Getting serious about corals

HONDACBR600RR · 08/21/2010, 10:02 AM

Ok guys, so after a year in the hobby and some normal beginner mistakes, I am starting to want to turn my tank into much more of a reef tank.I have some corals but nothing to go crazy about, my water params are dead on and my tank is very stable thanks to all of you guys and the info I have gotten from this website. I currently have 2x96 pc which blow so I bought the tek 6x39 t5 fixture, it will be here on Tuesday. I ordered the following bulbs and need help in what configuration to run them considering the fixture has 2 power cords which I will run on 2 timers.

UVL T5 V-HO Actinic White Bulb 12000K
GIESEMANN POWERCHROME MIDDAY 39W 36 INCH T5 HIGH OUTPUT
3 X GIESEMANN POWERCHROME ACTINIC+ 39W 36 INCH T5 HIGH OUTPUT
GIESEMANN POWERCHROME AQUABLUE+ 39W 36 INCH T5 HIGH OUTPUT

Please help me determine which order from front to back to place these bulbs, I will be posting pics of my setup once I get things up and running. Thanks

divewsharks · 08/21/2010, 10:11 AM

I'm not sure which bulbs are which switch (i think its 2 & 5 on one, rest on other, if that is the case:
AB+
A+
AW
MD
A+
A+

You could also swap the last A+ and the MD.

hth

HONDACBR600RR · 08/23/2010, 05:41 PM

I will give that a try when I figure out the switches, lights arrive in 2 days, im siked. Also, anyone care to give me a recomendation of height off the tank, it is a 65 gallon so tank is 24" deep, I run a glass top so I dont think salt creep should be a problem. Thanks

footballdude2k3 · 08/23/2010, 05:55 PM

what kinds of corals are you thinking about keeping?

HONDACBR600RR · 08/23/2010, 07:04 PM

I am having great success with my torch, however my frogspawn dont seem to be growing which I think is a lighting issue, I plan to add maybe 1 or 2 easy sps , but otherwise lps, leaters and some zoas. I dont want to go crazy just yet in case I end up moving. But based on my results with pc's and my torch I dont think my water quality has many issues, It is hard for me to test since I am colorblind so I am always relying on my girlfriend to read the strips. I also dont want to go sps crazy because I dont want to get too involved with dosing and other equiment.

footballdude2k3 · 08/23/2010, 07:59 PM

ok, you will be able to keep any lps you want under a 6 bulb t5, most of the more colorful ones are lower light anyway. zoas are the same light requirements as LPS. i am colorblind as well so i know what you mean, however you said that you were doing strips, please tell me that was a typo, if you are doing strips, they are not very accurate, so you are going to want to get drip tests. acans are far and away my favorite, they are prolly the easiest corals to take care of as well.

HONDACBR600RR · 08/23/2010, 08:33 PM

There was a few typos in the last post, I dont use strips, I have drip tests but the lfs usually checks my nitrite, ph,ammonia nitrate quite often, I dont really test for much else because I dont have alot of corals to lose. I also have had very good luck with all my fish so dont think anything is too out of whack, I had better luck with corals when I was using a trace element and when I ran out I believe that is around the time I started to lose a few corals or saw a slow down in growth, also my pc bulbs are about 10 months old so they are done. I just need to figure out a few things this week so I can get a few new frags come pay day.

2Addicted · 08/23/2010, 08:37 PM

There are other colorblind reefers out there? Other reefers usually laugh when I tell them im colorblind.

HONDACBR600RR · 08/23/2010, 08:41 PM

haha yeah man, I actually cant read my tests at all,I am way off , so I stopped testing, I just barely do water changes. I guess I have gotten lucky which is why I need to start testing more and getting a few nice corals will make me bring friends over to read my tests or something.

divewsharks · 08/23/2010, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HONDACBR600RR

I will give that a try when I figure out the switches, lights arrive in 2 days, im siked. Also, anyone care to give me a recomendation of height off the tank, it is a 65 gallon so tank is 24" deep, I run a glass top so I dont think salt creep should be a problem. Thanks

I personally would ditch the glass top, it will block some light, as the salt creep builds there, plus it can interfere with dissolved O2 levels. If no glass top, then at least 4" above the water.
But if you are going to stay with it, you can put the light directly on the tank, did you get the legs with your fixture? with that fixture you can keep about any coral you want, providing the other parameters are in check.

ingtar_shinowa · 08/23/2010, 11:57 PM

with that much light you can keep SPS too. Im colorblind too mostly anyway. I have 4t5 and my acros are fine (18" tank though)

HONDACBR600RR · 08/25/2010, 06:29 PM

Any tricks to getting a t5 bulb to rotate into position in the socket? All but one were no problem, the last one I cant seem to get for the life of me, I dont want to squeeze the bulb too hard and break it, also bulbs 1 and 6 are on the same switch, so who wants to tell me what combo of my above posted bulbs to use?

HONDACBR600RR · 08/26/2010, 04:59 PM

OK, still need help figuring out what combo to run the lights considering both outer bulbs are on the same switch and the 4 inners on the other. I also figured I would post some pics of my tank now for contrast to pics I will post later down the road with more corals.

Also, pics were taking with my iphone a few minutes after a water change so the water is still a bit cloudy.

08/21/2010, 10:02 AM	#1
HONDACBR600RR Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 185	Getting serious about corals Ok guys, so after a year in the hobby and some normal beginner mistakes, I am starting to want to turn my tank into much more of a reef tank.I have some corals but nothing to go crazy about, my water params are dead on and my tank is very stable thanks to all of you guys and the info I have gotten from this website. I currently have 2x96 pc which blow so I bought the tek 6x39 t5 fixture, it will be here on Tuesday. I ordered the following bulbs and need help in what configuration to run them considering the fixture has 2 power cords which I will run on 2 timers. UVL T5 V-HO Actinic White Bulb 12000K GIESEMANN POWERCHROME MIDDAY 39W 36 INCH T5 HIGH OUTPUT 3 X GIESEMANN POWERCHROME ACTINIC+ 39W 36 INCH T5 HIGH OUTPUT GIESEMANN POWERCHROME AQUABLUE+ 39W 36 INCH T5 HIGH OUTPUT Please help me determine which order from front to back to place these bulbs, I will be posting pics of my setup once I get things up and running. Thanks

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08/21/2010, 10:11 AM	#2
divewsharks Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 1,905	I'm not sure which bulbs are which switch (i think its 2 & 5 on one, rest on other, if that is the case: AB+ A+ AW MD A+ A+ You could also swap the last A+ and the MD. hth

08/23/2010, 05:41 PM	#3
HONDACBR600RR Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 185	I will give that a try when I figure out the switches, lights arrive in 2 days, im siked. Also, anyone care to give me a recomendation of height off the tank, it is a 65 gallon so tank is 24" deep, I run a glass top so I dont think salt creep should be a problem. Thanks

08/23/2010, 05:55 PM	#4
footballdude2k3 Registered Member. Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 1,974	what kinds of corals are you thinking about keeping?

08/23/2010, 07:04 PM	#5
HONDACBR600RR Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 185	I am having great success with my torch, however my frogspawn dont seem to be growing which I think is a lighting issue, I plan to add maybe 1 or 2 easy sps , but otherwise lps, leaters and some zoas. I dont want to go crazy just yet in case I end up moving. But based on my results with pc's and my torch I dont think my water quality has many issues, It is hard for me to test since I am colorblind so I am always relying on my girlfriend to read the strips. I also dont want to go sps crazy because I dont want to get too involved with dosing and other equiment.

08/23/2010, 07:59 PM	#6
footballdude2k3 Registered Member. Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 1,974	ok, you will be able to keep any lps you want under a 6 bulb t5, most of the more colorful ones are lower light anyway. zoas are the same light requirements as LPS. i am colorblind as well so i know what you mean, however you said that you were doing strips, please tell me that was a typo, if you are doing strips, they are not very accurate, so you are going to want to get drip tests. acans are far and away my favorite, they are prolly the easiest corals to take care of as well.

08/23/2010, 08:33 PM	#7
HONDACBR600RR Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 185	There was a few typos in the last post, I dont use strips, I have drip tests but the lfs usually checks my nitrite, ph,ammonia nitrate quite often, I dont really test for much else because I dont have alot of corals to lose. I also have had very good luck with all my fish so dont think anything is too out of whack, I had better luck with corals when I was using a trace element and when I ran out I believe that is around the time I started to lose a few corals or saw a slow down in growth, also my pc bulbs are about 10 months old so they are done. I just need to figure out a few things this week so I can get a few new frags come pay day.

08/23/2010, 08:37 PM	#8
2Addicted Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 1,128	There are other colorblind reefers out there? Other reefers usually laugh when I tell them im colorblind.

08/23/2010, 08:41 PM	#9
HONDACBR600RR Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 185	haha yeah man, I actually cant read my tests at all,I am way off , so I stopped testing, I just barely do water changes. I guess I have gotten lucky which is why I need to start testing more and getting a few nice corals will make me bring friends over to read my tests or something.

08/23/2010, 11:57 PM	#11
ingtar_shinowa Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Billings MT Posts: 1,610	with that much light you can keep SPS too. Im colorblind too mostly anyway. I have 4t5 and my acros are fine (18" tank though)

08/25/2010, 06:29 PM	#12
HONDACBR600RR Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 185	Any tricks to getting a t5 bulb to rotate into position in the socket? All but one were no problem, the last one I cant seem to get for the life of me, I dont want to squeeze the bulb too hard and break it, also bulbs 1 and 6 are on the same switch, so who wants to tell me what combo of my above posted bulbs to use?

08/26/2010, 04:59 PM	#13
HONDACBR600RR Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 185	OK, still need help figuring out what combo to run the lights considering both outer bulbs are on the same switch and the 4 inners on the other. I also figured I would post some pics of my tank now for contrast to pics I will post later down the road with more corals. Also, pics were taking with my iphone a few minutes after a water change so the water is still a bit cloudy.