The T5 Q&a Thread

[JohnL]

This thread was automatically split due to performance issues. You can find the rest of the thread here: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...6#post14174286

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by Crustman
Hey Grim,

Thanks for all your help. Here are the bulbs in the above order for my first reef tank. Everything is doing great. I can even keep croceas!

Looks good.

[pulpol]

hi grim

i just bought a 4x24w VHO ice cap retro and a 2x24w HO w/ accustart ballast & ice cap reflectors. is this too much for a 24"x18"x24" tank (45g)? am planning to keep clams,lps, and softies. i also got 4 ati blue plus, ati pro color, and uvl 14k 75/25 is this a good bulb combo? thanks

[rstriby]

thanks for everything grim

curious will this config be like a 14k look?


Front
ATI Blue Plus Normally driven
UVL 75/25
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus Normally driven

[jimpierce7]

I may just be tripping here but my tank doesn't seem to have the "life" it had. How long does it take a tank to acclimate to new lights?
When I installed my 36" nova extreme pro I immediately installed new bulbs too.

in a 40g breeder.

FRONT
ATI blue plus
ati procolor
ati blue plus
ge 6500k
ati blue plus
ati aqua blue special

I like the look but is this best for growth? Not that I want fast growth either. I'm probably just being impatient.

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by pulpol
hi grim

i just bought a 4x24w VHO ice cap retro and a 2x24w HO w/ accustart ballast & ice cap reflectors. is this too much for a 24"x18"x24" tank (45g)? am planning to keep clams,lps, and softies. i also got 4 ati blue plus, ati pro color, and uvl 14k 75/25 is this a good bulb combo? thanks

You're softies might not be to happy. Try to find them a dark corner in the tank somewhere.

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by rstriby
thanks for everything grim

curious will this config be like a 14k look?


Front
ATI Blue Plus Normally driven
UVL 75/25
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus Normally driven

Somewhere about 14K would be a good guess.

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by jimpierce7
I may just be tripping here but my tank doesn't seem to have the "life" it had. How long does it take a tank to acclimate to new lights?
When I installed my 36" nova extreme pro I immediately installed new bulbs too.

in a 40g breeder.

FRONT
ATI blue plus
ati procolor
ati blue plus
ge 6500k
ati blue plus
ati aqua blue special

I like the look but is this best for growth? Not that I want fast growth either. I'm probably just being impatient.

That is a fairly strong mix of lamps. Give it some time. If the tank isn't over 20" tall you should have planty of light.

[jimpierce7]

the water is only 13.5" deep to the substrate.

Thank you!!

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by jimpierce7
the water is only 13.5" deep to the substrate.

Thank you!!

Maybe too much light.

If thats the case you could pull the aquablue and replace it with a UVL 75/25 and drop some intensiity and pick up a little eextra actinic and red.

[reefpimp#1]

GRIM REEFER I'm u may have seen me asking this question in different threads but i was wondering what you thought.

I'm thinking of buying a 350gal thats 72"L x 30"W x 36"T. would t5s work on a tank that deep for sps and if so what fixure or retros would u recommend?

[bassist6108]

Grim:
I have a 5 bulb t5 light, and like it a lot, but I would like to have a slightly warmer light than its putting out now. My bulbs are: two of the Geissman Actinic Plus, one Aquablue, one UV 75/25, and a UV superactinic. Any suggestions on what new bulbs I should try to get a yellower spectrum, and which ones I should take out for the new bulbs? Any help would be VERY appreciated. Thanks!

[jimpierce7]

Originally posted by The Grim Reefer
Maybe too much light.

If thats the case you could pull the aquablue and replace it with a UVL 75/25 and drop some intensiity and pick up a little eextra actinic and red.

right on. Thank you. I'll give it a try.

[gig]

Hey Grim, just an update, let me know if you think I need to adjust, I like the look, but it might be still too white:

front to back

VHO - UVL Super Actinic
T5 - ATI Blue Plus
VHO - UVL Actinic White (50/50)
T5 - ATI Blue Plus
VHO - UVL Actinic White (50/50)
VHO - UVL Super Actinic

I do plan to swap out the back Actinic White with a UVL AquaSun, but will that add more reds? I think that would be good.

Pics

[cash cow]

hey grim! my ATI Sunpower comes in 2 weeks!! please give me front to back for a 6 bulb t-5..........thanks a lot

[albertan22]

Hi there, I'm setting up a new 120g (48x24x24) tank. I'd like to keep a mixed reef with mainly lps and a few softies, possibly some sps high in the tank. I think I've more or less settled on a Sunlight Supply Tek fixture, my first question is, 6 bulb or 8 bulb? My second question is, can you recommend a bulb arrangement? I'm not a fan of really blue tanks, but want to stay away from the really white/yellow looking tank as well.

Thanks!

[Jetdrvr]

Hey Grim,
I saw fijiblue's setup in one of the older T5 threads. I love the blue color. I just set up a 65 gal and got a 4 bulb nova fixture for it. I have a couple sps and some lps. Can you give me a good 4 bulb setup that will give good growth but a nice blue color?
Thanks alot,
Joe

[rtparty]

Originally posted by bassist6108
Grim:
I have a 5 bulb t5 light, and like it a lot, but I would like to have a slightly warmer light than its putting out now. My bulbs are: two of the Geissman Actinic Plus, one Aquablue, one UV 75/25, and a UV superactinic. Any suggestions on what new bulbs I should try to get a yellower spectrum, and which ones I should take out for the new bulbs? Any help would be VERY appreciated. Thanks!

Change out the Super Actinic with a GE 6500K

[rtparty]

Originally posted by Jetdrvr
Hey Grim,
I saw fijiblue's setup in one of the older T5 threads. I love the blue color. I just set up a 65 gal and got a 4 bulb nova fixture for it. I have a couple sps and some lps. Can you give me a good 4 bulb setup that will give good growth but a nice blue color?
Thanks alot,
Joe

ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus

[rtparty]

Originally posted by cash cow
hey grim! my ATI Sunpower comes in 2 weeks!! please give me front to back for a 6 bulb t-5..........thanks a lot

ATI Blue Plus
UVL Aquasun
ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue

[rtparty]

Originally posted by albertan22
Hi there, I'm setting up a new 120g (48x24x24) tank. I'd like to keep a mixed reef with mainly lps and a few softies, possibly some sps high in the tank. I think I've more or less settled on a Sunlight Supply Tek fixture, my first question is, 6 bulb or 8 bulb? My second question is, can you recommend a bulb arrangement? I'm not a fan of really blue tanks, but want to stay away from the really white/yellow looking tank as well.

Thanks!

If you go with the TEK fixture you will want the 8 bulb. I would look into the ATI Sunpower. Not much difference in cost but big difference in performance.

If you get the TEK go to foster and smith and pick the Azoo fans to help cool the fixture.

As for an 8 bulb config:

ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus
UVL Aquasun
ATI Blue Plus
GE 6500K or UVL 75/25
ATI Aquablue

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by reefpimp#1
GRIM REEFER I'm u may have seen me asking this question in different threads but i was wondering what you thought.

I'm thinking of buying a 350gal thats 72"L x 30"W x 36"T. would t5s work on a tank that deep for sps and if so what fixure or retros would u recommend?

Tank that big and deep screams halides for anything but softies.

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by bassist6108
Grim:
I have a 5 bulb t5 light, and like it a lot, but I would like to have a slightly warmer light than its putting out now. My bulbs are: two of the Geissman Actinic Plus, one Aquablue, one UV 75/25, and a UV superactinic. Any suggestions on what new bulbs I should try to get a yellower spectrum, and which ones I should take out for the new bulbs? Any help would be VERY appreciated. Thanks!

I'd pull the Super Actinic and put a GE 6500K Daylight or Giesemann midday in. If that doesn't get you there swap the Aquablue for another one of either of those lamps (Gmann or GE)

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by gig
Hey Grim, just an update, let me know if you think I need to adjust, I like the look, but it might be still too white:

front to back

VHO - UVL Super Actinic
T5 - ATI Blue Plus
VHO - UVL Actinic White (50/50)
T5 - ATI Blue Plus
VHO - UVL Actinic White (50/50)
VHO - UVL Super Actinic

I do plan to swap out the back Actinic White with a UVL AquaSun, but will that add more reds? I think that would be good.

Pics

Looks cool. The Aquasun will add more red if the VHO colors follow the T5's

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by cash cow
hey grim! my ATI Sunpower comes in 2 weeks!! please give me front to back for a 6 bulb t-5..........thanks a lot

I think the outter 2 are paired for dusk dawn

Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus

You may need to tweak around the positions a bit.