The T5 Q&a Thread

[Taqpol]

Hey Grim, I've been in and out of this thread and I think I'm ready to ask some serious questions.

I plan on putting 8 T5's over my standard 120g (4'x2'x2'). I didn't want to use all 8 as VHO and was initially thinking of using 4 HO and 4 VHO (2x AccuStart ballasts and 1x IC 660) due to the cost and extra cooling needed for the VHO's. After thinking about it some more I might just go with all HO bulbs for now because (do i understand this right?) if I ever wanted to go VHO in the future I could do the wiring in such a way that I could replace two accustart ballasts with 1 IC 660 and those four bulbs would have all the necessary hardware to be overdriven.

If I go with 4 HO x 4 VHO this is how I would arrange them. Would two 120mm fans (in purple) in this configuration be sufficient cooling for the endcaps?

If not I'll definitely go with 8 HO bulbs as my hood is designed poorly and I have no room for extra fans. Would 8 HO bulbs on a 24" deep tank allow me to grow SPS from the rockwork up? If so that might work out better because i still want to be able to grow low light corals near or on the sandbed and it has been my experience that T5's produce much "stronger" light then you would expect.

EDIT: By HO and VHO I am referring to how ReefGeek labels the different retrofits on their website. HO would be normally driven T5's while VHO would be overdriven T5's.

 

[ReefEnabler]

The downside to having fans in the back is that the bulbs nearest the fans get all the cooling... the bulbs on the other side get the warm air that was pushed off the other bulbs.

Could you use smaller fans on TOP of your canopy?? The ATI sunpower fixtures have small holes right above the lamps by the endcaps through which air is forced. What about 4 or 5 small fans on top of the canopy pointing right down at the bulbs by the endcaps??

 

[Taqpol]

The problem with my hood is size. From the top of the hood to the bottom there is only about 6 inches of room, so i don't want to have to push the bulbs down even farther to fit fans above them. Plus the top is solid oak, and drilling through that would be a pain...

 

[ReefEnabler]

Couple options:

1) Put the fans actually ON TOP of the canopy as opposed to on the underside. Might not be the most attractive depending on how tall the whole stand is, but I did this. Plenty of stuff you could do to hide them, wood trim etc.

2) Cut square holes and get the fans as flush as possible. More work but nicer result.

I know the drilling sucks... I just drilled some 4.125" holes in mohogany last night and it was a PITA.

 

[runningnreefing]

Does the label end of the bulb go on the side with the vent?

 

[ReefEnabler]

Are you asking about a specific fixture or just cooling retros in general?

ATI Sunpower has holes drilled right above the bulbs near the endcaps:

Which is where the air comes in that is forced down from the top. I'm guessing that the metal plate right above the bulbs is acting like a sort of duct:

Pictures courtesy of DFason

Maybe Grim will know if that's wrong.

 

[rtparty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14824318#post14824318 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by runningnreefing
Does the label end of the bulb go on the side with the vent?

Yes

 

[runningnreefing]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14824450#post14824450 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReefEnabler
Are you asking about a specific fixture or just cooling retros in general?

ATI Sunpower has holes drilled right above the bulbs near the endcaps:

Which is where the air comes in that is forced down from the top. I'm guessing that the metal plate right above the bulbs is acting like a sort of duct:

Pictures courtesy of DFason

Maybe Grim will know if that's wrong.

I have the ATI PM which has the holes above the endcaps on one side of the fixture. I recall reading somewhere in this thread about which end of the bulb goes on this side, but I can not recall if it is the label end or the other end.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14823211#post14823211 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jthao
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

Looks to me like ballast 3 is good for Dusk/dawn with 2 Blue Plus and a actinic. Be really easy to tweak it to 2 actinic and a blue plus by swapping positions of the 2nd and 3rd lamps from the front if you want

 

[runningnreefing]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14824493#post14824493 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rtparty
Yes

Thank you for your answer. Can you elaborate on why this is the case.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14823239#post14823239 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReefEnabler
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 )

The 2 VHO actinics is a good idea , just play around with the rest of the lamps to decide what you like, there is no right answer. Just what looks good to you/

 

[rtparty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14824512#post14824512 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by runningnreefing
Ryan,

Thank you for your answer. Can you elaborate on why this is the case.

It has something to do with the secret gnomes and fairies. If I elaborate anymore than that they will come after me! JK

The label end is the cold spot on the bulb. You want to keep the cold spot around 113 degrees Fahrenheit. This keep the bulb running at optimum temperature for the most output.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14823551#post14823551 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by vargomat
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

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


That leaves you with 3 and 5 as dusk dawn (2 blue plus lamps) and 1,4 and 7 as stage 2 and 2 and 6 as midday..

 

[ReefEnabler]

I thought 113F was supposed to be the temp of the METAL part of the endcap, not the glass bulb near the endcap??? I got an IR thermometer and am planning on running some tests tonight.

Say theres a setup where a bunch of fans are blowing right at the label endcaps. Would it help to have a couple, maybe lesser CFM fans, blowing at the other endcaps, or should they just stay pretty hot?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14824029#post14824029 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Taqpol
Hey Grim, I've been in and out of this thread and I think I'm ready to ask some serious questions.

I plan on putting 8 T5's over my standard 120g (4'x2'x2'). I didn't want to use all 8 as VHO and was initially thinking of using 4 HO and 4 VHO (2x AccuStart ballasts and 1x IC 660) due to the cost and extra cooling needed for the VHO's. After thinking about it some more I might just go with all HO bulbs for now because (do i understand this right?) if I ever wanted to go VHO in the future I could do the wiring in such a way that I could replace two accustart ballasts with 1 IC 660 and those four bulbs would have all the necessary hardware to be overdriven.

If I go with 4 HO x 4 VHO this is how I would arrange them. Would two 120mm fans (in purple) in this configuration be sufficient cooling for the endcaps?

If not I'll definitely go with 8 HO bulbs as my hood is designed poorly and I have no room for extra fans. Would 8 HO bulbs on a 24" deep tank allow me to grow SPS from the rockwork up? If so that might work out better because i still want to be able to grow low light corals near or on the sandbed and it has been my experience that T5's produce much "stronger" light then you would expect.

EDIT: By HO and VHO I am referring to how ReefGeek labels the different retrofits on their website. HO would be normally driven T5's while VHO would be overdriven T5's.

As long as the lamps arent over 6" above the water I thing the HO version is fine unless you plan on sps down to the sand, then overdriving 4 should be fine.

 

[runningnreefing]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14824539#post14824539 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rtparty
It has something to do with the secret gnomes and fairies. If I elaborate anymore than that they will come after me! JK

The label end is the cold spot on the bulb. You want to keep the cold spot around 113 degrees Fahrenheit. This keep the bulb running at optimum temperature for the most output.

For a moment there I thought we were back to the lawn gnomes. I just noticed that one end of the fixture has the holes above the endcaps and the other side has the vents. Again, which side should the label end of the bulb go on.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14824512#post14824512 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by runningnreefing
Thank you for your answer. Can you elaborate on why this is the case.

Yeah yeah yeah, I'm coming.

The label ends go on the ends with the holes between the reflectors and endcaps so the air blows on the label end which has the dedicated cold spot on some lamps. That will set the pressure in the lamps which is why you get better output when the lamp is cooled to the right temp.

 

[murraycamp]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14824600#post14824600 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by runningnreefing
For a moment there I thought we were back to the lawn gnomes. I just noticed that one end of the fixture has the holes above the endcaps and the other side has the vents. Again, which side should the label end of the bulb go on.

All lawn gnomes must die.

 

[runningnreefing]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14824612#post14824612 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Yeah yeah yeah, I'm coming.

The label ends go on the ends with the holes between the reflectors and endcaps so the air blows on the label end which has the dedicated cold spot on some lamps. That will set the pressure in the lamps which is why you get better output when the lamp is cooled to the right temp.

I just noticed that one end of the fixture has the holes above the endcaps and the other side has the vents. Again, which side should the label end of the bulb go on.

Thanks.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14824562#post14824562 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReefEnabler
I thought 113F was supposed to be the temp of the METAL part of the endcap, not the glass bulb near the endcap??? I got an IR thermometer and am planning on running some tests tonight.

Say theres a setup where a bunch of fans are blowing right at the label endcaps. Would it help to have a couple, maybe lesser CFM fans, blowing at the other endcaps, or should they just stay pretty hot?

If you can get the air to blow down the refector channel you wouldn't need to cool the other end of the lamps but when using a fan blowing in from the back I think its better to have a fan at each end.