New Giesemann Matrixx II T5 unit programming

[jhuntington12]

I purchased this T5 unit that is supposed to be programmable, dimmable, and so on via Bluetooth. Curious if anyone has been able to do so, and or customize the bulb on/off settings?

The manual doesn't refer to any software to download, so I tried the website and was only able to get the FuturaBT software. Although I can connect to the unit Bluetooth with my PC and the software, its mostly in German and it doesn't make any sense. Considering the furura unit is a LED, the software has all these channel settings that are of no use to my T5.

Basically looking to set the on/off time. Dim for sunrise and sunset and turn on actinics without the entire fixture just turning on and off as a whole.

Anyone familiar with this unit? Thanks!

[Mr.Fishtank]

I just purchased the 6 bulb version on black friday. You must use the FuturaBT software. They said that the 4-6 bulb fixtures are to use the Tesla one but is wouldn't program mine so I downloaded the the Futura and now it works. They need to fix that.
Programming is somewhat simple. If your using a computer it is much easier. Go to day schedule and drag both dots down to 0%. Then just double click anywhere in between them to start setting your points. After you set those up you will have to do the same for every channel. Then go to transferred and it will send those settings to the fixture.

Also I have been doing some par readings. Very low!!!!! Top of water is only getting around 300 and eight 8 inch below water is only 160. Tried lowering the fixture and it doesn't change that much to justify lowering it. Sits 6 1/2 off the water. Just thought you should know... Expected alot more for paying $1200.


Hope that helps..

[jhuntington12]

Originally Posted by Mr.Fishtank

I just purchased the 6 bulb version on black friday. You must use the FuturaBT software. They said that the 4-6 bulb fixtures are to use the Tesla one but is wouldn't program mine so I downloaded the the Futura and now it works. They need to fix that.
Programming is somewhat simple. If your using a computer it is much easier. Go to day schedule and drag both dots down to 0%. Then just double click anywhere in between them to start setting your points. After you set those up you will have to do the same for every channel. Then go to transferred and it will send those settings to the fixture.

Also I have been doing some par readings. Very low!!!!! Top of water is only getting around 300 and eight 8 inch below water is only 160. Tried lowering the fixture and it doesn't change that much to justify lowering it. Sits 6 1/2 off the water. Just thought you should know... Expected alot more for paying $1200.


Hope that helps..

I was able to get mine programmed as well. Thanks for the info.

So what bulbs are you using? I have mine sitting about 5 inches off water with a total depth of 12 inches. I haven't done any PAR readings but everything seems to be growing ok. I have Radion LED's on my other tank, so I am curious how corals will color up between the two.

[Mr.Fishtank]

I'm using 3 blue+, 2 coral+ and 1 aquablue special. Funny I am also running radion gen 3 pros on my other tank. Colors were really getting nice under the radions. I really like the radiant color program with 55% overall intensity. I moved most of the corals to the new tank with the T5's so I really hoping that they keep their color or I will be going back to the Radions. My par meter said I was getting 160-230 par on the radion tank. So I found spots with the same par on the new tank and put the corals under the same par they were getting.

[jhuntington12]

Originally Posted by Mr.Fishtank

I'm using 3 blue+, 2 coral+ and 1 aquablue special. Funny I am also running radion gen 3 pros on my other tank. Colors were really getting nice under the radions. I really like the radiant color program with 55% overall intensity. I moved most of the corals to the new tank with the T5's so I really hoping that they keep their color or I will be going back to the Radions. My par meter said I was getting 160-230 par on the radion tank. So I found spots with the same par on the new tank and put the corals under the same par they were getting.

lol that is exactly how I feel - I made frags of everything in the LED tank and moved them into the T5 tank. Not sure if everything is growing or coloring up any better, but we shall see with time. Trying to make this smaller T5 tank only choice pieces. Got any pics of yours?

[jhuntington12]

Originally Posted by Mr.Fishtank

I'm using 3 blue+, 2 coral+ and 1 aquablue special. Funny I am also running radion gen 3 pros on my other tank. Colors were really getting nice under the radions. I really like the radiant color program with 55% overall intensity. I moved most of the corals to the new tank with the T5's so I really hoping that they keep their color or I will be going back to the Radions. My par meter said I was getting 160-230 par on the radion tank. So I found spots with the same par on the new tank and put the corals under the same par they were getting.

By chance what are you running for a light schedule?

[Mr.Fishtank]

Originally Posted by jhuntington12

By chance what are you running for a light schedule?

I'm running 2 blue+ for 10hrs with a 1hr ramp to 100%. Then I have the ABS and another blue+ on for 6hrs. And for 5hrs two coral plus bulbs come on. Have never used T5's before so IDK. The new tank is only 7 weeks old and I put most of my SPS in there from my other tank and their not looking to good. Lost alot of color and my purple stylo browned out on me. Don't know if its the lighting or just because it is a new tank. Changed their world.
And their ****ed!!!

Sorry can't do pic's. I don't have any online accounts to do so..

[jhuntington12]

Originally Posted by Mr.Fishtank

I'm running 2 blue+ for 10hrs with a 1hr ramp to 100%. Then I have the ABS and another blue+ on for 6hrs. And for 5hrs two coral plus bulbs come on. Have never used T5's before so IDK. The new tank is only 7 weeks old and I put most of my SPS in there from my other tank and their not looking to good. Lost alot of color and my purple stylo browned out on me. Don't know if its the lighting or just because it is a new tank. Changed their world.
And their ****ed!!!

Sorry can't do pic's. I don't have any online accounts to do so..

I assumed they would be on/off and set and forget lights as well. So used to messing around with my LED's I was welcoming a change that everyone else claimed to be tried and true.

I as well ramp up with just the actinic and coral plus for 1 hour before and after. I run all 4 bulbs for a total of 8 hours +2 hours ramp up and down.

I noticed that all my SPS corals were starting to pale out, almost like bleaching but the polyps are still there. They come out at night a lot more than they do in the day, whereas my LED tank the same sticks are out all day and night. I decided to reduce the power to 50% and see how that does. I know that people say ORA red plan tends to pale out when you get too much light, and that is exactly what it is doing. It went from a green skin with red polyps to almost like a white skin now. Still growing, encrusting all over stuff, but its weird not seeing any color.

Nutrient levels are spot on. I test every day, have hanna checkers, red sea, and salifert so I know that I am pretty good with my levels. They are super consistent.

I guess the more I read, the more I realize people have their T5's a lot higher than I do over my tank. I am at 4 inches about water line, with a total water depth of 10 inches to the sandbed. I just think they are getting too much.

As for pics, I would say put some up on img.ur or photobucket.

Are you running mostly acros? How deep is your tank and how high is the light above your tank?

[Mr.Fishtank]

Yea its funny yet not..!! I also have a ora red planet and mine lost most of its corlor. So sad it was a beautiful frag. Not dead but not pretty anymore.. Last night I went to my radion scheduel and tried to mimic the same thing. I wont mess with it for the next month or so and see if it helps. Longer day but only peaks at 100% on all bulbs for a few hrs.

My lights were 6 1/2in above the water line but I also raised them up to 9 or so. I know that it will tank awhile for the corals to adjust to new lighting so only time will tell.

As for my corals. I like to have a mixed reef. Kinda boring with only SPS. I have a large hammer colony in the middle of my tank as a show piece. But I am wanting more SPS. Most of my acros/sps are still frags. I have had all of them for 6-8 months and most just colored up and not really grew. I will try to get some picks.

[Mr.Fishtank]

[Mr.Fishtank]

Lemonade Acro


Unknow Acro


Red Planet

[Mr.Fishtank]

Notice the Unknown acro in the first pic to the left of the lemonade. Nice colors. Now it is pic#2

[jhuntington12]

Originally Posted by Mr.Fishtank

Notice the Unknown acro in the first pic to the left of the lemonade. Nice colors. Now it is pic#2

ugh, I feel your pain man. I have been closely watching my 30g and i feel like its a uphill battle.

all my params are stable, within range and consistent every day. I dont change a thing, even started dosing a little red sea amino A/B. All my corals are starting to get lighter, less polyp extension, etc. Its a relatively new tank, but something isn't going right. I have the exact same husbandry procedures and what not on my big tank and that thing thrives. Only big difference is the lights. I dunno what i can do to this thing, maybe shorten the light schedule...who knows.

Good looking setup you got there though! Keep me posted with changes!

[Jerine]

I have been considering the 8 bulb version of this light for a Red Sea Reefer 525XL that I'll be an sps dominant tank with a couple clams, but I keep hearing that the PAR doesn't really compare to something more proven like the ATI Sunpower and that I should use that instead. I really like the Matrixx II but I also want to be sure that I have enough PAR to support a full blown sps tank.

[jhuntington12]

Originally Posted by Jerine

I have been considering the 8 bulb version of this light for a Red Sea Reefer 525XL that I'll be an sps dominant tank with a couple clams, but I keep hearing that the PAR doesn't really compare to something more proven like the ATI Sunpower and that I should use that instead. I really like the Matrixx II but I also want to be sure that I have enough PAR to support a full blown sps tank.

Yea, I don't think its so much as the PAR output on this tank but more so something else going on with mine. Possibly too much light? A lot of my stuff is getting lighter, not so much bleaching but paling out. I think I haven't quite gotten my schedule where my SPS likes it. Crazy because all the same sticks are flourishing in my LED tank

[Mr.Fishtank]

Well, I have talk to a few of my LFS and they thought I didn't have my t5's on for as long as I should. I increased the scheduel to 12hrs for 2 blue+ and 6 hrs for the rest of the bulbs. Each set ramps up about a half hr. My purple stylo is already looking better. I also put the light 8 in above the water. I'll give the corals a month to adjust to the new lighting.
If I don't see any color improvement I will try lowering the lights to 6in.
I'll keep you posted.

As far as the par of this fixture goes. It has less power then the ATI's but nothing that would make me not purchase it. When I first hung the light I had it 4in off the water and got just over 300 par 6in under water level. 220 at sandbed. Hung at 8in I am getting 200ish to all my SPS which is more then I had with the radions. I had those at 55% and was getting 160-190 on the sps so....Running a lower par has always given me better colors but slower growth. I prefer color.

[Jerine]

Originally Posted by Mr.Fishtank

As far as the par of this fixture goes. It has less power then the ATI's but nothing that would make me not purchase it. When I first hung the light I had it 4in off the water and got just over 300 par 6in under water level. 220 at sandbed. Hung at 8in I am getting 200ish to all my SPS which is more then I had with the radions. I had those at 55% and was getting 160-190 on the sps so....Running a lower par has always given me better colors but slower growth. I prefer color.

Interesting...Has anyone else had that experience with lower PAR?

[Mr.Fishtank]

Originally Posted by Jerine

Interesting...Has anyone else had that experience with lower PAR?

IMO, newer lighting has come a long way as far as getting the right spectrum and pur. Running a longer photoperiod with alot more of the blue spectrum is what I ran with my radion's and got very nice color from my corals. Could have been other factors as well like running a low alk. (7dkh) Or a low nutrient tank. Only time will tell with my new setup if I will have to increase the par with the t5's to get the same color that I had with the led's.

[Mr.Fishtank]

Update.....


Corals were not doing well, so I moved the light down to 6 inch's and over the past week have seen some improvements. I'm thinking that when you use t5's vs led's you have to give the corals more par then what you were when you ran just led's. I just don't think that t5's have the PUR that the more focused led's give.

[jhuntington12]

Interesting - I actually moved mine up to about 12 inches above the water. I see growth coming from some pieces but color is to be desired. Got any new pictures of yours?

[Mr.Fishtank]

Originally Posted by jhuntington12

Interesting - I actually moved mine up to about 12 inches above the water. I see growth coming from some pieces but color is to be desired. Got any new pictures of yours?

No pics yet. I'll try and get those soon. My tank is recovering. Most of my old corals have regained 75% of their color back. Growth is still very slow. I have bought quite a few new sps and they seem to be doing much better than my old ones. Encrusting well and never lost color.

Another wierd thing with my tank is the diatoms have never gone away. And I still can't get nitrates and phos to register on any of my test kits. Really ****ing me off. Some days the sand look better and then the next day it's covered again. Can't figure it out.

Anyway how is your tank doing? Can you post some pics?

[Mr.Fishtank]

http://i1024.photobuhttp://i1024.pho...psv38keefm.jpg
Progression shot

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/...psf7e2yaqk.jpg
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/...psqjbhhsnz.jpg
http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9uhpxuvq.jpg
Corals I got a couple months ago

http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9idiqpsd.jpg
New frags from Reef ED last weekend.

[Mr.Fishtank]

Lets try that again.