appreciate it. I'm more interested in the pastel look but nothing too dark. Below is a picture of how I want the fixtures to be placed.
Thanks!
Ken

If do a 6 x 39 watt ATI sunpower fixture on each side. They would have enough mojo to keep SPS in the upper half of the tank easy. You need to double check the length to make sure they will fit. You could do a 24" fixture if you had to but I think the 36" would be better. If you do retrofits you will need to overdrive them.

I'd mount the fixtures so the center line of each is about a foot from the end of the tank. Best way to do it would probably be to fire up the halide and a fixture and move the fixture side to side and see what looks best. I am thinking a foot because the halide should have the center 2 feet of the tank evenly lit and still pretty good light out from there another 6" each direction. With the 12" wide T5 units mounted with a 1 foot/5 foot center line you have a 6" gap between the sweet spot of the Halides 2 foot spread and the first T5 reflector. The light spread of the T5 and the halide combined in that area should make for a fairly even looking light, You may need to come in a little more toward the center but I would bet a foot is close.

Outside
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus
KZ Fiji Purple
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus
Inside of tank

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14313303#post14313303 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by salty55
has anyone had any experience with the geissmann powerchrome line of bulbs? I'm looking at the g-mann spectrum charts at aquacave and comparing them to ATI an UVL spectrum charts and reefgeek. them seem to be pretty comparible. has any ever taken a par reading from one?

Giesemanns are fine, I've just had a little better output from the ATI lamps and have heard from others that the ATI Blue Pluses hold their color a little longer. I am doing a long term test on that now, not a huge difference in the look that I can see at this point (8 months)

 

[dkirchoff]

Hey Grim, I got a stupid question (forgive me) in regards to spectrums: Where does the 420nm and 460nm lie in the bands of light? If I understand correctly, they lie at end of the progression of 10k, 12k, 14k, 18k and 20k ....and then 420 and 460 right? I just dont know why there isnt one straight way of messuring spectrumes of light with bulbs.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14314399#post14314399 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dkirchoff
Hey Grim, I got a stupid question (forgive me) in regards to spectrums: Where does the 420nm and 460nm lie in the bands of light? If I understand correctly, they lie at end of the progression of 10k, 12k, 14k, 18k and 20k ....and then 420 and 460 right? I just dont know why there isnt one straight way of messuring spectrumes of light with bulbs.

Neither scale is really correctly applied to lighting. If you look fluorescent are typically rated as peak output 420nm or whatever. Kelvin is the apparent color a heated object that is absolute black will glow at a given temperature, 3000 degrees being red and 50,000 being blue.

When referring to Nano Meters you are talking an exact measurement of a wave length of light.

420 violet

460 blue

520 Green (i think from here on, close anyway)

560 Yellow

620 Red

 

[dkirchoff]

so what would it be of a 10k (which is touted as white)? something around 440nm? and 6500k around 580nm? am i close?

 

[ReefEnabler]

a white bulb doesnt really have any single peak, it needs a good balance of different colors in order to appear white.

but I think even what we refer to as "white" bulbs are much more blue focused than white.

 

[KJAhp098]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14314351#post14314351 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
If do a 6 x 39 watt ATI sunpower fixture on each side. They would have enough mojo to keep SPS in the upper half of the tank easy. You need to double check the length to make sure they will fit. You could do a 24" fixture if you had to but I think the 36" would be better. If you do retrofits you will need to overdrive them.

I'd mount the fixtures so the center line of each is about a foot from the end of the tank. Best way to do it would probably be to fire up the halide and a fixture and move the fixture side to side and see what looks best. I am thinking a foot because the halide should have the center 2 feet of the tank evenly lit and still pretty good light out from there another 6" each direction. With the 12" wide T5 units mounted with a 1 foot/5 foot center line you have a 6" gap between the sweet spot of the Halides 2 foot spread and the first T5 reflector. The light spread of the T5 and the halide combined in that area should make for a fairly even looking light, You may need to come in a little more toward the center but I would bet a foot is close.

Outside
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus
KZ Fiji Purple
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus
Inside of tank

Thanks a lot Grim! What bulbs would you add if I did the 8 bulb retro. Also, Which retro kit is best (most efficient) to use? Tek...Icecap...Geiseman

Thanks!

 

[rtparty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14315754#post14315754 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by KJAhp098
Thanks a lot Grim! What bulbs would you add if I did the 8 bulb retro. Also, Which retro kit is best (most efficient) to use? Tek...Icecap...Geiseman

Thanks!

Reefgeek's retro is the best.

Add another KZ Fiji Purple and ATI Blue Plus

 

[lightningfront]

I have a 36" Nova Extreme Pro on a 46 gallon bowfront tank. I am currently running the standard bulbs but have been reading that he current bulbs are not that good so I placed and order earlier in the week for some new bulbs. I was reading a lot of threads on here and ended up ordering:

2x ATI 12000K Aquablue Specials
2x ATI Blue Plus
1x UVL 75/25 14000K
1x KZ Fiji Purple

Hopefully this gives me some nice PAR also the look that I am after.

What is your suggestion for ordering the bulbs in the tank? I have a internal overflow along the back wall of the tank so I have been keeping the corals in the middle and front of the tank if that makes a difference.

 

[rtparty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14317032#post14317032 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lightningfront
I have a 36" Nova Extreme Pro on a 46 gallon bowfront tank. I am currently running the standard bulbs but have been reading that he current bulbs are not that good so I placed and order earlier in the week for some new bulbs. I was reading a lot of threads on here and ended up ordering:

2x ATI 12000K Aquablue Specials
2x ATI Blue Plus
1x UVL 75/25 14000K
1x KZ Fiji Purple

Hopefully this gives me some nice PAR also the look that I am after.

What is your suggestion for ordering the bulbs in the tank? I have a internal overflow along the back wall of the tank so I have been keeping the corals in the middle and front of the tank if that makes a difference.

ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus
KZ Fiji Purple
ATI Aquablue

May need to play with the order for dusk dawn. Try to get both Blue Plus and the 75/25 on dusk dawn if three come on at a time. If only 2 bulbs come on then try the BP and 75/25 together

 

[malawinovice]

Hey Grim

Aquactinics tx5 or ATI sunpower 4 bulb over 75 gallon with softies, LPS, maybe try a clam?

thanks

 

[vangogh121]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14314220#post14314220 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
How are the corals placed in the tank? How high above the tank will the lamps be placed? I am betting 16 lamps will be plenty. You may not even need to overdrive them all. That will depend on how high above the water the lamps will be.

The lights will be hung 12" above the tank, I have some High light pieces as far down as 20"

I am a huge fan of actinic, 20k color with enough light to keep SPS health near the bottom. I am hoping I can acheive this with 20 bulbs on Icecaps.

I will probably make two sepperat hanging canopy, One encasing 12 bulbs the second encasing 8 bulbs.

Here is a quick pic of the tank.

As you can see, I keep SPS pretty far down.

 

[orgtizz]

I've been seeing a lot on here about switching the bulbs in a T5 system. My question is, can you do this with all T5 systems or only a select few? I currently have the Nova Pro Extreme (individual refractors) 6x54watts. Can I change the lighting make-up in them? If so, what would be best for a well rounded tank (60x24x18)?

Last question; how long does the average bulb lest before it needs to be changed?

Thanks

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14315567#post14315567 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReefEnabler
a white bulb doesnt really have any single peak, it needs a good balance of different colors in order to appear white.

but I think even what we refer to as "white" bulbs are much more blue focused than white.

Zactly.