Mainelandreefer
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The T5 Q&a Thread
- Thread starter JohnL
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Grim going to switch from a 48x24x24 to a 36x36x24 tank. how many t-5 bulbs would i need to cover that size tank.
ATI as a 10 39W fixture but i dont really like the 2 and 8 configuration but I guess its not the worst thing, I would have liked a 2, 2, 6 so I could phase the lights on in stages. Would the ATI 8 39W work with raising it higher off the tank?
I am planing to do mostly SPS so whats the best combo I can go with with either fixture.
ATI as a 10 39W fixture but i dont really like the 2 and 8 configuration but I guess its not the worst thing, I would have liked a 2, 2, 6 so I could phase the lights on in stages. Would the ATI 8 39W work with raising it higher off the tank?
I am planing to do mostly SPS so whats the best combo I can go with with either fixture.
Grim you've helped me in the past and I'm sure you can help me again. I'm setting up a 58g as well, so it's 36x18x21 I think. I have a canopy for it so I'm gonna go with an icecap(or reefgeek) retro. So I'm trying to figure out which would be better for my situation....going with a 4 bulb overdriven or 6 bulb not over. Now I understand the benefit to 6 is better variety in color and bulb choice, better spread of light and the bulbs last longer. But with the 4 overdriven will that give me more options with what I can keep? I wouldn't mind having a clam in two(don't have any currently, but dang I love clams) and I will have a mixed tank with some sps. Now the sps will be up in the upper half, but I wan to do the whole "less is more" with my rock. So even the "upper half" might be about 12 or so inches from the actual light. Also keep in mind I could always add 2 more bulbs later with this route. So what do you think?
On a side note, I'm interested to hear your thoughts on the Icecap bulbs since they are meant to be run on Icecap ballasts and overdriven.
On a side note, I'm interested to hear your thoughts on the Icecap bulbs since they are meant to be run on Icecap ballasts and overdriven.
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
I'd do 2 Blues, the Aquablue and a UVL Actinic White. The UVL lamp will add in a little red that will really bring out any pink or purple in the tank.
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
Do an ATI Blue Plus and a UVL 75/25. The pink from the UVL lamp will bring out pink or purple colors you may be missing now.
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
For softies? Forget that noise. get a 6x80 watt Ice Cap retro from Reefgeek. You will have slightly less bright light at the ends because the lamps are only 60" long but I think it looks cool.
Call Reefgeek and tell them you want the reefgeek brand reflectors which arent on the site yet. They are only 2 1/2 inches wide so down the rode when you decide you just gotta have SPS you can add a couple more lamps if you need them.
You will get 2 Ice Cap 660 ballasts in the Kit. You also need to add a fan at each end blowing in from the back down the rows of endcaps on each side to cool the lamp ends.
For lamps try
Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
ATI Blue Plus
GE 6500K Daylight
UVL super Actinic
ATI Blue Plus
I would do the first, third and fifth lamp on one ballast for dusk/dawn.
That will be enough light to grow SPS on the upper half of the rocks if you want.
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
How about getting a 6 and 4 lamp Sunpower instead of the single fixture? that will get you better control for dusk/dawn. You can have your light in 4 stages.
Basic layout
Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
ATI Blue Plus
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Actinic White
ATI Blue Plus
GE 6500K Daylight
UVL 75/25
ATI Blue Plus
I think that would give you 1 and 3 of the front fixture for dusk/danw and 1 and 6 on the rear. Play around with different mixes. I would do a Blue Plus and 75/25 as the second stage of dusk/dawn, it will make pink and purple show up.
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
I have Ice Cap lamps here if you are in the Aurora area anytime soon I can fire them up so you can see them. I have to find a 660 to use to OD them but I can show you what they look like at the normal wattage.
If you want a mixed reef less lamps but overdriven will be fine. When you do your rockwork do it so there are places directly under the lights to place the clams. That is the drawback of using 4 lamps. You get higher peak PAR but its only under the area of the lamps.
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
A year is bout time to change the lamps.
Over the last year or so you've helped with bulb choices and I really love the color and overall look of my t5 set-up (48" constellation series from Aquactinics) but I am almost at my wit's end over a problem that I can't seem to solve...pale corals.
My system is a 120 (4X2X2) mixed reef. My corals are healthy and growing (especially my lps) but my sps are pale and have lost most (if not all) their color. They haven't browned out, instead they are creamy white with small bits of brown in the shaded areas.
Last year my bulb set-up was
4 - Blue Plus
1 - 75/25
1 - Aquablue
1 - Aqua sun
A month or two ago I asked for a bulb recommendation for a bluer bulb combo that would lower the overall output in an effort to get better color out of my corals. I switched to
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Actinic White
UVL Super Actinic
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Super Actinic
GE 6500K Daylight
Blue Plus
I absolutely love the look of the tank with this combo. It's very blue but the colors (the lps colors anyway) really pop.
It almost worked. I say almost because one of my montiporas (pokerstar) actually did color up. It's back to it's blue base with green polyps. My other montipora looks like it is still getting too much light as it has a couple of small patches where the base color returned (it is higher in the tank). Even my monti caps are lighter than the typical colors. My acros are the most badly affected and are all still pale with the exception of one which is only purple on some new growth areas.
My lights are on a very short cycle...
-They start out at 12 noon with the two actinics.
-At 1:30 the blue pluses kick on.
-At 3:30 the white and daylight come on.
-At 7:00 the white and daylight turn off (yes only 4 hours for the white bulbs)
-At 7:30 the blue pluses turn off.
-And last at 8:00 the actinics turn off.
I have ruled out the water being too clean since I have been feeding so much that I now have some cyano appearing. I have tried dosing aminos and saw no difference after more than two months. My top off water is all RO/DI and I just changed all of the RO stages 2 and a half months ago ( so I am not getting any phosphate from my top off).
Is it possible that I need less light? I am thinking this as the lower intensity lights that I am using did result in one sps coloring back up. Please give me some idea what i can do before I dig out some old MH's in my garage (I have some 175's and some 400's).
Thanks!
-Ian
My system is a 120 (4X2X2) mixed reef. My corals are healthy and growing (especially my lps) but my sps are pale and have lost most (if not all) their color. They haven't browned out, instead they are creamy white with small bits of brown in the shaded areas.
Last year my bulb set-up was
4 - Blue Plus
1 - 75/25
1 - Aquablue
1 - Aqua sun
A month or two ago I asked for a bulb recommendation for a bluer bulb combo that would lower the overall output in an effort to get better color out of my corals. I switched to
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Actinic White
UVL Super Actinic
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Super Actinic
GE 6500K Daylight
Blue Plus
I absolutely love the look of the tank with this combo. It's very blue but the colors (the lps colors anyway) really pop.
It almost worked. I say almost because one of my montiporas (pokerstar) actually did color up. It's back to it's blue base with green polyps. My other montipora looks like it is still getting too much light as it has a couple of small patches where the base color returned (it is higher in the tank). Even my monti caps are lighter than the typical colors. My acros are the most badly affected and are all still pale with the exception of one which is only purple on some new growth areas.
My lights are on a very short cycle...
-They start out at 12 noon with the two actinics.
-At 1:30 the blue pluses kick on.
-At 3:30 the white and daylight come on.
-At 7:00 the white and daylight turn off (yes only 4 hours for the white bulbs)
-At 7:30 the blue pluses turn off.
-And last at 8:00 the actinics turn off.
I have ruled out the water being too clean since I have been feeding so much that I now have some cyano appearing. I have tried dosing aminos and saw no difference after more than two months. My top off water is all RO/DI and I just changed all of the RO stages 2 and a half months ago ( so I am not getting any phosphate from my top off).
Is it possible that I need less light? I am thinking this as the lower intensity lights that I am using did result in one sps coloring back up. Please give me some idea what i can do before I dig out some old MH's in my garage (I have some 175's and some 400's).
Thanks!
-Ian
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
Try eliminating the 2 actinics for a while and up your blue plus cycle to 10 hours. Leave the daylights at 4 hours. I am thinking perhaps you are getting too much UV light. Try that for a few weeks and let us know what happens. That won't drop your PAR a huge amount so if I am right you should see a color change pretty quick.
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
Yes on both counts
Lyfey
Member
Grim on my 8 bulb 54w Nova Extreme Current USA light i am suffering from a single parabolic reflector and crappy current USA bulbs. I want to slip on some icecap reflectors onto a few bulbs, I think I can fit 4. I already took the acrylic splash shield off. Can you give me a sick dark blue popping bulb combo along with advice on what I should do with my single crappy parabolic reflector?.. I want to mod this light, I think it has great potential, only think is the bulbs are only seperated by a half an inch. they crammed 8 bulbs into I think ~ 11 inches wide.
Current Nova Extreme 48" 8x54w. Using the current usa bulbs at the moment.
On my other fixture, I was running 3x blue + a 75/25 that was nice, but looking for something bluer and poppier. I got 8 bulbs to work with. I had to move so I had to downgrade my tank from a 125 to a 75 for the time being so my 72" halide t5 combo is not in use.
thanks
Chris
Current Nova Extreme 48" 8x54w. Using the current usa bulbs at the moment.
On my other fixture, I was running 3x blue + a 75/25 that was nice, but looking for something bluer and poppier. I got 8 bulbs to work with. I had to move so I had to downgrade my tank from a 125 to a 75 for the time being so my 72" halide t5 combo is not in use.
thanks
Chris
lurch
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15125056#post15125056 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 60Cubed
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. Also I was thinking about adding a small plexiglass cover over the ballast to protect them from overspray. If I add the fans over the ballast will that be okay to keep them cool? I was thinking it would force more air over the ballast that way. LMK
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!
Isn't this like the second split on this thread? WOW!!!
How tall is your canopy? I thinking about doing the same thing as you. From the water line to the top of the canopy is 11" on my canopy.Would this be to high for the icecap 80 watt retro?
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
The lamps are too close together to fit reflectors in.
Use the UVL lamps with the reflector built in. Should give you a good boost
Front
454 (Bue Lamp)
75/25
454
GE 6500K Daylight
454
Actinic White
super actinic
454
All lamps UVL brand except the GE. Make sure you get the versions with the reflectors except for the Super Actinic. You should get about 30% boost from the reflected lamps.
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