The T5 Q&a Thread
- Thread starter JohnL
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rtparty
Raise The Reef!
That combo is about the highest PAR combo you could put together. I have not seen a Pro Color in person yet but have heard what you said. It is very harsh and powerful. I would only want one in an eight bulb setup but I will probably order one just to check it out and see it in person.
Rickyrooz1
Acropora Nut
Grim I was thinking about this for a 72"x36"x22" Eurobrace tank.
One ATI 60" 10x80W Powermodule
Six ATI Blue Plus 80 watt T-5 Bulbs
Three ATI Aquablue Special 80 watt T-5 Bulbs
One ATI Pro Color 80 watt T-5 Bulb
I was hoping for a blue look between 14K and 20K.
Blue Plus
Aquablue Special
Blue Plus
Aquablue Special
Blue Plus
Pro Color
Blue Plus
Blue Plus
Aquablue Special
Blue Plus
I am looking to keep SPS and LPS corals, this is why I chose one 10 bulb fixture instead of two 6 bulb fixtures so I could keep open brain corals without burning them.
One ATI 60" 10x80W Powermodule
Six ATI Blue Plus 80 watt T-5 Bulbs
Three ATI Aquablue Special 80 watt T-5 Bulbs
One ATI Pro Color 80 watt T-5 Bulb
I was hoping for a blue look between 14K and 20K.
Blue Plus
Aquablue Special
Blue Plus
Aquablue Special
Blue Plus
Pro Color
Blue Plus
Blue Plus
Aquablue Special
Blue Plus
I am looking to keep SPS and LPS corals, this is why I chose one 10 bulb fixture instead of two 6 bulb fixtures so I could keep open brain corals without burning them.
Rickyrooz1
Acropora Nut
I don't see the Reef Geek reflectors listed on their website.
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
You are correct, the Aquactinics does a better spread.
Trying to do various distances would be great but that would require creating a jig to keep things lined up perfectly. Maybe once I move to a place with more room I can put something together but for now I do what I can.
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
If you want to keep softies AND clams in the same tank I would reco going with your 4 T5's and using those with a couple halides. 8 overdriven T5's arent going to make softies very happy. You could do a single Halide in the center for a clam with 2 T5's in front and Behind.
3 Blue Plus and 1 UVL Actinic White would look nice.
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
You may need to tweak the positions depending on how the Dusk/dawn set is wired on those but that should look good.
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
Might need to play with the positions to get a good dusk/dawn but it should look nice.
IndyReefMan
New member
Grim,
Which T-5 actinic do you like the most? I've been using the Gmann, but it's time to replace them. I'm thinking of going with the UV super actinic-R. I prefer the "true" actinic look rather than the bluer bulbs. I saw the actinic pictures on your website but I wanted to get your opinion--- What do you think?
Which T-5 actinic do you like the most? I've been using the Gmann, but it's time to replace them. I'm thinking of going with the UV super actinic-R. I prefer the "true" actinic look rather than the bluer bulbs. I saw the actinic pictures on your website but I wanted to get your opinion--- What do you think?
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
The Giesemann is the most "Actinic" as far as not having blue light but I prefer the UVL, ATI and Sfigiloi all of which have a lot of blue in them too.
jthao
Super Saiyan
I have a 72" tank. I have a retrofit with 3x660 overdriving 9x80w bulbs. the reflectors are also ice caps. here's my bulb right now, I'm a newb to t-5s so I don't know if this will work, my concern is that with the bulb set up the way I do, I don't get much of a dawn/dusk effect cuss with each ballast, it drives almost a full spectrum already (actinic/white/blues)
number represents the ballast it's running on:
back to front:
3.blue plus
2.aquablue special
1.blue plus
3.true actinic
2.blue plus
moonlights
1.aquablue special
3.blue plus
2.true actinic
1.blue plus
number represents the ballast it's running on:
back to front:
3.blue plus
2.aquablue special
1.blue plus
3.true actinic
2.blue plus
moonlights
1.aquablue special
3.blue plus
2.true actinic
1.blue plus
ReefEnabler
Premium Member
I finally started hooking up my 9x80w T5 retro last night.
Only got one 660 ballast hooked up to 3 bulbs so far (all Blue+), but HOLY CRAP the aquactinics reflectors are visually so much brighter than the Teks I had before. The Blue+ actually look more white now. They arent really, since if I angle the reflectors away from the tank, the deep blue look returns.
So I'm guessing the "whiteness" is merely an illusion of the way the eye perceives color and intensity. I didn't expect that. But with 3 bulbs the tank almost looks as bright as my previous 2x250w and 1x400w MH.. crazy.
I'm thinking my planned bulb combo may be way over ambitions now :lol: With this brightness I could have a tank with all blueplus and it wouldn't be too blue.
Now I am thinking of keeping (2) VHO Actinics like you suggested to me a while back.
This was my plan:
front
2) ATI Blue+
2) Fiji Purple
2) AquaScience Special 15k
3) GE 6500K Daylight
3) ATI Blue+
3) ATI Aquablue Special
----------- Canopy Piano Hinge ----------------
1) ATI Procolor
1) ATI Blue+
1) ATI Blue+
But now I'm thinking way too much daylight in there, given how 'white' Blue+ look at this level of intensity. Dont get me wrong they're still blue and the pop is nice, but its more of a 14-15k look to my eyes. I'll snap pictures tonight.
Might drop the Procolor and AS bulbs for T12 VHO SAs... thoughts?
(unfortunately I am still waiting on another 660 and more bulbs, which I ordered about 4 weeks ago! arriving thurs
)
Only got one 660 ballast hooked up to 3 bulbs so far (all Blue+), but HOLY CRAP the aquactinics reflectors are visually so much brighter than the Teks I had before. The Blue+ actually look more white now. They arent really, since if I angle the reflectors away from the tank, the deep blue look returns.
So I'm guessing the "whiteness" is merely an illusion of the way the eye perceives color and intensity. I didn't expect that. But with 3 bulbs the tank almost looks as bright as my previous 2x250w and 1x400w MH.. crazy.
I'm thinking my planned bulb combo may be way over ambitions now :lol: With this brightness I could have a tank with all blueplus and it wouldn't be too blue.
Now I am thinking of keeping (2) VHO Actinics like you suggested to me a while back.
This was my plan:
front
2) ATI Blue+
2) Fiji Purple
2) AquaScience Special 15k
3) GE 6500K Daylight
3) ATI Blue+
3) ATI Aquablue Special
----------- Canopy Piano Hinge ----------------
1) ATI Procolor
1) ATI Blue+
1) ATI Blue+
But now I'm thinking way too much daylight in there, given how 'white' Blue+ look at this level of intensity. Dont get me wrong they're still blue and the pop is nice, but its more of a 14-15k look to my eyes. I'll snap pictures tonight.
Might drop the Procolor and AS bulbs for T12 VHO SAs... thoughts?
(unfortunately I am still waiting on another 660 and more bulbs, which I ordered about 4 weeks ago! arriving thurs
)
Last edited:
Grim,
I am purchasing an aquactinics constellation fixture this week and was hoping that you could help me pick out a good bulb set up. I checked out http://tfivetesting.googlepages.com/combinatio and you suggest 6 bulb combinations, but this fixture being a 7 bulb combination can u suggest a front to back for me? I am currently running a MH/t-5 combo on a 90 gal and have an array of coral (LPS/SPS/Clams/Anemone). Can you give me a front to back suggestion? I want the coral to POP!!!!! What type of dusk to dawn should I have and what type of timing should I use for my timers (3 switches in the fixture 3/2/2)? Do you suggest I go with an 8 bulb fixture?
Front to back from site...
Blue Plus
Super Actinic
UVL Aquasun
Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
Blue Plus
Thanks!
-Matt
I am purchasing an aquactinics constellation fixture this week and was hoping that you could help me pick out a good bulb set up. I checked out http://tfivetesting.googlepages.com/combinatio and you suggest 6 bulb combinations, but this fixture being a 7 bulb combination can u suggest a front to back for me? I am currently running a MH/t-5 combo on a 90 gal and have an array of coral (LPS/SPS/Clams/Anemone). Can you give me a front to back suggestion? I want the coral to POP!!!!! What type of dusk to dawn should I have and what type of timing should I use for my timers (3 switches in the fixture 3/2/2)? Do you suggest I go with an 8 bulb fixture?
Front to back from site...
Blue Plus
Super Actinic
UVL Aquasun
Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
Blue Plus
Thanks!
-Matt
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