The T5 Q&a Thread

[rtparty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14395323#post14395323 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cash cow
hey Grim............ Just got my ATI Sunpower today and it is unbelievable...........I can't believe the output on this baby!!! Here's my problem though..........Bulbs 2 and 5 fire up first, so i need a better combo..........Here's what I have...

ATI Blue Plus
Fiji Purple
ATI aquasun blue
ATI Blue Plus
6500 K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus

Please give me the best order to put them in Front to Back........Thanks........ and also thanks for recommending this light to me, this thing is unreal............i wouldn't even want to imagine how much light the powermodule puts out!!!

ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus
Fiji Purple
GE 6500K
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Blue Plus

 

[Todd March]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14392756#post14392756 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by daveonbass
thanks...I think I will go with my first plan and get the PM that I have been saving for.

I have also heard that the PM is quieter...and that is a huge plus for me...I want this tank to stay as quiet as possible.

But on to the second part of the question...what bulb choice is going to be best. I want to do SPS in here...but a general bulb layout for most all corals would be appreciated. ( I understand that shrooms and stuff may have to be shaded.

thanks again guys you all are always a huge help.

dave

Dave, SPS, some overall corals, helps, but how blue do you like your lighting? The bluer the better for coloration...? Have you seen a lot of reef tanks, and know what a blue tank looks like? That helps to know...

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14393992#post14393992 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dse18612
Is it possible to fit 2 t5 bulbs under the TekII reflectors? I'm currently running pc with single reflector and I have read that t5's under single reflector isn't much of an upgrade.

I know f someone that placed two T5's per Ice Cap reflector and had good results.

 

[Allan_C83]

I'm new to T5. I recently bought the IceCap T5 from ReefGeek. I don't think it has a fan on the fixture, so I'm adding one. How should I place the fan? I have a corner tank with an opening on each side. Should the fan be blowing air at the lights or pulling the air out from underneath the canopy? Thanks.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14394120#post14394120 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rockon
I decided to go T5 instead of m/h. Reasons are unless using the newer lumenbright ,you are wasting light , plus the fact they need to mount high to be effective. [I don't like a very tall canopy]

With that said i have some questions lingering.
1) What is the negative from overdriving. [IC 660-009] vs like a Advance HO 2x54 ballast. ?
2) Can someone recommend a bulb combo for 6x54 ?
^ This will be retro into my canopy. Using either the Aquanetinics or Icecap SLRs [Per Grims recommendations of them to others]

I keep mostly mushrooms ,zoos ,buttons. But would also like a clam and maybe a LPS. But can live without the clam.

You are going to need to get creative to keep all those different critters happy under T5's.

I am assuming your tank is the 72 x18 footprint 125? Going to have to get creative to keep those critters happy

get a normally driven 8 x 54 retro setup using the Aquactinics reflectors and standoffs. Stagger every other lamp end to end to cover the length of the tank. That will give you a section about 2 wide in the middle with coverage from 8 lamps that will support clams, SPS and higher light LPS. 2 feet on each side will have 4 lamp coverage which will be fine for softies.

When you install the lamps place the label end of the lamps so they are in the endcaps that are at the outer edges. Then you can mount a 4" fan on each side of the canopy blowing in from the back down the rows of endcaps.

For lamps

Front
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Blue Plus
KZ Fiji Purple
KZ Fiji Purple
ATI Aquablue
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Blue Plus

they will be in the tank like this

Row 1 ----------------------
-------------------- Row 2
Row 3 ----------------------
--------------------- Row 4

etc.

Run them on the ballasts in pairs so 1 & 2, 3 & 4, 5 & 6 and 7 & 8 come on in pairs.

DIY reef and Aquacave both have the aquactinic reflectors and standoffs.

 

[Heavy Hittah]

ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus
Aquablue Special 12k
ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
ATI Blue Plus

anyone got a pic of this setup lit up

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14395323#post14395323 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cash cow
hey Grim............ Just got my ATI Sunpower today and it is unbelievable...........I can't believe the output on this baby!!! Here's my problem though..........Bulbs 2 and 5 fire up first, so i need a better combo..........Here's what I have...

ATI Blue Plus
Fiji Purple
ATI aquasun blue
ATI Blue Plus
6500 K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus

Please give me the best order to put them in Front to Back........Thanks........ and also thanks for recommending this light to me, this thing is unreal............i wouldn't even want to imagine how much light the powermodule puts out!!!

Front
ATI Blue Plus
Fiji Purple
ATI Blue Plus
GE Daylight
Blue Plus
Aquablue

or

Aquablue
Blue Plus
Fiji Purple
GE
BP
BP

or

BP
BP
FP
GE
BP
AB

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14397066#post14397066 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Allan_C83
I'm new to T5. I recently bought the IceCap T5 from ReefGeek. I don't think it has a fan on the fixture, so I'm adding one. How should I place the fan? I have a corner tank with an opening on each side. Should the fan be blowing air at the lights or pulling the air out from underneath the canopy? Thanks.

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.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14397367#post14397367 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Heavy Hittah
ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus
Aquablue Special 12k
ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
ATI Blue Plus

anyone got a pic of this setup lit up

Don't have a pic but it should be 14+ K blue and pivk up all colors very good.

 

[Heavy Hittah]

thnx for the info grim, any of you guys got pictures of the tek fixture screwed into the canopy or attached to a sliding rail. in particular the 8x54w fixture

 

[GrampaDon]

Grim ,thanks for the bulb ideas.
Also the tank size is still undecided either 60x24x24 or 48x24x24.

So i assume you don't recommend overdriving T5s [like the IC660-009 does] Can you elaborate why.?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14397271#post14397271 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
You are going to need to get creative to keep all those different critters happy under T5's.

I am assuming your tank is the 72 x18 footprint 125? Going to have to get creative to keep those critters happy

get a normally driven 8 x 54 retro setup using the Aquactinics reflectors and standoffs. Stagger every other lamp end to end to cover the length of the tank. That will give you a section about 2 wide in the middle with coverage from 8 lamps that will support clams, SPS and higher light LPS. 2 feet on each side will have 4 lamp coverage which will be fine for softies.

When you install the lamps place the label end of the lamps so they are in the endcaps that are at the outer edges. Then you can mount a 4" fan on each side of the canopy blowing in from the back down the rows of endcaps.

For lamps

Front
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Blue Plus
KZ Fiji Purple
KZ Fiji Purple
ATI Aquablue
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Blue Plus

they will be in the tank like this

Row 1 ----------------------
-------------------- Row 2
Row 3 ----------------------
--------------------- Row 4

etc.

Run them on the ballasts in pairs so 1 & 2, 3 & 4, 5 & 6 and 7 & 8 come on in pairs.

DIY reef and Aquacave both have the aquactinic reflectors and standoffs.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14397503#post14397503 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rockon
Grim ,thanks for the bulb ideas.
Also the tank size is still undecided either 60x24x24 or 48x24x24.

So i assume you don't recommend overdriving T5s [like the IC660-009 does] Can you elaborate why.?

6 rows of lamps would work for either tank using the Ice Cap reflectors.

If you overdrive the lamps you will play hell keeping shrooms happy. As it is it will take them a while to adapt to the increased light but they do.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14397495#post14397495 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Heavy Hittah
thnx for the info grim, any of you guys got pictures of the tek fixture screwed into the canopy or attached to a sliding rail. in particular the 8x54w fixture

If you are lucky enough to have this style of tek light you can slide the guts out of the housing and mount the frame in a canopy

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=13675717#post13675717

 

[daveonbass]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14390973#post14390973 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by daveonbass
...getting a 36" fixture...with 6 bulbs...

What would be an ideal bulb combo so I can order them from RG when I buy the ATI. (I kind of like the 20K look, but I just want good steady growth.)

this was what I was hoping to achieve...but it's all just preference. I'm new to T5s but I loved the color and grown I got under 1x150w 20K MH.

So I like the 20K look, but again...just mainly a general pleasing over all apperance...and colors that pop. But I want my corals to be happy.

dave

 

[Mitsuko]

Does anyone know what the shortest t5 ho lamp is? I have a 5 gallon nano. Nova Extreme has the 18" Light with 2x20 watt bulbs. Would this be sufficient if changing to a 10 gallon tank since its such a shallow tank? Any replacement bulbs for such a small fixture? Thanks!

 

[daveonbass]

as far as we all know, Current is the only ones that make any bulbs for that small of a fixture...so the bulbs that come with it are all you CAN get at the moment. But from what I've seen in the NEP thread...that fixture is more than enough for most tiny nanos...many people are raving about it.

dave

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14398628#post14398628 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by daveonbass
this was what I was hoping to achieve...but it's all just preference. I'm new to T5s but I loved the color and grown I got under 1x150w 20K MH.

So I like the 20K look, but again...just mainly a general pleasing over all apperance...and colors that pop. But I want my corals to be happy.

dave

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.

 

[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.

 

[LCN]

I would swap the actinic for a ATI Aquablue.

 

[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.