The T5 Q&a Thread

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15003445#post15003445 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by PermaNoob
I'd like to put a retro 8x54w setup in my oceanic canopy but know absolutly nothing about lighting nor wiring. Will it fit and what setup do folks recommend including ballast, reflectors and bulbs. Tank is 24x24x48 and will have mostly lps with some sps.

Are retro setups better than fixtures or the other way around? I guess the fixture gets screwed right into the top of the canopy like a retro would? Thx.

You need to leave space between the top of the fixture and the canopy for the cooling with most of the fixtures.

The 8 lamp retrofit would fit fine. If you are really worried about playing with Mr. Electricity you can get 2 Ice Cap 4 lamp pre built retrofits, they are plug and play although you will have to add fans but that is easy.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15004626#post15004626 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by spider8u
Hey grim would me going from the old nova extreme 8x54 fixture to the new nova extreme pro 6x54 fixture be an upgrade. Or should i spend the extra cash and get the tek 6x54 fixture. The thing i don't like about the tek is know active cooling and i would like my light to sit on top of my tank. Right now i just have some lps and soft corals but would like to get some sps the tank is 100gl 24inch deep thx

Save up for a ATI 6 lamp Sunpower. You can add an external fan to cool the Tek but you can't run a splash shield so you want to keep it at least 4" up.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15004791#post15004791 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefsahoy
OK Grim, it's gonna be the constellation 7 bulb for my 48x24x20h tank. i'd like to know what bulb combo to get lighting like szymon tank. He has a 10 bulb setup so I'm not sure which to drop off and which to add. Do you think the combo will also encourage growth? here's a pic of his tank for ref.

Thanks

Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Super Actinic
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Actinic White
ATI Blue Plus

Should give you the 3rd and 5th for dusk/dawn but you might want to play with positions, a 75/25 and blue plus gives a cool purple cast to the light, a Super Actinic with Blue Plus is more subdued. 75/25 and super actinic could be nice too, never tried that. Use 1,4 and 7 for stage 2 and 2 and 6 for 3rd stage. Grab a GE 6500K Daylight and ATI Aquablue for spares so you can play.

 

[yamaha racer]

hey grim so i have a 10g and 2 of those 2x18w nova t-5s will that be enough for sps on the ten gallon? its gunna be a grow out tank and i dont do mh

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15004985#post15004985 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cardiffgiant
Excellent! Thanks for your help!! Which one do you think would be best to replace? Middle?

2nd from front. You want the light hitting the viewing side of the corals

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15005155#post15005155 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by redhanded77
just wondering, about how low can i place sps with a ATI 6 bulb fixture? or in other words, what is the depth rating for this fixture?

They dont rate them but I would be really comfortable with the highest light SPS 12" below the fixture.

 

[reefgeek31]

I am doing a 10 bulb retro and wondering how many fans i would need to add in the canopy. If they need to be in both ends or just by the cool spot? Thanks for your endless help

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15005360#post15005360 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ataller
Grim, sorry to beat a dead horse but I am still trying to understand how a t5 bulb is found ideally temperature wise.

The cold spot which is by the label, is this normally cooler than the rest of the bulb and needs to be heated up? Or is it called the cold spot because it is the spot that needs to be cooled? Regardless I am correct that the cold spot needs to be 94 degrees?

What temperature does the air around the rest of the bulb ideally need to be.

Thanks !

Adam

What happens is the electrons are forced through the gas in the lamp. The electrons colliding with mercury particles creates UV light which excites the phosphors blah blah blah

Once the electrodes warm up the resistance drops and more electrons are passed through the lamp. Also the mercury particales become more excited as the gas warms which also leads to more light being created. When the lamp gets too hot the gas pressure increases and that increases the internal resistance of the lamp. More resistance = fewer electrons and less light. If the gas is over cooled it is just like when the lamp is first turned on, the mercury becomes less excited (not moving as much within the gas mixture) so you lose light.

The heat is generated at the lamp ends. Some lamps have what is called a cold shoe (Giesemann lamps have these) which is placed on the label end of the lamp. Other's don't so you dont have to worry about which end is cooled but it is a good practice to assume all lamps have a dedicated cold spot because you never know when a manufacturer might change the product.

The cold spot temp is what will determine the internal lamp pressure. By keeping that area at or below 115 degrees or so the gases are hot enough to get the mercury boogieing but not so hot that the pressure rises.

If you cool the center of the lamp you are so far from the heat source it takes very little to get the gas in that area below its optimum temp.

You want the ambient air temp to be around 95 or the metal endcap on the lamp about 115

AMEN!

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15005458#post15005458 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gsxunv04
what do you all think of the UVL 14k bulb (75% actinic, 25% phosphors)
I have a six bulb combo(2 ATI Blue plus,2 ati aquablue specials and, the middle two are UVL aquasun and a 75/25) but my current bulb configuration is too much red/pink spectrum I feel. I would like to blue it up a bit, but still maintiain growth and PAR, any recommendations? I was also considering the FIji purple or green bulb. Thanks

Get another blue plus and try it in place of both of the UVL lamps and leave it where you get the best look. The Blue Plus has as much or more PAR than either of those lamps.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15006141#post15006141 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mray
Would 66 cfm of air from two pc fans be too much cooling for 6 54w bulbs?

As long as you have the fans blowing at the endcaps it shouldn't over cool the lamps.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15006621#post15006621 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by redhanded77
on another note, what is your thoughts on using (2) 48" 8 bulb tek light fixtures to light a 96x24x24 aquarium that is sps and clam dominated?

You have thousands of dollars worth of critters and you want to go cheap on the lights???

Either 2 ATI 8 lamp Powermodules or 2 Aquactinics Constellations would be my pick. You want to make sure you are getting enough light to have the best color possible, I would do the ATI's.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15006637#post15006637 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 90g-reefer
Grim I have a specific question for you. Will a Blue 450/460nm 20k bulb provide as much PAR as a 20k daylight bulb and still get sufficient growth? And secondly if I were to only run 2 "daylight" bulbs on my 8 bulb fixture and a combination of blue bulbs and antinic bulbs would that be enough daylight bulbs to achieve maximum growth?

The ATI Blue Plus lamp is one of the highest PAR lamps there is. The Gmann Actinic Plus isn't far behind so run as many as you like. I don't recomend Currents 460 blue lamp because they have pretty low PAR. You cant get away with running as many of those but they do look nice. .

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15008351#post15008351 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by yamaha racer
hey grim so i have a 10g and 2 of those 2x18w nova t-5s will that be enough for sps on the ten gallon? its gunna be a grow out tank and i dont do mh

Keep the fixtures right on top of the tank and keep them wiped down. I think they will do fine.

 

[gsxunv04]

Thanks Grim, YOU DA MAN!!

 

[tatoofr]

Hi Grim,
hows the par on the aqua blue special?
Thanks

 

[Tank2379]

Hi, Grim

I want to get some good bulb combination's for my Nova Extreme Pro this is the 6 x 54W each- 324watts total. My tank will be mostly mixed with LPS, SPS some Softies and Polyps. I would like to know what a Good bulb mixture would be good for coloration and good growth. Right now I have an idea of which to go with but I am kind of wondering if it's a good fit for my type of reef. This is what I was thinking of going with.

2 UV 454 Bulbs
2 ATI Blue + Bulbs
1 UV 75.25 Bulb
1 Either a 10K or 20K White bulb

Let me know if this combo would be OK to use or if anyone else has a decent combination that would great let me know. Thanks for your Suggestions in advance.

Thanks

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15009926#post15009926 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tatoofr
Hi Grim,
hows the par on the aqua blue special?
Thanks

Its good, high or higher than any of the daylight lamps.

 

[tatoofr]

Thanks,
Im getting a 8 bulb ati, what do you recomend in bulbs?
Its for my 120 48 x 24 x24,
Will clams be ok on the sand bed?
Frank

 

[IceCap Service]

[violation]

 

[jmsalt1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15008309#post15008309 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Make sure you have at least a couple inches between the top of the fixture and the canopy as well as an inch or so at each side, the air is drawn in from the sides. I would place a small fan at each end of the canopy at the rear to feed fresh air into the intake vents of the fixture. The other holes on top are just vents.

Providing clearance above the fixture shouldn't be a problem. I was not aware of the fact that the Constellation draws air from the sides as mine would be a bit tight. I could have vents cut in the side of the canopy the length of the fixture supplemented by the fans in the back as you suggested.

BTW, I'm sure you're aware of the likely introduction of a newer version of the Constellation later in the year (maybe the Fall) that would be a T5 & LED combination. I ran across this in another thread and the post was made by the owner of Aquactinics about the likely release of this new fixture they are working toward. I just might need to put that last set of PC bulbs I bought into action so I can get through to the release of this new product.

Thanks Grim.