The T5 Q&a Thread

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14707423#post14707423 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by coralfragger101
Welcome to the disgusted with Solaris Group. I have 3 of their crap units that I can't even get service for anymore. I was NEVER able to grow SPS under them and am out over 7k on them. I'm switching to T5's. Just ordered a 48" 8 bulb ATI PowerModule.

I wouldn't give up hope on the Solaris. Someone will swoop in and pick up service on them. There has got to be a way to bypass the stupid controller and just drive the LED's. I wish someone with one of those busted units lived close enough I could dig into one. Even if you had to buy a new power supply and just run the damn thing on or off at least you could get some use out of it.

 

[Speckled Grouper]

Ok thanks....

You mention ATI Blue Plus and Blue Plus, do I assume the second one would be a Gieseman Blue Plus?

I have two of these, would that be enough as far as cooling the bulbs is concerned?

 

[Speckled Grouper]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14708280#post14708280 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
I wouldn't give up hope on the Solaris. Someone will swoop in and pick up service on them. There has got to be a way to bypass the stupid controller and just drive the LED's. I wish someone with one of those busted units lived close enough I could dig into one. Even if you had to buy a new power supply and just run the damn thing on or off at least you could get some use out of it.

My Solaris (I Series) has been working flawlessly and I would be very happy if I could just get some decent color out of it. I can keep clams under it, LPS look good and green acros. That's where it ends, every other acro I put in turns brown eventually...

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14708299#post14708299 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Speckled Grouper
Ok thanks....

You mention ATI Blue Plus and Blue Plus, do I assume the second one would be a Gieseman Blue Plus?

I have two of these, would that be enough as far as cooling the bulbs is concerned?

ATI Blue Plus, just didn't type ATI on some.

With two of those rascals and given you would have plenty of room in the canopy get 2 of the 2 fan units and install them so you have a 2 fan and 4 fan unit outside of the end caps on each side blowing in at the lamps. Should work great for cooling the lamps. Just make sure you install the lamps so the label end of the lamps are in the endcaps next to the fans.

You dont want to blow air on the center part of the lamps. You could use one 4 fan unit blowing in from the back on the center with the label ends mounted in those endcaps with a single fan at each outside end blowing on those rows of endcaps from the back

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14708331#post14708331 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Speckled Grouper
My Solaris (I Series) has been working flawlessly and I would be very happy if I could just get some decent color out of it. I can keep clams under it, LPS look good and green acros. That's where it ends, every other acro I put in turns brown eventually...

In my humble opinion PFO was deceitful in their marketing. I am just a crippled office machine mechanic but I bought a PAR meter. You can't tell me PFO doesn't know the PAR out put of these things. Yet they clam it has the same output as a "250 watt halide". Well there are some pretty crappy 250 watt halides out there. Was the halide in a reflector? was it 20K, what kind of ballast? I mean the whole way they marketed the this just raised a lot of red flags for me. Give me numbers!!!


Rant over.

 

[cerobbins]

I am looking to purchase a new light for my 34g solana. The tank is a 20" cube. I currently have a nova extreme pro 6x18w t-5 fixture. It is not producing enough light to get the growth I am looking for out of my sps. I am considering purchasing an ait 8x24w fixture. I am wondering is this too much light? I do not want to run a chiller I keep stable temps with the nep, but I am a little worried this may be too much light. Can someone please help steer me in a more informed direction?

 

[dan223]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14699586#post14699586 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
You are better off using Blue Plus and more white lamps to get the look you want

Front
Blue Plus
UVL Actinic White
Blue Plus
UVL Actinic White
Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue

You can play with the position of the aquablue to get the look you want but that mix should be fairly white and pop colors pretty good. All the lamps have actinic output.

This may be an odd request but can you recomend somthing the same colors but lower par? I really like acans and lps and dont want to fry out nice rainbows the 75G I think its kinda shallow for 6 of these super high par bulbs, no?

 

[cerobbins]

I made a typo... I am considering purchasing an ati powermodule 8x24w fixture

 

[Curlsoc]

Hi! I would like to switch from MH to T5. My tank is 60X18X20. There is approximately 27" from the canopy to the sandbed.

I am redirecting what I am doing, and will have only soft and LPS, maybe a clam and an anemone from now on. I would greatly appreciate some recommendations on wattage. I’m looking for the mid range I could use. If you can point me towards some reasonable products, that would help also.

I'm on a very tight budget to do this... My husband is handy, so retrofits are not an issue.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14708432#post14708432 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cerobbins
I am looking to purchase a new light for my 34g solana. The tank is a 20" cube. I currently have a nova extreme pro 6x18w t-5 fixture. It is not producing enough light to get the growth I am looking for out of my sps. I am considering purchasing an ait 8x24w fixture. I am wondering is this too much light? I do not want to run a chiller I keep stable temps with the nep, but I am a little worried this may be too much light. Can someone please help steer me in a more informed direction?

The ATI Shouldn't cause any heat issues. If you don't mind the fact it will hang over the ends a little it will be fine (24" long)

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14708435#post14708435 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dan223
This may be an odd request but can you recomend somthing the same colors but lower par? I really like acans and lps and dont want to fry out nice rainbows the 75G I think its kinda shallow for 6 of these super high par bulbs, no?

Front
Current 460 actinic
UVL 75/25
Current 460 Actinic
Current 10K
UVL 75/25
Current 460 actinic

Make sure you get the BLUE Current lamp, the 460, not the ACTINIC 420. Why they call them both actinic I do not know. Should be nice color without blasting the corals with PAR. The 460 looks nice but has quite a bit less pAR than the ATI and Giesemann Lamps.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14708807#post14708807 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Curlsoc
Hi! I would like to switch from MH to T5. My tank is 60X18X20. There is approximately 27" from the canopy to the sandbed.

I am redirecting what I am doing, and will have only soft and LPS, maybe a clam and an anemone from now on. I would greatly appreciate some recommendations on wattage. I’m looking for the mid range I could use. If you can point me towards some reasonable products, that would help also.

I'm on a very tight budget to do this... My husband is handy, so retrofits are not an issue.

Hit Reefgeek and order an Ice Cap 6 x 54 HO T5 retrofit kit. Get the one with standard ballasts, not the Ice Cap brand. You could probably get away with 4 lamps at least to start if it's not in the budget to get 6. You would just have to be careful with coral placement.

 

[Eel-byte]

I'm looking at adding some t5's to my halide setup. Right now I have a 58g tank (36" long) with one 250w 15k halide. I'm planning on switching to a 10K halide on the next change out. I took a look at reefgeek and am looking at the 36" 2x39w. Question is what would I gain from the high output to the very high output?

 

[McMax]

Hey guys are Aqua Science Bulb any good compared to Gisemann or other similar brands ?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14709003#post14709003 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Eel-byte
I'm looking at adding some t5's to my halide setup. Right now I have a 58g tank (36" long) with one 250w 15k halide. I'm planning on switching to a 10K halide on the next change out. I took a look at reefgeek and am looking at the 36" 2x39w. Question is what would I gain from the high output to the very high output?

Stick with high output for supplemental lighting. The very high output makes the blue look more white. The 10K halide with the Blue Plus T5 looks very cool and will give you a sweet boost in PAR in most cases

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14709996#post14709996 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by McMax
Hey guys are Aqua Science Bulb any good compared to Gisemann or other similar brands ?

They are made by the same company as Giesemann (NARVA).

The 15K's are a little different. The Duo is a little more blue version of the Aquablue and the special a little more white. No difference I could see in the blues.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

I am out of here until tomorrow night, you have the bridge number one.

 

[riverview]

hello,
im looking for help on bulb selections for a 60x24x24 tnk.
I have a Sfiligoi Stealth 12x54 watt fixture and currently my tnk is sps dominated with a few lps low on sand bed.
tnx jasper

 

[The Grim Reefer]

OK I am almost out of here

Hope that Sfigiloi has the fans.

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

You may need to tweak the positions a little.

 

[ktrandc]

I'm setting up a new tank 48"x24"x20". It's going to be an SPS tank. I'm planning on getting the ATI PM. Would you recommend the 6 bulb or 8 bulb unit? My tank is only 20" deep so I thought that 6 bulbs would do.