T5 Lighting May Be For You

rjwilson37 · #1 10/04/2004, 09:00 PM

I started off this hobby with 24" PC (1x65w Daylight and 1x65w Actinic / 130w) Coralife over my 29 gallon tank, but switched to the 24" Tek-Light T5's hood and it made a big difference for me. (you can see this on my web page under My 29 Gallon Tank from Start to End to compare PC to T5)

I had the 24" T5 (4x24w / 96w) Tek-Light hood that I was using on my 55 gallon (36x18x20) tank, which the lighting was actually brought over from my 29 gallon because I could not afford new lighting yet. I used this 24" 96w of T5 lighting for about 6 months which worked well, but it just wasn't enough for the tank, and as it filled I really needed to get my upgrade.

I now have the 36" T5 (4x39w / 156w) Tek-Light hood and I switched my light bulbs combination a little with a great result. I was using all ATI bulbs with 1x6k Sun, 1x11k Aquablue and 2xBlue Pluses. I have a little more wattage which is more just spreading across 36" rather than 24", but my new bulbs are 2x11k Aquablue, 1xActinic 03 and 1xBlue Plus. You will judge for yourself which you like better, but the new bulb combination I think has made a great improvement. It is a little bluer look, but I like the flourescence my corals are getting and there growth is still great. All pictures are the first one with old lighting and the second one with the new lighting which was switched over a week ago.

This is where you can see a big difference. The first picture is just over a month ago and the second picture is yesterday.

CaneinBatonRouge · #2 10/04/2004, 09:12 PM

Man your tank is amazing. I think of it every time I see a "you must have metal halides" response. Good job!

PUGroyale · #3 10/04/2004, 09:25 PM

I like the original color a little better... maybe the new bulbs will burn in more white. Looks stunning as always tho!

Nice new Acro colony.

rjwilson37 · #4 10/04/2004, 09:29 PM

I was thinking it would take at least a week to 10 days to burn in, (kinda like MH) but it may be a little longer with T5's since they last longer before they need changing. I will keep you posted if it changes. The Sun bulb on the 24" setup made the full tank shots very clear and see through, but the new bulb combination makes the corals flourescense come out alot more.

rjwilson37 · #5 10/04/2004, 09:37 PM

The new Acro Colony on the left was a GI Joe Army Green when I got it and it is getting more towards a turquiose green every day it seems. I will have to get a good closeup when I get and chance and show the before and after like the other's.

Putawaywet · #6 10/04/2004, 09:47 PM

Love the look of your tank. Nice layout.

However, I too prefer the fist pic. The second one has too much blue for my tastes. But that's just me.

Keep up the good work.

Brett

obarrera · #7 10/04/2004, 10:05 PM

rjwilson where did you buy these:36" T5 (4x39w / 156w) Tek-Light hood

And how much did they cost?

loyalty · #8 10/05/2004, 02:38 AM

i'd like to know too, i'm sold. I've got a 29 that needs a light upgrade badly

rjwilson37 · #9 10/05/2004, 06:32 AM

I will respond to the questions in a little bit, here are two more pictures of the before and after for coral flourescense.

tre8160 · #10 10/05/2004, 06:40 AM

Here's a link for you guys wondering about the price http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...al&Np=1&N=2004 The bulbs are sold separately, as always RJ the tank looks great

DgenR8 · #11 10/05/2004, 08:02 AM

I was helping someone else find info on T-5s, now I'm really considering dumping my VHOs for T-5s to supplement my halides.

rjwilson37 · #12 10/05/2004, 01:10 PM

Putawaywet: In person it doesn't look that blue, it looks brighter than it was because there is more light now. The problem with an inexpensive Digital camera is that there is not much of an adjustment you can make besides exposure compensation. When the bulbs finish burning in we shall see how blue it actually is. Most cheaper digital camera's take a bluer look and multiply it a little. I also don't have a canopy on it right now (I have to make a new one for this lighting) so the full tank shot get's thrown off a little by the light that shows between the top of the tank and the lighting hood. I think this extra light throws the camera's auto adjustments or what ever they do to bring out the best quality they can automatically.

rjwilson37 · #13 10/05/2004, 01:12 PM

I bought the 24" and my 36" lighting from www.reefgeek.com. I only use the German ATI bulbs, not the GE. I think that ATI is having problems shipping right now, so you get the same German bulbs now from D&D Aquatics or something like that which is who Greg at ReefGeek is ording them from.

Yep, it is 38 dollars less here for the same hood selling at Dr.Foster & Smiths. http://www.reefgeek.com./products/ca...tek_light.html

obarrera · #14 10/05/2004, 01:54 PM

How do you keep these http://www.reefgeek.com./products/ca...ng/104199.html from over heating?
Do they have fans?

bcsean · #15 10/05/2004, 05:39 PM

they don't have fans, but they don't come stock with a cover between water and bulbs. As long as its not installed in a canopy, no issues with heat.

obarrera · #16 10/05/2004, 05:45 PM

Would PC lights get hotter then T5's if they both didn't have fans?

rjwilson37 · #17 10/05/2004, 07:01 PM

I had my 24" Tek-Light T5's sitting 2" above my 29 gallon tank with a canopy over them and they were alot less heat than the PC with fans I had before them.

There is very little heat generated by these Tek-Light T5 lights!

obarrera · #18 10/05/2004, 07:24 PM

If the price of these http://www.hellolights.com/ocli15hqiame.html
raises to $379.00 again then im going to get the T5's but if they stay at this same price by the time I have money to buy them then I'll buy the Aqualight I posted.

weimluv1 · #19 10/05/2004, 08:52 PM

i think it should be added that the key to the tek light hood is the Tek light reflector. Unlike VHOs and PCs, each T5 bulb has it's own parabolic reflector, much like a MH in a hood, causind each bulb to be much more efficient in that much more of the light is reflected into the tank, and not back into the bulb or God knows where else.

If you have a hood and want retros, some T5 HO retro kits can be found on ebay that come with the Tek Reflector, but A LOT of the retros and "other" brands do not have individual reflectors. so use caution on ebay.

that said, RJ i love the second pic. I love the blue hue, makes it appear to be in much deeper waters. Even the darn rock looks more fluorescent!

I can't wait until my VHO bulbs need changed in December. I'm sellin the retro and going T5 BABY!!

RayLovesNemos · #20 10/05/2004, 09:05 PM

Rj i got another question for you its kinda off topic. but i got a snowflake eel for 10 bucks its about 6 inches and is very tiny. i feed it mysis and i want to know any special care or needs. i did some research but no one says anything important. since you have one pm me or reply that will be great thanks

rjwilson37 · #21 10/05/2004, 09:13 PM

Thanks weimluv1! Some say that the T5 Actinic does not compare to the VHO Super Actinic, but I am not sure never having VHO's.

RayLovesNemos: Eels are very hardy, they can even live like a half day out of the water and some find them slithering accross the kitchen floor when they get out. That is... If your cat does not play smack/bite/eat the scary slithering creature in my house.

rjwilson37 · #22 10/05/2004, 09:19 PM

I got the Eel for my Nano when he was small, because he was very inexpensive and very cool as well. Now he is part of the family so to speak, I can't imagine him not in my tank. Part of me wants to get rid of him because of the bioload/knocking things over/can't get shrimp or crabs/he is eventually going to get out and die by a cat's playfull paw... and the other part of me want's to keep him. I am am still contemplating that one, but everyone who comes over is amazed by him and like to feed him, where the novelty of that has long worn off on me. I just like him and think of him as part of my tank.

jay24k · #23 10/05/2004, 09:28 PM

Looks nice but a little too blue. This is just my opinion but I think bluer bulbs don't show the true color of most corals. For example, the orange cap is really just an orange cap but the second picture shows it as a reddish color. Now the blue is more pleasing to the eye, but I think it masks some of the "true" colors of corals. Supplementing a little more blue instead of pure white I think brings out some of the hidden colors but when it's too blue, I think it is what I stated.

On another note, I do think it looks very nice. I always love my VHO aticnics on.

rjwilson37 · #24 10/05/2004, 09:42 PM

I agree and think that once the bulbs break in, it will not be as blue, but only time will tell. In person, they do not look that deep of blue, but I am noticing a small change in color in some of my corals from a week ago when I first put these on. So the corals are changing colors a little after just over a week in the new lighting. Like I said, we will only know over time of maybe a month or two.

jay24k · #25 10/05/2004, 09:54 PM

Yea I hope I didn't come out wrong. I'm going to make my tank a bit more blue using 13k bulbs. While I like white, it really doesn't show the detail on some corals. Also, I'm not getting the coloring of some of the SPS that I want.