The T5 Q&a Thread

[805reef]

my tank dimensions are 48x30x30 penninsula... i currently have a tek t5 6 bulb fixture. what bulbs would you recommend? I plan on having all types of corals, including a couple sps.

also is this fixture enough for my 30" deep tank? i am currently having some "issues" with the fixture, and if i need to replace it would i need to go MH or should i get an 8 bulb t5 fixture?

 

[spllbnd2]

Does anyone have photos of a 4 bulb set up with a mixed reef? If so I'd love to see the photos and bulb combos run.

I am currently setting up a 20L frag/prop tank and I am looking for ideas for what people are using as for bulbs in 4 bulb set ups. I prefer not to blue but not to white, maybe somewhere around a 12K-14K?

Cheers,
Alex

 

[plancton]

Grim:

I was thinking on the following light combo, but I´ve heard many rumors that KZ Fiji purple causes algae. I don´t want to risk it, this was my original idea of light combo with 6 bulbs:

ATI aquablue special
ATI blue+
ATI aquablue special
KZ FP
ATI blue+
ATI blue+

But I don´t want to risk it with the algae of the KZ FP, so what other combo do you recommend?

 

[corvettecris]

Anyone check the temps on overdriven lamps?

I am actively cooling mine with 10 3" computer fans and my lamps still are around 175 deg F around the filaments and maybe 130 down the tube.

I thought about 95 deg F was optimal? How in the devil can you keep them that cool? Unles my infrared thermometer is reading them all wrong...

 

[Lightsluvr]

Rack 'em

Rack 'em

Here is the light rack for my upcoming 340G installation, using the 12 rows of bulbs recommended by Grim:

FRONT
ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75-25
ATI Blue Plus
GE 6500K
KZ Fiji Purple
ATI Blue Plus
GE 6500K
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Actinic White
ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75-25
ATI Blue Plus
BACK

12 rows - 24 bulbs. (12) 2x54W ballasts, so one ballast lights one row. Size: 96" x 37". The rack hangs on pocket door rails so it can be rolled back away from the tank for maintenance and cleaning.

Photos taken with lights facing up:

Detail showing light selection:

Uses three light combinations turned on and off by a controller. Here is the dawn/dusk sequence:

Add these lights for late morning, late afternoon combo:

And kick these babies in for the midday sequence:

The plugs wired by pigtails to the appropriate ballasts to control the three combinations:

A view of half of the ballast bank attached horizontally facing rear on the rack, with all wiring easily accessible and serviceable. All ballasts and plugs labeled to document what light row they fire:

The tank will be delivered to our fish room on Saturday June 20. I'll add a few photos after the light rack is installed above the tank.

LL

 

[rscotti]

Grim,

I'm currently running the following combo (see below) in a mixed reef (more LPS than SPS) everything is looking good and growing well, but I want my purples and reds to pop more?

Which blub should I try the 75/25, Fiji or actinic white and what location?

Front
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue special
ATI Blue Plus

Thank you,

 

[Alaska_Phil]

I'm ordering an Icecap 4x54W T5 kit from reefgeeks.com for my 50 Long, 48 x 13 x 17 inches. The tank has leathers, mushrooms and a couple LPS and Zoas. I don't like an overly blue appearance. What lamps do you recommend?

thanks
Phil

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15208283#post15208283 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by vyerous
Hello.

I have a current USA Nova extreme pro, 6x54watt with stock bulbs over a 90g with standard dimensions (28" tall), the light is about a foot above the tank so lets say its 36" above the sand. The light is enough for what I currently have in my tank (very few sps, couple lps, lots of zoas, rics, softies.) I don't plan on keeping anymore sps, not much more lps, more softies, and an anemone.

Like I said its the standard lighting and I'm looking to have a nice blue tank that is going to make colors pop. I'm more into zoas and ricordias (doing a garden so to speak) and I buy for the color. If you could recommend lights that are nice and blue and will have the colors pop I would greatly appreciate it.

Also I realize I don't have enough lighting (although things grow on the sand), I'm going to incorporate a metal halide into my setup. I'm thinking a 175 watt metal halide over one side of the tank (doing a dynamic lighting type deal), and probably a blueish bulb on that as well.

I know this is the T5 thread but if you have any experience with MH bulbs and what color to get, I would appreciate that as well =D

Thanks.

For 175 watt halides I think the Iwasaki 15K's are the cats azzz. Question is if you are getting growth now why the halides?

Anyway for a 6 lamp system I would do 4 ATI Blue Plus, 1 UVL Actinic White and 1 GE 6500K Daylight. If you were to lower that fixture a bit it would really put a lot more light in the tank.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15209060#post15209060 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 805reef
my tank dimensions are 48x30x30 penninsula... i currently have a tek t5 6 bulb fixture. what bulbs would you recommend? I plan on having all types of corals, including a couple sps.

also is this fixture enough for my 30" deep tank? i am currently having some "issues" with the fixture, and if i need to replace it would i need to go MH or should i get an 8 bulb t5 fixture?

That is pretty underpowered for a 30" tall tank. An 8 or 10 lamp ATI Powermodule would be the way to go for T5s or a good 250 or even 400 watt halide fixture. If you plan on 20K halides I'd go with 400's.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15209866#post15209866 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by spllbnd2
Does anyone have photos of a 4 bulb set up with a mixed reef? If so I'd love to see the photos and bulb combos run.

I am currently setting up a 20L frag/prop tank and I am looking for ideas for what people are using as for bulbs in 4 bulb set ups. I prefer not to blue but not to white, maybe somewhere around a 12K-14K?

Cheers,
Alex

You might have better luck putting up a thread asking for T5 tank pictures.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15210379#post15210379 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by plancton
Grim:

I was thinking on the following light combo, but I´ve heard many rumors that KZ Fiji purple causes algae. I don´t want to risk it, this was my original idea of light combo with 6 bulbs:

ATI aquablue special
ATI blue+
ATI aquablue special
KZ FP
ATI blue+
ATI blue+

But I don´t want to risk it with the algae of the KZ FP, so what other combo do you recommend?

Try a UVL Actinic White in place of the FP. I would spread out the Aquablues better to so the light from them is more evenly distributed across the tank. Keep the UVL lamp center or just front of center.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15210451#post15210451 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by corvettecris
Anyone check the temps on overdriven lamps?

I am actively cooling mine with 10 3" computer fans and my lamps still are around 175 deg F around the filaments and maybe 130 down the tube.

I thought about 95 deg F was optimal? How in the devil can you keep them that cool? Unles my infrared thermometer is reading them all wrong...

I am going to be playing with an overdriven setup pretty quick. I assume they are running way hotter than standard driven lamps so I would worry more about cooling the ends so the lamps don't crack. I'll pop up a thread on what I find playing with fans.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Re: Rack 'em

Re: Rack 'em

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15210738#post15210738 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lightsluvr
Here is the light rack for my upcoming 340G installation, using the 12 rows of bulbs recommended by Grim:

FRONT
ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75-25
ATI Blue Plus
GE 6500K
KZ Fiji Purple
ATI Blue Plus
GE 6500K
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Actinic White
ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75-25
ATI Blue Plus
BACK

12 rows - 24 bulbs. (12) 2x54W ballasts, so one ballast lights one row. Size: 96" x 37". The rack hangs on pocket door rails so it can be rolled back away from the tank for maintenance and cleaning.

Photos taken with lights facing up:

Detail showing light selection:

Uses three light combinations turned on and off by a controller. Here is the dawn/dusk sequence:

Add these lights for late morning, late afternoon combo:

And kick these babies in for the midday sequence:

The plugs wired by pigtails to the appropriate ballasts to control the three combinations:

A view of half of the ballast bank attached horizontally facing rear on the rack, with all wiring easily accessible and serviceable. All ballasts and plugs labeled to document what light row they fire:

The tank will be delivered to our fish room on Saturday June 20. I'll add a few photos after the light rack is installed above the tank.

LL

Damn! That is sick. Hope the lighting looks as good as the mounting setup you made.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15211256#post15211256 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rscotti
Grim,

I'm currently running the following combo (see below) in a mixed reef (more LPS than SPS) everything is looking good and growing well, but I want my purples and reds to pop more?

Which blub should I try the 75/25, Fiji or actinic white and what location?

Front
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue special
ATI Blue Plus

Thank you,

Throw a UVL Actinic White in where the front Aquablue is. You may want to swap positions of the GE with the Blue Plus right behind it too.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15211372#post15211372 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Alaska_Phil
I'm ordering an Icecap 4x54W T5 kit from reefgeeks.com for my 50 Long, 48 x 13 x 17 inches. The tank has leathers, mushrooms and a couple LPS and Zoas. I don't like an overly blue appearance. What lamps do you recommend?

thanks
Phil

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

Should look just a little more blue than a 10K. You should order a spare lamp anyway so I would get an ATI Aquablue which is a reasonable replacement for a daylight or blue lamp. Try it in place of the GE if you don't think the setup I recoed looks blue enough.

 

[Alaska_Phil]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15212974#post15212974 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Actinic White
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus.

Should look just a little more blue than a 10K. You should order a spare lamp anyway so I would get an ATI Aquablue which is a reasonable replacement for a daylight or blue lamp. Try it in place of the GE if you don't think the setup I recoed looks blue enough.

Thanks, I'll give that a try. Should have mentioned that this is replacing 2x55W PC at 10,000K and 40W NO deep blue actinic. I wouldn't mind a bit more blue in the spectrum.

Phil

 

[spllbnd2]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15212879#post15212879 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
You might have better luck putting up a thread asking for T5 tank pictures.

Thanks for the advise Grim. Will do.

Cheers,
Alex

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15213077#post15213077 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Alaska_Phil
Thanks, I'll give that a try. Should have mentioned that this is replacing 2x55W PC at 10,000K and 40W NO deep blue actinic. I wouldn't mind a bit more blue in the spectrum.

Phil

Bag the GE, go for a 3rd Blue plus and see what you think. If you don't like that use the Aquablue and hold the blue plus back as a spare or until it's time to relamp.

 

[atlfishes]

What is the going bulb recommendation for a 5x54w mixed reef setup? Goes on a standard 90 gallon tank. Thanks

 

[vyerous]

Thanks Grim.

My biggest concern was adding the anemone. While I think it is ample lighting even on the sand, I just wanted to make sure I could keep the nem as happy as can be. My hope was to do a dynamic lighting as if my tank takes places near an overhanging rock/cliff deal, one side is really blue and one side is a much lighter blue where the sun reaches. My hope was to have the nem stay in the sun =D

Also what order should I put the lights in? Could this color spectrum inhibit coral growth?