The T5 Q&a Thread - split

[mastersonr]

Thanks Bpb. How should I alternate the remaining blue+ and coral+ to even things out? How does this look front to back?

a) blue+ b) purple+ c) coral+ d) blue+ e) coral+ f) blue+

[Bpb]

Blue+ and purple+ on B/D channel is a very nice look


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[mastersonr]

Originally Posted by mastersonr

Thanks Bpb. How should I alternate the remaining blue+ and coral+ to even things out? How does this look front to back?

a) blue+ b) purple+ c) coral+ d) blue+ e) coral+ f) blue+

any other thoughts on bulb placement? Does this look ok?

[Editour2]

What is the consensus on changing out T5 bulbs? Every 6 months? 9 months? 12 months?
I use them to supplement/round out the spectrum to my LED fixtures.

[jayball]

Originally Posted by Editour2

What is the consensus on changing out T5 bulbs? Every 6 months? 9 months? 12 months?
I use them to supplement/round out the spectrum to my LED fixtures.

Depends, actively cooled or not, how many hours a day,. Enclosed or retrofit, what ballasts (program or instant start).... You get the idea.

But yeah, you have the range about right. You are not going to get more than 12-15 months out of them ( maybe an extreme of 18 months if in a properly cooled fixture running just a couple hours a day). In bad conditions you can have to replace them in 6-9 months.

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[Editour2]

Originally Posted by jayball

Depends, actively cooled or not, how many hours a day,. Enclosed or retrofit, what ballasts (program or instant start).... You get the idea.

But yeah, you have the range about right. You are not going to get more than 12-15 months out of them ( maybe an extreme of 18 months if in a properly cooled fixture running just a couple hours a day). In bad conditions you can have to replace them in 6-9 months.

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I have 2 80 watt T-5's on both sides of my LED fixtures (total of 4). They are the LET retro-fit kit in an open fish room. I changed the tubes in March of 2017 and was not sure if I should change them now or at 12 months. See the pic below for a better idea of the layout. I probably run the actinics 9 hours a day and the full spectrum bulbs around 7 hours.
thanks

[jayball]

Originally Posted by Editour2

I have 2 80 watt T-5's on both sides of my LED fixtures (total of 4). They are the LET retro-fit kit in an open fish room. I changed the tubes in March of 2017 and was not sure if I should change them now or at 12 months. See the pic below for a better idea of the layout. I probably run the actinics 9 hours a day and the full spectrum bulbs around 7 hours.
thanks

I do not see any reason you can not go a full year on that. (Good ballasts and while it is not optimally cooled it will also not overheat)

[RobZilla04]

Just added two T5HO retrofit fixtures. One on each side of two Viparspectra black boxes over my 90g mixed reef. What bulb suggestions do you guys have for the front and rear? I'm looking for a more even look with enhanced coral coloration and depth.

[enthejungle]

Upgrading my my 60 cube to a 60X18X18 and switching from Kessils to an 8 bulb ATI fixture.

Tank is SPS dominant and looking for advice on bulb combos.

[Bpb]

The great part about T5HO is that if you use any combination of reputable bulbs with blue and full spectrum your results will be negligible in difference. The differences will be largely aesthetic.

My 8 bulb combo is
4 ATI Blue+
2 ATI True Actinic
2 Giesemann Tropic 6500k

Here are some correctly white balanced pics for reference.












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[jayball]

(to add some more options to Bpb's post)

Depends on the look you want, see here for some suggested combos. https://www.atinorthamerica.com/faq.php You will have plenty of power with an 8 bulb over an 18X18 so personally I would swap 2 of the blue for actinic bulbs to put on dawn and dusk channel. I think blue plus alone is ugly but that is personal opinion.

[Bpb]

Originally Posted by jayball

(to add some more options to Bpb's post)

Depends on the look you want, see here for some suggested combos. https://www.atinorthamerica.com/faq.php You will have plenty of power with an 8 bulb over an 18X18 so personally I would swap 2 of the blue for actinic bulbs to put on dawn and dusk channel. I think blue plus alone is ugly but that is personal opinion.

Agreed. Blue+ alone has a turquoise look to it. Like looking at the clear summer sky but with about 2% green added to it. Not the best for dawn/dusk. If you can manage some royal
Blue LEDs alone honestly that’s the best thing for pure fluorescence alone. I wish I had the space in my canopy for some. But my tank is also 18” and the ati fixture takes up every inch. It’s flush with the tank as far as footprint goes. Just elevated 12” up.

I actually have my two white bulbs on the 2 bulb channel people normally use for their dawn dusk blues. My morning and night Blue period actually uses the big 6 bulb channel, and the two whites come on for 8 hours in the middle

I didn’t do this specifically to have a brighter dawn dusk, but instead to have more uniform spectral coverage from the whites rather than being dominated front, back, or ends

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[enthejungle]

Originally Posted by jayball

(to add some more options to Bpb's post)

Depends on the look you want, see here for some suggested combos. https://www.atinorthamerica.com/faq.php You will have plenty of power with an 8 bulb over an 18X18 so personally I would swap 2 of the blue for actinic bulbs to put on dawn and dusk channel. I think blue plus alone is ugly but that is personal opinion.

Thanks for the link!

Got some research to do. Hoping to get an order placed today due to the reward points at BRS.

[enthejungle]

Originally Posted by Bpb

Agreed. Blue+ alone has a turquoise look to it. Like looking at the clear summer sky but with about 2% green added to it. Not the best for dawn/dusk. If you can manage some royal
Blue LEDs alone honestly that’s the best thing for pure fluorescence alone. I wish I had the space in my canopy for some. But my tank is also 18” and the ati fixture takes up every inch. It’s flush with the tank as far as footprint goes. Just elevated 12” up.

I actually have my two white bulbs on the 2 bulb channel people normally use for their dawn dusk blues. My morning and night Blue period actually uses the big 6 bulb channel, and the two whites come on for 8 hours in the middle

I didn’t do this specifically to have a brighter dawn dusk, but instead to have more uniform spectral coverage from the whites rather than being dominated front, back, or ends

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Might incorporate a reefbrite down the road.

I used a ramping up / dawn to dusk with the 360W but as of right now no intentions of dawn to dusk.

[awais98]

Recently saw on FB some stunning pics with 6 B+ & 2 AB special
Not mine!!




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[awais98]

I am adding SBreef actinics to my 8 bulb ATIs for the pop. Any one done that here?


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[zoa1988]

Originally Posted by Editour2

I have 2 80 watt T-5's on both sides of my LED fixtures (total of 4). They are the LET retro-fit kit in an open fish room. I changed the tubes in March of 2017 and was not sure if I should change them now or at 12 months. See the pic below for a better idea of the layout. I probably run the actinics 9 hours a day and the full spectrum bulbs around 7 hours.
thanks

Nice tank

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[Editour2]

Recently changed my LED fixtures from 3 x 180 watt Reeftech to 2 x Photon 32" V2's....while retaining the 4 x 80 watt T5' surrounding the LEDs.

[Zalick]

Originally Posted by enthejungle

Upgrading my my 60 cube to a 60X18X18 and switching from Kessils to an 8 bulb ATI fixture.

Tank is SPS dominant and looking for advice on bulb combos.

I'm looking to make the same switch. Running 6 Kessil's now and looking to add an 8 bulb ATI fixture.

Should I just get rid of the 6 kessils or keep them and add the 8 bulb ATI?

[reeftanker3295]

I'm going with an ATI sunpower on my new 5x2x2, is it worth it to get the 60" fixture or is the 48 all that is needed? It will be SPS dominant so I want a lot of light. Will be going 8 bulb either way and possibly supplementing with kessils or reefbrites. Also any bulb combos for good color and growth with a 14k look would be appreciated, thinking of going with 4x B+, 2x C+, 1 Fiji purple, and 1 actinic, not completely sure I understand the bulb placement though.

[shred5]

Originally Posted by reeftanker3295

I'm going with an ATI sunpower on my new 5x2x2, is it worth it to get the 60" fixture or is the 48 all that is needed? It will be SPS dominant so I want a lot of light. Will be going 8 bulb either way and possibly supplementing with kessils or reefbrites. Also any bulb combos for good color and growth with a 14k look would be appreciated, thinking of going with 4x B+, 2x C+, 1 Fiji purple, and 1 actinic, not completely sure I understand the bulb placement though.

Personally I would go 60" with Sps because you want to light all sides of the coral unless you do not plan on going to the edges. Really depends on Aquascaping and coral placement.

[jayball]

Originally Posted by reeftanker3295

I'm going with an ATI sunpower on my new 5x2x2, is it worth it to get the 60" fixture or is the 48 all that is needed? It will be SPS dominant so I want a lot of light. Will be going 8 bulb either way and possibly supplementing with kessils or reefbrites. Also any bulb combos for good color and growth with a 14k look would be appreciated, thinking of going with 4x B+, 2x C+, 1 Fiji purple, and 1 actinic, not completely sure I understand the bulb placement though.

Keep the purple near the front to better highlight the whole tank, 3rd or 4th slot. If you use only one Actinic I would put it in slot 2 but I would put one in 2 and 7 personally (replacing a blue) especially with LED supplementation. For the coral and blue play around to make it how you want, the placement will change how you perceive the tank's overall color.

Originally Posted by shred5

Personally I would go 60" with Sps because you want to light all sides of the coral unless you do not plan on going to the edges. Really depends on Aquascaping and coral placement.

IF you want high light SPS wall to wall I would agree. Also depends on how much light spill you are willing to tolerate and if you can compromise with just keeping softies, LPS, and "easy" SPS like plating montipora on the side.

[Rockhead21564]

Ati 6x80w fixture

Been out of it a while, does this sound like the correct set-up? Probably softies

Thanks Grim

Aqua blue
blue plus
purple plus
blue plus
Aqua blue
blue plus

[jayball]

Originally Posted by Rockhead21564

Ati 6x80w fixture

Been out of it a while, does this sound like the correct set-up? Probably softies

Thanks Grim

Aqua blue
blue plus
purple plus
blue plus
Aqua blue
blue plus

Unfortunately he does not post here any more.

The only thing I will suggest is that you look into the coral plus bulb. It is 50% blue+, 40% ABS, and 10% purple about the same par as a blue plus. You obviously like a whiter tank than most on here now days. I use them 50/50 with true actinic to avoid making the tank too blue cast.

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[five.five-six]

Need some lighting advice

6’ tank 24 deep and I’m running 2X250 radium 20k’s. I’m suplamenting dusk and dawn with 3X36 watt PC CFLs. It actually grows coral pretty well but I’m looking to improve.

Background: I recently bought a 420NM LED strip. It’s not bright enough for the tank but I played around with it and it the corals pop insanely. My wife absolutly loves it. I think it looks like a rave or a black light fun house but happy wife happy life. Normally my wife is the breakmaster on tank spending but she likes the pop so much she got all schoolgirlish “How much does it cost? Can we get it?

Tank is a new SPS tank, running 6 months and it’s really starting to settle down to the point where I have invested in some very nice frags and am in grow them out mode. I have a set of 10K par monster halide lamps that are bright as heck but almost yellow. I like them; wife hates them.

So I want to replace the CFLs with 2X T5HO. I have been considering but not limited to:

ATI true O3 (I’m old schools and that’s what we ran back in the day)

ATI Blue plus



The ideal lamp, in order of importance would:

Promote growth.

Provide my wife’s beloved 420nm pop.

Tame the 10k aqualine halides into more of a radium 10k color.

TIA