The T5 Q&a Thread

[Tank2379]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15014378#post15014378 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
The 454 lamps and Blue Plus are essentially the same color so.......

What you have listed is good except I would go with the UVL Actinic White instead of the 75/25, better PAR. I would use a GE 6500K or Giesemann Midday lamp as the 10K.

Thanks Grim, Now I have a better understanding of what I am getting...

 

[jh2pizza]

OK Kiddies, I have to make an emergency run to Phoenix Saturday so I will be out of the office from Friday night Until Probably Wednesday. Dunno if I will have a lap top with me or not so if you want me specifically to answer a question get it in early tomorrow (Friday) or hold it until then. Hey, whats more important, T5's or rescuing some guns from the clutches of someone who doesn't love them any more

Did you get clearance from the others in this thread first?:lol:

 

[Nanz]

Hi Grim,

which of these bulbs seems to have the best par.. I usually dont use actinic T5s because they have very little par.

54W Actinic Plus T5 HO Fluorescent by Giesemann

or

54W Super Actinic T5 HO Fluorescent by UV Lighting

 

[jh2pizza]

which of these bulbs seems to have the best par.

He has a pretty good write up on his website with all the par readings he has. Chick on Grims red house.

 

[vangoghfish]

I thought the aquactinics has space for 14 bulbs, are you doing sets of two?
Also, has anyone out there had a problem with <b>loud fans</b> in the current nova extreme pro 72"?

 

[rtparty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15015341#post15015341 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Nanz
Hi Grim,

which of these bulbs seems to have the best par.. I usually dont use actinic T5s because they have very little par.

54W Actinic Plus T5 HO Fluorescent by Giesemann

or

54W Super Actinic T5 HO Fluorescent by UV Lighting

The UVL has almost double the PAR and more visible light.

 

[snaza]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15017906#post15017906 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rtparty
The UVL has almost double the PAR and more visible light.

Other way round . Gman Actinic plus not pure actinic. The gman is a blue bulb with some actinic in it.

 

[swivel]

hey grim,

what are the benefits for overdriving your bulbs? I just started getting into sps, and i was wondering if i need to overdrive my t5 bulbs to maintain them? i currently have 1 fiji purple, 1 new gen, 3 ati blue plus and 1 ati aquablue special and they run on glo ballasts.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15014918#post15014918 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fishyheaven
hello guys,

so i went with the aquactinics 72 instead of the ati due to the waiting time but so far so good. hopefully i can still maintain solid coral growth.

thanks to rt and grim i went with the following bulbs:
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Actinic White
ATI Blue Plus
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Actinic White
ATI Blue Plus

any idea on how i should set up my lighting schedule? i am currently using a profilux to control the times so any time order will work.


the constellation have bulbs 1,4,7 on one plug, 3,5 on another and 2,6 on the last plug.

any suggestions will be great!

Thanks guys!!

tRY MOVING THE ge DAYLIGHT TO SLOT 2 AND THAT ACTINIC WHITE TO SLOT 4 fRIGGIN cAPS lOCK!!!

Use 3 and 5 as the dusk dawn 10~12 hours

1, 4 and 7 for stage 2. Having the actinic white in that group should look cool. Run it 8~10 hours

2 and 7 last. With the GE in there it should have a more dramatic effect as far as brightening the look. Id run it 6 to 8 hours but 4 would probably be enough

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15015190#post15015190 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jh2pizza
Did you get clearance from the others in this thread first?:lol:

I'll hang in the hot tub and drink scotch for a week and answer light questions if someone want to deliver the guns here to Colorado for me.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15016019#post15016019 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by vangoghfish
I thought the aquactinics has space for 14 bulbs, are you doing sets of two?
Also, has anyone out there had a problem with <b>loud fans</b> in the current nova extreme pro 72"?

Try taking the end plate off and play with the fan mounting. I've heard of a few people that had to tweak them a little bit

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15018126#post15018126 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by swivel
hey grim,

what are the benefits for overdriving your bulbs? I just started getting into sps, and i was wondering if i need to overdrive my t5 bulbs to maintain them? i currently have 1 fiji purple, 1 new gen, 3 ati blue plus and 1 ati aquablue special and they run on glo ballasts.

It depends on the tank and what you are trying to raise. In my opinion you don't need to overdrive the lamps on any tank less than 20" tall.

 

[hapka16]

Hi Grim,

I am currently running the bulb config you told me to run on my 6 bulb 36" T5 fixture over a 30 gallon tank with 1 sps very high up and the rest zoos, softies and LPS.....it has been about a year since i got your recommendation on bulbs and was wondering if there was something new and better that would work for my tank.

current setup

<front>
ATI blue +
UVL super actinic
uvl aquasun
ATI blue +
ATI aqua blue
ATI blue +
<Back>

I like the looks of this set up but was wanting it maybe a bit more blue....and also something that will make my corals pop a bit more. If you have any suggestions please feel free. Thanks

Justin

 

[ijw]

on a two bulb set up do you think two aquablue+ or one aquablue+ and one actinic+ would be best. I know the actinic+ doesn't have the same par power, but am I going to still get good color from two aquablue +.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15018386#post15018386 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hapka16
Hi Grim,

I am currently running the bulb config you told me to run on my 6 bulb 36" T5 fixture over a 30 gallon tank with 1 sps very high up and the rest zoos, softies and LPS.....it has been about a year since i got your recommendation on bulbs and was wondering if there was something new and better that would work for my tank.

current setup

<front>
ATI blue +
UVL super actinic
uvl aquasun
ATI blue +
ATI aqua blue
ATI blue +
<Back>

I like the looks of this set up but was wanting it maybe a bit more blue....and also something that will make my corals pop a bit more. If you have any suggestions please feel free. Thanks

Justin

<front>
ATI blue +
UVL 75/25
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Actinic White
ATI blue +
ATI blue +
<Back>

Try that, more PAR, More Blue, better distribution of the red from the UVL Lamps.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15018533#post15018533 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ijw
on a two bulb set up do you think two aquablue+ or one aquablue+ and one actinic+ would be best. I know the actinic+ doesn't have the same par power, but am I going to still get good color from two aquablue +.

PAR is really close on both lamps so I would do one of each.

 

[hapka16]

Thank you so much grim!!!! I am always grateful for your help.

 

[vangoghfish]

Ok Grim, looks like I will be getting the 72" current nova extreme pro with 12 bulbs, please suggest a bulb color order for best color, currently only have 2 large 12"+ RBTAs, 1 ritteri anemone, some mushrooms, large toadstool, green leather, sunburst polyps and yellow polyps, frogspawn, cabbage, long hairly coral on rock, not sure of the name, want to add in much more after getting lights, possible sps, but not sure at this point. I do have a lot of tangs in there, it is a 6' 155 bow tank. As I will probably order additional bulbs with the fixture.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15018964#post15018964 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by vangoghfish
Ok Grim, looks like I will be getting the 72" current nova extreme pro with 12 bulbs, please suggest a bulb color order for best color, currently only have 2 large 12"+ RBTAs, 1 ritteri anemone, some mushrooms, large toadstool, green leather, sunburst polyps and yellow polyps, frogspawn, cabbage, long hairly coral on rock, not sure of the name, want to add in much more after getting lights, possible sps, but not sure at this point. I do have a lot of tangs in there, it is a 6' 155 bow tank. As I will probably order additional bulbs with the fixture.

Kinda a tall tank for anemones to use the Nove. I would go with the Aquactinics Constellation

Front
ATI Blue Plus
KZ Fiji Purple
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue

 

[vangoghfish]

I currently have 6 coralife aqualights dual stripe t5 fixtures, 2 48", and 4 36", anemones are fine, actually the two rbtas moved from the front of rocks to the back, only see them, when they are fully open, any idea why(they are on the top rocks), was thinking on the aquactinics const. If I get the nova, it has 12 bulbs, so would I do the six you listed from front to middle, and then the second 6 from middle to back backwards?