PDA

View Full Version : T5 Users, How low?!


Dooly
03/12/2010, 08:54 PM
I have a 4'x2'x2' standard 120g and I have 8 54w t5's retrofitted to the canopy with SLR reflectors. Setup as followed front to back:

actinic+
actinic+
fiji purple
actinic+
actinic+
actinic white
actinic+
actinic+

I have had most my SPS from halfway and up higher and they do fine.. I'm redoing all my rockwork and thinking of placing alot of them lower about 5 inches off the sand bed.. so thats 16" below the water line with a 3" sandbed.. will this work?.. wondering how low I can put SPS without losing coloration..

preef
03/12/2010, 09:13 PM
I have a Birds of Paradise 16" below the water line and it is growing quickly and has nice coloration. A few inches above that I have a multi-colored milli doing well. I have a 6x54W Nova Extreme Pro fixture over my 72g bowfront. These corals are all the way in front of the tank too so they don't get light from the rear bulbs.

I'm running 4 ATI Blue Pluses, one Aquablue special and one fiji purple.

I think you'll be fine.

sfexplicit
03/13/2010, 03:39 PM
Sounds like you'd be ok. I keep montis and birdsnest that low.

duecejt
03/14/2010, 12:32 AM
I have the same tank but 5' long and I also have the same 8 bulb set up. I have SPS on the bottom. The only problem for me is making sure they get enough flow. Here is a pic of my tank. To give you an idea.
http://i554.photobucket.com/albums/jj435/duecejt_photos/IMG_1641.jpg

Dooly
03/14/2010, 09:59 PM
thanks for the input guys