The T5 Q&a Thread

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by yeldarbj
Grim (or anyone else), for dusk/dawn lighting, have you tried running blue plus with either a Fiji Purple or an ATI ProColor? Just wondering how it would look.

Blue Plus and a Fiji Purple would be OK. Not the Pro Color though.

[Mark75]

I received my new T5 bulbs today. I am not sure how I like it so far. I went with Grims recommendation of;
Blue Plus
Aqua Blue
Blue plus
Pro Color

What is weird is I can't tell which way the spectrum is off, is it to blue, to red, I can normally tell but this Pro Color is kinda different. I will give it a week to burn in before I make a decision.

[volunteerguy]

I just picked up an aqua medic 36" 2x250w MH with 2x39w T5...it came with 2 14,000 phoenix bulbs a year old and no t5's...any suggestions for which t5's to compliment the mh lights?

[rdmpe]

I have a question about lamp selection for supplemental lighting...

I have a 72" maristar with 3x250W Pheonix 14K and 4x39W T5 for actinic supplementation.

I currently have the UV Super Actinic. I need to replace these. One has actually stopped lighting for some reason (!?). I have been happy with these but wouldn't mind trying something different.

So I'm trying to decide what to try:

UV 39W Super Actinic
Sfiligoi 39W Super Actinic Blue 03
ATI 39W True Actinic 03

Any comments ??

[jennmac415]

Mark75... do you have a pic of your tank with your new bulbs on it? can anyone with one of these Pro Color bulbs please post a pic with it on???

[s3aL]

What are the Pure actinic bulbs good for? Anything? Or just a waste.

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by volunteerguy
I just picked up an aqua medic 36" 2x250w MH with 2x39w T5...it came with 2 14,000 phoenix bulbs a year old and no t5's...any suggestions for which t5's to compliment the mh lights?

1 Actinic and 1 Blue Plus

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by rdmpe
I have a question about lamp selection for supplemental lighting...

I have a 72" maristar with 3x250W Pheonix 14K and 4x39W T5 for actinic supplementation.

I currently have the UV Super Actinic. I need to replace these. One has actually stopped lighting for some reason (!?). I have been happy with these but wouldn't mind trying something different.

So I'm trying to decide what to try:

UV 39W Super Actinic
Sfiligoi 39W Super Actinic Blue 03
ATI 39W True Actinic 03

Any comments ??

Reefgeek has a sweet deal on the Sfigiloi right now. As far as looks all three look about the same to me.

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by Mark75
I received my new T5 bulbs today. I am not sure how I like it so far. I went with Grims recommendation of;
Blue Plus
Aqua Blue
Blue plus
Pro Color

What is weird is I can't tell which way the spectrum is off, is it to blue, to red, I can normally tell but this Pro Color is kinda different. I will give it a week to burn in before I make a decision.

Try moving the Pro Color forward one slot and see what it does.

[cashman95]

Grim, I have one for you!

I am running 2 Pheonix 250watt HQI 14k's in Lumenarc Mini reflectors, with (new style) Icecap Ballast (run the Pheonix's a bit hotter and whiter than other electronics). I like the Blue/white-crisp look, but want to add some POP and warm color to the washed out pheonix look.

I am going to be ordering a 2 lamp T-5 kit with SLR reflectors from reefgeek Monday, and would like to know if the UV lighting Super actinics would be a great combo, or even Fiji Purples? I have seen the Uv bulbs, but never seen a fiji purple fired up so I have no clue of what they look like or what they would do for the Pheonix's?

Can you help?

[JDS]

HI GRIM

Do you think running five super actinic and 3 ge 6500k 54w will give me enough light for Sps coral? That's what I'm running right now and I love the color. It's kinda like 11 or 12 k look. or do you recommend a different combinations of bulbs?

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by s3aL
What are the Pure actinic bulbs good for? Anything? Or just a waste.

They are OK but the UVL Super Actinic, Sfigiloi and ATI Actinics are better IMO.

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by cashman95
Grim, I have one for you!

I am running 2 Pheonix 250watt HQI 14k's in Lumenarc Mini reflectors, with (new style) Icecap Ballast (run the Pheonix's a bit hotter and whiter than other electronics). I like the Blue/white-crisp look, but want to add some POP and warm color to the washed out pheonix look.

I am going to be ordering a 2 lamp T-5 kit with SLR reflectors from reefgeek Monday, and would like to know if the UV lighting Super actinics would be a great combo, or even Fiji Purples? I have seen the Uv bulbs, but never seen a fiji purple fired up so I have no clue of what they look like or what they would do for the Pheonix's?

Can you help?

The Fiji Purple is very close to an aquablue but with less red. Isn't going to do much for adding pop and warming the look. UVL has a 75/25 Actinic/Daylight lamp that might get you what you are looking for. They have a almost silver look to them. My personal favorite is the combination of a super actinic and blue plus but that is going to add more blue.

[The Grim Reefer]

WHAT, NO PICTURES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Should be fine.

Originally posted by JDS
HI GRIM

Do you think running five super actinic and 3 ge 6500k 54w will give me enough light for Sps coral? That's what I'm running right now and I love the color. It's kinda like 11 or 12 k look. or do you recommend a different combinations of bulbs?

[hpglow]

Originally posted by The Grim Reefer
Not really.

Ok, what is the output difference between going with a fixture with individual reflectors as opposed to one single reflector?

I am just asking because the fixtures with one reflector are vastly cheaper.

[The Grim Reefer]

The individual reflectors will nearly double the output over a single reflector.

[yamaha racer]

hey grim im back but i got a 90g now.... i want tek should i get a 6x54w or 8x54w? i want sps only

[erickrm]

alright grim, i am getting ready to buy my retro to replace my Tek light..... although i know that the SLR are better than the SLS do you thnk that for the price differance i will be ok in my nano if i just went with SLS reflectors? so currently i have put togethere a cart at reefgeek with the following.

4 SLS reflectors
4 pairs of waterproof end caps
4 pairs of standoffs
2 HO ballast

for a bulb line up i am wondering if this is a good selection

Front:
ATI True Actinic
ATI Aquablue special
ATI Pro color
ATI Blue Plus

do you think par will be good to keep SPS upto 17"below the waterline with this? or should i just buy the IceCap 660 Retro kit? thanks.

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by yamaha racer
hey grim im back but i got a 90g now.... i want tek should i get a 6x54w or 8x54w? i want sps only

If you want a full SPS tank forget Tek. Get a Aquactinics solar flare or Constellation. ATI 6 lamp powermodule would work too.

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by erickrm
alright grim, i am getting ready to buy my retro to replace my Tek light..... although i know that the SLR are better than the SLS do you thnk that for the price differance i will be ok in my nano if i just went with SLS reflectors? so currently i have put togethere a cart at reefgeek with the following.

4 SLS reflectors
4 pairs of waterproof end caps
4 pairs of standoffs
2 HO ballast

for a bulb line up i am wondering if this is a good selection

Front:
ATI True Actinic
ATI Aquablue special
ATI Pro color
ATI Blue Plus

do you think par will be good to keep SPS upto 17"below the waterline with this? or should i just buy the IceCap 660 Retro kit? thanks.

You are probably better off just ordering the stuff as a retro kit rather than piecing it together. Instead of the ATI actinic get the UVL Super Actinic, you will get extra PAR. I would spend the extra 8 bucks for Ice Cap reflectors too. They have two levels of Ice Cap retros, one has a standard ballast and the other the Ice Cap. Just get the standard ballasts.

[erickrm]

Thanks grim i appreciate it, I am going to be ordering the retro today, do you think i should stick with the regular icecap retro or go for the 660? i keep SPS Nano from 17" below the waterline all the way up to about 2" below the waterline. Thanks grim i appreciate your help.

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by erickrm
Thanks grim i appreciate it, I am going to be ordering the retro today, do you think i should stick with the regular icecap retro or go for the 660? i keep SPS Nano from 17" below the waterline all the way up to about 2" below the waterline. Thanks grim i appreciate your help.

You don't need to overdrive for that depth.

[erickrm]

thanks again, so here is the new bulb line up:

UVL Super Actinic
ATI Aqua Blue
ATI Pro Color
ATI Blue Plus

thanks.

[carlos_fb]

Originally posted by erickrm
thanks again, so here is the new bulb line up:

UVL Super Actinic
ATI Aqua Blue
ATI Pro Color
ATI Blue Plus

thanks.

I tried the exact bulb configuration last week on my setup and in my opinion I would not use the ATI Pro Color unless you have a 6 bulb setup. Even placing it right next to the Blue Plus, the color is very red. Just my 2 cents.

By the way, the UVL Super Actinic is one of my favorite bulbs, I love that purple tint in the tank.

[Corndork2]

I am still trying to decide on my final lighting system for my 29g display. What T5 setup would you reccomend? I want to be able to keep an anemone, a couple clams, and possibly some sps...but probabaly not acros. Would 4x24w be enough? or 2x24w and one VHO? What bulbs would you reccomend? And would a T5 setup like this one put out less heat than a 175w MH? The MH system was my original choice, but after reading the endless pages of this thread I am really leaning twoards T5. Thanks for the help