Is this light setup enough?

crushed_rock · 04/23/2007, 12:16 PM

I just added 2 T5 X 39 watts both 10K to my 40 gallon setup. This is in addition to 2 PC X 96 watts. One PC is 50/50 and the other is all actinic.

Did I really increase my light output? It seemed to me like my original light setup with 2 PC is much brighter than my current setup now.

I had a monti cap that was doing okay when I had the PC setup. But as soon as I changed my PC and added the T5, it started bleaching. I don't know if it was incidental or the change really affected it.

What I noticed though is that my zoos now looked what it was when I got them from LFS.

I would like to try my luck again with SPS but I don't know if I even should try.

jer77 · 04/23/2007, 01:59 PM

Yes, you really did increase your lighting by adding about 2W/gal. It is possible that the additional light caused the bleaching, infact this is very common when adding new lights. Especially since you didn't have much daylight colors before. How long was the monti cap in your tank prior to adding the new light? Lighting is only part of keeping sps. Is your flow good and parameters good. If these are good and I believe your lighting is now enough to keep most sps then you can try again, just remembering to acclimate any new corals to your lights and whenever you change the lighting in the future.

crushed_rock · 04/23/2007, 02:27 PM

I had the monti for about 2 weeks before I added the T5.

crushed_rock · 04/23/2007, 02:30 PM

I'm a bit confused. If i had to begin with 1X96 watts of PC daylight and the other 1X96 actinic and replaced the the daylight bulb to a 50/50, wouldn't i have lost some wattage when it comes to daylight lighting.

Theoretically, I replace 1 96 watts of PC with two 39 watts T5 that totals 78 watts. Am I missing something.

jer77 · 04/23/2007, 02:37 PM

Now I'm confused too. I thought you added on 2 T5's to what you already had-the 2X96W PC's?

aninjaatemyshoe · 04/23/2007, 02:53 PM

PC lumens/Watt = about 60
T5 HO lumens/Watt = about 90
Therefore, before you were producing about 5760 lumens with the 96W PC, where now you are producing about 7020 lumens with the 2 T5 bulbs (more than 20% increase)
This is not including the extra efficiency of T5 individual reflectors over those for PC.

However, changing the daylight for the 50/50 might have taking down your PAR a little. Would have to know the PAR values for the bulb/reflector combinations. I would have changed the actinic with the 50/50, or the daylight with two daylight T5's.

Your original comment is very confusing and contradictory to what you just said:
"I just added 2 T5 X 39 watts both 10K to my 40 gallon setup. This is in addition to 2 PC X 96 watts. One PC is 50/50 and the other is all actinic."
then you said:
"i had to begin with 1X96 watts of PC daylight and the other 1X96 actinic and replaced the the daylight bulb to a 50/50"
These are opposite statements, no?

crushed_rock · 04/23/2007, 05:00 PM

I apologize if I confused the readers. But to make it simple, this is the scenario that I have.

Before

1 X 96 watts daylight
1 X 96 watts actinic

A total of two 96 watts power compact bulbs

Now

2 X 39 watts T5 daylight (TEK)
1 X 96 watts 50/50 (daylight and purple)
1 x 96 watts pure blue actinic

I hope you can shed light (no pun intended) to my inquiry.

aninjaatemyshoe · 04/23/2007, 09:01 PM

With that combination you defininately have more output than you did before, even though you switched the PC daylight with 50/50's. The monti cap could have bleached from a dozen other things, including too much light. I would say that have enough light above your tank to try some of the lesser demanding SPS species. But first you should make sure your parameters are good and try to figure out what happened to the Monti.

04/23/2007, 12:16 PM	#1
crushed_rock Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Orange County Posts: 603	Is this light setup enough? I just added 2 T5 X 39 watts both 10K to my 40 gallon setup. This is in addition to 2 PC X 96 watts. One PC is 50/50 and the other is all actinic. Did I really increase my light output? It seemed to me like my original light setup with 2 PC is much brighter than my current setup now. I had a monti cap that was doing okay when I had the PC setup. But as soon as I changed my PC and added the T5, it started bleaching. I don't know if it was incidental or the change really affected it. What I noticed though is that my zoos now looked what it was when I got them from LFS. I would like to try my luck again with SPS but I don't know if I even should try.

04/23/2007, 01:59 PM	#2
jer77 Phish Lover Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 2,642	Yes, you really did increase your lighting by adding about 2W/gal. It is possible that the additional light caused the bleaching, infact this is very common when adding new lights. Especially since you didn't have much daylight colors before. How long was the monti cap in your tank prior to adding the new light? Lighting is only part of keeping sps. Is your flow good and parameters good. If these are good and I believe your lighting is now enough to keep most sps then you can try again, just remembering to acclimate any new corals to your lights and whenever you change the lighting in the future. __________________ - Jonny -, 120g 5 Year Old Reef w/ SPS, BTA, Zoos & some Softies. 40g Frag Tank. 40g Sump. Super Reef Octopus XP 3000 External Cone Skimmer. 250W Radiums. TaoTronics LED. PanWorld 200PS w/SQWD

04/23/2007, 02:37 PM	#5
jer77 Phish Lover Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 2,642	Now I'm confused too. I thought you added on 2 T5's to what you already had-the 2X96W PC's? __________________ - Jonny -, 120g 5 Year Old Reef w/ SPS, BTA, Zoos & some Softies. 40g Frag Tank. 40g Sump. Super Reef Octopus XP 3000 External Cone Skimmer. 250W Radiums. TaoTronics LED. PanWorld 200PS w/SQWD

04/23/2007, 02:53 PM	#6
aninjaatemyshoe Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 2,333	PC lumens/Watt = about 60 T5 HO lumens/Watt = about 90 Therefore, before you were producing about 5760 lumens with the 96W PC, where now you are producing about 7020 lumens with the 2 T5 bulbs (more than 20% increase) This is not including the extra efficiency of T5 individual reflectors over those for PC. However, changing the daylight for the 50/50 might have taking down your PAR a little. Would have to know the PAR values for the bulb/reflector combinations. I would have changed the actinic with the 50/50, or the daylight with two daylight T5's. Your original comment is very confusing and contradictory to what you just said: "I just added 2 T5 X 39 watts both 10K to my 40 gallon setup. This is in addition to 2 PC X 96 watts. One PC is 50/50 and the other is all actinic." then you said: "i had to begin with 1X96 watts of PC daylight and the other 1X96 actinic and replaced the the daylight bulb to a 50/50" These are opposite statements, no? __________________ You are not brought upon this world to "get it"

04/23/2007, 09:01 PM	#8
aninjaatemyshoe Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 2,333	With that combination you defininately have more output than you did before, even though you switched the PC daylight with 50/50's. The monti cap could have bleached from a dozen other things, including too much light. I would say that have enough light above your tank to try some of the lesser demanding SPS species. But first you should make sure your parameters are good and try to figure out what happened to the Monti. __________________ You are not brought upon this world to "get it"

04/23/2007, 02:27 PM	#3
crushed_rock Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Orange County Posts: 603	I had the monti for about 2 weeks before I added the T5.

04/23/2007, 02:30 PM	#4
crushed_rock Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Orange County Posts: 603	I'm a bit confused. If i had to begin with 1X96 watts of PC daylight and the other 1X96 actinic and replaced the the daylight bulb to a 50/50, wouldn't i have lost some wattage when it comes to daylight lighting. Theoretically, I replace 1 96 watts of PC with two 39 watts T5 that totals 78 watts. Am I missing something.

04/23/2007, 05:00 PM	#7
crushed_rock Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Orange County Posts: 603	I apologize if I confused the readers. But to make it simple, this is the scenario that I have. Before 1 X 96 watts daylight 1 X 96 watts actinic A total of two 96 watts power compact bulbs Now 2 X 39 watts T5 daylight (TEK) 1 X 96 watts 50/50 (daylight and purple) 1 x 96 watts pure blue actinic I hope you can shed light (no pun intended) to my inquiry.