The T5 Q&a Thread

[rscotti]

Hello Grim,

You most likley have already answered this somewhere in the tread (sorry for the repeat) but in my 90 gal. I want to keep mostly Zoa's, Favia's, Acan's, Mushrooms, other Softies and some SPS (Monti's only mid to high high up) which system would you recommend?

- Tek 6x54w (with Fan's)
- Aquactinics TX5 5x54w
- ATI Powermodule 4x54w

Thanks,

[axia55]

Originally posted by rscotti
Hello Grim,

You most likley have already answered this somewhere in the tread (sorry for the repeat) but in my 90 gal. I want to keep mostly Zoa's, Favia's, Acan's, Mushrooms, other Softies and some SPS (Monti's only mid to high high up) which system would you recommend?

- Tek 6x54w (with Fan's)
- Aquactinics TX5 5x54w
- ATI Powermodule 4x54w

Thanks,

Grim,

As a followup to rscotti's question, how would this fixture stack up to the Tek, Aquactinics and ATI since it has worse reflectors but 8 bulbs?

[EvilE]

Originally posted by SanFranTodd
Thanks for the advice!

Would you recommend anything besides the TEK retrofit from reefgeek, or is that a pretty good setup?

I have a very nice setup from Hellolights.com --you may want to check them out also. (yes Grim approves of hellolights!)

[cougaran]

Great thread! Thanks Grim for patience with us T5 newbies.

I have a 90 gal with old Pc and make shift refugium lights, which I'm tired of. I want to go with a Icecap 660 & individual reflectors, which would allow me 4 bulbs. Looking as per your past recomendations on a 4ft tank:

Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
UVL Aquasun
ATI Aquablue

My question is with my 6" sand bed will I have enough light for say frogspawn, zoos and soft coral. Will i even be able to sneak in say a digitata or two(high up of course)?

TIA

[AD87]

Grim last question promise, with a tek 5 bulb retro kit with 4 bulbs overdiven What bulb combo will give a 14k look and what combo will give me a 20k look.
This is my setup now what could I change
Blue plus (od)
blue plus (dusk)
aqua blue (od)
Super atinic(od)
blue plus(od)
Do I have decent par for sps up top to middle?

[chris melb]

Originally posted by The Grim Reefer
Don't know anything about the Razor but the Ice Caps will be good.

Front
Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
UVL Aquasun
ATI Aquablue

Thanks Grim, great thread too

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by snaza
sorry i said one last question before but if i swap out an ocean pro i'll only have 1 white lamp and the fiji. the rest are blue. would that give a broad enough spectrum and PAR for corals (SPS) in particular. i starting to get a few more SPS now and a clam soon

thanks again

Swap it out with the ATI blue plus, that has pretty good PAR

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by SanFranTodd
Thanks for the advice!

Would you recommend anything besides the TEK retrofit from reefgeek, or is that a pretty good setup?

Ice Cap retrofit from reefgeek. The HO version is only a few bucks more and has better reflectors.

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by laud
Can you briefly explain the difference between the constellation and the Nova extreme pro?

Thanks for your dedication. This thread is what actually got me to change from MH's to t5s.

Constellation uses high end Sylvania ballasts and among the best reflectors on the market. Nova Pro has cheap reflectors and ballasts/

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by coogarts
Hi grim, I'll be making the switch from PCs to T5s for my tank. It is a 35g bowfront that is 30" long. I'm keeping softies and mushrooms, but want to add in LPSs in the future.

Could you suggest a fixture that would work (I'm having issues due to the odd size [most fixtures are 24 or 36"]) well for those purposes?

2 of 30 inch Novas marine depot sells will work. Each has 2 lamps

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by rscotti
Hello Grim,

You most likley have already answered this somewhere in the tread (sorry for the repeat) but in my 90 gal. I want to keep mostly Zoa's, Favia's, Acan's, Mushrooms, other Softies and some SPS (Monti's only mid to high high up) which system would you recommend?

- Tek 6x54w (with Fan's)
- Aquactinics TX5 5x54w
- ATI Powermodule 4x54w

Thanks,

I'd do the TX5

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by axia55
Grim,

As a followup to rscotti's question, how would this fixture stack up to the Tek, Aquactinics and ATI since it has worse reflectors but 8 bulbs?

Probably have nearly as much light as a 6 lamp Tek.

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by cougaran
Great thread! Thanks Grim for patience with us T5 newbies.

I have a 90 gal with old Pc and make shift refugium lights, which I'm tired of. I want to go with a Icecap 660 & individual reflectors, which would allow me 4 bulbs. Looking as per your past recomendations on a 4ft tank:

Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
UVL Aquasun
ATI Aquablue

My question is with my 6" sand bed will I have enough light for say frogspawn, zoos and soft coral. Will i even be able to sneak in say a digitata or two(high up of course)?

TIA

You can grow Clams and Acros as long as they are under the lights. Keep montis down on the rocks a bit lest you cook them. Keep the frogspan down a ways too. Softies should be fine on the sandbed as long as they aren't directly under the lamps.

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by speeddemonlsr
Grim last question promise, with a tek 5 bulb retro kit with 4 bulbs overdiven What bulb combo will give a 14k look and what combo will give me a 20k look.
This is my setup now what could I change
Blue plus (od)
blue plus (dusk)
aqua blue (od)
Super atinic(od)
blue plus(od)
Do I have decent par for sps up top to middle?

Do this

Front
Blue Plus
Super Actinic normally driven
UVL Aquasun
Blue Plus
Blue Plus or Aquablue

Overdrive the lamps that will give you PAR, not the actinic. The Aquasun will give you better color rendering.

[cougaran]

Originally posted by The Grim Reefer
You can grow Clams and Acros as long as they are under the lights. Keep montis down on the rocks a bit lest you cook them. Keep the frogspan down a ways too. Softies should be fine on the sandbed as long as they aren't directly under the lamps.

Your the Best! I had no idea I can have a clam or even acros for that matter with this light setup. Thanks Again!

[Justin74]

Originally posted by The Grim Reefer
Not sure I'd try overdriving with a Workhorse. Could kill the lamp pretty quick. I would run all 4 lamps over the tank. That will be plenty of light.

Grim: What's up man! Still hatin on workhorse I see heheh
I run (2) 39w on one ballast. Max output is 128w on the WH5, isnt this technically overdriving, and if so to what? My bulbs have been pretty consistant around the 1 year mark, at least it would seem. I currently have one in there 20 mos. old (bulbs are on the way though ) Been curious to the OD though, for a while since last I checked you had only checked the IC and triad. Thanks!

-Justin

[coogarts]

Originally posted by The Grim Reefer
2 of 30 inch Novas marine depot sells will work. Each has 2 lamps

Thank you very, very much, Grim.

My last question before I commit to a purchase: is the Current USA Sundial 4x24w as good as purchasing 2 of the Novas, or are there subtle differences between the 2 that I am not aware of that make the Nova a better choice?

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by Justin74
Grim: What's up man! Still hatin on workhorse I see heheh
I run (2) 39w on one ballast. Max output is 128w on the WH5, isnt this technically overdriving, and if so to what? My bulbs have been pretty consistant around the 1 year mark, at least it would seem. I currently have one in there 20 mos. old (bulbs are on the way though ) Been curious to the OD though, for a while since last I checked you had only checked the IC and triad. Thanks!

-Justin

Unless you ran two red wires to each lamp you aren't "overdriving" the lamp. Is the workhorse pushing exactly 39 watts through each lamp? Dunno, doubt it which is why I steer people away from them. It could be pushing more or less than 39.

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by coogarts
Thank you very, very much, Grim.

My last question before I commit to a purchase: is the Current USA Sundial 4x24w as good as purchasing 2 of the Novas, or are there subtle differences between the 2 that I am not aware of that make the Nova a better choice?

If they make a Sundial in the right length go with that.

[rscotti]

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by rscotti
Hello Grim,

You most likley have already answered this somewhere in the tread (sorry for the repeat) but in my 90 gal. I want to keep mostly Zoa's, Favia's, Acan's, Mushrooms, other Softies and some SPS (Monti's only mid to high high up) which system would you recommend?

- Tek 6x54w (with Fan's)
- Aquactinics TX5 5x54w
- ATI Powermodule 4x54w

Thanks,
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



I'd do the TX5

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grim,

Thank you for your time and help.

[Milhouse]

Originally posted by coogarts
Thank you very, very much, Grim.

My last question before I commit to a purchase: is the Current USA Sundial 4x24w as good as purchasing 2 of the Novas, or are there subtle differences between the 2 that I am not aware of that make the Nova a better choice?

With the Sundial you get individual reflectors(not great, but better than not having them), a fan, built in timers and moonlights(not a big fan of the moonlights, nowhere near as good as some of currents other fixtures). I'd go with the Sundial personally.

[GMAX]

Originally posted by Milhouse
With the Sundial you get individual reflectors(not great, but better than not having them), a fan, built in timers and moonlights(not a big fan of the moonlights, nowhere near as good as some of currents other fixtures). I'd go with the Sundial personally.

the Nova Extreme has fans and moonlights. The difference is in the reflectors and any timers as opposed to using your own timer.

[triunfo]

Hey Grim,
I know you're a busy man so I'll get straight to the point. I'm getting a 120 gl. 48x24x24 tank and plan on using an ATI powermodule. I want to keep mainly LPS with the option of going with some SPS and clams. I'm on the fence on whether to go with 6x 54 watt or 8x54 watt. Leaning towards the 8 bulb configuration. What would be the better choice and what bulb set up for either configuration would you recommend? I would like the tank to have a slight bluish/white look. (Sorry for the T5 newbie question..)

[Milhouse]

Originally posted by GMAX
the Nova Extreme has fans and moonlights. The difference is in the reflectors and any timers as opposed to using your own timer.

Grimm had suggested the 2 bulb, you are thinking about the 4 bulb. The 4 bulb doesn't come in 30". The 2 does, that's why he suggested 2 of them. Unfortunately the 2 bulb doesn't have moonlights or a fan. It's pretty bare bones. Personally I wouldn't go that route at all if it was up to me. I have a 30" tank I'm setting up for my son. I went with the Sundial. It's nice. I know it isn't the best, but for his tank it'll do.

My next tank will be all T5's. My tank is a combo of T5's and MH. At some point in the next year or so I'm gonna go with something bigger and it'll be lit by T5's only.

[SanFranTodd]

Geez am I even going to be able to fit this 48" Icecap retro in my hood based on this photo? (my hood has almost exactly 48" to work with)

How long is this retrofit endcap to endcap?

I'd hate to have to go with the 36"....

48" SLR T-5 High Output