Which T5 lights to use??

[356]

Hello all

I posted a thread about a wek ago and am still trying to figue out which system to T5 lights to use? I am currently setting up a 220 gallon reef tank 27ââ"šÂ¬Ã‚ x 29ââ"šÂ¬Ã‚ x 65ââ"šÂ¬Ã‚ (depth of water 25ââ"šÂ¬Ã‚) and the lights will be hung inside a custom canopy that has been fastened to the ceiling (there is 12" of space between the lights and the water surface) . Planning to run 10 or 12 (48ââ"šÂ¬Ã‚ T-5's). I have plenty of room in the canopy for lights (31" x 65"). Planning to stager the lights and use reflectors. I would like to avoid using Metal Halides and having the heat factor and using a chiller.

Availble T5 retor fit lights i have seen on the web:

Sunlight Suppy T5 Tek 960090 48"-2 x 54 watt $139
ââ"šÂ¬Ã‚¢ Our exclusive Tek reflector with 95% reflective German material
ââ"šÂ¬Ã‚¢ Domestic brand ballast runs 2 lamps
ââ"šÂ¬Ã‚¢ Stucchi Waterproof End-caps
ââ"šÂ¬Ã‚¢ Icecap-Easy mounting Stand-Offs
ââ"šÂ¬Ã‚¢ 8 ft of paired 18g wiring
ââ"šÂ¬Ã‚¢ 6 ft power cord
ââ"šÂ¬Ã‚¢ Ballast operates at lamp specifications for longer lamp life
All boxes in retail friendly packaging

Coral Vue
T5 2 Bulb Retro Kit Item #: CV-T5RK-4 $109.00
True plug and play fluorescent retro kit.
No more wiring for the customers or stores owners to have to worry about with these retro kits.
The wiring and electronics are mounted inside a small box that is holding the dual water proof end caps.
Individual parabolic reflector which maximizes the output of the T5 bulb.
Can be mounted or hung with the supplied hardware.
Comes with bulbs of your choice. (10000K or Actinic)
48" x 2

Or the BIG question should I send the money and just buy the Ice Cap 3 x 660 Ballats at $140each and then buy the end caps, bulbs and reflectors???

Or just buy the cheaper (Work Horse) for $53 x 2 to run 4 54W lights


The ICN-2S54 by Advance. The leader in ballast technology. Centium Series high frequency electronic T5HO ballast.
Powers: 1 or 2 F54T5/HO lamps, FC12T/HO or 36-55W 2G11 base CFL lamps.
Input Watts: 46-120
Input Volts: 120-277
Ballast Factor: 85-122%
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): 10-20%
Power Factor: 96-98%
Length (in): 9.5
Width (in): 1.7
Height (in): 1.18

Last but not least will 12 T5 HO 54W light up a 25" deep tank for a basic reef tank with fish.

Any help or commit would be appreciated! Thanks europeancollectibles@pacbell.net

 

[horkn]

12 t5s will work just fine. use the workhorse ballasts if you want, they cost less, and work well. i use one on my t5ho retro.

as far as reflectors, get the aqualux ones. click on reflectors in www.aqualuxlighting.com . they are cheaper than the IC, and work jsut as well. but if you want, run the IC ones. its your choice, both work fine, but the aqualux are less money for the same $$ now you could use 60" bulbs when using the aqualux CDR reflectors. icecap doesnt make 60" reflectors. but the CDRs come in 5 footers...

 

[356]

Horkn

with the ice cap 660 x4 54W

I am hereing that they put out almost 80W being over driven.

So if I do two 660 running 4 54W each that is over 640W

The cost is not that diiferent.

What do you think?

 

[horkn]

yeah its 78 or 80w when driven by the icecap ballasts.

but, i am seeing that when overdriven, they get burnt out quicker. at leat one guy here on RC has PAR tests of his icecp overdriven t5ho setupo losing a lot of par after only 6 months time. personally, i would not overdrive them. is that even possible with an icecap ballast, or are they permanently overdriven whether you want them to or not? i dont know, i dont know much about icecap ballasts...

you would probably be be better off with non icecap ballasts as far as $$ wise. plus, you can have more control of what lights are on when with more ballasts, and if one goes out, you have others to to light the tank.

 

[356]

it is a $129 difference from the Ice cap to the sun light supply from Reef Geek.

48" Retrofit: 8-54W T5 HO Fluorescents
Manufacturer: Sunlight Supply
Dimensions: 46.75" x 20.0" x 2.75" (L x W x H)
Price: $599.00
Description: T5 high-output fluorescent retrofit kit with your choice of eight from the following German-made bulbs: 6000K Sun, 11000K Aquablue Special (60/40), Actinic/Blue Plus, and Pure Actinic 03. Comes complete with four Triad T5 electronic ballasts, a power-cord for each ballast allowing for dawn and dusk control, moisture proof end-caps, standoffs, wiring and Sunlight Supply individual parabolic reflectors for each bulb made from German Tek 95% reflective aluminum. Some Assembly Required. Recommended bulb combination: 2:2:4 Sun to Aquablue to Actinic/Blue Plus. IceCap T5 Retrofit Kit also available.

48" Retrofit: 8-54W T5 HO Fluorescents
Manufacturer: IceCap
Dimensions: 46.75" x 20.0" x 2.75" (L x W x H)
Price: $729.00
Description: T5 high-output fluorescent retrofit kit with your choice of eight from the following German-made bulbs: 6000K Sun, 11000K Aquablue Special (60/40), Actinic/Blue Plus, and Pure Actinic 03. Comes complete with two IceCap 660 electronic ballasts each with a wiring harness, a power-cord for each ballast allowing for dawn and dusk control, moisture proof end-caps, standoffs and IceCap SLR individual parabolic reflectors for each bulb. Some Assembly Required. Recommended bulb combination: 2:2:4 Sun to Aquablue to Actinic/Blue Plus.

I am ready to order this tomorrow and installed on Friday.
From the possitive stuff on Ice cap I figured just spend the extra bucks.

I figured the other bllasts were cheaper and not as good.

 

[356]

what would you figue for lights?

4) 11000K Aquablue Plus
2) Actinic/Blue Plus
2) Pure Actinic 03

OR

4) 11000K Aquablue Plus
2) Actinic/Blue Plus

For some fish, live rock and softy.

Thanks

 

[horkn]

well, the icecap reflectors are a lot better than the tek reflectors.

the ballasts, well, yeah they make more power, but eat bulbs quicker. theres nothing wrong with the ballasts in the tek retro, and i do know reefgeek will upgrade your reflectors to icecaps for very minimal cost,a nd you will have 20% better PAR down in the tank using them over the tek reflector.

if you want/ need more light later, you can always take the triad ballasts out, and get icecaps.

another good reflector is the aqualux sold CDR , and those cost less than the icecaps, but perform as good, and are wider, (just over 3"). the extar width might help on your big tank.

i run the aqualux reflectors, and they are really nice, and clean up well.
www.aqualuxlighting.com they only sell t5ho stuff.

 

[horkn]

3 aquablue
3 blue+
maybe 2 actinics for looks.


its so objective its hard to say. how blue or white do you want it?

 

[356]

Thanks.

Reek Geek seems to think with the Ice Cap 660 8 x 54W will work fine and i can ad another 4 if i need to later

 

[horkn]

sure he does. you wear bulbs out quicker, making him more $$, and the ballasts cost more as well.

jm 2Pennies

 

[twkenny]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6957425#post6957425 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 356
Thanks.

Reek Geek seems to think with the Ice Cap 660 8 x 54W will work fine and i can ad another 4 if i need to later

I'd go with that. Greg at reefgeek is about as up front and honest as they come. He's not going to push stuff on you you don't need. I called with an idea one time and he offered options that saved me a lot of money.
I absolutely loved my 4 x 54 watt setup (IC) that I used over my 125 and will be losing my 3 x 250 halides and going back to 4 x 54 T5HO and another IC driven setup that will be determined by the new UVL T5 actinic.
Sounds like a neat canopy...

 

[356]

IC 660 verse Sunlight retro triniad

IC 660 verse Sunlight retro triniad

IC 660 will not burn out the bulbs in 6 months?

I want to go with the IC but with some of the talk last nigfht some guy was changing from 660 IC to a traditional ballast.

Was palnning on doing two 660 pushing 8 54W bulbs

Or was continplating doing Reef Geeks Sunlight retro with 5 triniad ballast pushing 10 54W bubls.

What do you think?

 

[twkenny]

The bulbs will not burn out in 6 months. One set of numbers I just saw showed an Aquablue lost only 10% in 13 months on a 660, and an actinic plus lost 30%.
Some people here obviously don't care to run IC ballasts and that is fine and up to them.
They are awesome ballasts that offer tremendous flexibility and durability. They run cool and are safe.
I'd go with the setup you mention (the 8 x 54). You'll love it. Only 2 ballasts and nice wiring harnesses. Easy and neat.

 

[356]

Thanks for the replay but it is too late.

You were the only one that answered positive and I talked to Greg at Reef Geek and bewtween the IC 660 and the Sunlight Supply TEK with 10 bubls instead of the two IC 660 with 8 bulbs. I was worried about longgevitly of the bulbs. Someone posted a tread about the IC 660 burning out the bulbs in a 6 to 8 month period. So I changed. But I shoulkd have more verisitity in the light set up with 5 ballast. The money was the same 8 verse 10 bulbs.

I think I should be OK

I do appriacte the input!