need a little help figuring out how much T5 to put over my 90

[miatawnt2b]

OK, I am setting up a Standard RR 90, and am wondering if it would be best to go with 6 T5HO54W bulbs (two of them being actinic, the other 4 being 10,000) or should I add 2 more 10000 k bulbs for a total of 6 10000k and 2 actinics? This is running on standard ballasts.

Second question, I have been reading on overdriving 54W T5's, and I found that the Sunpark SL15 ballast will overdrive a single 54W T5 rather nicely. Is there any way of telling exactly what wattage I am driving the t5's by doing this, and if so, how?

If anyone has a Sunpark SL15 ballast and a 54W T5 bulb that they can get a measurement from, I would love to know if this is indeed a good option.

So if I overdrive the 10000k bulbs, would I only need 4 daylight bulbs over my 90 and 2 of the normally driven 54W actinics?

-J

[miatawnt2b]

Anyone have opinions?
-J

[dc_909]

Alot depends on what you want to keep.
Do you want all SPS?
SPS on the top?
Mixed?

I am looking at adding the Tek 4 bulb retro ( w/ Icecap reflectors) to my 80gal. I currently have 2 175w halides and want to switch out the PC's. I am not doing SPS though.

[AIMFish]

Alot of it does depend on what you plan on keeping and what look you like. For 6 bulbs I'd probably have 3-4 actinic, a 65/6700 and 1-2 10k.

[miatawnt2b]

yea, my plan was at least at first to keep shrooms and zoos near the bottom and the sps toward the top. How low would I be able to put the SPS with 6 overdriven T5's?

THanks,
-J

[horkn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8319475#post8319475 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by miatawnt2b
yea, my plan was at least at first to keep shrooms and zoos near the bottom and the sps toward the top. How low would I be able to put the SPS with 6 overdriven T5's?

THanks,
-J

well, if you want shrooms and lower light stuff on the bottom and sps at the top half, run 6x54 normally driven, or 4 overdrievn t5ho. if you run 6 overdriven 54 watters, you will melt all the low light stuff.

i have a 90RR i am slowly accumulating parts for, and i went trhough this scenario, and also researched what others with 90 g tanks were running and how well their tanks were reacting.

[mattyg]

I've been waiting on new T5 fixtures and peoples results for my 90 gallon AGA. I've read that there are some new fixtures coming out and was wondering how much light I want/need. I have a Coralife aqualight 260 watt PC and need more light. 4, 5, or 6 bulb T5 is my question and what can I keep and what do I have that will melt away? I have brains(open and closed), shrooms, yellow polyps, anemones(rose bta and sebae) and want more, but not sure what. My wife wants clams and sps but doesn't want me to get rid of what I got. As for fixtures and # of bulbs what are peoples opinions on the following: Aquactinics 5 bulb, Aquactinics/Icecap 6 bulb, ATI powermodul 4 bulb or 6 bulb, or Current USA Nova 4 bulb or 8 bulb(read that they are comin out with new individual reflector models)?

[mattyg]

Sorry, forgot to ask the rest of my question in lines with miatawnt2b's original post. Do T5 fixtures "overdrive" the bulbs or is that just for retros?
(Hope this is OK to ask these questions on your (miatawnt2b) post or should I have started a new post?)Thx

[miatawnt2b]

I would imagine that pre-built fixtures don't overdrive the bulbs. Not a problem asking questions on this thread. Sounds like we are trying to find out much of the same info about what we can keep and how much light we need.
-J

[horkn]

the solar flare aquactinics / IC fixture does indeed overdrive the bulbs. it uses 1 IC 660, and 1 IC 430 ballast to run the 6 bulbs.

the tek, and others are not overdriven

i am amazed nobody with 6x54 on their 90g has posted. i can tell you that that is the perfect amount of light for a nice mixed reef, with clams, softies ,and sps- all based on others tnaks with the same lighting.

i can see if i can post some guys names here that run that setup..

[miatawnt2b]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8325356#post8325356 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by horkn
i am amazed nobody with 6x54 on their 90g has posted. i can tell you that that is the perfect amount of light for a nice mixed reef, with clams, softies ,and sps- all based on others tnaks with the same lighting.

i can see if i can post some guys names here that run that setup..

6x54 eh? that's very nice. I assume that's with normally driven 54W T5's?

-J

[horkn]

yep, not overdrievn, otherwise those 54 watter are about 85 watters.:)


sjim ( a poster on many t5ho threads has a 90 run by 6x54 of reg driven t5ho. his tank looks great.