The T5 Q&a Thread

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<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14640128#post14640128 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by snaza
How about the 10 bulb PM? Does that turn on 2&8 on 1 ballast. then the other 8.

I guess i love ATI but i've never used one. i have no experience with any fixtures as i run IC retros on both tanks.

what fixtures have you used and tested?

Im going by grims tests and seeing so many nice ATI tanks but i still can decide, 2 x 6 bulb sunpowers or 10 bulb PM for my new(coming soonish) 150x36x20
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I'd be inclined to go 12 lamps over a 36" tank. Before you run out and grab a Sfigiloi I would find out how long that guy's corals have been under that light. I believe my external cooling would be at least as effective as the little fans they use in their active cooling kits.
 
Do a ATI Pro Color instead of the fiji purple. Less money and PAR which you have a whole lot of in an 8 lamp ATI. You might consider using a 3rd actinic Wait!

DO this

Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
ATI Blue Plus
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
UVL Super Actinic
ATI Blue Plus

The 75/25's will give you red and actinic without blasting the corals too much, GE will bring out the green and yellow

I am assuming the outer 4 lamps are dusk/dawn.

With a lot of ricordias that mix of lamps should give you sick color.


mmmmm. im not sure. i know you are the pro, but will i loose any of the blue? Im big on the deep-water look. i am planning on having mostly lps with sps up high, and right now i have about 60 ricordeas. what about swapping the first 75/25 with another super actinic?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14640347#post14640347 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by stratman8
thanks for the reply rtparty. With t5s does it really matter how much blue light vs white light you have when it comes to coral health? I know actinic light doesnt do much good other than making the colors "pop", so arent the blue+ bulbs almost the same as actinic? I mean you couldn't use all blue+ or figi pruple blubs could you? I'm sorry but most of this comes very confusing to me :eek1:. Also I never had a tek fixture, I was thinking of getting one, but instead I chose the powermodule. Right now I have a nova extreme 4x54 t5 and a coralife 4x65 watt power compact fixture sitting over the 75gal and its time for an upgrade. Thanks for your help.
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The Blue Plus T5's have better PAR than the daylights so it is really a matter of personal taste.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14635619#post14635619 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Constellation could be sweet for a mixed reef. Full Blown SPS too as long as you place the corals right. Solar flare is good but there better not be any lower light stuff in the tank
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I've good zoos/mushrooms on the bottom, soft low/mid level softies and LPS - All SPS is mid level to upper which is still 7-8 inches from the water surface and another couple to the light source.

I don't want too much light where it harms anything, but if I'm spending some good money on it I'd like to have a light that I can pretty much put in anything I want.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14641322#post14641322 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by stratman8
Do a ATI Pro Color instead of the fiji purple. Less money and PAR which you have a whole lot of in an 8 lamp ATI. You might consider using a 3rd actinic Wait!

DO this

Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
ATI Blue Plus
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
UVL Super Actinic
ATI Blue Plus

The 75/25's will give you red and actinic without blasting the corals too much, GE will bring out the green and yellow

I am assuming the outer 4 lamps are dusk/dawn.

With a lot of ricordias that mix of lamps should give you sick color.


mmmmm. im not sure. i know you are the pro, but will i loose any of the blue? Im big on the deep-water look. i am planning on having mostly lps with sps up high, and right now i have about 60 ricordeas. what about swapping the first 75/25 with another super actinic?
Click to expand...

If you want the deepwater look I would probably drop the GE and do either a Blue Plus or actinic, maybe aquablue. Order and extra lamp or 2 so you can play. I think you will like the look of the 75/25 with the blue plus if you have pink or purple critters in the tank. With just blue plus and actinics pink corals look steel grey.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14641378#post14641378 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by customdusty
I've good zoos/mushrooms on the bottom, soft low/mid level softies and LPS - All SPS is mid level to upper which is still 7-8 inches from the water surface and another couple to the light source.

I don't want too much light where it harms anything, but if I'm spending some good money on it I'd like to have a light that I can pretty much put in anything I want.
Click to expand...

Constellation should do good.
 
yeah the majority of the rics are pink/orange, so i will keep the 75/25s. i'll prob switch the GE for another actinic tho just for the deepwater look, plus "pop" in colors actinics have. Thanks for your help, and please, if you have anymore ideas let me know.
 
im upgrading my Nova Extreme Pro 6 bulb and i just ordered 2 blue+, 2 Aquablue, a fiji purp, and a GE 6500k. ive heard this combo mentioned many times but i just need a few words of encouragement to make me feel better about all the money i just spent lol. how dramatic will the increase in visible light be if any? i do want my corals to pop but i dont really like the super blue look. how will this color combo compare? thanks
 
yea!! Grim.... I finally ordered my bulbs....they were only due to be replaced in September! :( It is a miracle my corals are still alive and doing as well as they are...

here is what I ordered...

4 blue plus
4 454 blue
2 fiji purple
2 aqua blue special
2 super actinic
2 procolor

thinking of first trying this combo..

blue plus
super actinic
fiji purple
454
Aquablue
blue plus
454

what do you think? Am I even close??? Is that a good combo and bulb order...or should they be in some other configuration??? What other combos with the bulbs I ordered would you try??? Again, I am looking for BLUE with POP....I guess some growth would be nice too.... LOL :)


Thanks, Grim!!!
 
What color would this combo give?

Blue plus
Koral Light
Aquascience Duo
Blue plus

I am needing a 14k look with some added red to color red and pink corals. UVL does not make 60" lamps so I had to choose from those. I am afraid fiji purple will be too much red, which I don't want. Thx
 
Hey Grim,

What bulbs would bring out the most color out of SPS corals in a set up with two T5's (front and back) with two 250 watt XM 10k MH bulbs in the middle? It's a retro in a canopy. MH are 10" off the water with T5's 3" off.
 
Hey Grim, setting up a prop tank dims are 36"24"15tall...will be picking up a SLS tek light 4 bulb 39watt fixture this weekend. I was told I should go with the Geismann bulbs. My question to you is is there a noticeable difference between Geismann and ATI bulbs? I'm planning on keeping/growing some LPS, but mostly zoanthids/palys. What bulb combo would you suggest for best color and growth? Both In Geismann and ati bulbs? thanks for your time.
 
Alright, thanks for the help guys, bulbs are on order!

So, a question on installation. Is it okay for me to replace all my bulbs at once, or should I do only a couple a day to give my tank time to adapt?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14643082#post14643082 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Blinding Reef
Hey Grim, setting up a prop tank dims are 36"24"15tall...will be picking up a SLS tek light 4 bulb 39watt fixture this weekend. I was told I should go with the Geismann bulbs. My question to you is is there a noticeable difference between Geismann and ATI bulbs? I'm planning on keeping/growing some LPS, but mostly zoanthids/palys. What bulb combo would you suggest for best color and growth? Both In Geismann and ati bulbs? thanks for your time.
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On a 24" wide tank I would go with the 6 bulb Tek at a minimum. You will be glad you have more than 4 bulbs.


There is not a huge difference between ATI and Gmann but the ATI bulbs seem to last a little longer and have better output.

ATI Blue Plus
UVL Actinic White
GE 6500K
ATI Blue Plus

or

Gmann Actinic+
UVL Actinic White
Gmann Midday
Gmann Actinic+
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14642946#post14642946 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Phillybean
Hey Grim,

What bulbs would bring out the most color out of SPS corals in a set up with two T5's (front and back) with two 250 watt XM 10k MH bulbs in the middle? It's a retro in a canopy. MH are 10" off the water with T5's 3" off.
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2 ATI Blue Pluses.

I would try to get the T5's at least 4" off the water to cut down on splashing. Salt creep and splashing wreaks havoc on reflectors.
 
Can the Icecap 430 ballast run 4 x 54w T5s???

I see different stats on different pages:

"One ballast can operate any combination, up to 4 lamps, with a total not exceeding 330 Watts."

also

"A Model 430 can operate up to 12 lamp feet with a total of 324 rated lamp watts. Individual lamps can be 2 through 6 feet each. This corresponds to 10 different lamp configurations. "

4 x 54w would be 16 feet and 216w... so way under the 320watts but over the 12 feet limit.

Is it really bad to run 16 feet 216w on a 430????? I dont think I'd want to run 54w bulbs on a 660.
 
Currently here's what I've got:

Icecap 660: (2) x 80w ATI Blue+
Icecap 660: (2) x 140w VHO Actinic
MH lights (but for how much longer? :) )

Now I know I can run 3 x 80w on both of my 660's and get 6 lamps from those two ballasts.

I'd like to try and fit 10 lamps in there; they will fit fine it's just a matter of the right ballast/bulb combo.

So I'd like to fit 4 x 54w on a 430. But if that's not doable then I suppose 9 bulbs total isn't bad: (6) x 80w + (3) x 54w.

Unless somebody has an idea for how to stuff another lamp with those 3 ballasts, its definitely not worth a 4th ballast to get a 10th bulb.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14645112#post14645112 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by nickbme06
man, is this site for real on prices?? or is the stuff just crap??

http://www.aquatraders.com/aquarium...-216w-4x-54w-t5-ho-light-fixture-advance.html
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As stated above total crap!

Stay away from anything ebay and especially Odyssea(JBJ). I had one once and the ballast gave me problems from day one and the bulbs they came looked horrendous!

As Grim said the ATI Sunpower is your best bet but I also think the TEK will do good if you cool the fixture with some external fans.
 
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