The T5 Q&a Thread

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by belgian_waffleman
Is it possible to keep sps in a 75G with a 4x54W SLR retro kit?
I assume that LPS and softies would be fine, even on the bottom.


Waffleman

If its normally driven keep the SPS up on the rocks but yes it will work.

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by Klownfish
I had a few more quick questions, and I can't find exact answers.

1) I overdrive T-5's (54w) on Icecap ballasts. Does this just change the PAR, or the color of the bulb also? Do the blue bulbs appear more white, and the white more yellow? What could I expect from the Figi Purple, or the ProColor?

2) I have a TEK with just 1 bulb running, for dawn to dusk effect. If I'm just running 1 actinic bulb, will the color enhancement just get drownded out by the 4 OD bulbs on the IC ballast?

3) Do the new LED's for shimmer lines added to T-5's increase PAR value to a T-5 setup? Or are these just for looks only?

4) I understand how different reflectors, bulbs, and ballasts can + /- PAR. How is color affected by these combinations, or is it?

5) Your T-5 Q and A is the best. I think you're great *)

Overdriving increases PAR. It might change the percieved color but it really just makes the lamp brighter so it will appear to be more white. I suspect if you measured the lamps with a spectrometer they would in fact have a bit more blue. It take more intensity to create blue light so I suspect the blue phosphores are going to be most affected by the increase in UV. Just a theory.

Led might add perhaps a tad of PAR but nothing much.

Reflectors arent going to change color. Perhaps a very slight change with different ballasts but nothing mush.

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by LostinTime
Grim,

Please help me with the following (Please read closely.):

I have a very tall tank (height is 37.5 water level is 36) but my problem is the following I'm limited to exactly ten inches in width where my lights will go. ( The length of the opening is 30 inches so I'll have to use 24 inch bulbs.) My plans are to use the advance ballasts rather than the Icecap. (Using either two or three depending.)

So I can use 4 SLR s with 4 bulbs with the regular waterproof sockets

or

I can use those rubber boot type sockets without reflectors and put either 5 or 6 bulbs, using only bulb clips to hold the bulbs. (Just white paint inside canopy for some reflection.) (I'm favoring 5 if I do this but could do 6 for just the cost of a extra pair of sockets and a bulb. I'm favor 5 for the electricity savings.)

Which would you do and which bulbs in each instance and in what order starting from the front of the aquarium to the back.

Thanks in advance.

what do you plan to keep in the tank? There aint no way you can get enough light to keep anything but soft corals using just T5's.

[LostinTime]

I'm wanting softies and a few fish

[The Grim Reefer]

you should do 6 lamps.

Try this

Blue Plus
Blue Plus
Super Actinic
UVL 75/25
Blue Plus
Blue Plus


Don't really think you need 2 straight actinics. The UVL lamp is 75% actin ic but it will brighen the look up dome and add a little red/yellow spectrum in to.

Originally posted by tsouth
Grim whats goin on man. Thanks again for what your info here. I've just ordered a new tank (Rimless 65 gallon:48Lx18Wx16H) and I asked you before about a bulb combination for 4x54's on a standard 55 for some sps. You reccommended
Blue+
Aquasun
75/25 Ablue
Blue+
I've been running this setup for 2 months now and am looking for something more blue. To me it seems a little on the violet side for some reason. My eyes are playin tricks or something.
Anyways for this new setup I am hoping for a color range of 20K w/ 2 of the bulbs being superactinics. Do you think 4 bulbs total is good enough for the new tank? I have a feeling that it won't be sufficient enough for a handful of sps corals and a clam or two even though they would be in the upper ladder of the aquarium. Here's 143gadgets tank running 20k radiums and superactinics and is the temp/color I'm aiming for. Can you help me out here por favor!
Radiums and super acts

Super acts only

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by LostinTime
I'm wanting softies and a few fish

I'd overdrive the lamps. Get a 4x54 Ice cap t5 VHO setup.

Blue Plus
Aquablue
Aquasun
Blue Plus

That should let you keep most softies and even some LPS up high.

[beachboy_ss]

Hey everyone I was wondering if a finnex 4 bulb 24" fixture or a 24" Nova Extreme T5 HO 4 bulb would be enough lighting to keep sps and clams in a 30 gal. cube. Thanks for the help.

[musky1963]

Grim, any latest suggestions on a good bulb lineup for the 72" constellation for my 180g? Getting more into SPS and I have about 12 frags now. Use all the same brand lamps or mix and match? What do you you think of this?

FRONT:
Blue Plus
AquaSun
SuperActinic
AquaSun
Blue Plus
AquaBlue
Blue Plus

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by beachboy_ss
Hey everyone I was wondering if a finnex 4 bulb 24" fixture or a 24" Nova Extreme T5 HO 4 bulb would be enough lighting to keep sps and clams in a 30 gal. cube. Thanks for the help.

Maybe do the Nova sundial. It have cheap individual reflector which aren't great but better than a single flat one.

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by musky1963
Grim, any latest suggestions on a good bulb lineup for the 72" constellation for my 180g? Getting more into SPS and I have about 12 frags now. Use all the same brand lamps or mix and match? What do you you think of this?

FRONT:
Blue Plus
AquaSun
SuperActinic
AquaSun
Blue Plus
AquaBlue
Blue Plus

Should be good. Instead of that Aquablue you might try a UVL 75/25. Sorta the same lamp with a higher dose of actinic

[clevengergl]

Grim, also looking for suggestions on my 12 x 80w retrofit fixture I purchased from Catalina aquariums. Standard ballasts (WH5) and "individual" reflectors (one sheet in an accordian-style shape to contour each bulb. I know my choices are a bit more limited as there aren't as many 80w T-5 bulb options out there, but wanted to get your thoughts. Tank is a 220g, so 30" tall but I've got quite a bit of rockwork to work with all the way up to the surface. Currently I'm only keeping softies, a few LPS and a green BTA, but I'm looking to begin keeping SPS at some point in the near future. I really like the look of fijiblue's tank that he had posted pics of in the ATI ProColor vs. Fiji Purple thread. Any suggestions on bulb combos? Do they make an 80w ATI ProColor? I know PA carries an 80w KZ Fiji Purple...

TIA!
Gary

[mcliffy2]

Grim - I've bought up a bunch of bulbs to play around with for my Sfiligoi Stealth 12x54w. What combo would you recommend starting with from the following bulbs (with number i have on hand):

ATI pro color (1)
uv aquasun (1)
fiji purple (2)
ATI Aquablue Special (4)
ATI Blue plus (4)
Aquascience Special (4+)
Aquascience Duo (4+)
Sfiligoi Actinic (4+)

[ReefDreamz]

Nova Extreme Pro, UVL and Geissman bulbs, 25" deep tank. What can I keep top to bottom including clams, SPS, LPS? How much would coral placement change with a 21" deep tank?

[keeperofdareef]

Grim,
I received my TEK light fixture w/8 T5 HO bulbs from Reefgeek yesterday. Awhile back you suggested that I order the following bulbs:

4 ATI Blue Plus
1 UVL Super Actinic
1 UVL Aquasun
1 GE 6500K Daylight
1 ATI Pro Color

Looking through this thread, I was able to determine the order of the first four bulbs but after that I am lost. I winged it from there. This the order I ended up with:

Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Super Actinic
UVL Aquasun
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Pro Color
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Blue Plus

does this work or is some switching around needed? This fixture is over a standard size 75 gallon tank. I will have a mixed reef with softies, LPS and would like to try some SPS. Thanks

[AlainD]

HI, my store in here have only giesemann and UVL superactinic T5 and i want to buy my 6 bulbs today.

I prefer a 20k look.
I have a 4 feets 90g.
What is your suggestion for sps only.

My setup is
1 timer for bullbs 1-3-5 and the other one for bulbs 2-4-6.

[Fcwham]

Hi I have an old VHO Ballast, It runs 2 x 34 inch VHOs I think they are 96w each? could it be sett up to run t5s? its marked 220w max does this mean I could run 4 or more t5s? the wires seem to only be able to be hooked up to 2 bulbs. thanks so much here is a picture of the ballast.

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by clevengergl
Grim, also looking for suggestions on my 12 x 80w retrofit fixture I purchased from Catalina aquariums. Standard ballasts (WH5) and "individual" reflectors (one sheet in an accordian-style shape to contour each bulb. I know my choices are a bit more limited as there aren't as many 80w T-5 bulb options out there, but wanted to get your thoughts. Tank is a 220g, so 30" tall but I've got quite a bit of rockwork to work with all the way up to the surface. Currently I'm only keeping softies, a few LPS and a green BTA, but I'm looking to begin keeping SPS at some point in the near future. I really like the look of fijiblue's tank that he had posted pics of in the ATI ProColor vs. Fiji Purple thread. Any suggestions on bulb combos? Do they make an 80w ATI ProColor? I know PA carries an 80w KZ Fiji Purple...

TIA!
Gary

You are going to be very limited in what SPS you can keep with that fixture.

For 12 lamps I would do 4 Blue Plus, 2 ATI Actinics, 2 Fiji Purples if you want to try those and 2 GE 6500K daylights, 1 ATI Aquablue and a Procolor

Reefgeek should have all those lamps.

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by mcliffy2
Grim - I've bought up a bunch of bulbs to play around with for my Sfiligoi Stealth 12x54w. What combo would you recommend starting with from the following bulbs (with number i have on hand):

ATI pro color (1)
uv aquasun (1)
fiji purple (2)
ATI Aquablue Special (4)
ATI Blue plus (4)
Aquascience Special (4+)
Aquascience Duo (4+)
Sfiligoi Actinic (4+)

Depending how its wire something like this, just place the lamps so you get a dusk/dawn pairing with blue plus and actinic lamps

Front
Blue Plus
Actinic
Fiji Purple
Special
Blus Plus
Pro Color
Blue Plus
Aquasun
Duo
Fiji Purple
Actinic
Blue Plus

The Aquablue, Duo and Fiji Purple are going to be really close in color so you can mix and match those to tweak the look. The Duo is white with a blue tint. The Aquablue has a little less blue and the "Purple" is more violet.

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by ReefDreamz
Nova Extreme Pro, UVL and Geissman bulbs, 25" deep tank. What can I keep top to bottom including clams, SPS, LPS? How much would coral placement change with a 21" deep tank?

You wouldn't want higher light critters more than about halfway down the tank at best on the taller one. The shorter on would be a little more forgiving.

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by keeperofdareef
Grim,
I received my TEK light fixture w/8 T5 HO bulbs from Reefgeek yesterday. Awhile back you suggested that I order the following bulbs:

4 ATI Blue Plus
1 UVL Super Actinic
1 UVL Aquasun
1 GE 6500K Daylight
1 ATI Pro Color

Looking through this thread, I was able to determine the order of the first four bulbs but after that I am lost. I winged it from there. This the order I ended up with:

Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Super Actinic
UVL Aquasun
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Pro Color
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Blue Plus

does this work or is some switching around needed? This fixture is over a standard size 75 gallon tank. I will have a mixed reef with softies, LPS and would like to try some SPS. Thanks

That should be fine.

[mcliffy2]

Originally posted by The Grim Reefer
Depending how its wire something like this, just place the lamps so you get a dusk/dawn pairing with blue plus and actinic lamps

Front
Blue Plus
Actinic
Fiji Purple
Special
Blus Plus
Pro Color
Blue Plus
Aquasun
Duo
Fiji Purple
Actinic
Blue Plus

The Aquablue, Duo and Fiji Purple are going to be really close in color so you can mix and match those to tweak the look. The Duo is white with a blue tint. The Aquablue has a little less blue and the "Purple" is more violet.

Thanks much for the response.

One question, for the special, do you mean aquascience special or ati aquablue special?

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by Fcwham
Hi I have an old VHO Ballast, It runs 2 x 34 inch VHOs I think they are 96w each? could it be sett up to run t5s? its marked 220w max does this mean I could run 4 or more t5s? the wires seem to only be able to be hooked up to 2 bulbs. thanks so much here is a picture of the ballast.

As far as I know the ARO ballast wont work with T5's.

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by mcliffy2
Thanks much for the response.

One question, for the special, do you mean aquascience special or ati aquablue special?

Aquascience. It's more of an actual 10K lamp rather that the tinted ones like the others.

[clevengergl]

Originally posted by The Grim Reefer
You are going to be very limited in what SPS you can keep with that fixture.

Thanks Grim! Is that because the ballasts are standard and not overdriven or the depth of the tank....or both?

[FranktheTankTx]

Oh Keeper of the Reef,

I have a 36g Corner tank which I am struggling with to determine lighting over it. It will be open top. I have originally thought of doing a single MH pendant. But my intentions were to do a zoo & ric tank. As you know, there is nothing more beautiful than seeing those colors pop out under actinics.

So that led me to think about a 24" T5 fixture such as the TEK or ATI that reefgeek carries. 24" will fit nicely across the corner tank... however at the very corners there might be a couple inches spill over as the tank widens. Is this acceptable? Any drawbacks to one of these T5 set ups over a 36g corner?

By the way, I figured on a 6 bulb T5 set up which would be 12 - 13.5" wide depending on which T5 set I went with. Actually, the TEK does not have a 6 bulb 24" but only a 4 bulb. I did want some clams at the bottom of the tank... thus 6 bulbs would be better. Let me know your thoughts.

Thank you!