The T5 Q&a Thread - split

[ctniners]

This is what i have:

40 gal breeder....sps dominated

2 x LEDs fixtures
each with the following:

25x 3W whites (12-14 k)
30x 3W blues (460-470 nm)
Max lux : 2200
120 degree angle

These are not the high end LEDs but as of now they are working really good, my only issue is that they are not quite the same color as my old Radium 20K MH set up.

So I ordered a a kit to put two T5 lamps, one in front of the tank and one in the back...My LEDs are set up right in the middle.

My question is...I just need a little blue but I also want my purples, blues and greens to pop a little more....can you please advice on what two lamps I should buy?

I th think pure actinics may just make it too blue...and I also would like to take advantage that I am adding two lamps by adding some PAR for my SPS.

Thanks a lot everybody.

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally Posted by TruReef

I can't wrap my mind around DIY Leds, So I think I'm gonna go with a 60" Sunpower to light my reef ready 180g, it's 72"x24"x24". I plan to do a mixed reef with mostly softies and LPS but still have a few SPS mixed in.. Can I do the 6 bulb Sunpower or do I need to get the 8 bulb? How high off the water should this be mounted?

6 will work but don't try clams or any other high light critters on the sand. 4 to 6 inches above the tank should be good.

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally Posted by ctniners

This is what i have:

40 gal breeder....sps dominated

2 x LEDs fixtures
each with the following:

25x 3W whites (12-14 k)
30x 3W blues (460-470 nm)
Max lux : 2200
120 degree angle

These are not the high end LEDs but as of now they are working really good, my only issue is that they are not quite the same color as my old Radium 20K MH set up.

So I ordered a a kit to put two T5 lamps, one in front of the tank and one in the back...My LEDs are set up right in the middle.

My question is...I just need a little blue but I also want my purples, blues and greens to pop a little more....can you please advice on what two lamps I should buy?

I th think pure actinics may just make it too blue...and I also would like to take advantage that I am adding two lamps by adding some PAR for my SPS.

Thanks a lot everybody.

Blue Plus in front Purple Plus in back

[big cats]

Okay, I have some questions for those with the (almost) omnipotent knowledge in the T5 world..

I'm looking at getting a 6x24w T5 fixture for my 50g cube tank, and want to know what bulbs to put in there. I'm gonna do ATI, and I am going to try and get as close as possible to my current tank (color wise) in the lighting aspect. I know I won't be able to get exactly like it because I'm using LED's, but close enough for government work is good with me. Right now I am running a 2:1 ratio of blue to white LED's.

I want to get the best possible PAR and growth rate of my corals. This is going to be an LPS dominated tank, with maybe a couple SPS in there, and a few softies (shrooms, xenia, etc.)
I'm looking to find the best combination of bulbs to give the PAR, growth, and color I am looking for. Anyone got any ideas?

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally Posted by big cats

Okay, I have some questions for those with the (almost) omnipotent knowledge in the T5 world..

I'm looking at getting a 6x24w T5 fixture for my 50g cube tank, and want to know what bulbs to put in there. I'm gonna do ATI, and I am going to try and get as close as possible to my current tank (color wise) in the lighting aspect. I know I won't be able to get exactly like it because I'm using LED's, but close enough for government work is good with me. Right now I am running a 2:1 ratio of blue to white LED's.

I want to get the best possible PAR and growth rate of my corals. This is going to be an LPS dominated tank, with maybe a couple SPS in there, and a few softies (shrooms, xenia, etc.)
I'm looking to find the best combination of bulbs to give the PAR, growth, and color I am looking for. Anyone got any ideas?

4 Blue Plus 1 Coral Plus and 1 purple plus will get you the best look. It will be close to what you have now except pink and purple colors will show better.

[big cats]

Sweet, Thanks Grim!

[big cats]

What about placement in the fixture? Where should each bulb go?

[jacob.morgan78]

I'm looking to buy some GE 6500 HO bulbs and some ATI bulbs (want to try the new coral+).

Where is the best place to purchase these online? I've found a few places but have a hard time finding a good place that carries both of these.

Thanks!!!

[mos90]

Originally Posted by The Grim Reefer

4 Blue Plus 1 Coral Plus and 1 purple plus will get you the best look. It will be close to what you have now except pink and purple colors will show better.

that is the combo i have. i love it. great par. my fixture is 10" above the water. im getting 500 at the water surface (apogee) and 180-200 on the sand in a 22" deep tank (18" actual water). im acclimating corals so im running 8 hours for 2-blue+ and 3 hours with all on.

[big cats]

Originally Posted by mos90

that is the combo i have. i love it. great par. my fixture is 10" above the water. im getting 500 at the water surface (apogee) and 180-200 on the sand in a 22" deep tank (18" actual water). im acclimating corals so im running 8 hours for 2-blue+ and 3 hours with all on.

Sweet! I'm curious as to how you have the bulbs positioned in their fixture..
like where the blue+ is, purple+, coral plus+ in the fixture. from front to back.
Do you have any pics of your set up that I could look at?

[mos90]

i dont have any current pictures. i need to do that. but the bulbs from from front to rear are.. 2&4 are my dawn/dusk bulbs..

1) blue+
2) blue+
3) coral+
4) blue+
5) purple+
6) blue+

[big cats]

Oh okay. Cool. Thanks for the insight!

[Jester376]

So I have a 54w 10 bulb ATI PM and am using the current setup of bulbs:
Blue Plus
Coral Plus
Purple Plus
Blue Plus
GE 6500K
Blue Plus
Purple Plus
Blue Plus
Coral Plus
Blue Plus

I am looking for more of a blue/20k look. Should I change out the 6500 bulb and if yes then what should I replace it with?

Thank you

[AugustWest]

I have an 8x24W ATI Sunpower over a 30"x30"x18"H tank. The tank is a mixed reef but predominately SPS. What kind of photoperiod should I be running ? I did do a search but its hard to find a consensus.

Right now i'm running a Blue + and a Purple+ for dawn/dusk on from 12 PM-10PM (10 Hours ) and all 8 bulbs run from 1 PM- 9PM ( 8 hours )

Some corals appear a little pale,wondering if I should cut the photoperiod.

Also, the fixture is currently 8"above the water, raised from 6 ". Is that about right? Thanks for any help I really have been getting conflicting information regarding photoperiod and fixture height.

Bulbs currently running :
5 Blue+
2 Purple +
1 GE 6500K

[TropTrea]

Originally Posted by mos90

that is the combo i have. i love it. great par. my fixture is 10" above the water. im getting 500 at the water surface (apogee) and 180-200 on the sand in a 22" deep tank (18" actual water). im acclimating corals so im running 8 hours for 2-blue+ and 3 hours with all on.

I would think this would look too blue? However personmal color taste is a biug factor. How would you describe the color?

[mos90]

Originally Posted by TropTrea

I would think this would look too blue? However personmal color taste is a biug factor. How would you describe the color?

i would say 18-22k definately not 14k. but i like it a little more blue. reminds me of my old radium 20k. i guess its all preference as long as u have enough green and yellow. i think with the coral+ and purple+ i have that covered.

[rtparty]

Originally Posted by Jester376

So I have a 54w 10 bulb ATI PM and am using the current setup of bulbs:
Blue Plus
Coral Plus
Purple Plus
Blue Plus
GE 6500K
Blue Plus
Purple Plus
Blue Plus
Coral Plus
Blue Plus

I am looking for more of a blue/20k look. Should I change out the 6500 bulb and if yes then what should I replace it with?

Thank you

Replace the GE 6500k and one of the Coral Plus bulb with Blue Plus bulbs. That will get you closer to where you want to be.

[TropTrea]

Originally Posted by AugustWest

I have an 8x24W ATI Sunpower over a 30"x30"x18"H tank. The tank is a mixed reef but predominately SPS. What kind of photoperiod should I be running ? I did do a search but its hard to find a consensus.

Right now i'm running a Blue + and a Purple+ for dawn/dusk on from 12 PM-10PM (10 Hours ) and all 8 bulbs run from 1 PM- 9PM ( 8 hours )

Some corals appear a little pale,wondering if I should cut the photoperiod.

Also, the fixture is currently 8"above the water, raised from 6 ". Is that about right? Thanks for any help I really have been getting conflicting information regarding photoperiod and fixture height.

First off you told us what you were running for bulbs in the dawn to dusk but not the rest of your bulbs. Excess red can cause bleaching onm some corals.

For didstance look at it this way if your a
PAR of at Distance
1,000 at 2"
500 at 4"
250 at 8"
125 at 16"
64 at 32"

So a small change is distance will make a big change at the surface but a little change on the bottom of the tank.


Another thing in timing with 12 hours on 12 hours off you willl get the most effecient use of your light. As you deviate from them you loose effeceincy as far as coral growth goes. Boing under 8 hours or over 16 hours causes the most dramatic loss of effeciency.

Calling it OUR look at it this way
4 Hours = 60 Pur Hours PUR per hour -15
5 Hours = 175 Pur Hours PUR per hour = 35
6 hours = 350 Pur hours PUR per hour = 58
7 hours = 475 Pur Hours PUR per hour - 76
8 hours = 650 Pur Hours PUR per hour = 81
9 Hours = 800 Pur Hours PUR per hour = 88
10 Hours = 925 Pur Hours PUR per hour - 92
11 hours- 1,075 Pur Hours PUR per hour 98
12 hours = 1,200 Pur Hours PUR per hour =100
13 Hours - 1,275 Pur hours PUR per hour = 98
14 Hours - 1,325 Pur Hours PUR per hour = 94
15 Hours = 1350 PUR hours PUR per hour = 90
16 Hours = 1350 Pur Hours PUR per hour = 84
17 hours = 1325 PUR hours PUR per hour = 78


This is why a balance between the amount of light and time is important. Having too much light over a shrt period of timer is much less effecient than having the proper light for 12 hours. But also keep in mind that will burn one coral from too much light might be way to little light for another coral.

[AugustWest]

Originally Posted by TropTrea

First off you told us what you were running for bulbs in the dawn to dusk but not the rest of your bulbs. Excess red can cause bleaching onm some corals.

For didstance look at it this way if your a
PAR of at Distance
1,000 at 2"
500 at 4"
250 at 8"
125 at 16"
64 at 32"

So a small change is distance will make a big change at the surface but a little change on the bottom of the tank.


Another thing in timing with 12 hours on 12 hours off you willl get the most effecient use of your light. As you deviate from them you loose effeceincy as far as coral growth goes. Boing under 8 hours or over 16 hours causes the most dramatic loss of effeciency.

Calling it OUR look at it this way
4 Hours = 60 Pur Hours PUR per hour -15
5 Hours = 175 Pur Hours PUR per hour = 35
6 hours = 350 Pur hours PUR per hour = 58
7 hours = 475 Pur Hours PUR per hour - 76
8 hours = 650 Pur Hours PUR per hour = 81
9 Hours = 800 Pur Hours PUR per hour = 88
10 Hours = 925 Pur Hours PUR per hour - 92
11 hours- 1,075 Pur Hours PUR per hour 98
12 hours = 1,200 Pur Hours PUR per hour =100
13 Hours - 1,275 Pur hours PUR per hour = 98
14 Hours - 1,325 Pur Hours PUR per hour = 94
15 Hours = 1350 PUR hours PUR per hour = 90
16 Hours = 1350 Pur Hours PUR per hour = 84
17 hours = 1325 PUR hours PUR per hour = 78


This is why a balance between the amount of light and time is important. Having too much light over a shrt period of timer is much less effecient than having the proper light for 12 hours. But also keep in mind that will burn one coral from too much light might be way to little light for another coral.

Excuse my ignorance but most of that went right over my head. Thanks anyway. I added my current bulb configuration to my original post. 5 Blue + 2 Purple +1 GE 6500 K

[big cats]

mos90, what light fixture are you using? I know all fixtures affect par differently. Well at least reflectors and ballasts do. Just curious as to which you were using.

[TropTrea]

[QUOTE=rtparty;20090264]Replace the GE 6500k and one of the Coral Plus bulb with Blue Plus bulbs. That will get you closer to where you want to be

Originally Posted by originaly Posted

Originally Posted by Jester376
So I have a 54w 10 bulb ATI PM and am using the current setup of bulbs:
Blue Plus
Coral Plus
Purple Plus
Blue Plus
GE 6500K
Blue Plus
Purple Plus
Blue Plus
Coral Plus
Blue Plus

I am looking for more of a blue/20k look. Should I change out the 6500 bulb and if yes then what should I replace it with?

Thank you .

I think what rtparty advised will definatly turn you to an extreme blue well beyound a 20'000 K look.

Look at it this way
Blue Plus you can call as 3 parts Blue 0 White
Coral Plus you can call as 2 parts Blue 1 part White
Purple Plus as 2 Parts Blue 1 part Red
Aqua Blue Plus is 1 part Blue 2 parts white
GE 6,500K is 3 parts White.

So you now have 23 parts blue to 5 parts white to 2 parts red.
With his change you would be going to 27 parts blue to 1 part white to 2 parts red. This is drastic change from , 18% white to 3.5% white.

I will agree with him about picking up two of the ATI Blue Plus bulbs. But I would make changes in this order closely watching how it effects the none florescent colors in your tank. You do not want yellow and red fish turning black on you.

step one would be swap one Coral Plus for a Blue Plus.
Setep 2 if still not blue enough would be swap the other Coral Plus for a Blue Plus.

If what you like is still not blue enough than put the Coral pluses back in and replace the 6,500K with a Blue Plus. or if now went too blue for you put one of the Coral plus bulbs back in and pull one of the Purple Plus bulbs. for a blue Plus.

Remember color preference is a very personal thing and what I like or rtparty likes may not be the same by any means. Your tasted could be completly seperate from both of us. As long as there are four or more blue plus bulbs I love the effect of the 6,500K on the colors of the fish and other reflective objectives in the tank. The Coral Plus and the Aqua Blue plus to me are great only when you do not have enough Blue Plus bulbs in my eye.

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally Posted by big cats

What about placement in the fixture? Where should each bulb go?

Purple plus front of center and Coral plus rear of center.

[TropTrea]

Originally Posted by AugustWest

Excuse my ignorance but most of that went right over my head. Thanks anyway. I added my current bulb configuration to my original post. 5 Blue + 2 Purple +1 GE 6500 K

This combo should not cause bleaching unless the cycle is too long. I would cut it back to about 6 hours with full lights and 8 hours for your dawn to dusk lights. Then roughly increase the cycle by 1/2 hour every other week on the mid day bulbs and 45 minutes on your dawn to dusk bulbs. If this is showing signes of helping every other week do the same increase. As soon as you start seening more bleaching then back them off to what they were prior to not seing any bleaching increase.

Not knowing excatly what corals you have it is hard to estimate an exact cycle time that would work best.

[AugustWest]

Awesome. Thanks for your help. Tank has only SPS on the rocks and in upper half, a couple of LPS ( War Coral, Blastomussa, Torch ) and some Zoo's and Paly's all down on the sandbed.

I'll try cutting the photoperiod. Thanks again

[96p993]

8 bulb ATI with 2 Reefbrite all blue LED's supplementing....I have these options for bulbs:

2 Super Actinic
1 White Actinic
6 Blue Plus
1 Fiji Purple
1 KZ Purple
1 Coral Plus
2 Aqua Special

Im wanting to keep A blue plus and super actinic in the 3 and 6 positions for dawn/dusk but Im open on the others. So far I have not been impressed with the aquablue specials...I like a 20Kish look...Opinions??