The T5 Q&a Thread
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Hi,
I currently have a Oceanlight 36" 4x39W T5 (2 white, 2 blue) by AquaMedic. I've only had this fixture for about 5 months and seems like i need to change my bulbs already because i have been having a decrease in coraline algae and lots of green algae growing.
My questions are, can i use any brand of bulbs for this fixture? what's a good brand of bulbs? and what combination of bulbs will be good?
I currently have a Oceanlight 36" 4x39W T5 (2 white, 2 blue) by AquaMedic. I've only had this fixture for about 5 months and seems like i need to change my bulbs already because i have been having a decrease in coraline algae and lots of green algae growing.
My questions are, can i use any brand of bulbs for this fixture? what's a good brand of bulbs? and what combination of bulbs will be good?
ReefEnabler
Premium Member
Here's my T5 PAR comparison to my old MH setup.
Front:
ATI Blue+
Fiji Purple
ATI Aquablue Special
GE 6500k Daylight
Aquascience Blue 22k
ATI Aquablue Special
T12 VHO Actinic
ATI Blue+
ATI Blue+
Lamps overdriven on Icecap 660 ballasts, 9.75" from water.
(fwiw the picture is old, doesn't match the new bulb combo).
RED = PAR decrease; GREEN = PAR Increase
I posted this in my thread but got no replies... does this output look good to you guys for being ~10" above water?
I lost some peak PAR right under where the old MH reflectors used to be (kinda expected), but gained PAR in most areas and there's even more PAR at the bottom of the tank now (25" from water, 35" from bulbs). No more awkward dim spots
Adding supplemental LEDs which will hopefully bring the hotspots back up.
FWIW I did additional testing with a large fan blowing at the opposite endcaps, and there was no measurable increase in PAR so I think my cooling with just the label-ends cooled is sufficient.
Who else runs T5s around 10" above the water?
Front:
ATI Blue+
Fiji Purple
ATI Aquablue Special
GE 6500k Daylight
Aquascience Blue 22k
ATI Aquablue Special
T12 VHO Actinic
ATI Blue+
ATI Blue+
Lamps overdriven on Icecap 660 ballasts, 9.75" from water.
(fwiw the picture is old, doesn't match the new bulb combo).
RED = PAR decrease; GREEN = PAR Increase
I posted this in my thread but got no replies... does this output look good to you guys for being ~10" above water?
I lost some peak PAR right under where the old MH reflectors used to be (kinda expected), but gained PAR in most areas and there's even more PAR at the bottom of the tank now (25" from water, 35" from bulbs). No more awkward dim spots
Adding supplemental LEDs which will hopefully bring the hotspots back up.
FWIW I did additional testing with a large fan blowing at the opposite endcaps, and there was no measurable increase in PAR so I think my cooling with just the label-ends cooled is sufficient.
Who else runs T5s around 10" above the water?
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I'm looking to get a bit more of a blueish color. What would you suggest. The light fixture is a tek running 6 bulbs with a mix of sps and lps. These are the bulbs I've got to play with and what I'm currently running.
Ft
blue +
aquablue special
blue +
figi blue
aquablue special
blue +
I've only got 2 other bulbs to play with. 75/25 & aquablue special.
Thoughts anyone.
Ft
blue +
aquablue special
blue +
figi blue
aquablue special
blue +
I've only got 2 other bulbs to play with. 75/25 & aquablue special.
Thoughts anyone.
plancton
Active member
Talking about PAR, I read this article in reef builder about the upcomming LED lighting system, supposedly sunbrite has manufactured these new bulbs that can outperform MH in terms of brightness.
I know this is not a T5 question but I have T5s in my setup and I´m thinking if it is really worth replacing them with these new LEDs.
You can see some test that are being conducted by www.exotic-aquarium.com
Since they sell these lamps I don´t know if really trust their tests, another guy here at RC did some testings, he said the following:
"I bet. I've got a fair amount of analysis to do before I can post a full write-up and cost benefit analysis, but the numbers show that 8x24" LED strips outperform a 150w DE Current Sunpod (14k) and are very close to comparable with a Pheonix 14k DE in a Hamilton Reefstar w/ M80 ballast.
I spent the better part of the afternoon with Jon (an Exotic employee) and he and I took a TON of measurements of both setups. By the way, Jon is a very cool guy to hang out with, thanks for all your help. He understands the scientific method.
The tank we used was 30" deep and the highlights are as follows:
1. The metal halide was brighter in the top 9 inches.
2. From 9 inches to about 20 inches the performance deviation had no statistical significance. In other words, both setups produced about the same PAR numbers.
3. From 20" down to 26" the metal halide had a very small edge over the LEDS. Both setups produced close to 200 PAR at 26", with the LEDS just under the 200 mark.
4. The off-axis lighting from the LEDS dropped off faster than the metal halides. Meaning, that as you moved out from under the LED array, you lost PAR faster then moving out from under the center of the halide bulb.
5. The upfront price for the LEDS I tested today are about twice the cost of the metal halide setup, but should last considerable longer, consume somewhere between 1/4 and 1/3 to power, and not dump huge amounts of infrared radiation in the the tank (i.e. heat)
So, I can confirm the PAR numbers that Exotic has been showing on their webcam. 230 ish at 18 inches and just under 200 at 26"
I took some pictures of the corals crowing in the display tank, many of which look very nice. Once I've run the long-term numbers for operating costs, I can provide a better idea on the cost-benefit for the LEDs.
Stay tuned."
I don´t know what that means exactly, is he saying that these new LEDs outperform T5s and are close to MH?
By the way, that guy apparently moved on from RC I don´t know what that means either.
There´s a lot of scams out there but since these new LEDs were featured in reefbuilders then I became interested.
I know this is not a T5 question but I have T5s in my setup and I´m thinking if it is really worth replacing them with these new LEDs.
You can see some test that are being conducted by www.exotic-aquarium.com
Since they sell these lamps I don´t know if really trust their tests, another guy here at RC did some testings, he said the following:
"I bet. I've got a fair amount of analysis to do before I can post a full write-up and cost benefit analysis, but the numbers show that 8x24" LED strips outperform a 150w DE Current Sunpod (14k) and are very close to comparable with a Pheonix 14k DE in a Hamilton Reefstar w/ M80 ballast.
I spent the better part of the afternoon with Jon (an Exotic employee) and he and I took a TON of measurements of both setups. By the way, Jon is a very cool guy to hang out with, thanks for all your help. He understands the scientific method.
The tank we used was 30" deep and the highlights are as follows:
1. The metal halide was brighter in the top 9 inches.
2. From 9 inches to about 20 inches the performance deviation had no statistical significance. In other words, both setups produced about the same PAR numbers.
3. From 20" down to 26" the metal halide had a very small edge over the LEDS. Both setups produced close to 200 PAR at 26", with the LEDS just under the 200 mark.
4. The off-axis lighting from the LEDS dropped off faster than the metal halides. Meaning, that as you moved out from under the LED array, you lost PAR faster then moving out from under the center of the halide bulb.
5. The upfront price for the LEDS I tested today are about twice the cost of the metal halide setup, but should last considerable longer, consume somewhere between 1/4 and 1/3 to power, and not dump huge amounts of infrared radiation in the the tank (i.e. heat)
So, I can confirm the PAR numbers that Exotic has been showing on their webcam. 230 ish at 18 inches and just under 200 at 26"
I took some pictures of the corals crowing in the display tank, many of which look very nice. Once I've run the long-term numbers for operating costs, I can provide a better idea on the cost-benefit for the LEDs.
Stay tuned."
I don´t know what that means exactly, is he saying that these new LEDs outperform T5s and are close to MH?
By the way, that guy apparently moved on from RC I don´t know what that means either.
There´s a lot of scams out there but since these new LEDs were featured in reefbuilders then I became interested.
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
BP
75/25
BP
GE
BP
75/25
BP
BP
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
Add another Blue plus in place of an aquablue
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
SHould be fine
I would get 6 ATI Blue Plus lamps, 2 UVL Actinic Whirte, 2 GE 6500K Daylight and a couple of ATI Aquablues and just play around until you see what you like.
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
Place your lamps so the Blue Pluses are dusk/dawn
Front
Blue Plus
75/25
Blue Plus
Aquablue
Just reverse your timers.
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14948254#post14948254 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReefEnabler
Here's my T5 PAR comparison to my old MH setup.
Front:
ATI Blue+
Fiji Purple
ATI Aquablue Special
GE 6500k Daylight
Aquascience Blue 22k
ATI Aquablue Special
T12 VHO Actinic
ATI Blue+
ATI Blue+
Lamps overdriven on Icecap 660 ballasts, 9.75" from water.
(fwiw the picture is old, doesn't match the new bulb combo).
RED = PAR decrease; GREEN = PAR Increase
I posted this in my thread but got no replies... does this output look good to you guys for being ~10" above water?
I lost some peak PAR right under where the old MH reflectors used to be (kinda expected), but gained PAR in most areas and there's even more PAR at the bottom of the tank now (25" from water, 35" from bulbs). No more awkward dim spots
Adding supplemental LEDs which will hopefully bring the hotspots back up.
FWIW I did additional testing with a large fan blowing at the opposite endcaps, and there was no measurable increase in PAR so I think my cooling with just the label-ends cooled is sufficient.
Who else runs T5s around 10" above the water?
Pretty amazing numbers considering you have the lamps so high above the water. If you dropped them down to 5 inches or so I would bet you would beat the halide numbers everywhere in the tank.
Slick Fork
New member
Okay, they had the coral light for the same price as all the other bulbs so if price is the same is it a decent bulb?
What if I went with something like this:
DB1 G-Mann Pure Actinic
NB G-Mann Actinic +
DB2 KZ Fiji Purple
NB Midday Bulb
NB ATI Aqua Blue or KZ Coral Light
DB2 G-Mann Actinic + or ATI Blue +
NB Aqua Science 15K
DB1 KZ Fiji Purple
This is closer to your original suggestion, I've mostly just moved where the Dimmables are.
I noticed on some of your tests that the GE 6000K bulb scored some pretty high Par, is this a bulb that's commonly available at hardware stores?
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
I have seen a previous video of a similar led tube being tested that was faked. This one looks real enough that I am going to see if they will loan me some tubes so I can get some numbers. If they are close that is going to be a heartbreaker for the companies building LED fixtures. Those tubes can be slapped right into an existing T8 fixture from what I understand.
230 at 18" and slightly under 200 at 26" doesn't sound right. Not saying it isn't true, just doesn't like the PAR would be that close but it's possible the sensor wasn't level for the 18" reading so it was too low. Hopefully we can work something out so I can get a hold of some.
Anemone0524
New member
Grim -
For my 90 gallon AGA tank (48 24 18 i believe), is a TEK 8 bulb fixture overkill on lighting?
I'd like to keep some SPS, LPS and other fish. Would it fit on the tank?
I found a local seller selling it for $350 with mounts and acrylic shield, one year of use.
I was going to get hte 6 bulb fixture for new, but this price is pretty good. Thoughts?
For my 90 gallon AGA tank (48 24 18 i believe), is a TEK 8 bulb fixture overkill on lighting?
I'd like to keep some SPS, LPS and other fish. Would it fit on the tank?
I found a local seller selling it for $350 with mounts and acrylic shield, one year of use.
I was going to get hte 6 bulb fixture for new, but this price is pretty good. Thoughts?
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The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
The GE lamp is around but I am not sure a hardware store would have it. The Koral Light is OK but with that many lamps I don't see any advantage to running it. The mix you have listed is at least a good place to start.
Grim, I only have 3 blue + bulbs at the moment. So I'm stuck for the moment till I can place an order
I'm looking to get a bit more of a blueish color. What would you suggest. The light fixture is a tek running 6 bulbs with a mix of sps and lps. These are the bulbs I've got to play with and what I'm currently running.
Ft
blue +
aquablue special
blue +
figi blue
aquablue special
blue +
I've only got 2 other bulbs to play with. 75/25 & aquablue special.
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by pmoneyt
Get an 8 lamp Powermodule
I would run 5 ATI Blue Plus, 1 GE 6500K Daylight and 2 UVL 75/25. Will give you great growth and color. If you don't like the more blue look add a second GE in place of a blue plus.
How would i arrage the bulbs with this setup.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BP
75/25
BP
GE
BP
75/25
BP
BP
Thanks Grim.
Question what are you thoughts of the solor flare
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by pmoneyt
Get an 8 lamp Powermodule
I would run 5 ATI Blue Plus, 1 GE 6500K Daylight and 2 UVL 75/25. Will give you great growth and color. If you don't like the more blue look add a second GE in place of a blue plus.
How would i arrage the bulbs with this setup.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BP
75/25
BP
GE
BP
75/25
BP
BP
Thanks Grim.
Question what are you thoughts of the solor flare
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
S0-SO price. Lose the splash shield. Would do fine on that tank.
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