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  #251  
Old 11/04/2005, 11:56 PM
The Grim Reefer The Grim Reefer is offline
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I guess you could alternate Aquablue and Blueplus T5's and get an even look from the sides. I really like adding a few GE Daylights in there myself but the 50/50 mix will work. Running the T5's you should be good for SPS in the upper two thirds of the tank or so. I don't know if I would try the super color Maxima's on the bottom but the less light demanding clams will be OK.
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  #252  
Old 11/05/2005, 12:19 AM
asnatlas asnatlas is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by The Grim Reefer
I guess you could alternate Aquablue and Blueplus T5's and get an even look from the sides. I really like adding a few GE Daylights in there myself but the 50/50 mix will work. Running the T5's you should be good for SPS in the upper two thirds of the tank or so. I don't know if I would try the super color Maxima's on the bottom but the less light demanding clams will be OK.
Thanks for all your help, Do you think I would be making a bad move if I went with all T5s ?? Yes there would be 24 of them... But...

I am thinking about using the following bulbs (not in the order listed) :

GE 6500K Daylight (4)
11000K Aquablue Special (6)
Actinic/Blue Plus (10)
Pure Actinic 03 (maybe 4)

I would like a bluish tint around 14kish (maybe a little more blue, but not 20k)...

Shawn
  #253  
Old 11/05/2005, 12:52 AM
The Grim Reefer The Grim Reefer is offline
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I wouldn't mess with the actinics. Probably try something like this:

Front

Blueplus
Aquablue
GE
Bluepus
Aquablue
GE
Blueplus
Aquablue
GE
Blueplus
Aquablue
Blueplus

Or reverse the order for a more blue look.
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  #254  
Old 11/05/2005, 12:54 AM
The Grim Reefer The Grim Reefer is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by trottman
Grim,
I have had my Finnex T5 4x24 watt fixture on my standard 10 gallon reef for about 5 days now. All corals (sps, lps, and softies) are doing better than ever. With the exception of 2 highly place mushrooms... but i dont mind. the only problem that i have is all of my beautiful coraline algae on my rocks is turinig white. is this bad or normal for a T5 light upgrade from 20 watts pc and 30 watts NO flouresnt. Will my corals start having problems too? At the momnent all i have on there are the regular jalli bulbs taht come stock with the fixture. if it is the bulbs then could you reccomend some bulbs that would be good.

Thanks, MAtt
Probably just an increase in light bleaching out the coraline. Give it some time
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  #255  
Old 11/05/2005, 05:13 AM
Justin74 Justin74 is offline
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I concur doctor.
I was running the same amount of bulbs and watts that I am now and I experienced quite a bit of coraline bleaching just by going retro and adding the individual reflectors. They make that much of a difference.

-Justin
  #256  
Old 11/05/2005, 10:22 AM
trottman trottman is offline
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Quote:
quote:quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by trottman
Grim,
I have had my Finnex T5 4x24 watt fixture on my standard 10 gallon reef for about 5 days now. All corals (sps, lps, and softies) are doing better than ever. With the exception of 2 highly place mushrooms... but i dont mind. the only problem that i have is all of my beautiful coraline algae on my rocks is turinig white. is this bad or normal for a T5 light upgrade from 20 watts pc and 30 watts NO flouresnt. Will my corals start having problems too? At the momnent all i have on there are the regular jalli bulbs taht come stock with the fixture. if it is the bulbs then could you reccomend some bulbs that would be good.

Thanks, MAtt
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Probably just an increase in light bleaching out the coraline. Give it some time


My coraline will grow back right? what type of clam would you reccomend grim? Thanks a lot man you are great!!!
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  #257  
Old 11/05/2005, 10:51 AM
The Grim Reefer The Grim Reefer is offline
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Hit someone else about the clam, maybe the nano forum. I personally wouldn't try a clams in that small of a tank but that hardly means it couldn't be done.

The coraline will grow back.
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  #258  
Old 11/05/2005, 04:02 PM
trottman trottman is offline
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Grim, the main display is only 10 gallons, but the sump/refugium is 30 gallons. That means a total of like 45 gallon (ingluding skimmer, filter, and plumbing) i just needd to know what type of clam .. but i will ask someone else.

Tyhnaks
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  #259  
Old 11/05/2005, 04:05 PM
Justin74 Justin74 is offline
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Research into a Hippopus hippopus clam, there more low light tolerant.

-Justin
  #260  
Old 11/06/2005, 11:11 AM
sr71pav sr71pav is offline
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Well, switched to T5's yesterday (Having Premium Aquatics in town makes it way too easy to spend money!). Got the 4x24W Finnex and I am already loving it. The zoa's orange is already starting to come out again. Part f it is certainly the actinics, but the colors are phenomenal again. I think my tank looks a bit bluer now, before it seemed a bit yellow. I like the new look so much better. Just wanted to put in my approval of T5s for anyone reading along.
  #261  
Old 11/06/2005, 11:15 AM
amheck amheck is offline
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Can you snap a pic of that Finnex hood on your tank? I'm interested in seeing what it looks like.
  #262  
Old 11/06/2005, 12:08 PM
trottman trottman is offline
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here is my tnk with new light, Grim


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  #263  
Old 11/06/2005, 12:23 PM
sr71pav sr71pav is offline
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Here's my FTS with the new light. It's actually quite a bit bluer, I was playing with white balance.

  #264  
Old 11/06/2005, 12:43 PM
amheck amheck is offline
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Nice. Are you guys happy with the color and the light output of the fixture? Do these have dual switches for dawn to dusk? I'm guessing no moonlight, but that can be added easy enough.
  #265  
Old 11/06/2005, 12:52 PM
sr71pav sr71pav is offline
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I'm running 2 Aquablue and 2 Actinic Plus. THe Actinix plus gives it a blu-ish color. So far, I don't really mind it. It's a softer look, and I really didn't like the more yellow I got from the PCs I had. Thing is I can always change bulbs and change the overall color.

And yes, there are 2 switches. No moonlight, but I just have the coralife one from before that I'm using for now.
  #266  
Old 11/06/2005, 01:50 PM
The Grim Reefer The Grim Reefer is offline
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Nice tanks. You "short" people crack me up

SR, grab a GE 6500K Daylight and swap it in there for one of your aquablues and see what you think. They are dirt cheap and it doesn't hurt to have a spare lamp laying around. Your tank wouldn't look quite as blue but you will get more natural looking colors. It really pops red and yellow colors in the tank better.
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  #267  
Old 11/06/2005, 01:54 PM
amheck amheck is offline
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Guys with the Finnex hood - 1 more question.

Is there any space in there to put in some reflectors? I'm assuming this hood does not have individual reflectors, right?
  #268  
Old 11/06/2005, 02:06 PM
trottman trottman is offline
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i think that there is a lot that can be done in the way of putting in reflectors. there is a lot of space around the bulbs for added reflectors
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  #269  
Old 11/06/2005, 02:57 PM
The Grim Reefer The Grim Reefer is offline
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The reflectors are 2 1/4" wide. on a 4 lamp hood you need 10" of space to install them. Judging by the pics there isn't even close to enough room but I could be wrong.
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Last year the SEC was the strongest conference but overrated. This year they were just overrated.
  #270  
Old 11/06/2005, 03:52 PM
wbeavers wbeavers is offline
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Grim, I am setting up a 150 gallon starboard 48x30x24" w/ a 20 gallon frag tank 48x12x9". All ballasts and reflectors will be Icecap. The lighting on the main tank will be 6 T5 on Icecap ballasts(12 hours a day), and 2 x 250 DE MH 14K (4 hours a day). The frag tank will have 2 T5 bulbs run 12 hours a day reverse cycle. This is how I plan to light this setup

Display tank

Blueplus
Aquablue
Blueplus
MH MH
GE Daylight
Aquablue
Blueplus

Frag tank

GE Daylight
Blueplus

Please let me know what you think about this plan. Thanks, Bill
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  #271  
Old 11/06/2005, 04:27 PM
The Grim Reefer The Grim Reefer is offline
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Sounds nice. If it were me I'd run XM 10K halides as long as you have all those Blueplus T5's to "blue up" the look. I'd run the 3 blueplus lamps on one ballast and the GE and Aquablues on the other and time them like this.

10 AM: Blueplus on
11 am GE/Aquablues on
2 PM Halides on
3 PM GE/Aquablues off
5 PM GE/Aquablues on
6 PM Halides Off
9 PM GE/Aquablues off
10PM Blueplus off

You would get a lot of different intensites like that. Would be interesting to see how the corals would react.
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Grim tells it like it is.
Last year the SEC was the strongest conference but overrated. This year they were just overrated.
  #272  
Old 11/06/2005, 05:17 PM
wbeavers wbeavers is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by The Grim Reefer
Sounds nice. If it were me I'd run XM 10K halides as long as you have all those Blueplus T5's to "blue up" the look. I'd run the 3 blueplus lamps on one ballast and the GE and Aquablues on the other and time them like this.

10 AM: Blueplus on
11 am GE/Aquablues on
2 PM Halides on
3 PM GE/Aquablues off
5 PM GE/Aquablues on
6 PM Halides Off
9 PM GE/Aquablues off
10PM Blueplus off

You would get a lot of different intensites like that. Would be interesting to see how the corals would react.
As of this point XM has not got their DE bulbs to run on an Icecap ballast. So if I stay with the 14Ks I will swap out one blueplus for a GE. The two Icecap ballasts are a 660 & a 430.

Display tank

Blueplus 430
Aquablue 660
GE Daylight 660
MH MH 14Ks DE
GE Daylight 660
Aquablue 660
Blueplus 430

Frag tank

GE Daylight 430#2
Blueplus 430#2

This is the photo period I think I will run. I want the highest intensity midday. You had lower intensity for two hours midday?

12 PM 2 Blueplus on / Frag tank lighting off
1 PM 2 GE/2Aquablues on
4 PM 2 250 DE 14K MH on
8 PM 2 250 DE 14K MH off
11PM 2 GE/2Aquablues off
12AM 2 Blueplus off / Frag tank lighting on
  #273  
Old 11/06/2005, 08:32 PM
The Grim Reefer The Grim Reefer is offline
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Actually I was going for 2 miday peaks but what ever. Not a huge difference. I am not a fan of Ice Cap halide ballasts simply because they can't run a PAR monster lamp like an XM. Either way you will be good.
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Last year the SEC was the strongest conference but overrated. This year they were just overrated.
  #274  
Old 11/06/2005, 09:16 PM
clown fanatic clown fanatic is offline
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what would be a good setup for a 55g tank? id prefer the "14k look". im currently keeping softies, a LTA, some zoanthids, LPS in the near future, and if new T5's allow some SPS. i'd like to get better color out of my corals than what im getting out of my 260w PC, can T5's do this? thanks
  #275  
Old 11/06/2005, 10:09 PM
The Grim Reefer The Grim Reefer is offline
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2 blueplus 1 aquablue and i aquablue would be my choice.
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