The T5 Q&a Thread - split

[Tron_954]

Colton, you should just ditch your LEDs and grab a Sunpower, dimmable or not, then do this:

[Tron_954]

Originally Posted by rtparty

For supplementing some LEDs? Hardly.

Twas a joke LOL

[wcharon]

Are those strips Stunner with Royal Blues. Like that for my Sunpower...

Thanks...

Originally Posted by Tron_954

Colton, you should just ditch your LEDs and grab a Sunpower, dimmable or not, then do this:

[Tron_954]

Reefbrites

[FlyPenFly]

Originally Posted by ColtonMeng

Dear god, I'm a flip-flopper.


I'll go with the Aquatic Life Linkable. The sizing is a whole lot more friendly versus my toggle-bolt ceiling mounts, and I won't have an extra set of holes in my ceiling that aren't being utilized.


Thank you for talking me down from the cliff Ryan. Your feedback is much appreciated!

Colton

I have a 24 2 bulb version and they're pretty nice units for what you pay. Nice quality reflectors.

[TropTrea]

Originally Posted by MichaelAdair

Hello all.

I've skimmed through some of this thread but I think I'm more confused now than when I started.

I have a Coralife Aqualight T5ho Lunar (4 bulbs) fixture that I'm looking to upgrade the bulbs on. I have an LPS/Softie 48" 75 gallon tank with most of the coral in the front half. I'm looking for the best combo of bulbs that will give me that color/pop that everyone loves but I also want my corals to grow and thrive.

Also, do you recommend switching out one bulb a week for acclimation or some other schedule?

Thank you.

Four bulbs on a 75 gallon is on the boarderline of simply not being enough. If you put in an atinic you wioll be way below the minimium except for a few very low light requiring corals. With 4 bulbs I would also stay away from either the GE 6,500 or the Aqua Blue Plus as they would over power the other bulbs with white light.

Depending on your personal color taste I would go with 1 Coral Plus and three Blue Plus bulbs, If it too blue for you than try 2 Coral Plus and 2 Blue Plus.

-Michael

[TropTrea]

Originally Posted by ColtonMeng

Hey guys!

I've just changed my setup on my 260 gallon tank from a canopy with 5 Orphek PR-156 LED panels to a hanging setup with only three of the panels.

The tank is 60'' long and I'm wondering what would be the best bulbs to run in addition to the white / blue LED setup I'm currently running. My tank is 36'' deep, and home to both SPS as well as LPS.

I was told by BigE two ATI coral+ and two ATI blue+, just looking for someone to second that. I just wanted to make sure that I'll have every spectrum necessary covered with the T5 supplements above.

Also, any opinions on who makes a decent 60'' fixture? I'm either going to buy 2 x 2 bulb, or 2 x 3 bulb. I'm assuming if I get the three bulb fixtures, I should just grab another C+ and B+ bulb each.

Thanks for any feedback.

Colton

ATI does make the best T-5 fixtures however there smallest fixture is a 4 bulb unit which would probably be to powerful when combined with your LED's. I have seen several 2 bulb fixtures from Hamilton Tech that were not bad for use when mixing with LED's.

Since most of the Orphek fixtures I have seen are more white than anything else I would use only ATI blueplus bulbs in your T-5's.

If I were building the fixture I would use Alumnium Chaneling probably 1" X 1" for the short horizontal rails, and then 1 X 1 angle Alumn for the 60" long chanels that the lights would lay into. So you would be talking 6 60" long pieces of angle Alumn and probably 4 24" inch pieces of channeling. On the 4 corner bolts use eye bolts rather than standard bolts and then you can run wire to the ceiling to suspend the system.

[Dun Properly]

Originally Posted by Tron_954

It is must have if you are PRO!

#Hardcore

It is soooo satisfying watching my tank fade down to black in the evening. The sunrise is just as sweet, but I only see that on the weekends.

[TropTrea]

Originally Posted by ColtonMeng

ugh. I'd like the dimmable but they don't make a 60'' :/

Also, I'm barely going to have room for one unit- the way I did my ceiling anchors I was expecting to run the LED panels down the middle and have 1 2-bulb unit in front / behind.


Well, I guess I'll be angling it in slightly. The plus side is that it will help block the LED light from blinding anyone looking at the tank. : D

Colton

Ths is till very do able look at my last post. If you go with the Hamilton twin fixtures they are about 4" wide and your LED';s are aroun 7" wide so you have a width of about 15". and the lenght of the tank about 60". If you hang them with wire the ceiling anchors should be able to work nicely even just a pair of them. But you need to run 4 wires of set lenghts to stabalize the fixture.

[Andreas N]

Hello everyone. Verry interesting thread. i have purshased a new tank measure 61" long
and 28,5" deep and 21" high . Over that i have baght 2 ATI sunpower with room for 6 80w tubes in a total of 12 tubes.

It will be alot of light
i will keep mostly acropora and mabe some other SPS like stylopora and seriatopora mabe.

After have read alot in this thread i have a perposition on my tube setup.

Front
Blue + ch1
Actinic ch 2
coral + ch 1
Blue + ch 1
Blue + ch 2
Purple + ch1

Coral + ch 1
Blue + ch 2
blue + ch 1
coral + ch 1
Blue + ch 2
Blue + ch 1

This gives a total of
7 blue +
3 coral +
1 actinic
1 purple +

i putted the actinic in second slot to give nice fluorescense on late eavening when almost all other tubes are off.
The purple right in front of center of tank to get a nice color on my reddish hyacinthus and milleporas.

Am i on the right track? (sorry for my lousy english hehe)
/Andreas

[rtparty]

Originally Posted by Andreas N

Hello everyone. Verry interesting thread. i have purshased a new tank measure 61" long
and 28,5" deep and 21" high . Over that i have baght 2 ATI sunpower with room for 6 80w tubes in a total of 12 tubes.

It will be alot of light
i will keep mostly acropora and mabe some other SPS like stylopora and seriatopora mabe.

After have read alot in this thread i have a perposition on my tube setup.

Front
Blue + ch1
Actinic ch 2
coral + ch 1
Blue + ch 1
Blue + ch 2
Purple + ch1

Coral + ch 1
Blue + ch 2
blue + ch 1
coral + ch 1
Blue + ch 2
Blue + ch 1

This gives a total of
7 blue +
3 coral +
1 actinic
1 purple +

i putted the actinic in second slot to give nice fluorescense on late eavening when almost all other tubes are off.
The purple right in front of center of tank to get a nice color on my reddish hyacinthus and milleporas.

Am i on the right track? (sorry for my lousy english hehe)
/Andreas

Looks good and your English is better than most native speakers so no worry there!

[FlyPenFly]

Originally Posted by Andreas N

Hello everyone. Verry interesting thread. i have purshased a new tank measure 61" long
and 28,5" deep and 21" high . Over that i have baght 2 ATI sunpower with room for 6 80w tubes in a total of 12 tubes.

It will be alot of light
i will keep mostly acropora and mabe some other SPS like stylopora and seriatopora mabe.

After have read alot in this thread i have a perposition on my tube setup.

Front
Blue + ch1
Actinic ch 2
coral + ch 1
Blue + ch 1
Blue + ch 2
Purple + ch1

Coral + ch 1
Blue + ch 2
blue + ch 1
coral + ch 1
Blue + ch 2
Blue + ch 1

This gives a total of
7 blue +
3 coral +
1 actinic
1 purple +

i putted the actinic in second slot to give nice fluorescense on late eavening when almost all other tubes are off.
The purple right in front of center of tank to get a nice color on my reddish hyacinthus and milleporas.

Am i on the right track? (sorry for my lousy english hehe)
/Andreas

Exactly what I would do

[FlyPenFly]

Side shooting Glo T5's have been in about a week. Already I'm seeing polyps and color returning to the sides of my big SPS colony.

They're running just ATI actinic but with the close proximity to the tank. I'm possibly thinking of putting Blue+ in there but not quite sure yet.

[Andreas N]

Thanks for the feedback now i just need to place an order and thats the easy part...
What buggers me is to get rid of my old tank so the new can be installed
Nice tank FPF

[wcharon]

So they are the ReefTech in Actinic right, not Royal Blue???

Originally Posted by Tron_954

Reefbrites

[TropTrea]

Originally Posted by Andreas N

Hello everyone. Verry interesting thread. i have purshased a new tank measure 61" long
and 28,5" deep and 21" high . Over that i have baght 2 ATI sunpower with room for 6 80w tubes in a total of 12 tubes.

It will be alot of light
i will keep mostly acropora and mabe some other SPS like stylopora and seriatopora mabe.

After have read alot in this thread i have a perposition on my tube setup.

Front
Blue + ch1
Actinic ch 2
coral + ch 1
Blue + ch 1
Blue + ch 2
Purple + ch1

Coral + ch 1
Blue + ch 2
blue + ch 1
coral + ch 1
Blue + ch 2
Blue + ch 1

This gives a total of
7 blue +
3 coral +
1 actinic
1 purple +

i putted the actinic in second slot to give nice fluorescense on late eavening when almost all other tubes are off.
The purple right in front of center of tank to get a nice color on my reddish hyacinthus and milleporas.

Am i on the right track? (sorry for my lousy english hehe)
/Andreas

I'm not crazey about using atinic bulbs. But I have seen some nice effects of using them alone for dawn to dusk effects where the florescense pops in a very dimly lighted tank. However LED's will give even more pop that way.

You have 12 bulbs so it gives you a lot of latitude to play with. Keep in mind that Johnny thinks is too blue Jack will think it is not blue enough. So your personal taste is key.

If your tank is too Red keep in mind that the purple plus are a blue/red mixture. Simularly the Coral Plus have a stronger red component in them compared to the other fuller spectrumed bulbs.

On a personal view I do not recommend mixing the coral plus bulbs with the purple plus, If you use aqua blue specials then I would match them with an equal number of purple plus. If you use 6,500K bulbs then I would match one up with 2 purple plus bulbs.

But remember the main bulb for coral growth will be your Blue Plus bulbs. Anything beyound that will be for your viewing pleasure.

[TropTrea]

Originally Posted by FlyPenFly

Side shooting Glo T5's have been in about a week. Already I'm seeing polyps and color returning to the sides of my big SPS colony.

They're running just ATI actinic but with the close proximity to the tank. I'm possibly thinking of putting Blue+ in there but not quite sure yet.

Where did you get these lights? I have never seen anything like them before.

[dkell]

hi, i have a red sea max 250 and just purchased new bulbs, i got 6 ati 39 watt

4 blue plus
1 corallus
1 purple plus

from front to back whats the best placement for color? its a mixed reef.

[rtparty]

Originally Posted by dkell

hi, i have a red sea max 250 and just purchased new bulbs, i got 6 ati 39 watt

4 blue plus
1 corallus
1 purple plus

from front to back whats the best placement for color? its a mixed reef.

Blue
Purple
Blue
Coral
Blue
Blue

[Koddie Doo]

I have a 48" sunlight supply over a 75 mixed reef. I have been using:
3 anti special blues
1 6500
1 actinic
1 purple plus

Found a good deal on KZ Korallen Zucht T5 Lamps.

What would you recommend?

[rtparty]

Originally Posted by Koddie Doo

I have a 48" sunlight supply over a 75 mixed reef. I have been using:
3 anti special blues
1 6500
1 actinic
1 purple plus

Found a good deal on KZ Korallen Zucht T5 Lamps.

What would you recommend?

4 super blue, 1 new gen 14k and 1 Fiji purple.

[Koddie Doo]

Originally Posted by rtparty

4 super blue, 1 new gen 14k and 1 Fiji purple.

What order?

[rtparty]

Blue
Purple
Blue
New gen
Blue
Blue

May need to switch around for dusk dawn a little.

[ColtonMeng]

Assuming my lights are hung over my tank similar to the above, what would your recommendation be on bulb placements? C+ on 1 / 4 and B+ on 2 / 3?

Any recommendations on run cycles? these will be used either at the same time as, or before/after using my Orphek PR-156's.

I was thinking:

T5's on 1 hour before LED's
"white" LED / T5 for 6 hours
T5's on 1 hours AFTER blue shuts off
BLUE LED's 2-4 hours

this would allow me to use all functions of my lights and provide a nice period for each. Additionally, the T5's would probably be calmer on "waking up" the corals than blasting them with my Orphek whites come kick-on time.

Any thoughts here?

Colton

[TropTrea]

Originally Posted by ColtonMeng

Assuming my lights are hung over my tank similar to the above, what would your recommendation be on bulb placements? C+ on 1 / 4 and B+ on 2 / 3?

Any recommendations on run cycles? these will be used either at the same time as, or before/after using my Orphek PR-156's.

I was thinking:

T5's on 1 hour before LED's
"white" LED / T5 for 6 hours
T5's on 1 hours AFTER blue shuts off
BLUE LED's 2-4 hours

this would allow me to use all functions of my lights and provide a nice period for each. Additionally, the T5's would probably be calmer on "waking up" the corals than blasting them with my Orphek whites come kick-on time.

Any thoughts here?

Colton

The Orphek LED's are very very White. Looking at the spec on them they were close to 75% white and 25% blue. So I would only run Blue bulbs in yout T-5's.

Timing wise I would go
0 Hour Blue LED's on
1 hour Blue T=5's on
2 hour White LED's on
7 hour White LED's off
9 Hour Blue T-5's off
11 hour Blue LED's off

On personal choice after viewing it both ways you could swap the cycling of the blue LED's with the Blue T-5's but I think you like the effect of just the Blue LED's on alone better than the Blue T-5's.

As far as your lighting compared to the clock I suggest calculating it so your normal bed time corsponds with that 11 hour point.