The T5 Q&a Thread - split

[GroktheCube]

Originally Posted by Michigan Mike

I'm using 2 Ati blue plus, 1 KZ purple, 1 ATI actinic in my Sunpower.(avatar)

Sounds colorful!

The colors in your avatar look fantastic. I think VERY slightly more white than that would be perfect for me, which I THINK is where I'd end up with those bulbs in combination with my LEDs. I just have absolutely no experience in this area, so it's very tough for me to guess how a given bulb would look in combination with other kinds of light.

[tekjunkie28]

I have a aquaticlife 6 tube fixture with moonlights and timer. Would it be worth it get a sunpower fixture?

Sent from my SCH-I605

[Michigan Mike]

Originally Posted by tekjunkie28

I have a aquaticlife 6 tube fixture with moonlights and timer. Would it be worth it get a sunpower fixture?

Sent from my SCH-I605

If over a 90g (24"+ high) with lots of SPS, maybe...if you can get decent money out of the Aquaticlife fixture.

I personally dont like the Aquaticlife fixtures. When you favor in you will want good bulbs anyway if you buy a Aquaticlife fixture your only around $100-150 more for an ATI Sunpower.

[tekjunkie28]

Originally Posted by Michigan Mike

If over a 90g (24"+ high) with lots of SPS, maybe...if you can get decent money out of the Aquaticlife fixture.

I personally dont like the Aquaticlife fixtures. When you favor in you will want good bulbs anyway if you buy a Aquaticlife fixture your only around $100-150 more for an ATI Sunpower.

Its on a standard 75. I got it used from a local store almost a year ago. I'm getting ready to replace my wave point lights with ati's.
Also how much longer or long should the t5's in a ati fixture last?

Sent from my SCH-I605

[GroktheCube]

Thanks for all the advice everyone! Just ordered a 4x54w ATI Sunpower, 2 Blue+ bulbs, 2 Actinics, and 1 Purple +. I figure I'll experiment with the bulbs to see what combination looks best to me.

[rtparty]

Originally Posted by toofrigginswt

Darn!!!! I just tested an LED fixture above my tank and put it to 100% blue. All the corals popped like crazy! I really miss that effect. My T5's at times feels washed out. Unfortunately, I cannot run LEDs anywhere because it's an open top and the ATI Powermodule is suspended from the ceiling. I was on Marine depot and saw a Wavepoint Super Violet O3 Actinic. That wouldn't be deeper blue either?

The kz superblue is deeper blue than the ATI blue plus. It's nothing like blue LEDs though, that color will never be achieved with just T5s. There is too much green.

I'm rigging up two panorama actinic strips from Ecoxotic on my ATI sunpower for this exact reason. Blue LEDs can not be beat for fluorescence.

[toofrigginswt]

Originally Posted by rtparty

The kz superblue is deeper blue than the ATI blue plus. It's nothing like blue LEDs though, that color will never be achieved with just T5s. There is too much green.

I'm rigging up two panorama actinic strips from Ecoxotic on my ATI sunpower for this exact reason. Blue LEDs can not be beat for fluorescence.

Ryan... I'm thinking about rigging mine up too. I want to remove the two center T5's of my powermodule and making it like the new hybrid version. I've see someone do it before but I can't seem to find that thread. I don't want to lose the slim factor of this fixture either.

[rtparty]

Originally Posted by toofrigginswt

Ryan... I'm thinking about rigging mine up too. I want to remove the two center T5's of my powermodule and making it like the new hybrid version. I've see someone do it before but I can't seem to find that thread. I don't want to lose the slim factor of this fixture either.

You will have to totally rewire that fixture and that is a b***h! Reefbrites can be added fairly easily and look pretty good.

[TropTrea]

Originally Posted by GroktheCube

I'm using 6500k for the white LEDs, so on the cooler side of neutral, and I have 660nm LEDs in the fixtures to make sure I have enough on that end of the spectrum. The primary place I'm missing light with the LEDs is between my 400nms and my 450nms. I have a pretty big hole there. The overall color is also just a little less blue than I'd like. .

The 6,500K bulbs can use a nice little boast in red. However I would look more into the 620 nm range than than the 660 nm Range.

As far as the lack of light in the 400 to 450 range this is touch and go with LED's. There are 430 nm led out there and when combined with 450 will give you more than enough between 420 and 460 alone. But there is a lot of question on how much if any do you need under 420 nm. Thuis is where the T-5's Atinic, and ATI Blue plus KZ's Blue Plus take the doubts away. But if you overpower with these bulbs the super florescense from the LED's also starts washing out. You need a happy medium and that point varies with different peoples opinion.

Originally Posted by GroktheCube

In that case, what would be a good replacement for the purple in a 4 bulb setup? Another blue? Something like an aquablue? I feel like I have most of the spectrum over 450 fairly well taken care of, and actinics and blue+ bulbs seem like they'd do a good job of giving me enough light in that important area, and giving me the visual look I like, I just wasn't sure if going all blues and actinics would wash things out. The LEDs should be be a good bit brighter than even 4 T5s, so I don't think they'll be completely overwhelmed, I just have absolutely no experience with this, and it's kinda tough for me to judge how things will look based on looking at spectral output graphs :-p.

In short, I'd like a 15k+ MH look, and a good amount of light in the 400-440 range. I'm currently at a ~10-12k look, with very little light (only what is produced by 6500k whites) over 405 or under 445.

I appreciate all the advice from everyone, and I'm sorry for all the noobie questions. I'm trying to search through all the information in this and other threads as best as I can, but there's a lot of it and it's a little tough to find exactly what I'm looking for.

Not knowing exactly the combination of your LED's and the wattage it is hard for me to give a good answer. But the ideal would be in my mind would be using the T-5 to cover the blue spectrum uniformly. This would be combinations of the three bulbs I mentioned before.

Then your LED';s should be thought of in two seperate groups.
Group A to make that florescense in the Corals pop which are LED's in the 450 to 460 nm Range.

Group B to brighten things up and bring out your reflective colors. This is where your 6,500K with a red kicker works or my 4,500K LED's.

A little warning on color temperature. Even a 20,000K light source is not predominantly Blue. If you look at some of the combination anylisis programs out there if you add a single cyan (505nm)LED to a 4,500K white your kicking the K to around 8,500. Substitute a 470 nm for the 505 and you beyound the infinity point on the K scale. The higher the K rating is the closer the color balance is to a Blue Green color not a Blue which is beyound the K scale.

[arbee]

Originally Posted by Michigan Mike

Do you like a purple bulb?

4 blue
2 coral plus
1 purple

Lots of growth & enough color to get a good idea anyway.

I posted 4 coral & 3 blue a page back but I would like this combo better. The blue plus & coral plus have high PAR.

If that post is directed at my question, then I thank you. Will try this combo for my 14 bulb fixture.

[GroktheCube]

Thank you much for the advice Dennis. I'll keep it in mind as I play with bulb combinations. If 620 is where the 6500k LEDs really fall flat, I may play with the purple to see what that does for color rendition.

As for the LEDs I have (on each of the two strips) 24 6500k, 4 400nm, 16 450nm, 8 470nm, 4 525, 4 660.

I feel like I have most of what's above 450 pretty well covered (though based on what you said, I may be missing some in the 610+ range too). I'm looking forward to see how it looks with those gaps filled in.

[Michigan Mike]

As promised, a week ago...the pics.
6 bulb- 1 GE,2 kz purple,3 blue plus
6 bulb- 1 GE, 1 KZ purple, 4 blue plus

I prefer not having 2 purple bulbs in a 6 bulb combo.

[Michigan Mike]

4 bulb combos
.
2 blue plus & 2 KZ purple
My combo, 2 blue plus,1 KZ purple, 1 ATI actinic
3 blue plus & 1 KZ purple

[Michigan Mike]

Sorry not the best pics, manual focus wasn't good but hope it helps.
After doing this I was digging on 3 blue plus & 1 KZ purple for the strong flourescence.

[tegee]

Originally Posted by rtparty

I'm rigging up two panorama actinic strips from Ecoxotic on my ATI sunpower for this exact reason. Blue LEDs can not be beat for fluorescence.

Very interesting.....please keep us updated. As I think this is what I am missing on my ATI PM. I love the switch from MH to T5's 3-months ago, but I think I am missing one element and it may be the addition of 1 or 2 LED strips to kick it up a notch.

[Dapg8gt]

I just bought a 6 bulb sunpower and am loving the pics above for reference. Thinking of going with 3 blue+, 2 KZ purple, GE 6500k.. Too white? What about the KZ mid day sun in place of the GE? Are they any good? Thanks for the pics michigan mike got me a little closer to my goal of getting bulbs LOL.. I tend to like a bluer light. Suggestions?

On my tank now is a Phoenix 14k and 4 blue+. What would be the combo to rival/equal that? With maybe a little more blue..

Also where are you guys thinking of adding the led strips at? The side next to the acrylic? Any pics of finished products?

I have a friend who is running some cheap eBay multichip fixture (20k) and he got each unit for $39 with and has been running them for about a year without a hiccup. His are 10 watt 20k chips . I was thinking of adding two of them on either long side of my fixture pointing towards the center. They are adjustable and mount easily. But my fixture is going to be hung so I'm not sure on these being that appealing. They remind me of a halogen work light housing just smaller. I'm thinking a little paint and a bracket running down the center of the light to either side To mount them. If I had a canopy I would be all over them..

[toofrigginswt]

Originally Posted by Michigan Mike

4 bulb combos
.
2 blue plus & 2 KZ purple
My combo, 2 blue plus,1 KZ purple, 1 ATI actinic
3 blue plus & 1 KZ purple

I know sometimes pictures can't capture the true look and color of the bulbs but based on the pics, I'm really digging the 2 blue+ and 2 kz combo you have.

[toofrigginswt]

Finally found a setup that I'm temporarily happy with for my 10x54w ATI Powermodule. I have it setup as follows:

Front
ATI Blue plus
ATI Blue plus
ATI Purple plus (Dusk/Dawn)
ATI Blue plus
ATI Coral plus
ATI Blue plus
ATI Coral plus
ATI Blue plus (Dusk/Dawn)
ATI Blue plus
ATI Blue plus
Back

[tegee]

Originally Posted by toofrigginswt

Finally found a setup that I'm temporarily happy with for my 10x54w ATI Powermodule. I have it setup as follows:

Front
ATI Blue plus
ATI Blue plus
ATI Purple plus (Dusk/Dawn)
ATI Blue plus
ATI Coral plus
ATI Blue plus
ATI Coral plus
ATI Blue plus (Dusk/Dawn)
ATI Blue plus
ATI Blue plus
Back

That sounds like a nice setup. I have a 10 x 80w ATI PM and have almost the same setup, except I have 2-purple+ and 2-coral+. And I have both Blue+ as my dawn to dusk, but I only run dawn to dusk 1/2 hour before and 1-hr after full photoperiod.

[Michigan Mike]

1 GE,1 KZ purple, 2 blue plus

[Michigan Mike]

Above I posted the wrong pic about 3 blue & 1 purple, sorry. This is correct now.

Originally Posted by Michigan Mike

4 bulb combos
.
2 blue plus & 2 KZ purple
My combo, 2 blue plus,1 KZ purple, 1 ATI actinic
3 blue plus & 1 KZ purple

[rtparty]

Mike, what order are the bulbs in for the pictures? That will play a big role in color as well.

The 3 blue and 1 purple seems that the purple may be in the back because my 3 blue and 1 purple looks different.

This is where pictures become very deceiving. My monitor and calibration is different than yours and yours is different than Joe's.

I've got about 13 bulbs right now and could put together a ton of combos but in the end, pictures should never be used as an end all to pick combos. The 2 blue and 2 purple combo looks good in the picture but I know in real life, it is way too pink.

[Michigan Mike]

Originally Posted by rtparty

Mike, what order are the bulbs in for the pictures? That will play a big role in color as well.

The 3 blue and 1 purple seems that the purple may be in the back because my 3 blue and 1 purple looks different.

This is where pictures become very deceiving. My monitor and calibration is different than yours and yours is different than Joe's.

I've got about 13 bulbs right now and could put together a ton of combos but in the end, pictures should never be used as an end all to pick combos. The 2 blue and 2 purple combo looks good in the picture but I know in real life, it is way too pink.

Purple is second from the front in each pic, I raised the lights about 10" above the tank so they would blend better. If I had a wider tanki could do 8,10,14 bulb combos although I don't have enough different kinds of bulbs.
I had to change the ISO from 200,400,500 as I got more blue otherwise the bluer pics were underexposed, they came out pretty close IMO.

[TropTrea]

Originally Posted by Michigan Mike

Sorry not the best pics, manual focus wasn't good but hope it helps.
After doing this I was digging on 3 blue plus & 1 KZ purple for the strong flourescence.

Wish I could get pictures like that. My Camera keeps auto adjusting the color temp and regardless of what lighting I use the only thing that changes is the contrast levels.

But I will say that this is a good example of personal preference. My favorate was the 1 GE, 2 Purples, and 3 Blue Plus. But I wonder if I would like it more or less if a Blue Plus would be swapped for an Atinic? Or if you used the KZ Blues rather than ATI's?

[Michigan Mike]

Originally Posted by Michigan Mike

As promised, a week ago...the pics.
6 bulb- 1 GE,2 kz purple,3 blue plus
6 bulb- 1 GE, 1 KZ purple, 4 blue plus

I prefer not having 2 purple bulbs in a 6 bulb combo.

My girlfriend says she liked the pic with 2 purple bulbs, in real life she liked the 1 purple 6 bulb ombo & the 3 blue-1purple 4 bulb combo.
... the 2 purples doesn't look bad, but to my eye the greens have a reddish tint & the its not as crisp & poppy as the combo with 1 purple, I could use the 1ge,1purple,4blue combo if I had a 6 bulb fixture.