The T5 Q&a Thread

[JohnL]

This thread was automatically split due to performance issues. You can find the rest of the thread here: http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...71#post9113571

[beatle]

I'm planning to upgrade the 2x96w PC setup with parabolic reflectors over my 90. Right now I only have softies and a couple LPS. I'm guessing SPS will likely creep their way into the picture down the road. Will I need a 6x54 kit or will 4x54 suffice? Would three of the 2x54w kits do the trick? This would be $315. The 6x54w Tek kit from Reefgeek is $449. The 6x54w Icecap kit is $609! I know the key to T5 is the individual reflectors, which all of these retrofits have. What makes one worth more than the other?

I know this has probaby been asked before, but I'm not the best at wading through 40 pages of questions.

[casingbill]

and what about the hamilton technologie t5 retros??....their made in America...

[beatle]

I didn't know they existed. I did a search for them and found Aquatic Tech has them on sale until Feb 1st, including bulbs. A 4x54 and a 2x54 would set you back $280.

[Steverino]

That Aquatech site is hard to navigate. Are the reflectors per bulb, or one for both bulbs? What is shipping on it? Jeesh!

[casingbill]

Thats a sweet price if they are any good....

FULLY ASSEMBLED HAMILTON T5 HO RETROFIT KITS – ON SALE
Each Retrofit kit comes with 420nm Actinic 03 Blue T5 HO bulbs, True 10K White T5 HO bulbs, Polish Aluminum Mirror Finish Reflector, Moisture proof T5 Sockets, and Remote Electronic Ballast

23” 2 x 24W HO T5 KIT -$81.95
23” 4 x 24W HO T5 KIT -$161.95

35” 2 x 39W HO T5 KIT -$87.95
35” 4 x 39W HO T5 KIT -$173.95

48” 2 x 54W HO T5 KIT -$99.95
48” 4 x 54W HO T5 KIT -$179.95

60” 2 x 80W HO T5 KIT -$112.95
60” 4 x 80W HO T5 KIT -$191.95

[casingbill]

and we all know, polish aluminum is the best.....

[smbrown15]

Thanks Grim for the suggestion. I'll try and locate a UVL Super Actinic and give it a try!

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by beatle
I'm planning to upgrade the 2x96w PC setup with parabolic reflectors over my 90. Right now I only have softies and a couple LPS. I'm guessing SPS will likely creep their way into the picture down the road. Will I need a 6x54 kit or will 4x54 suffice? Would three of the 2x54w kits do the trick? This would be $315. The 6x54w Tek kit from Reefgeek is $449. The 6x54w Icecap kit is $609! I know the key to T5 is the individual reflectors, which all of these retrofits have. What makes one worth more than the other?

I know this has probaby been asked before, but I'm not the best at wading through 40 pages of questions.

Grab a 6 lamp retro from reefgeek but spend the 12 bux to upgrade to Ice Cap reflectors. That includes your choice of the best lamps out there, ATI, Giesemann, UVL.

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by casingbill
and we all know, polish aluminum is the best.....

Hamilton's site doesn't show T5 fixtures yet. Base on the crappy esign of some of their halide fixture's "reflectors" I wouldn't be too hopeful about the T5 units. Based on the discription I would say it is a single flat reflector.

[casingbill]

so basically...you get what you pay for.....

[beatle]

Ok, Hamilton is out. I'm still curious as to why the kit from ReefGeek is so much more than Hello Lights. Are the specific bulbs really worth the extra $134?

[The Grim Reefer]

For 6 lamps? yes.

[casingbill]

grim and hahn....after stopping into a local lfs, I noticed they the the pfo solaris led setup on one of their tanks. I put my hand under them to feel the heat and obviously it was almost nothing. This brought up the heating issue with other lighting. I must have been totally wrong, but I was under the misconception that T5 lighting was much cooler than anything else. The T5 bulbs were 200 degrees!!!

I've been worried about heat, trying to avoid a chiller when I setup my 75g. T5's won't help me.......

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by casingbill
grim and hahn....after stopping into a local lfs, I noticed they the the pfo solaris led setup on one of their tanks. I put my hand under them to feel the heat and obviously it was almost nothing. This brought up the heating issue with other lighting. I must have been totally wrong, but I was under the misconception that T5 lighting was much cooler than anything else. The T5 bulbs were 200 degrees!!!

I've been worried about heat, trying to avoid a chiller when I setup my 75g. T5's won't help me.......

A good T5 fixture wont add as much heat as other conventional lighting. With fans running they will probably run around 100 degrees. LED's are not conventional lighting. If you are concerned about heat an have the $$$ the LED's are a good option.

[casingbill]

I definatley don't have the money for the led's. But if MH's are set say 12" above the water and T5's are only 2-3", how much of a difference is there in heat transfer. I know it would depend on wattage, but 6 T5's covering the whole top of the tank may make the heat of the 2 MH's. Right?

[The Grim Reefer]

I had 6 overdriven 80 watt T5's in my 125. Both ballasts were mounted in the canopy. Even with the glass lids on the tank the temp never got above 81 degrees with 2 fans running. That was 606 watts of lighting mounted in a canopy about 3 1/2 inches above the tank.

A halide fixture with 3x250 watt DE's and 2 54 watt T5's all behind the UV Shield about 7" above the tank woul drive the temp to 82 on warmer days. Not bad but could you imagine what would happen if they were in an enclosed canopy like the T5 were?

By the way, the T5's put 145 UMOL's of PAR to the sandbed, the 14K halides did 95

[casingbill]

grim....thx....i just needed more confirmation

[hahnmeister]

Worried about heat? FANS BABY, JUST FANS. They are all you need. 90 degrees in the room and the tanks are just above 80... thanks to evaporative cooling. Thats all.

As for the Hamiltons, http://www.hamiltontechnology.com/sh...+Retrofit+Kits

They look like a single flat crappy reflector.

As for the PFO LEDs... sure it makes less heat... it also makes less light... less than a 250wattDE 20,000K XM... the crappiest output 250wattDE around.

[casingbill]

hamiltons are out...for sure.

ultra solaris is back in.......

word!!

[The Grim Reefer]

Hahn

Guess what I ordered today?

[xxxbadfishxxx]

Grim,

i ordered a teklight fixture 4X24watt. I want to protect the bulbs and reflectors from salt spray. Would the lighting be more efficient with the acrylic shield or to place glass over part of the tank that the lighting is suspended over? i would imagine without the lens the bulbs would be cooler, but the glass over the tank might get more salt spray and need to be cleaned every couple of days. What do you think?

thanks,

Jeff

[TropTrea]

As far as salt spray goes I have this to a be a triple ended sword with basicly no true solution.

1. The glass over the tank.... You have two issues here. First the glass does filter a considerable amount of high frequency light (short wave lenght) plus there is a constant accumilation of salt on the glass that basicly difusses or filters out all the other light. They basicly require loads of cleaning.

2. plastic shield of the light itself. Well plastic does fnot filter out as much light as glass does so you have a slight gain there. How hot your nulbs get can be an issue with plastics though as if someone is overdriving there bulbs you do get a lot heat on the plastic that can cause it to destort, yellow, or even melt. Then again there will be salt deposits on it requiring it to be cleaned regularly.

3. no sheild..... The best answer to not loosing any light. but remembber the closer the lighting is to the tank water surface the greater the amount of salt that will accumilate on the bulbs and reflectors that need to be regularly cleaned. By raising the lighting up higher you reduce the salt deposits however yopu have more loss do to the greater distance between the lights and the actual corals.

I personaly tried all three above. I prefer the third choice keeping all lights at least 8" above the surface seems to minimize salt deposits.

Dennis

Originally posted by xxxbadfishxxx
Grim,

i ordered a teklight fixture 4X24watt. I want to protect the bulbs and reflectors from salt spray. Would the lighting be more efficient with the acrylic shield or to place glass over part of the tank that the lighting is suspended over? i would imagine without the lens the bulbs would be cooler, but the glass over the tank might get more salt spray and need to be cleaned every couple of days. What do you think?

thanks,

Jeff

[hahnmeister]

Originally posted by The Grim Reefer
Hahn

Guess what I ordered today?

Being that that is directed at me... Im going to have to guess that you ordered a bunch of Aquascience bulbs, or you sprang for an ultra-solaris (those 5' units are hard to pass up price-wise).

[hahnmeister]

Originally posted by TropTrea
As far as salt spray goes I have this to a be a triple ended sword with basicly no true solution.

1. The glass over the tank.... You have two issues here. First the glass does filter a considerable amount of high frequency light (short wave lenght) plus there is a constant accumilation of salt on the glass that basicly difusses or filters out all the other light. They basicly require loads of cleaning.

2. plastic shield of the light itself. Well plastic does fnot filter out as much light as glass does so you have a slight gain there. How hot your nulbs get can be an issue with plastics though as if someone is overdriving there bulbs you do get a lot heat on the plastic that can cause it to destort, yellow, or even melt. Then again there will be salt deposits on it requiring it to be cleaned regularly.

3. no sheild..... The best answer to not loosing any light. but remembber the closer the lighting is to the tank water surface the greater the amount of salt that will accumilate on the bulbs and reflectors that need to be regularly cleaned. By raising the lighting up higher you reduce the salt deposits however yopu have more loss do to the greater distance between the lights and the actual corals.

I personaly tried all three above. I prefer the third choice keeping all lights at least 8" above the surface seems to minimize salt deposits.

Dennis

Good way to look at it Dennis. let me modify your opinions though slightly.

1. I use full glass covers. The key is that they are 1/4" starphire covers, and according to the PAR meter they block out something like 2 PAR (.05% or something). As for the salt, well... if you have a full glass cover, the humidity will build up on the glass, which is distilled water really, and this keeps things pretty clean FWIW. I clean mine once a month and its nothing serious really... just to wipe off the dust.

2. Plexi is most likely the best solution, like you said though, it can be bad for heat.... or... in the case of my Tek mod... good for heat. The plexi itself blocks out a minimal %age of light... 1% maybe. With my Tek mod, the acrylic actually aids me with cooling though, as it provides a duct that forces air across the bulbs with the use of a cross-flow fan mounted at one end of the fixture.

3. Open fixtures are nice when you can use them, but waterproof endcaps would be high on my list, as well as removable reflectors that are coated. FWIW, I think that the plexi idea is the best, provided you accomidate for the ventilation, as its a whole lot easier to remove and clean a single piece of clear plexi than it is to have to remove every reflector and clean them, as well as the bulbs because they are unprotected.