the grim reefer's suggestion on t5's

Cptn Spaulding · 09/04/2009, 12:46 PM

anyone ever try out the 4 bulb t5 suggestion he writes on his site? with all that blue it seems to me like it would be a bit too blue and look kind of hokey, however i have never seen a tank besides mine with 4 t5 lights on it. any input on this?

chadfarmer · 09/04/2009, 03:37 PM

LIGHTING IS A PERSONAL OPINION

gorey · 09/04/2009, 03:50 PM

What are the bulbs in question?

Cptn Spaulding · 09/04/2009, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by chadfarmer
LIGHTING IS A PERSONAL OPINION

thats why i'd like to get a few more OPINIONS to better get an understanding of how these lights work, since i am getting new bulbs for the first time on this fixture.

The bulbs in question are 2 ATI blue plus, UVL super actinic and UVL aqua sun

GrampaDon · 09/04/2009, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Cptn Spaulding
thats why i'd like to get a few more OPINIONS to better get an understanding of how these lights work, since i am getting new bulbs for the first time on this fixture.

The bulbs in question are 2 ATI blue plus, UVL super actinic and UVL aqua sun

I am using very similar. 2 BP 1 Tru Atinic and 1 sun.
With just the 2 BP on at dusk n dawn it looks just a little weird.
And with all 4 it looks well balanced. [To me anyway]
But the combo suggested should also work well.

james3370 · 09/04/2009, 06:39 PM

for my 29 buld, here is what he recommended:

*Front*
Giesemann Pure Actinic
ATI Aquablue
Giesemann 6K Midday
Giesemann Actinic Plus

Mark426 · 09/04/2009, 07:13 PM

I have a 5 lamp setup now, but when I had a 4 lamp setup I used something similar to james3370, just different brands.

ATI Blue+
GE6500
ATI Blue+
KZ Fiji Purple

Use the Fiji and a Blue+ for your dawn/dusk (looks nice) and then the other Blue+ and GE for your mid-day lights. Lots of PAR and a 12K-14K look.

pciscott · 09/05/2009, 10:22 AM

I went with a recommendation from him and I like the light, It is a little blue in the morning and evening when the middle bulbs are off.

ATI Blue +
UVL 75/25
ATI AquaBlue
ATI Blue +

I run the Blue + bulbs for 12hrs a day and the others for 9hrs. I also overdrive with Icecap 660 on both.

I just ordered a Par Meter, but I changed the front Blue+ a few days ago after 6 months and noticed the new bulb is much brighter? I was told the bulbs would last for nine months, how long should you run overdriven bulbs?

As a note for a test I changed the UVL 75/25 with a Figi Purple and I did not like the way it looked as much so I went back to my original setup.

Good luck with your setup and in my opinion the ATI Blue+ Bulb is one of the best bulbs on the market.

sjm817 · 09/05/2009, 10:30 AM

I consider the ATI Blue + and Aqaublue the "core" bulbs in a T5 setup. I run only them, 3 of each and like the setup. From there you can tweak thinks to your liking. You can use a daylight bulb if you like that look, or the pink toned bulbs like the fiji, aquasun etc if you like that look. I dont care much for the true actinic bulbs. They dont do much and seem like a waste of a bulb. If you have only 4 bulbs you have to be pretty careful about your selection. I would stick with the core types of bulbs. If you have 6 or 8, you have more flexibility to change things up and mix in more color. As has been mentioned, there is no right and wrong answer. Its personal preference on how you like it to look.

Mark426 · 09/05/2009, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sjm817
I consider the ATI Blue + and Aqaublue the "core" bulbs in a T5 setup. I run only them, 3 of each and like the setup. From there you can tweak thinks to your liking. You can use a daylight bulb if you like that look, or the pink toned bulbs like the fiji, aquasun etc if you like that look. I dont care much for the true actinic bulbs. They dont do much and seem like a waste of a bulb. If you have only 4 bulbs you have to be pretty careful about your selection. I would stick with the core types of bulbs. If you have 6 or 8, you have more flexibility to change things up and mix in more color. As has been mentioned, there is no right and wrong answer. Its personal preference on how you like it to look.

Couldnt said it better...esp about the actinic lamps. They have almost no place in a 4 lamp setup...or ...really in any other T5 fixture.

DarG · 09/05/2009, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by pciscott
I went with a recommendation from him and I like the light, It is a little blue in the morning and evening when the middle bulbs are off.

ATI Blue +
UVL 75/25
ATI AquaBlue
ATI Blue +

I run the Blue + bulbs for 12hrs a day and the others for 9hrs. I also overdrive with Icecap 660 on both.

I just ordered a Par Meter, but I changed the front Blue+ a few days ago after 6 months and noticed the new bulb is much brighter? I was told the bulbs would last for nine months, how long should you run overdriven bulbs?

As a note for a test I changed the UVL 75/25 with a Figi Purple and I did not like the way it looked as much so I went back to my original setup.

Good luck with your setup and in my opinion the ATI Blue+ Bulb is one of the best bulbs on the market.

Overdriven, there is no firm time frame for how long the lamps effective lifespan. It depends on the quality of the lamps as well as how well they are cooled and how long per day they are run.

I got about a year of use with UVL super actinic, Giesemann pure actinic and Fiju purple lamps. This was when I was running them around 9 - 10 hours per day. But these were supplemental lighting to halides so it's not as critical. I routinely checked a new lamp next to one of the older ones every month or so after 6 or 7 months when I first started running them. I changed the lamps when there was a signifigant enough visually noticeable difference between the old and new lamps. But my lamps are extremely well cooled, they are mounted on an open frame light rack as well. In a fixture or enclosed canopy and/or with less effective cooling they wont last as long. I wouldnt expect the generic lamps to last as long either. I now only run them for 4 hours per day for dawn/dusk. But again, it would be far more critical if the T5's were for main lighting.

If you have a par meter you can monitor them much more effectively. I would find out from the T5 experts at what percentage of par decrease they would recommend replacing the lamps. Then you can measure par when new and replace when the par drops a specified percentage from new.
Knowing your tank and monitoring your corals has got to be the best way when all is said and done. But a par meter can be a very effective tool to help you monitor your lighting and atleast give you a good guideline on when the lamps should be replaced.
Personally, I would stagger replacement ... built in acclimation to the new lamps. I would also measure lamps individually rather than all at once as some brands/colors last longer than others.
There are members here much more knowlegeable about T5 than I am so consider this as my 2 cents only.

redfishsc · 09/05/2009, 12:09 PM

As for the original question of how blue it looks, yes, his suggestions often look quite blue but quite beautiful.

I saw once where he suggested to someone the following combo, which I am using right now on my 25g.

ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue Special
KZ Fiji Purple
ATI Blue plus

On my 20L, I'm running different combo that's mostly "stuff left over" that still have 6 months of good use. This looks decidedly more white and pink, but still very nice. I will eventually change the UVL's out to something like the ATI's or the Fiji Purple.

UVL 75/25
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Actinic White 50/50
ATI Aquablue Special

Crustman · 09/05/2009, 02:31 PM

I have the following comb with 8 bulbs. Grim helped me pick them
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue Special
KZ Fiji Purple
ATI Blue plus
ATI Aquablue special
Giesemann Powerchrome midday
ATI Blue plus

Seems to work fine

Crustman · 09/05/2009, 02:32 PM

I dread buying replacement bulbs because of shipping and bulb cost.

james3370 · 09/05/2009, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Crustman
I dread buying replacement bulbs because of shipping and bulb cost.

option 1:
www.reefgeek.com will have :
(1) the best selection of bulbs
(2) the best prices on bulbs
(3) the lowest shipping cost you will find

option 2:
see option 1

Cptn Spaulding · 09/06/2009, 04:43 PM

thanks a lot guys. i appreciate it. my lights i have now are stock from the nova extreme (2 actinic 2 10000k) so this should be a big step up in color for me, especially since the whites are yellowing out now after a year. ive made my decision and i went with the aforementioned combo that was in question. i feel it will give me a very nice 14k look and make the colors that already pop out..pop out even more

. if i have an opportunity i will take a picture when they come in and after my corals have acclaimated to the change in light. again thanks for all the ideas, i will keep them in mind for next replacement, maybe switch some things up.

casalt · 09/06/2009, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by james3370
option 1:
www.reefgeek.com will have :
(1) the best selection of bulbs
(2) the best prices on bulbs
(3) the lowest shipping cost you will find

option 2:
see option 1

Option 3: always go with what works and thats option (1) . Love those guys!

maynardjames · 09/06/2009, 09:29 PM

have used grims suggestions on bulb combos twice. both times tank looked great. tried combos of my own & always went back to grims

09/04/2009, 12:46 PM	#1
Cptn Spaulding Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 598	the grim reefer's suggestion on t5's anyone ever try out the 4 bulb t5 suggestion he writes on his site? with all that blue it seems to me like it would be a bit too blue and look kind of hokey, however i have never seen a tank besides mine with 4 t5 lights on it. any input on this?

09/04/2009, 03:37 PM	#2
chadfarmer Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: ST Charles, MO far from nanook Posts: 11,045 Blog Entries: 1	LIGHTING IS A PERSONAL OPINION __________________ If you think you know the answer than ask 3 more people the question Current Tank Info: 200 Gal RR,ATB medium, 4 AI blue sol,230 LBS LIVE ROCK, no sand , 40 GAL sump, airstar1800, 3 tunze 6105 1- 6205 1-6305, Geo 818, profilux3ex with toys

09/04/2009, 03:50 PM	#3
gorey Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 292	What are the bulbs in question? __________________ There is fine line between a hobby and an obsession Current Tank Info: 75g AGA 30g/ sump vertex 100 skimmer. Yellow tang, 2 clowns, cardnial, royal gamma, six line

09/04/2009, 06:39 PM	#6
james3370 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: US ARMY - El Paso TX Posts: 3,678	for my 29 buld, here is what he recommended: Front Giesemann Pure Actinic ATI Aquablue Giesemann 6K Midday Giesemann Actinic Plus __________________ Yes I hear voices in my head, but they speak spanish so I can't understand anything they say. there's no place like 127.0.0.1 It's a shame that stupidity isn't painful.... Current Tank Info: currently tankless....but planning an AIO

09/05/2009, 10:22 AM	#8
pciscott Pirates Cove Reef Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Cypress, CA Posts: 2,582	I went with a recommendation from him and I like the light, It is a little blue in the morning and evening when the middle bulbs are off. ATI Blue + UVL 75/25 ATI AquaBlue ATI Blue + I run the Blue + bulbs for 12hrs a day and the others for 9hrs. I also overdrive with Icecap 660 on both. I just ordered a Par Meter, but I changed the front Blue+ a few days ago after 6 months and noticed the new bulb is much brighter? I was told the bulbs would last for nine months, how long should you run overdriven bulbs? As a note for a test I changed the UVL 75/25 with a Figi Purple and I did not like the way it looked as much so I went back to my original setup. Good luck with your setup and in my opinion the ATI Blue+ Bulb is one of the best bulbs on the market. __________________ Scott Steinberger SCMAS/SCRK/MASNA member There is more than One Way to skin a Reef! Current Tank Info: Pirates Cove 400 Gallon Peninsula with 10 Ecotech Gen 4 Pro Lights, SPS heavy mixed Reef, Tank Controlled by Apex back up monitoring by Profilux, Tropic Marin Pro Salt, Brightwell Suplements and Bio Bricks, Way too many Fish! Keep it simple!

09/04/2009, 07:13 PM	#7
Mark426 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: South Carolina Posts: 2,479	I have a 5 lamp setup now, but when I had a 4 lamp setup I used something similar to james3370, just different brands. ATI Blue+ GE6500 ATI Blue+ KZ Fiji Purple Use the Fiji and a Blue+ for your dawn/dusk (looks nice) and then the other Blue+ and GE for your mid-day lights. Lots of PAR and a 12K-14K look.

09/05/2009, 10:30 AM	#9
sjm817 On Yer left! Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Northern VA Posts: 18,777	I consider the ATI Blue + and Aqaublue the "core" bulbs in a T5 setup. I run only them, 3 of each and like the setup. From there you can tweak thinks to your liking. You can use a daylight bulb if you like that look, or the pink toned bulbs like the fiji, aquasun etc if you like that look. I dont care much for the true actinic bulbs. They dont do much and seem like a waste of a bulb. If you have only 4 bulbs you have to be pretty careful about your selection. I would stick with the core types of bulbs. If you have 6 or 8, you have more flexibility to change things up and mix in more color. As has been mentioned, there is no right and wrong answer. Its personal preference on how you like it to look. __________________ - Scott

09/05/2009, 12:09 PM	#12
redfishsc Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Wake Forest, NC Posts: 3,696	As for the original question of how blue it looks, yes, his suggestions often look quite blue but quite beautiful. I saw once where he suggested to someone the following combo, which I am using right now on my 25g. ATI Blue Plus ATI Aquablue Special KZ Fiji Purple ATI Blue plus On my 20L, I'm running different combo that's mostly "stuff left over" that still have 6 months of good use. This looks decidedly more white and pink, but still very nice. I will eventually change the UVL's out to something like the ATI's or the Fiji Purple. UVL 75/25 ATI Blue Plus UVL Actinic White 50/50 ATI Aquablue Special __________________ "The measure of a life is not its duration but its donation." Corrie Ten Boom “The tyrant dies and his rule is over, the martyr dies and his rule begins” -- Søren Kierkegaard Current Tank Info: ghetto grad school reef.....11g rimless tank, 36X9X9, lit by Cree and Rebels scobbled together. Stocked mostly with free stuff I got from panhandling my fellow reefers.

09/05/2009, 02:31 PM	#13
Crustman Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Mobile, Alabama Posts: 941	I have the following comb with 8 bulbs. Grim helped me pick them ATI Blue Plus ATI Aquablue Special KZ Fiji Purple ATI Blue plus ATI Aquablue special Giesemann Powerchrome midday ATI Blue plus Seems to work fine __________________ Tom Current Tank Info: 65 gallon reef with 8 T-5's, ATI Blue Plus, Blue Special, KZ Fiji Purple, Vertex IN 100, phosphate and carbon reactor Coralife Turbo Sea Pump

09/05/2009, 02:32 PM	#14
Crustman Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Mobile, Alabama Posts: 941	I dread buying replacement bulbs because of shipping and bulb cost. __________________ Tom Current Tank Info: 65 gallon reef with 8 T-5's, ATI Blue Plus, Blue Special, KZ Fiji Purple, Vertex IN 100, phosphate and carbon reactor Coralife Turbo Sea Pump

09/06/2009, 04:43 PM	#16
Cptn Spaulding Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 598	thanks a lot guys. i appreciate it. my lights i have now are stock from the nova extreme (2 actinic 2 10000k) so this should be a big step up in color for me, especially since the whites are yellowing out now after a year. ive made my decision and i went with the aforementioned combo that was in question. i feel it will give me a very nice 14k look and make the colors that already pop out..pop out even more . if i have an opportunity i will take a picture when they come in and after my corals have acclaimated to the change in light. again thanks for all the ideas, i will keep them in mind for next replacement, maybe switch some things up.

09/06/2009, 09:29 PM	#18
maynardjames Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: west tennessee Posts: 1,600	have used grims suggestions on bulb combos twice. both times tank looked great. tried combos of my own & always went back to grims __________________ if your 555 Current Tank Info: 120 rr dual overflows, solarflare t5 fixture,octo extreme 200,vortech mp40w esx2. brs reactor for carbon, brs reactor for gfo, 40 gal breeder sump