URI T5 actinic bulbs....

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

For those of you who may know....
1. Are they the same color as their vho counterparts?
2. Are they as good as any other T5 actinic in PAR?

[stereomandan]

The are about equal to, maybe a little stronger in PAR the other T5 actinics.

You probably already know this, but URI is now UVL.

They are the closest bulb I've seen to the original URI VHO actinics. I have both running right now on my tank, and the UVL T5 actinic kicks the butt of the UVL VHO actinic.

In this picture, the second bulb down is the UVL T5 actinic, and the 4th and sixth bulb are UVL VHO actinics. You can tell that the T5 color is dead on to the VHO's.
http://www.geocities.com/stereomandan/fish/lightingdone2.jpg

Dan

[BreadmanMike]

Matt,

I use them, and to be honest.... they have a long way to go to match the "pop" of their VHO cousin.

You adding T5's with the two 400's on your 58? :)

[GSMguy]

hey matt any tank pics since you added the vortech and the new halides??

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

Took that canopy apart and sold it in pieces....running a LumenMax2 with a 400W CV ReefLux 10K SE on an Icecap. Getting a new canopy made for me by a fellow reefer and was considering adding T5 actinics hoping to get as much output from a single T5 vs. two vho's....but if they are lacking in the 'pop' that their vho counterparts give then i am not so sure...

[GSMguy]

they are the best actinics as far as t5 goes if you have space for two VHO that might be the way to go

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

well to be honest...with the RL 10K I don't need nearly as much balancing as I did with the XM10K and the Hammy 10K...so maybe 'one' vho would suffice? Either behind or in front of the centered LumenMax?

Does everyone else agree with aquaticman74's thoughts?

[GSMguy]

are the blues as good as advertised? any pinks?

[stereomandan]

I have to respectfully disagree with Aquaticman74. I think I know what he sees with the T5 versus the VHO's, but it is only because the T5 is so strong.

The T5 light looks a little more pale simply because it puts out such high amount of light intensity from the bulb. The VHO's seem to "pop" more simply because they don't put out as much light intensity. The things that flouresce stand out more simply because the rest of the tank is darker with VHO's. With the T5's, the whole tank is a little brighter, but the things that flouresce still pop like crazy.

That is my observation anyway.

There was one thing I noticed when hooking up the UVL T5 actinics. Before I stocked my tank, anything in the room where the tank is located was glowing when I started up the T5's, much more than it ever did from the VHOs.

Dan

[BreadmanMike]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9203804#post9203804 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
The T5 actinics can't match the VHO version, yet:)

I'm not alone in my opinion. :p :D

[stereomandan]

Crap! Looks like I'm out-numbered! ...but I'm not backing down! :D

Dan

[45commando]

I used VHO for actinic lighting,then tried the T5's.The T5's did not come close to the VHO's IMO.I just switched back to VHO's again.Also I borrowed a Lux meter(a PAR meter would have been better,but that's all I could get)My 1 year old VHO bulbs were putting out a reading of almost twice that of 1 month old actinic T5 bulbs.I'm glad I tried the T5's,but until the actinic aspect can be truly replicated like the VHo's-then I'll be sticking with VHO.HTH

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

45commando....this was a URI/UVLighting Super actinic R?

[BreadmanMike]

Matt,

Can you squeeze a single VHO and a single T5 in your new hood?

If you can.... run a VHO actinic and a ATI blue+ combo.

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

Which one is 420nm?? My RefLux has a big spike at 450nm, but not much at 420nm.

I thought ATI went out of business?

[45commando]

Sorry,should have stated the bulbs I used.They were the slimpaq 420 nm True actinic T5.

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

oh, yeah i wouldn't expect those to be any different than say p.c. actinics.

Anyone know if the URI/UVL T5 Super Actinic R's are 420nm or 450nm? It doesn't state it anywhere online where they are sold.

[BreadmanMike]

ATI (http://www.atiaquaristik.com/) is alive and kicking.

Here's the ATI blue+. (http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5_Fluorescent/Bulbs/39W_Blue_Plus_T5_HO_Fluorescent_by_ATI) It's a 420nm bulb.

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

Actually when i enlarged the spectral plot it looks like it is a 450nm?

The Giesemann Pure Actinic 03 looks to be 420nm though...

[BreadmanMike]

Sorry Matt it is a 450nm.

The UVL SA is the 420nm. 420nm is purple and 450nm is blue.

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

Thanks....420nm/purple is what i am lacking with my ReefLux, it has a big spike at 450nm/blue, so i'm trying to get both covered.

[BreadmanMike]

But when I look up the UVL SA bulb it says it's true blue.... :confused:

Doesn't look blue to me... It burns purple.

Send Grim a pm, he knows everything about these bulbs.

[stereomandan]

The UVL SA bulb peaks at 420 nm, this I'm sure of. The ATI Blue Plus peaks around 450 nm. This I'm sure of as well. I have both in the T5 version. They are the the bulbs that are on my Icecap Dynamic T5 ballast. They are the bulbs that come on together a 1/2 hour before and shut off a 1/2 hour after the rest of my bulbs, and they make for a nice combo!

Dan

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

Good, then i can supplement my reeflux's big spike at 450 with a UV SA :)

*What is a Icecap Dynamic T5 ballast? Thought they only had 430 and 660 and halide ballasts?

[stereomandan]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9446060#post9446060 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by E-A-G-L-E-S
*What is a Icecap Dynamic T5 ballast? Thought they only had 430 and 660 and halide ballasts?

It is Icecaps spec T5 ballast.

I got mine from Aquarium Specialty for about $39. They run T5 bulbs at the proper wattage and this helps the bulbs last much longer.

Just click on lighting... Icecap...Icecap ballasts on their site.

Dan

[45commando]

[QUOTE]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9445274#post9445274 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by E-A-G-L-E-S
[B]oh, yeah i wouldn't expect those to be any different than say p.c. actinics

The bulbs I used would blow away any Pc bulb,but they still don't have the actinic pop of a VHO.The T5's were very intense,but just not in the range of what an actinic bulb should be IMO.

[stereomandan]

One question... who here commenting to this thread actually has a UVL T5 Super Actinic lamp? I do, so I feel that I can comment on it with a pretty good degree of confidence. I just feel that there is some misinformation happening here due to hearsay, especially from some that haven't even seen one.

I've had Normal Output T12 bulbs, VHO T12 bulbs, PC's, overdriven T8's, T5's... so I've seen many, many actinics and the T5 UVL actinics are excellent.

Dan

[BreadmanMike]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9446699#post9446699 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by stereomandan
One question... who here commenting to this thread actually has a UVL T5 Super Actinic lamp? I do, so I feel that I can comment on it with a pretty good degree of confidence. I just feel that there is some misinformation happening here due to hearsay, especially from some that haven't even seen one.

I've had Normal Output T12 bulbs, VHO T12 bulbs, PC's, overdriven T8's, T5's... so I've seen many, many actinics and the T5 UVL actinics are excellent.

Dan

Current Tanks: 180 BB Aggressive and Envision 48x48x24 on the way Geo 618, Tunze 6100's, MRC MR-6R w/Panworld 250PS, MRC 8x18 Nielsen Reactor, Lumenarcs, 400w Gieseman 14.5K on Galaxy Ballasts, T5 UVL SA's and ATI Blue+ Actinics

I have them in the Tek fixtures I'm going to use as supplemental lighting on my cube and currently using them on my 180 reef as supplemental lighting.

It's a bit blurry, but you can read the bulb. ;)
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d11/aquaticman74/IMG_0421.jpg

[stereomandan]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9447925#post9447925 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Aquaticman74
Current Tanks: 180 BB Aggressive and Envision 48x48x24 on the way Geo 618, Tunze 6100's, MRC MR-6R w/Panworld 250PS, MRC 8x18 Nielsen Reactor, Lumenarcs, 400w Gieseman 14.5K on Galaxy Ballasts, T5 UVL SA's and ATI Blue+ Actinics

I have them in the Tek fixtures I'm going to use as supplemental lighting on my cube and currently using them on my 180 reef as supplemental lighting.

It's a bit blurry, but you can read the bulb. ;)


:thumbsup:

I think that the UVL SA T5's are also excellent for actinic supplimentation since they cut through even strong light like the 250+ watt MHs

Dan