Serioussnaps
07/24/2006, 06:43 PM
T5 distance from surface..... keep in mind this is going to be an SPS only tank and acro dominated(clams and montis too)
Here we go...I just moved and resetup a 55g (20" deep also a 1-2 inch sandbed) with all new equipment...as i am plunging back into SPS. Among the equipment and pertaining to this matter is a SLS Tek T5 fixture(4 bulb). I wont go into a discussion of why T5 or any of that.
For those of you that run this fixture or retrofit(note if you use SLR reflectors)---at what distance from the surface do you keep your fixture?
The issues of petinence here are....I am trying to keep my temp no higher than 80 degrees(i notice its easier to keep ph ~8.2-8.3 like this) but....
at the same time the more i can evaporate the more Kalk i can dose with the top off water via a peristalic pump(Nautilus 2 by innovative aquatics) and eventually this tank will need all the kalk it can get plus all the other great benefits of kalk.
I currently have the light(bottom of the bulbs) 5" inches from the surface of the water....I am not evaporating much a day( I am running only an 11 hour actinic and 6.5 hour daylight period as there are no coral and just my 2 fish in there at the moment and LR of course)
I will have the exact evap amt per day in a few hours and the exact in a couple of days.
First....Is this distance gonna give me enough PAR to keep an SPS (particularly Acro and clam dominated) or should i lower it....( i dont have experience with the T5's)
by lowering it along with the eventual bump in photoperiod..i know i will evaporate more water which will help get more kalk in there(of course this is ph limiting) due to a lower dose rate that doesnt effect or cause ph swings but gets more CA in the water....so this is an inevitable benefit of lowering....but....
--if i lower it i know it will raise the temp somewhat or may cause a greater temp swing from day to night
Also...if i know the distance of 5" from the surface is going to be VERY sufficient and to the benefit of the corals there is no reason to change the distance as this is more important than the evaporation rate(there are other ways to get calcium in besides kalk dosing with the top off of course)
Any suggestions? Anyone dealt with similar issues? This may also determine if i have to get the legs for the fixture because the cable suspension system it is currently on probably wont go any lower due to my ceiling height.
Here we go...I just moved and resetup a 55g (20" deep also a 1-2 inch sandbed) with all new equipment...as i am plunging back into SPS. Among the equipment and pertaining to this matter is a SLS Tek T5 fixture(4 bulb). I wont go into a discussion of why T5 or any of that.
For those of you that run this fixture or retrofit(note if you use SLR reflectors)---at what distance from the surface do you keep your fixture?
The issues of petinence here are....I am trying to keep my temp no higher than 80 degrees(i notice its easier to keep ph ~8.2-8.3 like this) but....
at the same time the more i can evaporate the more Kalk i can dose with the top off water via a peristalic pump(Nautilus 2 by innovative aquatics) and eventually this tank will need all the kalk it can get plus all the other great benefits of kalk.
I currently have the light(bottom of the bulbs) 5" inches from the surface of the water....I am not evaporating much a day( I am running only an 11 hour actinic and 6.5 hour daylight period as there are no coral and just my 2 fish in there at the moment and LR of course)
I will have the exact evap amt per day in a few hours and the exact in a couple of days.
First....Is this distance gonna give me enough PAR to keep an SPS (particularly Acro and clam dominated) or should i lower it....( i dont have experience with the T5's)
by lowering it along with the eventual bump in photoperiod..i know i will evaporate more water which will help get more kalk in there(of course this is ph limiting) due to a lower dose rate that doesnt effect or cause ph swings but gets more CA in the water....so this is an inevitable benefit of lowering....but....
--if i lower it i know it will raise the temp somewhat or may cause a greater temp swing from day to night
Also...if i know the distance of 5" from the surface is going to be VERY sufficient and to the benefit of the corals there is no reason to change the distance as this is more important than the evaporation rate(there are other ways to get calcium in besides kalk dosing with the top off of course)
Any suggestions? Anyone dealt with similar issues? This may also determine if i have to get the legs for the fixture because the cable suspension system it is currently on probably wont go any lower due to my ceiling height.