T5 lighting not necessarily meant for aquariums

slathrum · 07/03/2015, 06:52 AM

I'm sort of looking for a follow up to a thread from a few years ago.
Here it is: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2133615

I've just started up a reef tank after being out of the hobby a while, and I'm at the point where I'm planning out my next equipment purchases while it's cycling. I've been looking into lighting, and have decided upon T5. My setup came with two Icecap 250 MH setups, but I don't want the heat and I'm rather surprised that MH is relatively worthless on the secondhand market compared to what it used to be.

Anyway, I've been looking at some very affordable industrial fixtures. The best I've seen so far for my needs is a 6x54 watt made by Sun and Stars Lighting in California featuring three two lamp, name brand (GE or Sylvania) ballasts that would allow for flexibility in separate lamp operation, individual aluminum reflectors and all for $100 shipped.

At that price, I could easily justify shooting it with a coat of paint and clear coat for more corrosion resistance, and then reassemble it with aluminum screws. A couple fans could be added to the top for cooling. Even if I were to someday want better reflectors, we're still talking a total cost of $300 with reflectors and everything, and should have the exact performance of an ATI for $200 less.

That's the plan anyway. I know there are some folks out there using these types of fixtures or grow lights. Are there any other deals out there I should know about before buying?

Swip · 07/03/2015, 08:23 AM

My Giesemann Matrixx II with aluminium reflectors has about 20% less par output than my ATI Sunpower. Both are 6x54W, same bulbs and both have fans for cooling.
And it's not like the Giesemann is a low quality fixture.

Price/performance wise there is just nothing better than the ATI fixtures. The cooling is much better and the reflectors are probably the best on the market.

slathrum · 07/03/2015, 10:44 AM

That's interesting. I could fathom a 20% difference between the cheaper individual reflectors in the fixture I'm talking about and the ATI, but for there to be that much of a difference between two nice fixtures with similar features seems odd. The idea of running a couple fans to cool the lamps is not exactly one with a lot of complicated science behind it. And 48" ATI replacement reflectors can be purchased for around $19 a piece. I don't know the exact brand of ballast ATI uses, but they aren't claiming to be overdriven.

At any rate, there's no doubt that ATI makes great fixtures. I just don't want to spend $500 on one that is just going to sit inside my canopy. I don't see why anything that goes into an ATI could not be duplicated, but in a much less expensive package, albeit a much less pretty one too.

Here's the one I'm talking about working on:

Swip · 07/03/2015, 11:01 AM

Actually, cooling a fixture the right way is something that has quite a bit of science behind it. It's not just sticking fans on something and it's done. It may look that way, but it's not.

With T5 bulbs you have to get the right temperature for best performance. If it's too hot the bulbs will burn out (much) faster, running them too cold lowers the par. It's also not as easy as it seems to even out the temperature so all bulbs are around the same.

I dropped one of my fixtures into the tank a while ago and had to replace the ballasts. The ones on mine were Phillips but they also use ballasts from other manufacturers.

slathrum · 07/03/2015, 11:37 AM

I suppose I imagine using four fans, with each one placed on the angled pieces and slightly in from each corner. They would be designed to exhaust air, rather than trying to blow air. Maybe I have the wrong idea on this, but I think this design would move plenty of air around the bulbs, without concentrating in any one area as would be if fans were blowing directly onto bulbs.

If one were inclined and had the PAR meter, I would think fan speed could be tinkered with to find the sweet spot. For my purposes though, that seems overkill to me. There are a lot of fixtures out there with little or no cooling, and multiple bulbs without any sort of reflectors other than one big mirror behind them all. This $100 fixture already has those beat, and the only thing I've seen come close in price is one of those Odyssea fixtures. If I can come close to the success the guy who posted in the thread I mentioned with this, I'll be pretty happy.

07/03/2015, 06:52 AM	#1
slathrum Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Branson Posts: 125	T5 lighting not necessarily meant for aquariums I'm sort of looking for a follow up to a thread from a few years ago. Here it is: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2133615 I've just started up a reef tank after being out of the hobby a while, and I'm at the point where I'm planning out my next equipment purchases while it's cycling. I've been looking into lighting, and have decided upon T5. My setup came with two Icecap 250 MH setups, but I don't want the heat and I'm rather surprised that MH is relatively worthless on the secondhand market compared to what it used to be. Anyway, I've been looking at some very affordable industrial fixtures. The best I've seen so far for my needs is a 6x54 watt made by Sun and Stars Lighting in California featuring three two lamp, name brand (GE or Sylvania) ballasts that would allow for flexibility in separate lamp operation, individual aluminum reflectors and all for $100 shipped. At that price, I could easily justify shooting it with a coat of paint and clear coat for more corrosion resistance, and then reassemble it with aluminum screws. A couple fans could be added to the top for cooling. Even if I were to someday want better reflectors, we're still talking a total cost of $300 with reflectors and everything, and should have the exact performance of an ATI for $200 less. That's the plan anyway. I know there are some folks out there using these types of fixtures or grow lights. Are there any other deals out there I should know about before buying? __________________ "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote." Benjamin Franklin, 1759

07/03/2015, 10:44 AM	#3
slathrum Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Branson Posts: 125	That's interesting. I could fathom a 20% difference between the cheaper individual reflectors in the fixture I'm talking about and the ATI, but for there to be that much of a difference between two nice fixtures with similar features seems odd. The idea of running a couple fans to cool the lamps is not exactly one with a lot of complicated science behind it. And 48" ATI replacement reflectors can be purchased for around $19 a piece. I don't know the exact brand of ballast ATI uses, but they aren't claiming to be overdriven. At any rate, there's no doubt that ATI makes great fixtures. I just don't want to spend $500 on one that is just going to sit inside my canopy. I don't see why anything that goes into an ATI could not be duplicated, but in a much less expensive package, albeit a much less pretty one too. Here's the one I'm talking about working on: __________________ "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote." Benjamin Franklin, 1759 Last edited by slathrum; 07/03/2015 at 10:55 AM. Reason: added pictures

07/03/2015, 11:37 AM	#5
slathrum Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Branson Posts: 125	I suppose I imagine using four fans, with each one placed on the angled pieces and slightly in from each corner. They would be designed to exhaust air, rather than trying to blow air. Maybe I have the wrong idea on this, but I think this design would move plenty of air around the bulbs, without concentrating in any one area as would be if fans were blowing directly onto bulbs. If one were inclined and had the PAR meter, I would think fan speed could be tinkered with to find the sweet spot. For my purposes though, that seems overkill to me. There are a lot of fixtures out there with little or no cooling, and multiple bulbs without any sort of reflectors other than one big mirror behind them all. This $100 fixture already has those beat, and the only thing I've seen come close in price is one of those Odyssea fixtures. If I can come close to the success the guy who posted in the thread I mentioned with this, I'll be pretty happy. __________________ "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote." Benjamin Franklin, 1759

07/03/2015, 08:23 AM	#2
Swip Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Munich, Germany Posts: 139	My Giesemann Matrixx II with aluminium reflectors has about 20% less par output than my ATI Sunpower. Both are 6x54W, same bulbs and both have fans for cooling. And it's not like the Giesemann is a low quality fixture. Price/performance wise there is just nothing better than the ATI fixtures. The cooling is much better and the reflectors are probably the best on the market.

07/03/2015, 11:01 AM	#4
Swip Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Munich, Germany Posts: 139	Actually, cooling a fixture the right way is something that has quite a bit of science behind it. It's not just sticking fans on something and it's done. It may look that way, but it's not. With T5 bulbs you have to get the right temperature for best performance. If it's too hot the bulbs will burn out (much) faster, running them too cold lowers the par. It's also not as easy as it seems to even out the temperature so all bulbs are around the same. I dropped one of my fixtures into the tank a while ago and had to replace the ballasts. The ones on mine were Phillips but they also use ballasts from other manufacturers.