Are 6 60" 80w T5HO's enough on a 6' 125 gallon...

[20 20]

To keep clams on the substrate? Tank is approximately 22" deep, with a shallow sand bed maybe 20 - 21" deep. How far over the water should T5HO's be kept?

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated!

[mattseattle]

hey - where did you find 60" T5 bulbs? and also what ballast are you using?

i'm thinking of putting T5's on my new 125 gallon tank. I'm currently running metal halides on my 60 gallon tank.

Matt

[20 20]

Don't have em' yet. I'm thinking of changing my 125 gallon from African chiclids to a reef tank. Basically, take my 29 gallon reef, and move it into the bigger tank, so I have more room for all the stuff I want. And I'm tryign to figure out the lighting for the 125. The 60" bulbs I've seen are:

http://www.reefgeek.com/products/category_indexes/16-30_lighting_bulbs_-_t5_fluorescent.html

Not really 60" bulbs, but 57.5 bulbs. They've got 60" T5HO retrofit kits I'm thinking of getting:

http://www.reefgeek.com/products/categories/lighting/104073.html

[sreefs]

I have six 80 watt t5's on a 135 sps tank. You should be able to keep anything you want. I have them about 4 inches above the water. Reef geek is a great place to get them. HTH
Pat

[mattseattle]

awesome - thanks for the tip!

[20 20]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7158921#post7158921 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sreefs
I have six 80 watt t5's on a 135 sps tank. You should be able to keep anything you want. I have them about 4 inches above the water. Reef geek is a great place to get them. HTH
Pat

What are the dimensions of the 135 gallon?

[sreefs]

I run as a BB I think it's 22 deep and is 72 long, I stagger the 60" t5's for better coverage. The 80 watt t5's will be very bright with the ice cap ballast.
Pat

[20 20]

Thanks for the info. Now, another question. If I do go with the 6x80watts, icecap ballasts, is that TOO much light for the following corals:

Hammer
galaxia
Green richordia
feather duster
Open maze brain
orange sand polyps
green zoa's
green star polyps
Red mushrooms
Green favia (moon coral)
neon green claustrea
claustrea
red lobo
Pulsing xenia
Kenya Tree
tooth coral
Pink zoa's
mint green zoa's


That's what I've got in my 29 that I would be moving over to the 125, and I'm concerned that it may be too much light for my current stock. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated!

[yettihead]

sreefs,

What combination of bulbs do you use? I was pondering switching from VHO to T5 but have no clue which bulbs and bulb configurations. Blue, daylight, actinic, way to many combinations.

Chad

[sreefs]

I have a hammer and does better on the bottom between light and flow! Caulastrea will need to be low and under an over hang of some sort. Mushrooms the same. The pink zo's love the intense light same with the xenia. Most of the zo's with the exception of blues like a lot of light.I have a few Blastomusa and they need to be shaded by the rocks above! If you are going from pc lighting be sure to get some dark screen from lowes or HD and put 3 or 4 layers over some egg crate on top of the tank then take one layer off every week! This will let your corals get use to the brighter light. If you can use a fan to keep bulbs cool they will last longer. I use two pc fans from radio shack blowing in from each end!
Pat

[sreefs]

Chad,
The blue or blueplus is close to 20K
aquablue is close to 11K
Sun 6500 about
actinic in T5's are very weak. IMO
I like equal blueplus and Aquablue. If you want bluer go 3 Blueplus to 1aquablue or 4 Blueplus to 2 aquablue. If you like less blue add a sun and take away an aquablue.
Pat

[yettihead]

Thanks I will start with that when I make the switch

[horkn]

i would run a better reflector than the tek if i were you.
icecap SLR and aqualux CDR reflectors make 20% more PAR at around 16" deep than the tek does.

however, icecap will not make a 60" t5ho reflector. www.aqualuxlighting.com does sell a 5 foot t5ho reflector though, and its as good as the icecap.

[Sparkss]

how deep of a tank can you go with T5HOs ? and how much front to back coverage do you get typically per T5 bulb ? (IE: for a 30" wide tank you would need 5 bulbs, or roughly 6" per bulb)

[horkn]

generally you do a bulb per 3" of width.

but i have 3 x39 of t5ho on my 12" front to back 35g. sps and my clam have no issues with that.

the use of better reflectors is parmount with a taller tank. use aqualux reflectors, since they make more par than the teks.

[Covey]

Problem is the Aqualux are so wide. I have been looking into this setup for my 150G. I still don't know but the aqualux are like 3" wide.

[Covey]

and there on back order right now.
BTW the Icecap push around a 100W a piece out of the 80W bulbs.

[horkn]

the aqualux are 3" wide, because wider is better..


sorry had to go mid 90s pontiac on ya:)


the germans, who make the aqualux CDR's, have the t5ho thing down to a science. thats because they invented / perfected it.

the concensus is one t5ho lamp per 3" thus, the most efficient use of space as far as t5ho reflectors is the aqualux. that is because it is 3" wide.

have you seen whow well the CDR's work? I have, for over 15 months...

yes, the icecap will overdrive the lamps. is that necessary? i do not think so, does it reduce the life span of t5ho bulbs, yes it does.

and I have not seen that all lengths of CDR are not available from aqualux. I am waiting to hear back from them though...

[Covey]

What other ballast options are there for 60" bulbs I only know of the Icecap. I've overdriven t-5HO the 54W which the Icecap pushes to 80W. The bulb life is BETTER than the normally driven Coral-vue system I have in the system too. Less bulb discoloration and brighter when put on the same ballast. I didn't think it would happen but it did.
The best use of space is the SLR the Aqualux where close but Icecap isn't making 60" reflector so that is moot.

Anyway I was thinking of running 3 Aqualux up front were I need the depth penitation and running 3 tek reflectors in back since the rock is only 12" or less under the water.

I could run 6 teks but there weak at depth or I could run Aqualux and only fit 5 bulbs. I think I came up with the best comprimise.

[horkn]

that may work covey, but the teks still stain, and lose more par by being dirty.

the icecaps may be narrower than the aqualux, but in reality, they are not any better, esp with them not being made in 5 footers.

[20 20]

OK, close to ordering from Reefgeek. One final question, however. I want this to be a mixed tank, a lot of SPS, some LPS, softies, clams. I've been thinking of getting the 6 bulb retrofit, but would that be TOO much light lps and softies? Zoo's expecially, I really like em'! Would the 4 bulb be better? Meaning it would also have to support the SPS and clams.

If I could JUST make up my mind... :p

[20 20]

Anyone have any opinions on that last question?:)

[Covey]

You can keep the low light stuff lower in the tank. With T-5s there is not off axis dim spot like with MH. A good thing and a bad thing. When I ran the T-5s on my 75g I had to keep the most of the LPS and softies low in the tank. Some of them will take as much light as any SPS though. I would still go with the 6 bulb set. You will have two ballast so you could alway cycle one on a short photoperiod if it turn out to be too much light.

[20 20]

Good idea about the short cycle if I need it. Yeah, I'm going with the 6 bulb. Thanks!