The T5 Q&a Thread - split

[tinfoilhate]

Didn't hear anything in regards to my previous post, but here's what I am running:

FRONT
ATI Coral Plus
ATI Blue Plus
Giesemann Super Purple
Giesemann Aquablue Azure
Giesemann Actinic Blue
Giesemann Actinic Blue
BACK

Also have a pretty powerful DIY Actinic LED in front of the fixture.

[Pprice01]

Hey everyone, ready to make a change after the corals seem to be fading in color. I've got a Dimmable ATI 8-bulb:

3 Blue +
2 Actinic
1 Purple +
1 Coral +
1 AB Special

I have many other new ATI bulbs in the closet, what would you experts suggest?

Here's my light schedule:

Thanks,

Paul

[Esage]

What size fixture for a 68g half cylinder? The back wall is 40" and depth from center of back wall to center of curve is 20". Tanks is euro braced, has a 24"x16" rectangle in the center. Seems I can only fit a 24" fixture. Would 6 lamp be enough for LPS or could I go with a 4 lamp?

Thanks

[rs1831]

What is a tried and true 6 bulb combo for color and growth for sps?

[Pprice01]

Originally Posted by Pprice01

Hey everyone, ready to make a change after the corals seem to be fading in color. I've got a Dimmable ATI 8-bulb:

3 Blue +
2 Actinic
1 Purple +
1 Coral +
1 AB Special

I have many other new ATI bulbs in the closet, what would you experts suggest?

Here's my light schedule:

Thanks,

Paul

Nothing yet, so I made some changes on my own.

Now I'm running front to back:

B+
Coral +
Actinic
B+
B+
Actinic
Coral+
B+
B+

[Mark426]

Originally Posted by rs1831

What is a tried and true 6 bulb combo for color and growth for sps?

When I was wondering the same, went thru the last year or so's worth of threads and the combo I found that was liked by the successful reefers was:

4 Blue+, 1 Coral+ and KZ Purple (or ATI Purple)

To my eye it's a 18K look.

[rs1831]

Originally Posted by Mark426

When I was wondering the same, went thru the last year or so's worth of threads and the combo I found that was liked by the successful reefers was:

4 Blue+, 1 Coral+ and KZ Purple (or ATI Purple)

To my eye it's a 18K look.

Thanks! How do you think it will look if I did:

3 blue+
Coral+
Purple
Actinic

Thanks

[Pprice01]

Originally Posted by Pprice01

Nothing yet, so I made some changes on my own.

Now I'm running front to back:

B+
Coral +
Actinic
B+
B+
Actinic
Coral+
B+
B+

Guess this thread is dead. No even flamed me for having 9 bulbs in an 8-bulb fixture!

[Danielpyz]

i think u just added an extra B+; I don't think there is a need to flame u for that

[Bpb]

What do you guys/gals think of a 6 bulb sunpower over a 90 gallon with the following:

Front:

BuildmyLED Super Actinic
Blue+
Coral+
Pure Actinic
Blue+
Coral+
Pure actinic

Back

Acropora dominant. Even at substrate level.

Or would a Hamilton Cebu sun be a better choice with no LEDs
Blue+
Pure actinic
Hamilton 14k x2
Pure actinic
Blue+

[chercm]

if i am running this combi for my 2ft tank

front
blue+
coral+
actinic
aquablue special
purple+
blue+
coral+
blue+

what is the recommended light hours for sps tank? i hang it around 9 inch above water level

[archangel91]

I'm in the process of planning an upgrade from a 46gal bowfront to a 120gal 4x2x2 and after doing a bit more research than I did the first time, I'm thinking I'm going to go with T5's instead of the LED's. I plan on keeping mostly LPS (really love me some Acan's and Euphyllia), but would like to have the ability to add SPS down the line without having to upgrade the lights.

I have it down to between the Giesemann Matrixx II or the ATI Sunpower, but I'm just a little confused on if 6 or 8 bulb would be better for me. I'm leaning toward the 8 bulb since it will provide a better spread front to back, but will that be too much light for an LPS dominated tank?

Also, is a dimmable fixture worth looking into? and are any of them controllable via apex?

[Bpb]

Without having owned either fixture I can at least give you some info I've collected. Take it for what it's worth.

I've read a lot more ballast failure stories from the dimmable sunpower units than the non dimmable.

The giesemann matrix looks really nice. Lovely physical features. You don't want that one hiding in a canopy. The edge in reflector design goes to the ati. Hands down. They both use flat/bent highly reflective material (as opposed to a true curved parabolic reflector used in the power module or the pac sun diuna). Difference is the sunpower reflectors have an extra bend and extend lower beyond the bulb meaning you get a lot more light reflected downward. For par purposes the ati seems to get higher par values for this reason, though in your case that may not be a positive.

Ati reflector


Giesemann reflector


The giesemann is also a 200-300 more expensive.

I would go with an 8 bulb fixture for coverage reasons and adjust your light levels based on fixture height and bulb choice. If it's too much light with an 8 bulb fixture...all you've gotta do is run 6 bulbs. If 6 bulbs isn't enough it's a lot more of a pain to replace the whole fixture or add a retro.

One victory in the giesemann camp is that their bulbs are broken up into 2 bulb channels. Whereas the ati has one 2 bulb and one 6 bulb channel so less flexibility on bulb staging. Hope that helps

[mhucasey]

Originally Posted by archangel91

I'm in the process of planning an upgrade from a 46gal bowfront to a 120gal 4x2x2 and after doing a bit more research than I did the first time, I'm thinking I'm going to go with T5's instead of the LED's. I plan on keeping mostly LPS (really love me some Acan's and Euphyllia), but would like to have the ability to add SPS down the line without having to upgrade the lights.

I have it down to between the Giesemann Matrixx II or the ATI Sunpower, but I'm just a little confused on if 6 or 8 bulb would be better for me. I'm leaning toward the 8 bulb since it will provide a better spread front to back, but will that be too much light for an LPS dominated tank?

Also, is a dimmable fixture worth looking into? and are any of them controllable via apex?

Go with an 8 bulb, non dimmable fixture. The LPS won't have an issue with two extra bulbs and you will get proper spread. Almost all problems with T5 fixtures I've heard seem to be on dimmable fixtures.

[shred5]

Originally Posted by archangel91

I'm in the process of planning an upgrade from a 46gal bowfront to a 120gal 4x2x2 and after doing a bit more research than I did the first time, I'm thinking I'm going to go with T5's instead of the LED's. I plan on keeping mostly LPS (really love me some Acan's and Euphyllia), but would like to have the ability to add SPS down the line without having to upgrade the lights.

I have it down to between the Giesemann Matrixx II or the ATI Sunpower, but I'm just a little confused on if 6 or 8 bulb would be better for me. I'm leaning toward the 8 bulb since it will provide a better spread front to back, but will that be too much light for an LPS dominated tank?

Also, is a dimmable fixture worth looking into? and are any of them controllable via apex?

I own both and I like the Giesemann, both are good fixtures but I prefer the way they break up the bulbs on Giesemann better ( 1 cord per two lamp ballast) and I also think it is a by far better looking fixture, not just a piece of bent aluminum. I have also have had ballast issues, fan issues and power supply issues with the ATI fixtures. I have not had my Giesemann as long though. It also is easier for me to change the lamps, with ATI I can not seem to get a grip one the bulbs because of the narrow reflectors, So frustrating. Those narrow reflectors probably add a little more punch for light.

Tanks with width of 12"-16" 4 lamp.
tanks 16" -20" 6 lamps
tanks 20"+ 8 lamps
This is what I go with as a guide for lamps.
Shallow tanks you can raise the fixture higher so you can go a little wider.

I am also not a fan of dimmable t-5, the lamps are not made to be dimmed.

[archangel91]

thanks for the replies guys, sounds like the 8 bulb will be my best bet. Probably the Giesemann based on the 4 channels vice 2, and the availability of mounting arms so I wouldn't have to hang it

[shred5]

Originally Posted by archangel91

thanks for the replies guys, sounds like the 8 bulb will be my best bet. Probably the Giesemann based on the 4 channels vice 2, and the availability of mounting arms so I wouldn't have to hang it

Hang it like this:

[Bpb]

Perhaps I'm in the minority but that amount of light spill (pollution) into the room is atrocious. I wouldn't be able to handle that.

[rs1831]

Shred5, did you make the light stand?

[shred5]

Originally Posted by rs1831

Shred5, did you make the light stand?

Yea I have made a couple.
I just go to home depot and they bend the conduit for me.
I then cut the length I want and drill a whole and paint.
Then attach to the back of my stand.

[shred5]

Originally Posted by Bpb

Perhaps I'm in the minority but that amount of light spill (pollution) into the room is atrocious. I wouldn't be able to handle that.

You talking about that picture of mine?

[Bpb]

Yeah. I mean no offense at all by it. It's a clean hanging job and looks sharp. And I'm sure the contents of the tank are fantastic too. That's just some seriously bright light spread hitting the window across the room. Pet peeve I guess. Even a beautiful fixture like the giesemann would have to go inside a canopy for me. Can't handle the blinding light hitting me in the eyes when I drop below eye level

[DiscusHeckel]

Parabolic reflectors supplied by ATI must be much superior to those rectangular looking Giesemann reflectors.

[shred5]

Originally Posted by Bpb

Yeah. I mean no offense at all by it. It's a clean hanging job and looks sharp. And I'm sure the contents of the tank are fantastic too. That's just some seriously bright light spread hitting the window across the room. Pet peeve I guess. Even a beautiful fixture like the giesemann would have to go inside a canopy for me. Can't handle the blinding light hitting me in the eyes when I drop below eye level

It is just the phone camera, it does not spill that much light. That room has very little light and my phone camera does not know how to handle the light.
If I actually took a picture with my camera of the tank in that light it would probably be a bright blurr.

It does light up the room some though it is alot of light.

Plus the fixture is up a little higher in the picture, I raise it sometimes when I work on the tank..

Halides bounce around the most light with T-5 bouncing less light and led even less. That is one of the reasons they are more efficient.

[rs1831]

Originally Posted by shred5

Yea I have made a couple.

I just go to home depot and they bend the conduit for me.

I then cut the length I want and drill a whole and paint.

Then attach to the back of my stand.

Very nice!