The T5 Q&a Thread - split - Page 227

C-21 USAF · 03/25/2015, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by C-21 USAF

Time to replace my 4 - 39w T-5s. I also have for 4 110w VHO super actinics that do not need replacing.

My tank is 4'x2'x1'.

I keep mostly SPS under the T-5s and LPS around the edges.

With the 4 VHOs do I really need any more blue?....Right now I have 2 - Blue +, GE 6500, Fiji Purple and it's REALLY blue...looking to lighten things up a bit and increase PAR slightly

I included a (bad) pic of my set-up.

THANKS!

Bueller?....Bueller?

Reef Reactor · 03/26/2015, 06:26 AM

I have build a 8 48" bulbs lamp. Here i can only get ati bulbs. What is your recommendation on bulbs to keep sps with good color and grow?
Thanks!

bucfan · 03/26/2015, 06:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhucasey

Yes, I find that to be true. The first bulb has a big effect on the overall color perception. Let us know what you think

So if I switch my front bulb from Aquablue Azure to Blue+ the tank would look more blue?

bucfan · 03/26/2015, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reef Reactor

I have build a 8 48" bulbs lamp. Here i can only get ati bulbs. What is your recommendation on bulbs to keep sps with good color and grow?
Thanks!

I've been using this combo for 2 months with good color and growth thus far.

2 Giesemann Aquablue Azure, 2 ATI Blue+, 1 ATI Actinic, 1 ATI Purple, 1 Giesemann Tropic, 1 Giesemann Actinic Blue. Tank is on white side but colors look good.

I may eventually switch the Tropic to ATI Coral+ for a bluer look.

Reef Reactor · 03/26/2015, 07:00 AM

Thanks bucfan, but geisemann bulbs are not available here.......

jdraider75 · 03/26/2015, 08:32 AM

Here is a link to ATI North America. With popular combos.
http://www.atinorthamerica.com/faq.php

mhucasey · 03/26/2015, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reef Reactor

Thanks bucfan, but geisemann bulbs are not available here.......

If you are in the US you can get them from Marine Depot, their prices are about as low as you will get. I bought 4 bulbs from them recently and shipping was $6.58 for UPS ground.

Reef Reactor · 03/26/2015, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhucasey

If you are in the US you can get them from Marine Depot, their prices are about as low as you will get. I bought 4 bulbs from them recently and shipping was $6.58 for UPS ground.

I am not in USA. I am in Mexico. Shipping bulbs to here is not a possibility. I already order a lamp in the past and arrived in pieces. Imagine with bulbs. ATI ate available here with LFS.

mhucasey · 03/26/2015, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reef Reactor

I am not in USA. I am in Mexico. Shipping bulbs to here is not a possibility. I already order a lamp in the past and arrived in pieces. Imagine with bulbs. ATI ate available here with LFS.

Well thats a bummer

ATI bulbs are very good and pretty much can't be beat for output, so its not too much of an issue. I would definitely use the ATI bulb Guide linked to a few posts back for combo Ideas.

Here is an 8 bulb combo with all ATI bulbs that you may like, its pretty white but has a lot of pop and good intensity:
B+
ABS
B+
P+
ATI Actinic
B+
ABS
B+

rogergolf66 · 03/26/2015, 05:27 PM

Ok I'm wanting to add 4 build 80w t5 supplement to a new setup that will also have MH. Well my question is I need a retrofit kit. I can only find hamelton and aurora brand. I just also found a brand called hello lights here's a link. What brand would u recommend? Is there a difference? The aurora and hamelton are about the same price. The hello lights are about half price.

http://www.hellolights.com/Helloligh...&searchSize=12

Roger

apolloreef · 03/27/2015, 11:57 PM

Setting up a new 36" 4 bulb T5 fixture supplemented by 2 24" ecoxotic stunner LED strips. As far as I can tell/find on their specs the 2 blue LED strips put out a similar blue wavelength to actinic bulbs.

I am looking to have a crisp icy white look (so closer to white than the popular blue glow). After doing my research I am thinking of using the following:
2x Coral Plus
1x Blue Plus

Thoughts on the last bulb?
1x ??? (worried that another blue plus may cause the tank to run too blue?)

Chrisq0904 · 03/28/2015, 09:13 AM

Hey guys, long story short I'm thinking of switching to T5's. My tank dimensions are 49"L x 24"D x 16"H. I was thinking of getting a 48" fixture but what I am unsure of is am I better off with 6 or 8 bulbs? Since my tank is pretty shallow I'm not sure if the extra two bulbs would be too much.

DDon · 03/28/2015, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rogergolf66

Ok I'm wanting to add 4 build 80w t5 supplement to a new setup that will also have MH. Well my question is I need a retrofit kit. I can only find hamelton and aurora brand. I just also found a brand called hello lights here's a link. What brand would u recommend? Is there a difference? The aurora and hamelton are about the same price. The hello lights are about half price.

http://www.hellolights.com/Helloligh...&searchSize=12

Roger

Might also want to check out the LET miro-4 retro kit. Looks like aquacave carries them.

Sailmaven · 03/29/2015, 01:27 AM

Thank you for your help. I have a mixed reef tank with assorted fish. I have a 4 bulb system and need to replace the bulbs for the first time. What bulbs would you suggest and what schedule should I put them on. Thank you

Reef Reactor · 03/29/2015, 09:47 AM

Does anybody knows the PAR and PUR of the ATI bulbs?

Redrosetuscan · 04/03/2015, 05:58 AM

Anyone used the fauna marin tubes? Have read some good stuff but not much out there. Might order some as with the euro being low they are quite cheap.

mhucasey · 04/03/2015, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redrosetuscan

Anyone used the fauna marin tubes? Have read some good stuff but not much out there. Might order some as with the euro being low they are quite cheap.

If you can get them cheap the Ultra Royal Blue is supposed to be a very nice deep blue color that pairs well with the blue plus. Conversely I have also heard tight it is pretty much the same as a blue plus with the green peak reduced. I don;t know much about the other bulbs they have.

Redrosetuscan · 04/03/2015, 05:48 PM

I might give them a try over my new frag tank as a test, there was a study which showed the fm tubes gave a lot better growth and colour than the ati. I'm not sure how credible it was but the pictures certainly did the talking.
They were using approx half ab special and half blue plus.mand similar in fm tubes. Must have looked yellow to the eye, but they mention too much blue being detrimental.

Btw I love the dog, one day I will get one without doubt!

mhucasey · 04/03/2015, 06:26 PM

Yeah that study was apparently debunked, sorry. They are still good bulbs but roughly equivalent to ATI rather than being much better.

We are nuts about Weiner dogs, he is one of four

DDon · 04/04/2015, 12:16 PM

Hey mhucasey,
You seem to have quite a bit of experience with the new giesemann bulbs so maybe you can answer this for me.
I am currently running 4 T5s as supplements to my kessils in the following configuration:

Front
ATI blue plus
ATI purple plus
Kessil
ATI coral plus
ATI blue plus

Time to replace the bulbs and considering the following:

Front
Giesemann actinic blue
ATI Purple Plus
Kessil
Giesemann aquablue azure
Giesemann super actinic

Would this combo look decent or would I be better off with a blue plus instead of the super actinic?
I do like a crisp white with a touch of blue during day. Would like my blue bulbs to have a deeper blue look than the blue plus which can look a little washed out.
Thanks in advance.

Jone · 04/04/2015, 12:20 PM

I would like to know ghe answer for your question too,,but Im a strictly softie tank,,no chance me going torward SPS..but still like to hear answers per your question

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chrisq0904

Hey guys, long story short I'm thinking of switching to T5's. My tank dimensions are 49"L x 24"D x 16"H. I was thinking of getting a 48" fixture but what I am unsure of is am I better off with 6 or 8 bulbs? Since my tank is pretty shallow I'm not sure if the extra two bulbs would be too much.

mhucasey · 04/04/2015, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DDon

Hey mhucasey,
You seem to have quite a bit of experience with the new giesemann bulbs so maybe you can answer this for me.
I am currently running 4 T5s as supplements to my kessils in the following configuration:

Front
ATI blue plus
ATI purple plus
Kessil
ATI coral plus
ATI blue plus

Time to replace the bulbs and considering the following:

Front
Giesemann actinic blue
ATI Purple Plus
Kessil
Giesemann aquablue azure
Giesemann super actinic

Would this combo look decent or would I be better off with a blue plus instead of the super actinic?
I do like a crisp white with a touch of blue during day. Would like my blue bulbs to have a deeper blue look than the blue plus which can look a little washed out.
Thanks in advance.

I think given the limited number of bulbs you have I wouldn't use the Actinic blue, but rather the Blue plus. The Actinic Blue is kind of dim comparitively, mainly because it has a lot of actinic in it. One Super actinic will be more than enough Actinic in that mix.
If you are buying the Giesemann bulbs already I'd substitute a Super Purple for the Purple plus(not a fan of the purple plus). If you can get it, the Fiji Purple is the best purple bulb out there(I have them all and will always use the Fiji Purple)

So the following would be my suggestion:
Blue Plus
Super Purple or Fiji Purple
Kessil
Giesemann aquablue azure
Giesemann super actinic

With the Kessil you can tweak the blue level a bit to get it just right.

DDon · 04/04/2015, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhucasey

I think given the limited number of bulbs you have I wouldn't use the Actinic blue, but rather the Blue plus. The Actinic Blue is kind of dim comparitively, mainly because it has a lot of actinic in it. One Super actinic will be more than enough Actinic in that mix.
If you are buying the Giesemann bulbs already I'd substitute a Super Purple for the Purple plus(not a fan of the purple plus). If you can get it, the Fiji Purple is the best purple bulb out there(I have them all and will always use the Fiji Purple)

So the following would be my suggestion:
Blue Plus
Super Purple or Fiji Purple
Kessil
Giesemann aquablue azure
Giesemann super actinic

With the Kessil you can tweak the blue level a bit to get it just right.

Thank you. I will give the Fiji Purple a try since I found them at BRS. I didn't realize the actinic blue had that much actinic, was thinking it was somewhat comparable to the blue plus. Hard to tell sometimes just from spectrum graphs.
Just a quick follow up question, would I be better off using the actinic blue in place of the super actinic? Or is the mix as suggested the better option?

mhucasey · 04/04/2015, 01:37 PM

Its a little bit confusing since Giesemann split from DD-Giesemann, and they actually changed the formation of their bulbs. The old DD-gieseman actinic plus was like a slightly dimmer version of the Blue Plus, maybe a tad less green. The new Actinic Blue Added More UV:

Compared to the Blue Plus which has much less between 400-450nm:

DDon · 04/04/2015, 05:23 PM

Thanks for the comparison

03/26/2015, 05:27 PM	#5660
rogergolf66 im an addict lol Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Land o lakes, FLorida Posts: 12,930	Ok I'm wanting to add 4 build 80w t5 supplement to a new setup that will also have MH. Well my question is I need a retrofit kit. I can only find hamelton and aurora brand. I just also found a brand called hello lights here's a link. What brand would u recommend? Is there a difference? The aurora and hamelton are about the same price. The hello lights are about half price. http://www.hellolights.com/Helloligh...&searchSize=12 Roger __________________ Goal levels: salinity 35ppt, temp 78-79, alk 8-9, cal 430-450, mag 1310-1400 po4 .03, no3 1-3 Current Tank Info: System 1... 100 gal Zoa tank I built, 30 gal Ric Yuma shroom tank, 30 gal mix tank my sons,40 gal softie tank, 40 gal nem tank, two 40 gal LPS tank. System 2... 240 gal SPS display attached 100 gal frag SPS only tank.

04/03/2015, 06:26 PM	#5669
mhucasey Acros & wieners, oh my! Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Oceanside, California Posts: 3,706	Yeah that study was apparently debunked, sorry. They are still good bulbs but roughly equivalent to ATI rather than being much better. We are nuts about Weiner dogs, he is one of four __________________ - Matt I call the big one "Bitey" - Homer Simpson See my tank thread here: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2468548 Current Tank Info: 120 Gallon Rimless Starphire Shallow Reef. Reef Octopus Diablo EXT-200 skimmer, Chaeto Reactor, Lighting: ATI Sunpower 8X39W, 6X39W Sunpower

04/04/2015, 01:37 PM	#5674
mhucasey Acros & wieners, oh my! Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Oceanside, California Posts: 3,706	Its a little bit confusing since Giesemann split from DD-Giesemann, and they actually changed the formation of their bulbs. The old DD-gieseman actinic plus was like a slightly dimmer version of the Blue Plus, maybe a tad less green. The new Actinic Blue Added More UV: Compared to the Blue Plus which has much less between 400-450nm: __________________ - Matt I call the big one "Bitey" - Homer Simpson See my tank thread here: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2468548 Current Tank Info: 120 Gallon Rimless Starphire Shallow Reef. Reef Octopus Diablo EXT-200 skimmer, Chaeto Reactor, Lighting: ATI Sunpower 8X39W, 6X39W Sunpower

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03/26/2015, 06:26 AM	#5652
Reef Reactor Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Mexico city Posts: 180	I have build a 8 48" bulbs lamp. Here i can only get ati bulbs. What is your recommendation on bulbs to keep sps with good color and grow? Thanks!

03/26/2015, 07:00 AM	#5655
Reef Reactor Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Mexico city Posts: 180	Thanks bucfan, but geisemann bulbs are not available here.......

03/26/2015, 08:32 AM	#5656
jdraider75 Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Davenport, Iowa Posts: 546	Here is a link to ATI North America. With popular combos. http://www.atinorthamerica.com/faq.php

03/27/2015, 11:57 PM	#5661
apolloreef Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 96	Setting up a new 36" 4 bulb T5 fixture supplemented by 2 24" ecoxotic stunner LED strips. As far as I can tell/find on their specs the 2 blue LED strips put out a similar blue wavelength to actinic bulbs. I am looking to have a crisp icy white look (so closer to white than the popular blue glow). After doing my research I am thinking of using the following: 2x Coral Plus 1x Blue Plus Thoughts on the last bulb? 1x ??? (worried that another blue plus may cause the tank to run too blue?)

03/28/2015, 09:13 AM	#5662
Chrisq0904 Moved On Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Plantation, FL Posts: 1,209	Hey guys, long story short I'm thinking of switching to T5's. My tank dimensions are 49"L x 24"D x 16"H. I was thinking of getting a 48" fixture but what I am unsure of is am I better off with 6 or 8 bulbs? Since my tank is pretty shallow I'm not sure if the extra two bulbs would be too much.

03/29/2015, 01:27 AM	#5664
Sailmaven Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 10	Thank you for your help. I have a mixed reef tank with assorted fish. I have a 4 bulb system and need to replace the bulbs for the first time. What bulbs would you suggest and what schedule should I put them on. Thank you

03/29/2015, 09:47 AM	#5665
Reef Reactor Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Mexico city Posts: 180	Does anybody knows the PAR and PUR of the ATI bulbs?

04/03/2015, 05:58 AM	#5666
Redrosetuscan Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: London Posts: 102	Anyone used the fauna marin tubes? Have read some good stuff but not much out there. Might order some as with the euro being low they are quite cheap.

04/03/2015, 05:48 PM	#5668
Redrosetuscan Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: London Posts: 102	I might give them a try over my new frag tank as a test, there was a study which showed the fm tubes gave a lot better growth and colour than the ati. I'm not sure how credible it was but the pictures certainly did the talking. They were using approx half ab special and half blue plus.mand similar in fm tubes. Must have looked yellow to the eye, but they mention too much blue being detrimental. Btw I love the dog, one day I will get one without doubt!

04/04/2015, 12:16 PM	#5670
DDon Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Brentwood,CA Posts: 776	Hey mhucasey, You seem to have quite a bit of experience with the new giesemann bulbs so maybe you can answer this for me. I am currently running 4 T5s as supplements to my kessils in the following configuration: Front ATI blue plus ATI purple plus Kessil ATI coral plus ATI blue plus Time to replace the bulbs and considering the following: Front Giesemann actinic blue ATI Purple Plus Kessil Giesemann aquablue azure Giesemann super actinic Would this combo look decent or would I be better off with a blue plus instead of the super actinic? I do like a crisp white with a touch of blue during day. Would like my blue bulbs to have a deeper blue look than the blue plus which can look a little washed out. Thanks in advance.

04/04/2015, 05:23 PM	#5675
DDon Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Brentwood,CA Posts: 776	Thanks for the comparison