The T5 Q&a Thread - Page 2

dobber99 · 01/20/2008, 07:38 AM

Grim,

I read your posts on workhorse 7 ballasts and Ice cap 660 running 4x54 watts T5 bulbs, as far as watts and PAR. Just wondering what kind of wattage I would get if I just run 2x54 watt T5 bulbs on the workhorse 7 ballast. Will it overdrive like the Ice Cap ballast, and would the PAR also increas only running two bulbs instead of four?

ooja3k · 01/20/2008, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ncwaterboy
My nano has (2) 55 watt T5s, it is 24Wx20Dx20H, is this sufficient lighting for a softies and lps? How frequently should I change the bulbs? TIA

I was skeptical about how many watts those t-5s are, but i went to their website and it says the same thing you do..

It says it comes with 2 55 watt T-5s... Well, 54 watt T-5s are ~4' long... So that wouldn't fit over your 24" tank... Unless they are severely over-driving some smaller bulbs, i would move to say that they are PCs, not T-5s...

Someone else might have an opinion on this as well..

The Grim Reefer · 01/20/2008, 10:56 AM

Grim,

I read your posts on workhorse 7 ballasts and Ice cap 660 running 4x54 watts T5 bulbs, as far as watts and PAR. Just wondering what kind of wattage I would get if I just run 2x54 watt T5 bulbs on the workhorse 7 ballast. Will it overdrive like the Ice Cap ballast, and would the PAR also increas only running two bulbs instead of four?

You can make the WH7 overdrive but I wouldn't try it. Too many bad things can happen.Running 4 lamps the WH& is a little less efficient than real T5 ballasts. Running 2, dunno, never checked

The Grim Reefer · 01/20/2008, 10:57 AM

broke1
Premium Member

Registered: Feb 2007
Location: IL
Occupation: "The world needs ditch diggers too"
Posts: 496

What bulb combo would you use for a 6x54 frag tank light. The tank is all SPS if that makes any difference at all. Good growth with real good colors is what I'm after. The growth doesn't have to be great, they are usually only cut when they are of the right size anyway.

__________________

Front
Ati Blue Plus
UVL Aquasun
ATI Blue Plus
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue

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01/20/2008 12:38 AM

jmc74
DOUBLE DECKER REEFER

Registered: Oct 2004
Location: Antioch, CA
Occupation: Water Filtration Tech. (RO)
Posts: 551

ok, question:

I have a 48x24x12 frag tank, currently i use a fixture of 2x250MH DE Hamilton14kBlue and 4x64w Actinic PC's

what should be a comparable T5 setup, im tring to get good grow/color and save on electricity if posible.

also is there a diference on the units that have individual reflectors to the ebay fixtures that have a large common reflector?

they have 4,6,8,12 T5HO...

thanks

Yeah, big difference. I assume that tank is 24: tall? If so you really need to stick to the individual reflectors.

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01/20/2008 06:06 AM

ncwaterboy
Registered Member

Registered: Jan 2006
Location: North Carolina
Occupation: Builder
Posts: 20

My nano has (2) 55 watt T5s, it is 24Wx20Dx20H, is this sufficient lighting for a softies and lps? How frequently should I change the bulbs? TIA

Probably fine although I would run more lamps to get a better mix of spectrum

The Grim Reefer · 01/20/2008, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ooja3k
I was skeptical about how many watts those t-5s are, but i went to their website and it says the same thing you do..

It says it comes with 2 55 watt T-5s... Well, 54 watt T-5s are ~4' long... So that wouldn't fit over your 24" tank... Unless they are severely over-driving some smaller bulbs, i would move to say that they are PCs, not T-5s...

Someone else might have an opinion on this as well..

They might be reffering to T5 PC's lamps

zotzer · 01/20/2008, 11:18 AM

Hi there, Grim!
I've got a 6-lamp Nova Pro on the way, and have some fairly new bulbs here already in my 4-lamp fixture. With these bulbs on hand, what lamps should I trade out when the fixture arrives?

AquaBlue
SuperActinic
AquaSun

(I also have an actinic white collecting dust in the closet. Not sure if there is a use for it or not in the new fixture. It was f'ugly in any combination in the 4-lamp fixture! LOL)

Thanks for your help!!
Tracy

The Grim Reefer · 01/20/2008, 11:22 AM

Id take out 2 10K'sand a blue and throw those in. Couldn't hurt to play with the actinic white.

zotzer · 01/20/2008, 11:44 AM

Thanks!

So, I think I will try this:

Super Actinic
AquaBlue
460
AquaSun
460
10k

And will experiment swapping the Actinic White in those last two slots. Will post results some time next week.

I forgot to ask.....

Do you recommend starting out with only four lamps active and ramping up, or simply cutting down on light time and gradually increasing daylight hours?

Tracy

The Grim Reefer · 01/20/2008, 03:39 PM

I'd just cut back on the time a little. The pro isn't that much brigher than the flat reflector units so most of the gain is from the extra 2 lamps.

jmc74 · 01/20/2008, 06:41 PM

Grim

I have a 48x24x12 frag tank, currently i use a fixture of 2x250MH DE Hamilton14kBlue and 4x64w Actinic PC's

what should be a comparable T5 setup, im tring to get good grow/color and save on electricity if posible.

also is there a diference on the units that have individual reflectors to the ebay fixtures that have a large common reflector?

they have 4,6,8,12 T5HO...

thanks

quote" Yeah, big difference. I assume that tank is 24: tall? If so you really need to stick to the individual reflectors. "

actually the tank is 48" wide x 24" deep x 12" high

this is a frag tank, so is only used for propagation, but I will be setting up a double tank (one on top and one on the bottom, as I just picked up 2 2nd 48x24x12, but I want to eliminate the MH if I can...

thanks

shelburn61 · 01/20/2008, 07:37 PM

Do T5 reflectors need to be mounted parallel to the water surface?
I would like 2 bulbs on either side of my lumenarcs but the reflectors would need to be angled toward the center of the tank to fit...

Also, is much intensity lost with the bulbs 4-5" above the water?

The Grim Reefer · 01/20/2008, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jmc74
Grim

I have a 48x24x12 frag tank, currently i use a fixture of 2x250MH DE Hamilton14kBlue and 4x64w Actinic PC's

what should be a comparable T5 setup, im tring to get good grow/color and save on electricity if posible.

also is there a diference on the units that have individual reflectors to the ebay fixtures that have a large common reflector?

they have 4,6,8,12 T5HO...

thanks

quote" Yeah, big difference. I assume that tank is 24: tall? If so you really need to stick to the individual reflectors. "

actually the tank is 48" wide x 24" deep x 12" high

this is a frag tank, so is only used for propagation, but I will be setting up a double tank (one on top and one on the bottom, as I just picked up 2 2nd 48x24x12, but I want to eliminate the MH if I can...

thanks

Hell on a 12" deep I would grab a Nova extreme Pro and put good lamps in it. Too bad you couldn't just set the tanks back to back. You could get the 54 watt Tek II retrofit kits with the lampsturned so the cover both tanks. 8 lamps would cover both tanks.

As long as you keep the lamps close to the top of the water you don't need a lot of light to grow frags in that shallow of a tank. If you can use the Tek II retros with the wide reflectors you could cover each tank pretty good with 4 lamps.

The Grim Reefer · 01/20/2008, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by shelburn61
Do T5 reflectors need to be mounted parallel to the water surface?
I would like 2 bulbs on either side of my lumenarcs but the reflectors would need to be angled toward the center of the tank to fit...

Also, is much intensity lost with the bulbs 4-5" above the water?

Angling the reflectors is no big deal, just dont do it any more than you have to, the higher the angle the more light that will be reflected off the surface of the water. 4 to 5" off the surface of the water is fine.

ncwaterboy · 01/21/2008, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by The Grim Reefer
They might be reffering to T5 PC's lamps

The Red Sea Max website lists them as (2) T5 55 watt power compacts. Now I am confused, what is the difference between T5's and T5 power compacts? Thanks

syilk1 · 01/21/2008, 07:55 AM

Hello, I have a question about how often you need to change out you T5 bulbs. I have an aquatinics hood with 5 bulbs I believe. Have had them going for little over a year.Also what would be best bulbs to replace with. I have 2 light cycles. One daylight and 2 bulbs are actinics. I have softs, Shrooms, Zoos and looking to do some sps
Thanks, Scott

zachtos · 01/21/2008, 12:57 PM

Could I get someone to look at my tankbuild thread and see if they can figure out what is causing my T5's to die so fast?

I'm using overdriven icecap ballasts, properly wired, cooled by fans, and I have lost nearly 6 bulbs in 6 months, they typically crack/fracture at the base. No known reason. Possibly water splashing them somehow? Or heat buildup/insufficient airflow?

I've just lost another bulb, a UV actinic that I just bought a month ago, I'm losing my mind!

reefboy12 · 01/21/2008, 01:15 PM

Grim,

I was wondering what you know about the aquascience duo bulbs. I was thinking of a new 4 bulb combo of

Ati blue plus
Kz fiji purple
As Duo
Ati blue plus

what color do you think these combo will have?

thanks in advance,
ron

The Grim Reefer · 01/21/2008, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ncwaterboy
The Red Sea Max website lists them as (2) T5 55 watt power compacts. Now I am confused, what is the difference between T5's and T5 power compacts? Thanks

T5 is the diameter of the fluorescent tube expressed in 1/8" increments. A t5 PC is a 5/8" diameter Power Compact lamp.

The Grim Reefer · 01/21/2008, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by zachtos
Could I get someone to look at my tankbuild thread and see if they can figure out what is causing my T5's to die so fast?

I'm using overdriven icecap ballasts, properly wired, cooled by fans, and I have lost nearly 6 bulbs in 6 months, they typically crack/fracture at the base. No known reason. Possibly water splashing them somehow? Or heat buildup/insufficient airflow?

I've just lost another bulb, a UV actinic that I just bought a month ago, I'm losing my mind!

How are your fans set up. These aren't cracking in the area of the lamp clips are they?

The Grim Reefer · 01/21/2008, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by reefboy12
Grim,

I was wondering what you know about the aquascience duo bulbs. I was thinking of a new 4 bulb combo of

Ati blue plus
Kz fiji purple
As Duo
Ati blue plus

what color do you think these combo will have?

thanks in advance,
ron

The Duo is a slightly bluer version of an Aquablue. Mix you show will be between a 14K and 20K halide blue look.

shelburn61 · 01/21/2008, 02:37 PM

Someone please point me toward the PAR numbers posted for the various bulbs. thanks

jennmac415 · 01/21/2008, 02:51 PM

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...light=bulb+par

jennmac415 · 01/21/2008, 02:51 PM

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...light=bulb+par

jennmac415 · 01/21/2008, 02:53 PM

sry dbl post

zachtos · 01/21/2008, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by The Grim Reefer
How are your fans set up. These aren't cracking in the area of the lamp clips are they?

Yes in fact, they are cracking right about where the clips are located. The clips are rusting very very badly very quickly. Many clips are already useless.

I contacted PFO and spoke to their tech. department. They told me to re-assure that the bulbs are firmly seated, no gaps.

They claim that my fans should deal with the heat. I have the fans which are 80mm PC case fans, blowing across the bulbs. 3 x fans on one side pull air in and 3 on the other pull it out.

PFO said it may be a moisture issue? Despite my moisture 'resistant endcaps'. I have physically seen one bulb pop from a droplet of water hitting the bulb. The many others though, seem to just fade very rapidly. The bulbs are approximately 6" from the water surface and there is no barricade between them and the water.

I get about 60-70W/ 39W bulb based on my wattmeter readings.

01/20/2008, 10:56 AM	#28
The Grim Reefer Ready for some NOBALL!!! Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Kingman Az Posts: 25,259	Grim, I read your posts on workhorse 7 ballasts and Ice cap 660 running 4x54 watts T5 bulbs, as far as watts and PAR. Just wondering what kind of wattage I would get if I just run 2x54 watt T5 bulbs on the workhorse 7 ballast. Will it overdrive like the Ice Cap ballast, and would the PAR also increas only running two bulbs instead of four? You can make the WH7 overdrive but I wouldn't try it. Too many bad things can happen.Running 4 lamps the WH& is a little less efficient than real T5 ballasts. Running 2, dunno, never checked __________________ America, the way it outta be! Current Tank Info: 120 Starphire with Illudium Q-288 Photon Regurgitator DIY LED lighting Last edited by The Grim Reefer; 01/20/2008 at 11:01 AM.

01/20/2008, 10:57 AM	#29
The Grim Reefer Ready for some NOBALL!!! Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Kingman Az Posts: 25,259	broke1 Premium Member Registered: Feb 2007 Location: IL Occupation: "The world needs ditch diggers too" Posts: 496 What bulb combo would you use for a 6x54 frag tank light. The tank is all SPS if that makes any difference at all. Good growth with real good colors is what I'm after. The growth doesn't have to be great, they are usually only cut when they are of the right size anyway. __________________ Front Ati Blue Plus UVL Aquasun ATI Blue Plus GE 6500K Daylight ATI Blue Plus ATI Aquablue Open this post in a new window \| Report this post to a moderator \| IP: Logged 01/20/2008 12:38 AM jmc74 DOUBLE DECKER REEFER Registered: Oct 2004 Location: Antioch, CA Occupation: Water Filtration Tech. (RO) Posts: 551 ok, question: I have a 48x24x12 frag tank, currently i use a fixture of 2x250MH DE Hamilton14kBlue and 4x64w Actinic PC's what should be a comparable T5 setup, im tring to get good grow/color and save on electricity if posible. also is there a diference on the units that have individual reflectors to the ebay fixtures that have a large common reflector? they have 4,6,8,12 T5HO... thanks Yeah, big difference. I assume that tank is 24: tall? If so you really need to stick to the individual reflectors. Open this post in a new window \| Report this post to a moderator \| IP: Logged 01/20/2008 06:06 AM ncwaterboy Registered Member Registered: Jan 2006 Location: North Carolina Occupation: Builder Posts: 20 My nano has (2) 55 watt T5s, it is 24Wx20Dx20H, is this sufficient lighting for a softies and lps? How frequently should I change the bulbs? TIA Probably fine although I would run more lamps to get a better mix of spectrum __________________ America, the way it outta be! Current Tank Info: 120 Starphire with Illudium Q-288 Photon Regurgitator DIY LED lighting

01/20/2008, 11:22 AM	#32
The Grim Reefer Ready for some NOBALL!!! Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Kingman Az Posts: 25,259	Id take out 2 10K'sand a blue and throw those in. Couldn't hurt to play with the actinic white. __________________ America, the way it outta be! Current Tank Info: 120 Starphire with Illudium Q-288 Photon Regurgitator DIY LED lighting

01/20/2008, 03:39 PM	#34
The Grim Reefer Ready for some NOBALL!!! Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Kingman Az Posts: 25,259	I'd just cut back on the time a little. The pro isn't that much brigher than the flat reflector units so most of the gain is from the extra 2 lamps. __________________ America, the way it outta be! Current Tank Info: 120 Starphire with Illudium Q-288 Photon Regurgitator DIY LED lighting

01/21/2008, 07:55 AM	#40
syilk1 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 391	When do I change my T5 bulbs Hello, I have a question about how often you need to change out you T5 bulbs. I have an aquatinics hood with 5 bulbs I believe. Have had them going for little over a year.Also what would be best bulbs to replace with. I have 2 light cycles. One daylight and 2 bulbs are actinics. I have softs, Shrooms, Zoos and looking to do some sps Thanks, Scott

01/20/2008, 07:38 AM	#26
dobber99 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 44	Grim, I read your posts on workhorse 7 ballasts and Ice cap 660 running 4x54 watts T5 bulbs, as far as watts and PAR. Just wondering what kind of wattage I would get if I just run 2x54 watt T5 bulbs on the workhorse 7 ballast. Will it overdrive like the Ice Cap ballast, and would the PAR also increas only running two bulbs instead of four?

01/20/2008, 11:18 AM	#31
zotzer Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 346	Hi there, Grim! I've got a 6-lamp Nova Pro on the way, and have some fairly new bulbs here already in my 4-lamp fixture. With these bulbs on hand, what lamps should I trade out when the fixture arrives? AquaBlue SuperActinic AquaSun (I also have an actinic white collecting dust in the closet. Not sure if there is a use for it or not in the new fixture. It was f'ugly in any combination in the 4-lamp fixture! LOL) Thanks for your help!! Tracy

01/20/2008, 11:44 AM	#33
zotzer Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 346	Thanks! So, I think I will try this: Super Actinic AquaBlue 460 AquaSun 460 10k And will experiment swapping the Actinic White in those last two slots. Will post results some time next week. I forgot to ask..... Do you recommend starting out with only four lamps active and ramping up, or simply cutting down on light time and gradually increasing daylight hours? Tracy

01/20/2008, 06:41 PM	#35
jmc74 Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Antioch, CA Posts: 691	Grim I have a 48x24x12 frag tank, currently i use a fixture of 2x250MH DE Hamilton14kBlue and 4x64w Actinic PC's what should be a comparable T5 setup, im tring to get good grow/color and save on electricity if posible. also is there a diference on the units that have individual reflectors to the ebay fixtures that have a large common reflector? they have 4,6,8,12 T5HO... thanks quote" Yeah, big difference. I assume that tank is 24: tall? If so you really need to stick to the individual reflectors. " actually the tank is 48" wide x 24" deep x 12" high this is a frag tank, so is only used for propagation, but I will be setting up a double tank (one on top and one on the bottom, as I just picked up 2 2nd 48x24x12, but I want to eliminate the MH if I can... thanks

01/20/2008, 07:37 PM	#36
shelburn61 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Charlotte Posts: 2,094	Do T5 reflectors need to be mounted parallel to the water surface? I would like 2 bulbs on either side of my lumenarcs but the reflectors would need to be angled toward the center of the tank to fit... Also, is much intensity lost with the bulbs 4-5" above the water?

01/21/2008, 12:57 PM	#41
zachtos Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 1,161	Could I get someone to look at my tankbuild thread and see if they can figure out what is causing my T5's to die so fast? I'm using overdriven icecap ballasts, properly wired, cooled by fans, and I have lost nearly 6 bulbs in 6 months, they typically crack/fracture at the base. No known reason. Possibly water splashing them somehow? Or heat buildup/insufficient airflow? I've just lost another bulb, a UV actinic that I just bought a month ago, I'm losing my mind! __________________ 300G SPS reef build in progress Current Tank Info: 300G reef under construction

01/21/2008, 01:15 PM	#42
reefboy12 Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 218	Grim, I was wondering what you know about the aquascience duo bulbs. I was thinking of a new 4 bulb combo of Ati blue plus Kz fiji purple As Duo Ati blue plus what color do you think these combo will have? thanks in advance, ron

01/21/2008, 02:37 PM	#46
shelburn61 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Charlotte Posts: 2,094	Someone please point me toward the PAR numbers posted for the various bulbs. thanks

01/21/2008, 02:51 PM	#47
jennmac415 premium member "reefmama" Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Wichita, KS Posts: 1,903	http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...light=bulb+par __________________ Jenni AKA "Reefmama" Current Tank Info: currently just have a 34 gallon.

01/21/2008, 02:53 PM	#49
jennmac415 premium member "reefmama" Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Wichita, KS Posts: 1,903	sry dbl post __________________ Jenni AKA "Reefmama" Current Tank Info: currently just have a 34 gallon.