The T5 Q&a Thread

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14805956#post14805956 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rtparty
What if I ran the ATI 6x24W version? That way I would have 6" on each end for my acans and other LPS. I am really worried the acans will be ****ed with the Sunpower. I only need the bottom of my tank to be hitting 120 PAR or so and for the money the Sunpower is my best bet.

After the legs/hanging kit and fan to cool a TEK I am pretty close to the ATI and we all know the ATI will kick major arse!

I would stick with the full length lamps.

Try this

Front
UVL Super Actinic
UVL 75/25
UVL 454
Fiji Purple
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue

Out front would be low PAR for the Acans and the rear with the good ATI Lamps will have stronger PAR

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14806015#post14806015 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by villious
Thank you very much Grim! You tha man! Two more questions and I'm good to go:

1. With that 9 bulb setup, how far down in the tank do you think I'll be good for SPS? All the way down?

2. For 9 lamps, I'll have 3 ballast. If you were gonna set up "light banks" to be able to ramp up/down groups of bulbs (to go from dusk to dawn), what would be your opinion on the group combination's (bulb type and quantity)? I hope that made sense.

Thank you for the time you spend helping here.
Woody

If you want all SPS might be better off Overdriving 4 lamps on a 660, Try this

ATI Blue Plus Ballast 2 Early/late daylight
UVL Actinic White Ballast 2 Early/late Daylight
ATI Blue Plus Ballast 1 Dusk/dawn
GE 6500K Daylight Ice Cap Midday
ATI Blue Plus Ice Cap Midday
UVL Actinic White Ice Cap Midday
ATI Blue Plus Ballast I Dusk/dawn
GE 6500K Daylight Ice Cap Midday
ATI Blue Plus Ballast 2 early/late Daylight

 

[bunzaroo]

Grim,
I have a 48" 6 bulb retro-fit Ice cap setup the 4 of the bulbs are overdriven w/ 660 Ballast, the fron t 2 have a 430 ballast not ocerdriven. I have the following bulbs available:

ATI Blue Plus 311
UVL 75/25 254
ATI Blue Plus 311
UVL Actinic White 293
Giseman Actinic Plus 264
Giseman Actinic Plus 264
ATI Aquablue 336
Fiji Purple 330
generic actinic 420 nm
generic actinic 420 nm

What would give me the best combination for growth / color, i prefer a 14K/15K look I plan to use the front bulbs to run the dusk/dawn cycle. Also is their a specific formula to the placement of the differnt bulbs in the canopy. Doesn't the light just melt together when they are all on? I'm a rookie, don't know much!! thanks for your answers.

 

[unleashed9775]

Hi

I posted this in the reef discussion forum as well.

I have just received a secondhand ATI Powermodule (8x 54W)

I am wanting to go for quite a blue look to my tank. What bulbs (from ATI) would you suggest and in what order would you place them?

Tank dimensions = 4'x2'x2'

All I am wanting to keep is a few SPS (near the top), LPS (main corals), a few softies and zoos etc. Also I am wanting to keep croceas and/or maxima clams if this is possible. Thanks in advance

Current Set up

 

[redfishsc]

Any results on the PAR of the UVL 454? I haven't been able to follow this thread lately and haven't been able to find it in this current thread.

Thanks!

 

[volcom69]

Hey grim on your website, the guy who gave the bulb combo for the aquatinics TX5 was using 2 actinics, 2ati blue +, and 1 aquablue special, is this more of a bluer look tank then. Do you know if this combo is good for sps color and growth. Just dosnt seem like a lot of par, then again im new with T5.

 

[dan223]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14807825#post14807825 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by redfishsc
Any results on the PAR of the UVL 454? I haven't been able to follow this thread lately and haven't been able to find it in this current thread.

Thanks!

yep he said the color was near identical to ati Blue + with about 75% the par of the +bulb. so same color less par

 

[rtparty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14807321#post14807321 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by unleashed9775
Hi

I posted this in the reef discussion forum as well.

I have just received a secondhand ATI Powermodule (8x 54W)

I am wanting to go for quite a blue look to my tank. What bulbs (from ATI) would you suggest and in what order would you place them?

Tank dimensions = 4'x2'x2'

All I am wanting to keep is a few SPS (near the top), LPS (main corals), a few softies and zoos etc. Also I am wanting to keep croceas and/or maxima clams if this is possible. Thanks in advance

Current Set up

ATI Blue Plus
ATI Actinic
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Pro Color
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Actinic
ATI Aquablue or Blue Plus

 

[rtparty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14807053#post14807053 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bunzaroo
Grim,
I have a 48" 6 bulb retro-fit Ice cap setup the 4 of the bulbs are overdriven w/ 660 Ballast, the fron t 2 have a 430 ballast not ocerdriven. I have the following bulbs available:

ATI Blue Plus 311
UVL 75/25 254
ATI Blue Plus 311
UVL Actinic White 293
Giseman Actinic Plus 264
Giseman Actinic Plus 264
ATI Aquablue 336
Fiji Purple 330
generic actinic 420 nm
generic actinic 420 nm

What would give me the best combination for growth / color, i prefer a 14K/15K look I plan to use the front bulbs to run the dusk/dawn cycle. Also is their a specific formula to the placement of the differnt bulbs in the canopy. Doesn't the light just melt together when they are all on? I'm a rookie, don't know much!! thanks for your answers.

ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
ATI Blue Plus
KZ Fiji Purple or UVL Actinic White
GMann Actinic+
GMann Actinic+ or ATI Aquablue

 

[rtparty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14808236#post14808236 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by volcom69
Hey grim on your website, the guy who gave the bulb combo for the aquatinics TX5 was using 2 actinics, 2ati blue +, and 1 aquablue special, is this more of a bluer look tank then. Do you know if this combo is good for sps color and growth. Just dosnt seem like a lot of par, then again im new with T5.

I would not suggest that combo personally. Not for SPS.

ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus
KZ Fiji Purple
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue or Blue Plus

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14807053#post14807053 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bunzaroo
Grim,
I have a 48" 6 bulb retro-fit Ice cap setup the 4 of the bulbs are overdriven w/ 660 Ballast, the fron t 2 have a 430 ballast not ocerdriven. I have the following bulbs available:

ATI Blue Plus 311
UVL 75/25 254
ATI Blue Plus 311
UVL Actinic White 293
Giseman Actinic Plus 264
Giseman Actinic Plus 264
ATI Aquablue 336
Fiji Purple 330
generic actinic 420 nm
generic actinic 420 nm

What would give me the best combination for growth / color, i prefer a 14K/15K look I plan to use the front bulbs to run the dusk/dawn cycle. Also is their a specific formula to the placement of the differnt bulbs in the canopy. Doesn't the light just melt together when they are all on? I'm a rookie, don't know much!! thanks for your answers.

You want to spread the light a bit so you get even coverage. You also want specialty lamps like red or actinic center of the tank or so so the light hits the viewing side of the coral

Front
Blue Plus
75/25
Blue Plus
Fiji Purple or Actinic White
Actinic Plus
Aquablue

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14807321#post14807321 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by unleashed9775
Hi

I posted this in the reef discussion forum as well.

I have just received a secondhand ATI Powermodule (8x 54W)

I am wanting to go for quite a blue look to my tank. What bulbs (from ATI) would you suggest and in what order would you place them?

Tank dimensions = 4'x2'x2'

All I am wanting to keep is a few SPS (near the top), LPS (main corals), a few softies and zoos etc. Also I am wanting to keep croceas and/or maxima clams if this is possible. Thanks in advance

Current Set up

Front
Blue Plus
Actinic
Blue Plus
Pro Color
Blue Plus
Aquablue
Actinic
Blue Plus

Should look 20K or so.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14807825#post14807825 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by redfishsc
Any results on the PAR of the UVL 454? I haven't been able to follow this thread lately and haven't been able to find it in this current thread.

Thanks!

The reflected lamps do crappy in good reflectors. The 454 wasn't pathetic as far as PAR but it wasn't close to the Blue Plus, Dont have the numbers in front of me at the moment.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14808236#post14808236 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by volcom69
Hey grim on your website, the guy who gave the bulb combo for the aquatinics TX5 was using 2 actinics, 2ati blue +, and 1 aquablue special, is this more of a bluer look tank then. Do you know if this combo is good for sps color and growth. Just dosnt seem like a lot of par, then again im new with T5.

I would do
Front
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Actiic White
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue

This will have good color and growth.

 

[coralfragger101]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14805926#post14805926 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Grab 2 more Blue Plus lamps

Then

Front
Blue Plus
Aquablue
75/25
Blue Plus
Actinic White
Blue Plus
75/25
Blue Plus

If that look works for you but you don't like the 75/25 in the dusk/dawn combo just swap the position of it with the blue plus thats right behind it. Also try swapping out the Actinic White with the GE. If you find that is not enough blue swap out the Aquablue with the second additional blue plus you get.

Is that still going to give me plenty of par?

 

[coralfragger101]

And is that going to give me a "tint" of blue or a "wash" of blue.

A lot of folks don't like the blue of the radium bulbs but I personally don't mind it so I'm sure adding two more blues to the mix will be to my liking.

ReefGeek also adds a special charge on for less than 4 bulbs. Is there any other bulbs that I might want to "play with" as far as the mix that I already have which is:

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


Grim already recommeded 2 more Blue Plues because I want a tint more of blue but any other recommendations just to play with?

 

[solareclisped]

Well I have ordered the constellation and did so without bulbs because they did not have any combinations that works with your suggestions. Now I need to know what bulbs you would recommend, I will order them from reefgeek I suppose unless there is a better place to order them.
Thanks
Gary

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14809981#post14809981 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by coralfragger101
Is that still going to give me plenty of par?

Yep.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14810395#post14810395 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by solareclisped
Well I have ordered the constellation and did so without bulbs because they did not have any combinations that works with your suggestions. Now I need to know what bulbs you would recommend, I will order them from reefgeek I suppose unless there is a better place to order them.
Thanks
Gary

Reefgeek tends to have the best price and selection

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

Grab an ATI Aquablue as a spare for sure. When I had the above combo on my tank most who saw it really liked it. You could even grab an actinic to try.

Blue Plus
75/25 or blue plus
actinic
GE or Aquablue
Blue Plus
Actinic WHite
Blue Plus

 

[solareclisped]

Thanks for all the help.