The T5 Q&a Thread

[60Cubed]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15115834#post15115834 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
A dedicated fan for the ballasts would be a good idea. Tyhe benefit of the heat sink is not having your ballast performance or life compromised due to running too hot. It might not be a big deal with VHO's but T5's are harder to run so the ballast will get hotter.

I will add the heat sinks and a couple fans for the ballasts. I will try and mount the other fans the same way. Not sure I can with the door the way it is.

I also was gonna add 4 fans at the top blowing straight up to remove the heat off the bulbs. And add 2 blowing air from the stand. Then 2 over the ballast and 2 blowing across the top of the water. Along with the 4 I already got over the end caps that will be 14 fans total. Should be some air moving around in there!

 

[cham]

I ordered my ATI Powermodule along with

4 ATI Blue+
2 ATI Aquablue
1 GE 6500
1 KZ Fiji

Decent combo?

Bulb placement suggestion?

 

[mnml]

Hi Grim,

I'm looking to set up a 48x30x20 tank (125g)

Would the 6 or 8 bulb ATI PowerModule fixture be the right one to get? I'm thinking the 10 bulb fixture will be too intense.

Live stock will consist of mostly SPS, clams with a few acans on the sandbed.

Thank you.

 

[spllbnd2]

Hi Grim, Thank you fro the help.

One final question before I order ballasts is with the 20 long being such a small and shallow tank should I go with a 4 or 5 bulb configuration?

This is mainly a frag tank set up for various softies, lps and sps.

Cheers,
Alex

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15118185#post15118185 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kean2906
hey grim im currently running 12 tubes on my 5x2x2.5 tank and want to upgrade the cheap globes.i am thinking of running 6 blue,5 white and a fiji purple.living in australia im really limited on the tubes i can choose.for the blue i have the choice between aqua science blue and geissman actinic+.for the white i can choose between geissman aqua blue+ or aqua science special.i can get ati but they are a bit more expensive and also a longer wait for them.of course i can get other aqua science or geissman tubes if you can think of a better combo.can you also suggest what order you would put the tubes in.thanks kean

For 10 lamps I would use more blues. Get whichever is cheapest between the 22K and Actinic Plus, they are basically the same lamp.

I would do 6 blues, 2 of either the Special or Gmann midday and 2 Fiji Purple.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15118432#post15118432 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 60Cubed
I will add the heat sinks and a couple fans for the ballasts. I will try and mount the other fans the same way. Not sure I can with the door the way it is.

I also was gonna add 4 fans at the top blowing straight up to remove the heat off the bulbs. And add 2 blowing air from the stand. Then 2 over the ballast and 2 blowing across the top of the water. Along with the 4 I already got over the end caps that will be 14 fans total. Should be some air moving around in there!

If you just add a couple fans blowing in across the water and have vents in the top the fans drawing air out arent needed, you take advantage of the natural convection effect of the air (Hot air rises)

I would just leave the two angled fans like they are. Just mount the lamps with the labels at the end where the fans are blowing directly at the lamp ends/endcaps. With heat sinks a single fan set to provide airflow in the area of both ballasts would be fine. In fact if you can figure out a way to have it draw fresh air in it would be a benefit. Keeping the ballasts from having humidity build up in them is a good thing

Good job on the setup by the way.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15118842#post15118842 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cham
I ordered my ATI Powermodule along with

4 ATI Blue+
2 ATI Aquablue
1 GE 6500
1 KZ Fiji

Decent combo?

Bulb placement suggestion?

Get it so a blue is in front and also your dusk/dawn pair is blues. You can have the aquablue in front if that ends up making sense.

Something like

Front
Blue
Aquablue
Blue
Fiji
Blue
GE
Blue
Aquablue

Just don't get the GE or Fiji lamps right next to each other or at the very front or back.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15118982#post15118982 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by thin crust
Hi Grim,

I'm looking to set up a 48x30x20 tank (125g)

Would the 6 or 8 bulb ATI PowerModule fixture be the right one to get? I'm thinking the 10 bulb fixture will be too intense.

Live stock will consist of mostly SPS, clams with a few acans on the sandbed.

Thank you.

I would do 8 lamps. If its 30 tall then keep the fixture as close to the water as possible so you get strong light further down/ If its 30 deep (front to back) keep the fixture 6 or 8 inches above the water so you don't fry your critters and allow the light to spread so you get better coverage.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15119271#post15119271 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by spllbnd2
Hi Grim, Thank you fro the help.

One final question before I order ballasts is with the 20 long being such a small and shallow tank should I go with a 4 or 5 bulb configuration?

This is mainly a frag tank set up for various softies, lps and sps.

Cheers,
Alex

4 should be plenty.

 

[spllbnd2]

Thank you Grim for the help and advise. Appreciate it.

Alex

 

[spllbnd2]

Thank you Grim for the help and advise. Appreciate it.

Cheers
Alex

 

[cham]

Thanks

 

[tatoofr]

Hi Grim,
My ati 8 bulb will here in a few days,
Not sure I made a good selection on bulbs,
5 Ati Aquablue specials
2 Giesmann actinic plus
1 ati pro color.
I didnt want it too blue, but think its going to be too white and washed out.
What do you think, and how would you set the bulbs up that I bought.
Thanks

 

[dcp17420]

t5

t5

hello, You told me a 4 bulb combo last week , but I have added some more lights. l I am currently running (2)175w MH 14k and (2)110w VHO's as actnic. I have bought a used icecap 48" retro kit with 660 ballast and 4 bulbs. I also just got another (6)48" t5 with 660 ballast and old 430 ballast i had.

I have (4) Blue Plus
ATI aquaplus
ATI Procolor
Aqua blue special
AquaSun
(2)Giesnan Actinic Plus
GE 6500
UVL Actinic White

So, now i have a chance to run 4,6,7,8,or 10 Combo. i was thinking running the 2 front and 2 back off one 660. and the 4 middle ones of the other 660 ballast since those 4 are in the retro kit. OR whatever you think. Im looking for a blue between 14k and 20k.

i have a 90 gal tank 48"X18"X 24" deep. i keep frogspawn , hammers, couple acros, leahers and couple caps. Do i need to add two more bulbs? With my current bulbs will this produce a blue color or white? Thanks so much Grim you have helped alot since i read these post everyday,dcp

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15121939#post15121939 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tatoofr
Hi Grim,
My ati 8 bulb will here in a few days,
Not sure I made a good selection on bulbs,
5 Ati Aquablue specials
2 Giesmann actinic plus
1 ati pro color.
I didnt want it too blue, but think its going to be too white and washed out.
What do you think, and how would you set the bulbs up that I bought.
Thanks

The pro Color might help a lot but yes, I think it will look washed out. Get some more blue plus or actinic plus. I would have went just the opposite of what you got.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Re: t5

Re: t5

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15122667#post15122667 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dcp17420
hello, You told me a 4 bulb combo last week , but I have added some more lights. l I am currently running (2)175w MH 14k and (2)110w VHO's as actnic. I have bought a used icecap 48" retro kit with 660 ballast and 4 bulbs. I also just got another (6)48" t5 with 660 ballast and old 430 ballast i had.

I have (4) Blue Plus
ATI aquaplus
ATI Procolor
Aqua blue special
AquaSun
(2)Giesnan Actinic Plus
GE 6500
UVL Actinic White

So, now i have a chance to run 4,6,7,8,or 10 Combo. i was thinking running the 2 front and 2 back off one 660. and the 4 middle ones of the other 660 ballast since those 4 are in the retro kit. OR whatever you think. Im looking for a blue between 14k and 20k.

i have a 90 gal tank 48"X18"X 24" deep. i keep frogspawn , hammers, couple acros, leahers and couple caps. Do i need to add two more bulbs? With my current bulbs will this produce a blue color or white? Thanks so much Grim you have helped alot since i read these post everyday,dcp

I think 6 lamps would be good but not overdriven. I would OD 4 and run 2 more on the 430 which wont overdrive as hard.

Start with 2 Blue Plus on the 430 then on the 660 do the actinic white, 2 more blue plus and the GE. Then just play with different lamps to see what you like best.

 

[nanojg]

I have heard that aquaillumination will be coming out with a new T5 fixture, does anyone know anything about this?

 

[nanojg]

I just purchased a 58 gallon aquarium (36x18x21). Could I put a high light demanding animal (crocea clam) on the sand with a TX5? I would rather have the PM but hanging is not an option, I need a fixture that can has legs. Any other options? Would the NEP work?

thanks for the help.

 

[60Cubed]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15119524#post15119524 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Good job on the setup by the way.

Thanks. I believe this will do for the endcaps:

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I've already got 4-4" muffin fans coming in a few days. Would it hurt to install the fans like I was talking about pulling the hot air out of the hood? I would rather install them now then need to do it later.

Thanks for all the help so far. This thread has been a life saver for me. Without it I'm not sure I could have done this set up. So thanks again everybody who gives us advice on here...It's invaluable!

 

[JohnL]

This thread was automatically split due to performance issues. You can find the rest of the thread here: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1648750