The T5 Q&a Thread

[fuerte91]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15294305#post15294305 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fuerte91
hi grim, i need some advice on a fixture. will a Tek fixture with 4 lamps be sufficient for sps,clams,etc.? I was told it would be good for them. If so, could you give some advice on bulb combinations? thanks

Oh sorry, the tank is 55 gallons, the standard size, 18 inches high i believe. i would be keeping clams and sps in the top half. Any advice on bulbs to get a little bit more of a blue color to the tank, but still have good growth? thanks

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15324231#post15324231 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fuerte91
Oh sorry, the tank is 55 gallons, the standard size, 18 inches high i believe. i would be keeping clams and sps in the top half. Any advice on bulbs to get a little bit more of a blue color to the tank, but still have good growth? thanks

3 ATI Blue Plus and a UVL Actinic white for a slightly less than 20K look.

Should be plenty of PAR for the stocking plan you listed.

 

[Mark426]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15324175#post15324175 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kc350twin
Hey Grim Sent you a PM.

Thanks

Just what he needs :hmm2: ....sorry...couldnt resist

 

[The Grim Reefer]

PM's, E-mails. Phone calls. God help you people when I finally get into good enough shape again to get out and about. Fair warning, that day is finally in sight

 

[Mavrk]

Re: Re: 4 bulbs on 90 gal

Re: Re: 4 bulbs on 90 gal

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15305042#post15305042 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Try this

Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Actinic White
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Blue Plus

Should give you a very cool look with a RTBA.

The bulbs came. I have a quick question:
Should I leave the reflectors off for a few days to allow the coral to adjust? Then add them slowly back? Or shorten the time the lights are on? Or don't worry about it? Or other?

Thanks.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Re: Re: Re: 4 bulbs on 90 gal

Re: Re: Re: 4 bulbs on 90 gal

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15325618#post15325618 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mavrk
The bulbs came. I have a quick question:
Should I leave the reflectors off for a few days to allow the coral to adjust? Then add them slowly back? Or shorten the time the lights are on? Or don't worry about it? Or other?

Thanks.

If you are just replacing lamps in your existing fixture you could add a lamp a day just to make a smooth transition. If you change them all at once then just add a reflector back in every day or so. Just whatch your critters, if they look stressed then back of the photo period.

 

[jahorgos]

72" long Tank 60" T5s?

72" long Tank 60" T5s?

I have a 72" long tank and am wondering if a 60" T5 retro kit would spread light across the whole length of the tank?

The tank is only 20" deep and mostly SPS. So I can hang the fixture above the tank to try and get the light to spread but not too far that it won't get good light down near the bottom of the tank.

Tank (72x18x20) 100 gallon.

I realize I could do 2 36" fixtures but that would cost more overall and bulb replacement would be more expensive as well.

But I'm open to all suggestions, including what fixture or retro kit would be good for my use. I'm looking for the best bang for my buck. I don't need the best but I will spend the money for something that is actually worth it. This is an in wall tank so looks do not matter.

I was thinking icecap T5 retro so I believe that means 6 60" 80 watt bulbs overdriven to 100 watts?

Thanks!

 

[Mavrk]

Re: Re: Re: Re: 4 bulbs on 90 gal

Re: Re: Re: Re: 4 bulbs on 90 gal

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15325631#post15325631 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
If you are just replacing lamps in your existing fixture you could add a lamp a day just to make a smooth transition. If you change them all at once then just add a reflector back in every day or so. Just whatch your critters, if they look stressed then back of the photo period.

Thanks. I changed them all out. It is more blue than I am used to, but it looks really nice. My coralline algae looks more purple than before, but the red on my cleaner shrimp is bright (not to mention the glow of the white stripe). Of course my favorite is the flouresence of my 2 corals. It looks amazing (I really like running just the blues now lol). It may look a little different with the reflectors, but if so, only better.

Thanks again... now I just need to find a RBTA lol.

 

[60Cubed]

What photoperiod would you go with on an 8 bulb set up. I just switched from 2 400w MH's. All help is appreciated....Lance

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Re: 72" long Tank 60" T5s?

Re: 72" long Tank 60" T5s?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15326339#post15326339 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jahorgos
I have a 72" long tank and am wondering if a 60" T5 retro kit would spread light across the whole length of the tank?

The tank is only 20" deep and mostly SPS. So I can hang the fixture above the tank to try and get the light to spread but not too far that it won't get good light down near the bottom of the tank.

Tank (72x18x20) 100 gallon.

I realize I could do 2 36" fixtures but that would cost more overall and bulb replacement would be more expensive as well.

But I'm open to all suggestions, including what fixture or retro kit would be good for my use. I'm looking for the best bang for my buck. I don't need the best but I will spend the money for something that is actually worth it. This is an in wall tank so looks do not matter.

I was thinking icecap T5 retro so I believe that means 6 60" 80 watt bulbs overdriven to 100 watts?

Thanks!

Yep, 6 lamp retro with the Aqua Illumination reflectors from reefgeek. With the lamps 4 or 5 inches above the water I would say SPS would be safe out within maybe 4 inches of each end. There is a picture in my gallery of my 125 with 60" lamps that were only a couple inches above the water and the ballasts mounted at the end of the lamps on each side and you can just see a little shadowing at the upper edges

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15327662#post15327662 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 60Cubed
What photoperiod would you go with on an 8 bulb set up. I just switched from 2 400w MH's. All help is appreciated....Lance

I am a big believer in running the dusk/dawn 12 hours. The rest sort of depends. If you are 4&4 I would say run the mains 4 to 8 hours with the D/D 10 to 12.

 

[SevTT]

Hey. I'm upgrading the lighting on my my mixed reef tank, with an eye towards keeping more light-intensive things like clams and an anemone. Right now it's being lit by two PC bulbs in a Current fixture -- the bulbs are a current 420/460 and ... I dunno. 6.5K/10K? Whatever was stock in the fixture.

I'm going to get an Icecap 660 and wire four 39W bulbs to it. (The tank's a 29g -- 30x12.5x17). I'm DIYing a hood, which will be closed on top, and I'm wondering how much air flow I really need. Can I do two 120mm fans on one side, blowing out the other end? Or do I really need fans on both sides venting out the middle/top/rear/wherever? It'd be more convenient if I can go with fans on one side and not the other, but not a huge deal if I can't. (The ballast's a bit overkill, I know, but I'm planning on upgrading my tank sometime next year, and then I can just add bulbs and endcaps -- well, and enlarge the hood. )

I also would like to ask for your recommendation on bulbs. I don't like the tank to look very blue -- the actinic look is nice a few hours a day for the twilight effects, but not all the time. I like my whites white, but at the same time, I feel that most of my colors could 'pop' a bit more.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15328008#post15328008 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SevTT
Hey. I'm upgrading the lighting on my my mixed reef tank, with an eye towards keeping more light-intensive things like clams and an anemone. Right now it's being lit by two PC bulbs in a Current fixture -- the bulbs are a current 420/460 and ... I dunno. 6.5K/10K? Whatever was stock in the fixture.

I'm going to get an Icecap 660 and wire four 39W bulbs to it. (The tank's a 29g -- 30x12.5x17). I'm DIYing a hood, which will be closed on top, and I'm wondering how much air flow I really need. Can I do two 120mm fans on one side, blowing out the other end? Or do I really need fans on both sides venting out the middle/top/rear/wherever? It'd be more convenient if I can go with fans on one side and not the other, but not a huge deal if I can't. (The ballast's a bit overkill, I know, but I'm planning on upgrading my tank sometime next year, and then I can just add bulbs and endcaps -- well, and enlarge the hood. )

I also would like to ask for your recommendation on bulbs. I don't like the tank to look very blue -- the actinic look is nice a few hours a day for the twilight effects, but not all the time. I like my whites white, but at the same time, I feel that most of my colors could 'pop' a bit more.

You really don't need to use an Ice Cap ballast on that tank. Go with good reflectors (Ice Cap, Aqua Illumination, Aquactinics) and 2 standard T5 ballasts. The Ice Cap HO T5 retro reefgeek sells would be perfect.

Front
ATI blue Plus
UVL Actinic White
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue

Rig it up so the two Blue Pluses are on the same ballast for dusk dawn. The Aquablue is white with a slight blue tint and the Actinic White is slightly pink. Overall you should have lots of POP and not too blue.

 

[serum153]

Grim is da man!
I have 2 blue+ and an aquablue bulb laying around. I was thinking buying 2 more blue + and a uvl actinic white

Will this pop just about any color. I have a rbta, a lot of green euphyllia, dabbling in sps that are high up.

What order would you place to start?

 

[SevTT]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15328299#post15328299 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
You really don't need to use an Ice Cap ballast on that tank. Go with good reflectors (Ice Cap, Aqua Illumination, Aquactinics) and 2 standard T5 ballasts. The Ice Cap HO T5 retro reefgeek sells would be perfect.

Yeah, LIS, I know it's way overkill for the tank -- I'm going to mount the lights 7" off the water and slowly ramp up the photoperiod to be safe. But I'm planning on upgrading to a larger, deeper, and longer tank in the not-too-far future (about 8 months,) and then the cost of the upgrade -- as far as lighting goes, anyway -- will just be a few new endcaps, bulbs, and wood. So I can go for this setup now ... or I can go for a cheaper one and then buy this anyway later down the line.

 

[newsalt]

how do I get to the very first post of this thread?

 

[jadeguppy]

Grim, how do you feel about putting an acrylic sheet between the bulbs and the water to keep salt spray off the reflectors? I'm thinking of finding a way to rig it so the fan blows on both sides of the acrylic.

Also, double checking: workhorse 5 will run two 54watt (4') t5ho and a workhorse 8 will run two 60" bulbs. Correct?

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15328359#post15328359 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by serum153
Grim is da man!
I have 2 blue+ and an aquablue bulb laying around. I was thinking buying 2 more blue + and a uvl actinic white

Will this pop just about any color. I have a rbta, a lot of green euphyllia, dabbling in sps that are high up.

What order would you place to start?

I'd grab a GE daylight 6500K too.

Front

Blue Plus
Actinic White
Blue Plus
GE 6500K Daylight
Blue Plus
Blue Plus or Aquablue

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15328498#post15328498 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SevTT
Yeah, LIS, I know it's way overkill for the tank -- I'm going to mount the lights 7" off the water and slowly ramp up the photoperiod to be safe. But I'm planning on upgrading to a larger, deeper, and longer tank in the not-too-far future (about 8 months,) and then the cost of the upgrade -- as far as lighting goes, anyway -- will just be a few new endcaps, bulbs, and wood. So I can go for this setup now ... or I can go for a cheaper one and then buy this anyway later down the line.

You can always start out without using the reflectors.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15328732#post15328732 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by newsalt
how do I get to the very first post of this thread?

You can check the archives. Not sure if they go back that far, it was in 2005.