The T5 Q&a Thread - split
 

This thread has been split (again). The previous posts can be found here:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1706461

--beerguy



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Well I have stepped off in no man’s lands… I had a chance to get some frags at a GREAT deal and now I need to know what lights I need. I’m currently building a canopy.

I have a 6 bulb T-5 HO light. It will be about 6 to 7 inches above the water of the 75gal DT. I know I need to read more about them but I believe I have a mix of LPS and SPS and some soft corals. I really don’t know where to put them in the tank yet.

I have 4 of the 6 bulbs so far. All bulbs are the wave point brand. I have 2 of the SUN WAVE™ 12,000k and 1 of the Super Blue Actinic 460 and 1 of the REEF WAVE™ Super Violet O3 Actinic 420. I would assume that I need 2 more of the Super Blue Actinic 460.

Is this correct or do I need to change something?

Try 6 blue plus with a purple plus (ATI) with a KZ New Generation.

Us the KZ new gen instead of the Aquablue

4 ATI Blue Plus, 1 Purple Plus and a GE 6500K

Add 2 ATI Blue Plus lamps and instead of the actinic 03 add and ATI Aquablue.

Get you butt over to the coral forum and find out what you have for corals but assuming you have a cheaper fixture (wave point, Current etc) you may need to dump all the lamps you already have for quality ones to give the critters enough light.

I received my 6 bulb ATI Powermodule yesterday that is replacing the 4 bulb Powermodule.

I had asked before the thread was split how to do the acclimation now that I have two more bulbs. The opinion was to run the dusk/dawn my usual 12 hours a day, then start daylights out at 4 hours and work your way up to where you want that to be.

So originally the dawn/dusk bulbs consisted of two bulbs and the daylight consisted of two bulbs. Dawn/Dusk bulbs = 12 hours a day. Daylight = 11 hours a day.

With the new 6 bulb fixture, 2 bulbs are on one plug and 4 bulbs are on the other plug. It would therefore make sense to run the 4 bulbs all day 12 hours (since basically that was how I was running it) and the run the two additional new bulbs starting at say 4 hours a day and work my way up into more hours as I acclimate. Does this make sense?

The other question I have is what bulbs I should put on each plug. The bulbs that I have and the suggested configuration that I was advised is as follows.

Front
Aquablue- Plug 1
Blue Plus- Plug 2
Purple Plus- Plug 1
Blue Plus- Plug 2
Blue Plus- Plug 1
Aquablue- Plug 1

Based on this configuration, I also put next to each bulb what plug they end up on. So my question is, based on the above, does having two Aquablue, one Purple Plus, and one Blue Plus look to you as what I should have to run all day at this point while I'm slowly adding the other two bulbs as I acclimate, or should I change the configuration?

Thanks for reading the long winded question. :)
Ken

No, run the two lamps 12 while increasing the other 4's on time. If the #1 and #4 are the dusk/dawn pair move the Aquablue lamp in number 6 up to number 5

#5 Aquablue
#6 Blue Plus

That doesn't make sense, unless I'm not understanding you correctly. If I have been running four bulbs 11-12 hours a day now, why would I go backwards and run only 2 bulbs all day long then increase the other 4 slowly. The tank is used to 4 bulbs. It's the two additional ones that have to be introduced.

Also based on the configuration and plug layout previously posted, Plug 2 (position 2 and 4) would have been the dawn/dusk if that was the way I was going to go.

Again, it makes more sense to me to run 4 bulbs all day long and then slowly introduce the 2 new bulbs. I have a tank full of SPS and a Ritteri nem that wouldn't be happy with the decrease in light.

Am I misunderstanding you?

Thanks,
Ken

Need help with T5 HO bulb choice.
 

It's time to get new lamps for my T5 HO fixture. It has room for 4 bulbs. What is the best combination for growth and color? I have LPS and soft coral but would like to try some SPS or possibly a clam. I'm on a budget so I would like to keep the bulbs around $20 each. Is ATI THAT much better than UVL?

This is what I was thinking...

1 UVL Actinic White
1 UVL Aquablue
1 UVL Super Actinic
1 ATI Purple Plus

It's about time to replace the bulbs on my 4 bulb powermodule which currently has a blue+, ab special, purple+, and blue+. I was looking to achieve the color of overdriven radiums that I miss. What would be the best bulb combo for this? I was thinking 2 blue+ and 2 ab special or maybe even all blue+. What do you guys think? Thanks!

You are only running the daylights 4 hours for the first week or so then add back an hour a week till you get where you want to be. 6 lamps 4 hours a day with the two running 12 or whatever would keep your stuff alive even long term. I'd bet your critters would be happier than running 4 lamps 12 hours. Corals need their rest too.

ATI Are that much better. That combo would look like pepto vomit and have crap PAR anyway. If you are that tight on money forget the clamps and stonies

Use 3 ATI Blue Plus and the UVL Actinic White. That is about the cheapest way to go and have good PAR and looks.

3 Blue Plus and a Purple Plus is what I'd run. It's going to look a bit bluer that what you have now but still pick up the pink and purple colors well.

Hi, I am thinking of getting a sunpower when it's time for bulb replacement. I have a 56g, 30x18x24. Would a 6 bulb or an 8 bulb x24w be appropriate for mostly SPS with a few LPS towards the bottom? Also, what is a good combo for what you recommend? Thanks for the advice.

http://premiumaquatics.com/aquatic-s...ati-lamps.html

looks like they fit in your budget to me.....?

I already have LPS and they are doing well. With that set-up I'm basically using 1 daylight bulb and three supplemental bulbs. I need enough light to support the growth of my LPS. Would those lights be adequate for LPS? It's a 55 gallon and I have a Red Lobo and Orange Blast Acan on the bottom, a hammer and frogspawn mid level...shouldn't I switch up one of those Blue Plus for an Aquablue or another Actinic white?

Thanks for your help.

You are correct. UVL are about $5 cheaper than ATI so it's not like I would be saving that much. I have no problem paying the extra money, I just wasn't sure if there was that big of a difference. I'll be buying the ATI bulbs. I think I'll be going with Reefgeek though. Premium aquatics wants $20 to ship their bulbs:crazy1:. That's ridiculous.

they are local to me. free pickup! :D

6 lamps standard mix 4 blue plus 1 purple plus and a ge 6500K

Thanks Grim

Blue Plus has more PAR than either of those other lamps.

Brains and Acans don't like a lot of light, clams and SPS do. You could do this

Front
Super Actinic
Blue Plus
Actinic White
Blue Plus

Now you are placing a lower PAR lamp up front over the brains which they will like but it dose mean you need to keep any clams you put in the tank back on the rocks so they get the direct light from the higher PAR lamps. They don't have to be high on the rocks, just below those good lamps.

Thank you so much!

I'm needing to replace the bulbs on my 8x54w Sunpower. I have a pretty even mix of lps and sps with a couple rbta's in a 5ft x 2ft x 2ft tank. I'd prefer a 14-20k look. What bulbs would you suggest.

Hi Grim, I hear your the person to talk to about t-5's. If you could please take a look at my question I would be grateful, as I do not have any eperience with these bulbs.
I have a "Current" fixture 2x250watt 13k Geissman HQI's and " Current" 4 54watt t-5s. 2 of the t5's are actinic 420 and the other two are 460 actinic.
I am going to be keep mostly SPS corals. I like a real strong blue look in the tank. But dont want to sacrifice par. Kinda strong 20k feel, really blue. The t5s I have now, seem like they have a light color to them as I used to have 10k hqis and the 10k was super strong and a real green look in the tank. I hated that.

What colors would you suggest? I will have many different colored corals in the tank and just want the SPS corals to pop. Thanks

I had 3 giesmann actinc+ and 3 midday. I swithched a midday with a giesmann aquablue+. You were right, I need more help. What would you do with this mess. Fixtrure is a solar flare.

Thanks so much for what you do!