T5 Lighting May Be For You

[JamisonRD]

edit: oops

got a little crazy with the 'return' key = double post

(any moderators that happen to stumble this way can delete this if they wish)

[drk70]

Originally posted by JamisonRD
Does anyone know (or have any pics) of what 3 blue+ and 1 Sun would look like (or close to it)?

Give me 2 days and I can take one when I'm switching bulbs around. I ordered another blue plus bulb and it should be here tomorrow.

[superswimmer]

I run with two GE Suns...yechkk... way too yellow looking! I got them for free so i was like.. eh what the hell. I will get two aquablue and 2 blue plus when i change the bulbs at Xmass time.

[The Grim Reefer]

The 3 Blueplus and 1 GE is a mix I would like to see. Not sure if it would look too blue but it's about the only T5 combo I never tried.

[JamisonRD]

Originally posted by The Grim Reefer
The 3 Blueplus and 1 GE is a mix I would like to see. Not sure if it would look too blue but it's about the only T5 combo I never tried.

Yeah... looking around here on all the T5 posts, that combination was basically the only one I couldn't find. I don't know how it will look, but it might turn out to be pretty good.

drk70... thanks for the pic offer, that'll be great!

Cheers -- Jamison

[drk70]

Originally posted by JamisonRD
Yeah... looking around here on all the T5 posts, that combination was basically the only one I couldn't find. I don't know how it will look, but it might turn out to be pretty good.

drk70... thanks for the pic offer, that'll be great!

Cheers -- Jamison

Will do! I will set the camera on a tripod and take a pic of each combination.

[Obi-dad]

I have run for some time 3 blue+ and 1 sun on my Icecap (run 8 hours) and had 2 more blue+ on a Triad (run 12 hours). This is similar to the Radium look, but brighter and whiter (and hard to take a photo of - comes out more blue than meets the eye, I will have to do some photoshop work to adjust). Even with only one 'white' bulb in the mix, still whiter than you would think (whiter than a Radium MH).

I recently changed to 3 blue+ and actinic on the Icecap run (12 hours), and 1 sun and 1 aquablue on the Triad (run 6 hours). I like this much better. The 3 blue+ and actinic look better than a Radium IMO, and the two 'white' bulbs on in the middle of the day look whiter than the look I had before. Even though you would think 3 blue+ and an actinic would be only blue, these bulbs produce some light in the rest of the spectrum, so when you have a bunch of blue bulbs , all overdriven, there are enough of the other wavelengths to make my yellows and reds look nice too.

I am getting a couple of the superblue bulbs Grim spoke of and will be taking photos before and after the change. To be continued.

[horkn]

i have 2 blues and one ge day. it looks kinda blue.. i bet 3 bluesa nd 1 ge sun would be really blue

[sidog1]

hey guys,
how long are you leaving your lights on? I've been doing my blue plus for 12 hours and both the blue plus and aquablues for 7 hours due to hair algae problems. I'm now cutting the blue plus to 10 hours to perhaps solve this algae problem. Nitrates and phosphates are 0, confirmed by 2 test kits. My tek lights are about 3 inches off the water too. The 2 clowns are healthy. 5 frags of sps and 2 frags of zoo's are healthy and growing. Using Ro/di water as well. A tad bit frustrated here. Thanks in advance.

[Obi-dad]

I solved my algae problems not by cutting back light, but by reducing nutrients through keeping chaetomorpha in a fuge. Cutting back light affects the corals too, not just the algae, and doesn't really address the nutrients problem.

I keep 4 bulbs on for 12 hours, and two on for 6 hours.

[horkn]

sidog, i ahev the same problem as you.


i need to pony up and get a fuge set up with chaeto..

[Obi-dad]

Chaeto is awesome, not only reduces phosphates, but reduces nitrates. And it stabilizes the pH, preventing much of the nightly pH drop due to co2 production when photosynthesis stops.

[sidog1]

I currently have a sump that has tang heaven red from IPSF. I will try adding some cheato and see if that will make a difference since my nitrates and phosphates seem to be 0... I dont want to cut back on the lighting. My corals are doing well. I have 2 frags of monti caps, 1 ora blue tort, 1 ora rose milli, and 1 ora yellow/green acro (although this one is tan colored so may have to change its location). I havent mounted them yet due to the hair algae which sucks...

[superswimmer]

Yep i love cheato! My fuge made a big improvement in the health of my tank. Took care of pest alage for the most part. I still have some little patches but they are almost too small to metion. Not to mention the zooplankton i have crawling everywhere. The fish love to eat pods.

[horkn]

just like simon, i have no phosphates or nitrates, but still a hair algae issue.

i run a phosphate remover in my canister filter. and i have a ton of flow in my tank, even more where the HA is...


the skimmer did help a lot, but i really didnt want to cut back on my lighting. i have lps, sps, and softies.


how much does giving plasma pay???

[The Grim Reefer]

Try an Aquafuge(HOB fuge). I run 2 18" models on a 125 and they do good. While the halides were off the tank I had quite a bit of the macro in the fuges die off for lack of light (I use the main lighting and indirect sunlight to grow the macro) and have a small hair algae outbreak. I plan on doing nothing just to see if the macro regrowth will solve the hair algae outbreak.

[horkn]

i see that drs foster and smith has the HOB aquafuges on sale now...

the 13.25" one is $69.69
the 19.25" one is 74.99


i think either would work well, but the main reason i want a fuge is so i can put a couple rocks in the fuge, and have more room in my tank.

i couldnt do that with the aquafuge...

i can get the web aquatics overflow for like 30 bux, a rio 2100 for under 30 bux as well, and i have a 10g tank laying around...it would be the same amount or so by the time i add a bit of 3/4 " spa tubing and a valve and other plumbing..

yeah i would need a light too, but a normal socket lamp with a cheapo coil PC bulb, and then i could throw my bakpak in the sump part as well, freeing up even more room. that surface skimmer attachment takes up a lot of room, not to mention the HUGe rock i have in the middle of the tank...

[sidog1]

horkn,

i have a bak pak 2r as well. not quite happy with it. I bought a used aquac 90 but that thing is loud as heck which is not gonna work for me. Now, I'm checking out the coralife super skimmer 125 and may get it but need money... My bak pak didnt pull out too much. I also moved it to the sump. What to do what to do...

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by horkn

yeah i would need a light too, but a normal socket lamp with a cheapo coil PC bulb, and then i could throw my bakpak in the sump part as well, freeing up even more room. that surface skimmer attachment takes up a lot of room, not to mention the HUGe rock i have in the middle of the tank...

Trying to run a bakpak with the surface skimmer in the sump is a lot more trouble than it is worth. Besides with a sump you eliminate the need for a surface skimmer for the BK if you mount it in there. The water level in the sump will change with evaporation and water changes which will mess with the oporation of the skimmer so if you do decide to move it to the sump I would extend the pipe for the pump so it sits on the bottom. It might be a little more consistant and you don't have to worry about the pump running dry.

[horkn]

i am quite happy with my bakpak. it pulls nasty stuff out daily.

when i finally get a fuge set up, i wouldnt run the surface skimmer, becasue like you said, its pointless, and all the suface skim is out of the main tank anyways.

i did a 5 g allon water change tonight, and pulled a mega load of the algae out. i wish i could get more out , but that algae is such a PITA to get off the rocks.

i took a ton of HA off the ledge right above where my emerald crab spends his days. maybe he will get the hint again.

the first few days i had the EC, it grazed the hell out of the HA. then it got lazy...maybe i should buy like 4 more EC's and return them in 2 weeks

[The Grim Reefer]

Throw some macro in the outlet side of the bak pak and stuff a strawberry crate or something in to keep it below the outlet. It will help a little.

[sidog1]

Grim,
How will the macro help with the bak pak? I might as well run it until something better comes along...

[superswimmer]

I have lots of pretty Halmidea (sp?) Cheato Caulerpa.. minimal HA.

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by sidog1
Grim,
How will the macro help with the bak pak? I might as well run it until something better comes along...

The macro doesn't help the bak pak, its just a place to grow the macro until you can do the fuge.

[horkn]

Originally posted by The Grim Reefer
Throw some macro in the outlet side of the bak pak and stuff a strawberry crate or something in to keep it below the outlet. It will help a little.

i will try that

thanks