too much t-5??

[dwd5813]

i would like to keep euphyllia corals in my 55. would the tek t-5 with the 8x54w be too much for them in a tank this shallow?

[fishypapas]

just to let you know, the tek light 8 bulb fixture is 19" wide.

your 55, if standard, is only 13" wide. your paying for light thats not going to go into your tank, at least not efficiently.

fp

[dwd5813]

thanks for that info. would the aquastar on drfosterandsmith work, do you think? i wonder, since these are deeper water corals, would a lower intensity be better?

[fishypapas]

im not familiar with that coral. but with my own reading and research (on here) ive learned that t5's are very intense and can "harm" lower light species.

i had a similar thread abut a week ago regarding t5's, the number of bulbs to use with a certain height, 21" and 24".

theoretically, with lower light corals place in the right location, a 2 bulb ubit may be quite enough. 4 is more than sufficient as you can start moving them lower or hiding them, but 6 may be asking for trouble.

i decided to start out with retro t5s. one at first, then adding as i find the need. this is the best way to control the light. although the tek lights have "separate" plugs, they only get divided into 2.

for example a 4 bulb would be good because you control every pair, so if you think you have too much light you can run a pair a bit less. however, with the 6 and 8 you still only get two switches. which means you lose control of the extra light. where withthe retro you could stagger the timing for all the lights, and then fiddle to get the right amount. for example, you could have a "high noon" hour or two when the all 6 or 8 bulbs would be on. this is the control the retros give you, at the expense of not having a nice finished fixture.

in any case, buying a set fixture with too many lights could cost you a lot more in the long run (selling to get another). so unless you know exactly what you need, want a fixture, or know youll be doing an sps tank in the future, it may be your best bet to go retro if lower light is where you want to start (gives you the most flexibility).

youll have nothing to worry about. too little light? no because you can add more. too much light? no beacuse you started with less.

hope this made some sense for you.

fp

ps ive notices that people take a hit when reselling their tek lights, check the selling forum to get an idea of the devaluation of both the tek and retro stuff. if money is a concern this may be important.

[dwd5813]

i have been using eric borneman's book of corals as my selection guide, and in it i read that euphyllia are a genus of corals that come from deeper waters than most other commonly available selections. this is what leads me to believe that intensity is slightly less important than spectrum when it comes to lighting. i would like to stick to something that will be "low" cost and yet adequate at worst in terms of lighting. money is most definitely a concern and i dont want to waste time or money buying something i will have to replace. i dont even have water in the tank yet, and i would love to only make one fixture purchase. it seems that a four bulb fixture would work well. thanks for your help, fishy.

[horkn]

i can tell you all euphyllia are not happy under high lighting. i ahve a tank in very close dimensions toa 55, its just 3 foot and not 4feet like a 55.

i ahve to keep both the torch i had, and the hammer i have down low in the tank. it sure doesnt like it anywhere from the middle of the tank to the upper part.

i run 3x39 of t5ho, 2 ati blue bulbs, and 1 ge 6500k day, with aqualux reflectors...

8x54 would be over kill. i say 30r 4x54 would be way more than necessary, but a lot has to do with bulb and reflector choice...

[Horace]

I might also add that its not the amount of bulbs that give you intensity. Its the ballast that makes all the difference. Putting more bulbs isnt going to get you more intense light, it will just incease your coverage. If you need more light, you just get an Icecap ballast. I echo what has been said above. There is NO point in putting more than 4 bulbs over a 55 because they wont fit. 6 bulbs barely fit on a 75 and that is 18" wide. Also just to note, 6x54w or 4x54w with icecap ballasts is a TON of light. More intense than quite a few 250w halides even. My suggestion would be get 4x54w and run them on a spec T5 ballast such as the Triad. I have 6x54 on my 75 with Triads and its hella bright, though I am considering getting the Icecap ballast for 4 of my 6 because I have an SPS dominated tank and right now my corals are doing just fine with what I have and I think they may benefit from even more light.

[dwd5813]

ok i think i have narrowed down my lighting choices to two.
1. sunlight supply tek t5 4x54
2. nova extreme t5 4x54


any comments/ recommendations between the two?

[fishypapas]

everyone is going to tell you to get the tek.

they have individual reflectors that basically dounle the light. YES double the light, that is the light actually being directed into the aquarium.

the nova, unless they have changes, offer a single rounded reflector for all the bulbs. which means there is a lot of light bouncing around and not going straight into your tank, thus the heavy light loss. that is why vho's have internal reflectors. although not as effecient as a dedicated reflector, it helps out a lot.

so, there you go.

besides, if this means anything, more people are apt to buy the used tek than a used nova.

fp

[horkn]

but, if you want euphyllia, the less light may be better.

they really dont need that much lighting....

[sjm817]

The 4 light Tek would be good on a 55G. I have Torches, Frogspawn, Hammer (euphyllia) with a 6 bulb setup in a 90G and they do well. The Hammer is down low, Torches and Frogspawn mid - low/mid level. They are hardy adaptable corals IME.

[ahman]

Where can I find the t5 setup without the ballasts I have plenty of icecaps but for instance reefgeek sells the retro with ballasts I need everything but, thanx

[horkn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6682815#post6682815 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ahman
Where can I find the t5 setup without the ballasts I have plenty of icecaps but for instance reefgeek sells the retro with ballasts I need everything but, thanx

www.aqualuxlighting.com

has all the items you would need, and you can buy whatever you want, endcaps, reflectors, etc..

[dwd5813]

okay folks, i actually made a final decision:eek2:
the tek light it is.
okay maybe i fibbed a bit.
i have decided to go with a tek light, but upon review of the available models, i found that they actually make a few different four bulb models.:rollface: now i am having to choose between the 4x54 or the 4x39. what do you guys think??

[sjm817]

For a 4' 55G, a 4' fixture. 39W fixture is 3' long

[dwd5813]

okay then
the tek 4x54 it is
thank you to all for helping with this important decision

[fishypapas]

keep us updated on your thoughts on the lights, and how everything is doing under them

good luck

fp

[dwd5813]

will do, thanks