The T5 Q&a Thread - split

[Paulvd]

Originally Posted by rtparty

That's going to be a ton of light for an LPS and Zoa tank. Mount it high, like 12" at least. Make sure to acclimate slowly as well.

2 Blue Plus, 2 Actinic, 2 Coral Plus and grab a Purple Plus just in case. Might want to grab an extra blue plus too. Then you can easily play around and see what you like. Try each combo for a few days so your eyes adjust to everything.

I was also afraid that it will be to much light. The current light is not enough at the moment.
The lamp that i will get today is equiped with new 3x Blue plus and 3x Blue special. I will buy the extra bulbs you have mentioned and try some combo. For this type of lamp and corals i need more blue light or my corals receive to much?

Thanks for your advise.

[pdiehm]

thinking about geting a t5 fixture. been recommended I look at a 6x80W for my 60x18x26 tank.

Plan is mostly LPS and softies, but in the future eventually SPS. Want them to pop, and using the ATI recommendation of 4 blue+, 1 Purple + and 1 Coral + will that pop or should I swap out one of the blue+ for an actinic?


Additionally, I think the 6x80 will be a ton of light, is 4x80 an option? Last thing I want to do is bake the LPS that I eventually get with too much light.

[rtparty]

I'd go with a 6*54w if you don't plan to upgrade to a 72" tank

[pdiehm]

Originally Posted by rtparty

I'd go with a 6*54w if you don't plan to upgrade to a 72" tank

Now if I have plans to do sps down the road, will the 54W be enough light? Well 6x54?

[janci]

Originally Posted by pdiehm

Now if I have plans to do sps down the road, will the 54W be enough light? Well 6x54?

6 bulbs will be sufficient for a 18" wide tank.
You might consider to take the 6x80W but if you do not plan any rockwork and corals close to the side windows you should be fine.

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[pdiehm]

Now could I use the sides for lower light corals such as some lps encrusting like Favias or possibly torches/frogspawn (I know aren't encrusting)

If I go with the 48" would I have to have it higher off the water than say the 60"?


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[rtparty]

Originally Posted by pdiehm

Now could I use the sides for lower light corals such as some lps encrusting like Favias or possibly torches/frogspawn (I know aren't encrusting)

If I go with the 48" would I have to have it higher off the water than say the 60"?


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Not necessarily. The 60" just wastes a lot of light lighting up your side glass

[Ssteve]

Anyone running several actinic bulbs in a 4 or 6 bulb fixture?

I was watching a video where Jason fox was saying he runs pretty much just actinic t5's on his systems. It got me thinking of adding more actinic bulbs to my 6 bulb fixture.

https://youtu.be/oFih0XkoHd8

[rtparty]

Originally Posted by Ssteve

Anyone running several actinic bulbs in a 4 or 6 bulb fixture?

I was watching a video where Jason fox was saying he runs pretty much just actinic t5's on his systems. It got me thinking of adding more actinic bulbs to my 6 bulb fixture.

https://youtu.be/oFih0XkoHd8

Where does he talk about it? I don't want to watch a 90 minute video for a 2 second blurp...

To answer your question:

Actinic bulbs aren't nearly as low PAR as we thought for years. They aren't far behind the Blue Plus actually. They also have ~100% PUR. They can make the tank look dimmer overall but I would run 2 Blue Plus, 2 Actinic and 2 Coral Plus in a heartbeat. Maybe switch a Coral Plus for a Purple Plus even.

[rogergolf66]

How many hours of life will a t5 go? Run with ATI fixture fans always worked

[rtparty]

Originally Posted by rogergolf66

How many hours of life will a t5 go? Run with ATI fixture fans always worked

Probably 2500 to 3000 hours depending. Blues wear out quicker. Less then ideal cooling will also kill bulb life. Even with working fans on an ATI, it doesn't mean the bulbs are kept at the correct temperature.

[Tripod1404]

This would probably be the oddest number but what would you recommend for 3 bulb combination. Right now I use 2xAti coral plus and 1x Ati blue plus. I also have a current usa marine pro led fixture. I have 3 bulbs because two 2 bulb fixtures plus and the led fixture dont fit. So I use two 2 bulb fixture plus one 1 bulb fixture and the led fixture.

[rtparty]

Originally Posted by Tripod1404

This would probably be the oddest number but what would you recommend for 3 bulb combination. Right now I use 2xAti coral plus and 1x Ati blue plus. I also have a current usa marine pro led fixture. I have 3 bulbs because two 2 bulb fixtures plus and the led fixture dont fit. So I use two 2 bulb fixture plus one 1 bulb fixture and the led fixture.

Either what you have or 2 blue plus and 1 coral. Depends on what color you want

[austinl]

Hey guys, looking for an 8 bulb recommendation for 8x39w

Was thinking something like this
4 Blue plus
2 Actinic
1 Coral plus
1 Purple plus


Or can/should I add another actinic somewhere. Would also like a dawn to dusk bulb recommendation.

This is going over a 40x24x18 tank

Thanks everyone.


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[rtparty]

Originally Posted by austinl

Hey guys, looking for an 8 bulb recommendation for 8x39w

Was thinking something like this
4 Blue plus
2 Actinic
1 Coral plus
1 Purple plus


Or can/should I add another actinic somewhere. Would also like a dawn to dusk bulb recommendation.

This is going over a 40x24x18 tank

Thanks everyone.


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That will look good. I'd grab one extra Coral Plus just in case.

Schnitzel has an incredible tank and uses 6 Blue Plus, 1 Coral Plus and 1 Purple Plus. With 8 bulbs I do like at least one Actinic but two makes a great dusk/dawn option.

[Bpb]

Originally Posted by austinl

Hey guys, looking for an 8 bulb recommendation for 8x39w

Was thinking something like this
4 Blue plus
2 Actinic
1 Coral plus
1 Purple plus


Or can/should I add another actinic somewhere. Would also like a dawn to dusk bulb recommendation.

This is going over a 40x24x18 tank

Thanks everyone.


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I have almost that exact same bulb combo, except I scrapped the purp+ and run:

2 coral
2 actinic
4 blue

Love the color

Sometimes I consider swapping both coral+ bulbs for some giesemann 6500k tropics just because I love the 10k mid day shallow water white look. But part of me also just says to leave well enough alone and let the bulbs do their work. I'd definitely suggest two actinics though. They boost a valuable part of the spectrum and just because they're "dim" visually doesn't mean they're weak. For my dawn dusk I use an actinic in front and blue+ in back. It looks spectacular


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[Bpb]

I guess I'll follow my previous post with the question...do you guys think that changing out my two coral+ bulbs to 6500k bulbs would offer any improvement in growth all other things left the same? Or would it just look different.

4 blue+
2 actinic
2 coral+

Vs

4 blue+
2 actinic
2 6500k

Yes I'm aware of how white it would look at I'm ok with that


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[rtparty]

Originally Posted by Bpb

I guess I'll follow my previous post with the question...do you guys think that changing out my two coral+ bulbs to 6500k bulbs would offer any improvement in growth all other things left the same? Or would it just look different.

4 blue+
2 actinic
2 coral+

Vs

4 blue+
2 actinic
2 6500k

Yes I'm aware of how white it would look at I'm ok with that


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If you like the whiter look, you'll love it.

Back when this thread was huge and rolling, almost all of used the GE 6500k bulbs for at least one slot.

We tended to run 4 blue, 1 daylight and 1 pink bulb. Back then, the best pink bulbs were made by UVL. ATI, Gmann and KZ didn't bring their pink bulbs out until much later.

[Bpb]

Would you expect much difference in growth of sps between the two bulb selections? I know when running metal halides I had much more rapid growth from xm 10k than I had with radiums


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[rtparty]

Originally Posted by Bpb

Would you expect much difference in growth of sps between the two bulb selections? I know when running metal halides I had much more rapid growth from xm 10k than I had with radiums


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Couldn't say for sure but I would expect good growth from that combo. Might grow some extra zooxanthella algae with the daylight bulbs

[Bpb]

Food for thought. Appreciate it. Realistically I'm always growth minded first color second. Though my results tend to be the opposite. I won't be happy till sps are growing at a nuisance rate. Then I'll just frag.

I realize lighting is probably third on the importance list when dealing with growth, especially with sps, but parameters and flow aren't much of a mystery at this point. Stable alk, lots of food, very little waste, lots of varied flow with no dead spots. Simple enough


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[austinl]

Hey guys thanks for the replies. In what order would you guys put the bulbs?

If I'm not mistaken slot 3/6 are my dusk to dawn slots.

Using the proposed 4B+ 2TA and 1 P+ and 1 CP+

I may pick up a few Geisemann as well as I may have found a local store finally.


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[janci]

A not bulb question...
How many amps does a 8x54W fixture draw from the net?
Should I count only with the consumption of the bulbs or do the ballast also add to the equation?
If yes, how do I find out?
I have a Giesemann Matrixx Dimtec 8x54W.

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[austinl]

Originally Posted by austinl

Hey guys thanks for the replies. In what order would you guys put the bulbs?

If I'm not mistaken slot 3/6 are my dusk to dawn slots.

Using the proposed 4B+ 2TA and 1 P+ and 1 CP+

I may pick up a few Geisemann as well as I may have found a local store finally.


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Also what would be the best way to perform the burn in?

I figure slot 3/6 is east to run 10 hours per day.

But how would you do the other slots? The tank was previously lit with 2 Radion XR15 Gen 4s

Would you do like 4-6hours per day? Or would you rotate bulbs in?


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[austinl]

Originally Posted by Bpb

I guess I'll follow my previous post with the question...do you guys think that changing out my two coral+ bulbs to 6500k bulbs would offer any improvement in growth all other things left the same? Or would it just look different.

4 blue+
2 actinic
2 coral+

Vs

4 blue+
2 actinic
2 6500k

Yes I'm aware of how white it would look at I'm ok with that


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I picked up a tropic and am going to try swapping the purple + for it, that is if it looks too purple.

So basically
4 B+
2 Actinic
1 C+
1 Tropic


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