T5 too much light?

AaronReeph · 10/05/2009, 06:15 PM

Hello all!

Long time lurker, first time starting a thread...

I have recently switched my 55g tank (18" deep) over from NO florescents to the Current Nova Extreme Pro T5 setup (6x 54W, 3 actinic, 3 10K).
Upon doing so, many of my mushrooms that were before doing very well, have shriveled up and stayed that way. Also the tentacles on my two BTAs became much shorter, and one of them is getting lighter in color.
I knew that this would be quite a shock to the tank, so I gradually increased the lighting over a week and a half, but its has been almost 3 months since the switch and my mushrooms and anemones are not showing any improvement.

Is it possible that this is too much light for the tank? Does it normally take this long for things to adjust to new lighting?

Any help greatly appreciated!

AaronReeph · 10/05/2009, 06:33 PM

Sorry...I think I may have put this in the wrong place...

rickh · 10/05/2009, 07:13 PM

Your new light is a huge difference.
I have an 18" cube with 6 T5s. Over the last year all the Mushrooms have let go and dropped to the bottom. I poke them in a hole in the rock at the sand level, some have attached. My Recordias are also shrunken and pale.
Will the light work with only 4 tubes?? Try that.
R

redfishsc · 10/05/2009, 07:42 PM

No, it's not "too much light" in my opinion. I see happy, healthy mushrooms, leathers, rics, and all sorts sitting happily under 250 and 400w halides.

If your bulbs are the stock current bulbs, I'm willing to bet that the 10,000K bulbs are bothering them.

I speak from experience. I have a Nova and the 10,000K bulbs caused a LOT of softies to "hunker down".

Once I upgraded the 10,000K's to better, more "blue" bulbs, the situation changed.

Personally in your situation I recommend that you replace the 10,000K bulbs with less harsh bulbs. You can still use the Current 460 blue bulbs (they put out less useful light than the ATI Blue Plus but for mushrooms, who cares, just run them a year and then change them).

If you were to toss the 10,000K and keep the blues, I'd suggest you add in an ATI Aquablue Special (12,000K), an ATI Blue Plus, and a KZ Fiji Purple in place of the 3 10,000K bulbs.

Something like this:

Current blue
ATI Blue Plus (looks the same as the Current blue)
KZ Fiji Purple
Current Blue
ATI Aquablue Special
Current Blue

AaronReeph · 10/05/2009, 08:08 PM

Thanks guys.
Yep, the 10K are the stock Current lights...they are a very crisp white.
I will look into changing the Current blues as well.
I just have mushrooms and the two anemones now, but hopefully very soon I will be doing a lot of LPS.
Would you recommend replacing all 3 of the Current Blues with the ATI Blue Plus as well? (for a total of 4 ATI Blue Plus)

sminker · 10/05/2009, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AaronReeph

Thanks guys.
Yep, the 10K are the stock Current lights...they are a very crisp white.
I will look into changing the Current blues as well.
I just have mushrooms and the two anemones now, but hopefully very soon I will be doing a lot of LPS.
Would you recommend replacing all 3 of the Current Blues with the ATI Blue Plus as well? (for a total of 4 ATI Blue Plus)

T5 power is underestimated by alot of people.

mushrooms dont do so great in my tank unless they are completely shaded

dbc1717 · 10/06/2009, 08:17 AM

I have seen the same problem....I have 4 blue, 1 6.5K and 1 10K. I think perhaps the 12K suggestion will help...

10/05/2009, 06:15 PM	#1
AaronReeph Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 220	T5 too much light? Hello all! Long time lurker, first time starting a thread... I have recently switched my 55g tank (18" deep) over from NO florescents to the Current Nova Extreme Pro T5 setup (6x 54W, 3 actinic, 3 10K). Upon doing so, many of my mushrooms that were before doing very well, have shriveled up and stayed that way. Also the tentacles on my two BTAs became much shorter, and one of them is getting lighter in color. I knew that this would be quite a shock to the tank, so I gradually increased the lighting over a week and a half, but its has been almost 3 months since the switch and my mushrooms and anemones are not showing any improvement. Is it possible that this is too much light for the tank? Does it normally take this long for things to adjust to new lighting? Any help greatly appreciated!

10/05/2009, 06:33 PM	#2
AaronReeph Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 220	Sorry...I think I may have put this in the wrong place... Last edited by AaronReeph; 10/05/2009 at 06:40 PM.

10/05/2009, 07:42 PM	#4
redfishsc Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Wake Forest, NC Posts: 3,696	No, it's not "too much light" in my opinion. I see happy, healthy mushrooms, leathers, rics, and all sorts sitting happily under 250 and 400w halides. If your bulbs are the stock current bulbs, I'm willing to bet that the 10,000K bulbs are bothering them. I speak from experience. I have a Nova and the 10,000K bulbs caused a LOT of softies to "hunker down". Once I upgraded the 10,000K's to better, more "blue" bulbs, the situation changed. Personally in your situation I recommend that you replace the 10,000K bulbs with less harsh bulbs. You can still use the Current 460 blue bulbs (they put out less useful light than the ATI Blue Plus but for mushrooms, who cares, just run them a year and then change them). If you were to toss the 10,000K and keep the blues, I'd suggest you add in an ATI Aquablue Special (12,000K), an ATI Blue Plus, and a KZ Fiji Purple in place of the 3 10,000K bulbs. Something like this: Current blue ATI Blue Plus (looks the same as the Current blue) KZ Fiji Purple Current Blue ATI Aquablue Special Current Blue __________________ "The measure of a life is not its duration but its donation." Corrie Ten Boom “The tyrant dies and his rule is over, the martyr dies and his rule begins” -- Søren Kierkegaard Current Tank Info: ghetto grad school reef.....11g rimless tank, 36X9X9, lit by Cree and Rebels scobbled together. Stocked mostly with free stuff I got from panhandling my fellow reefers.

10/05/2009, 07:13 PM	#3
rickh Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Lost_in_Michigan Posts: 1,306	Your new light is a huge difference. I have an 18" cube with 6 T5s. Over the last year all the Mushrooms have let go and dropped to the bottom. I poke them in a hole in the rock at the sand level, some have attached. My Recordias are also shrunken and pale. Will the light work with only 4 tubes?? Try that. R

10/05/2009, 08:08 PM	#5
AaronReeph Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 220	Thanks guys. Yep, the 10K are the stock Current lights...they are a very crisp white. I will look into changing the Current blues as well. I just have mushrooms and the two anemones now, but hopefully very soon I will be doing a lot of LPS. Would you recommend replacing all 3 of the Current Blues with the ATI Blue Plus as well? (for a total of 4 ATI Blue Plus)

10/06/2009, 08:17 AM	#7
dbc1717 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Northern Illinois Posts: 26	I have seen the same problem....I have 4 blue, 1 6.5K and 1 10K. I think perhaps the 12K suggestion will help...