100% zoanthid tank opinions needed

[dwdenny]

Ok what do you all think about this idea good or bad. Here is my plan 4x39w T5 with 2 aquablue(11kk) and 2 blueplus(20kk). I think that it would look good with all those different colors but those of you that have had reef tanks longer them myself please chime in.

[don-n-sa]

ha, ha Josh another debate begins. :P You are right about the actinics though...they are C-R-A-P

His choice of aquablues and bluepluses will look good IMO. :)

I have been reasearching T'5s for about 6 months now and I have finally made the decision to have a custom canopy built with T-5's only. After much time on RC and checking out a few T-5 set ups I have learned that the key with T-5's is the bulb choice, and you must have high quality reflectors. Josh is correct that the strait up actinics are crap but I think that you will like the blue-pluses and aquablues.

I am part of a huge thread on RC that has been split up due to its size...it reads t-5's a cautionary note

[don-n-sa]

in my custom canopy I have 16x54w T-5's

my bulb choice will be
2 AT1 SUNS
2 GE DAYLIGHTS
4 AQUABLUES
8 BLUE PLUSES

note no true actinics but IMO this will give me the blue look that I want and with good growth.

[dwdenny]

yeah I have been posting there as well. I think that I have a WH8 ballast (which is like the WH7 but can run 5 bulbs)being shipped to me that is a sample ballast from a distributor so i am hoping that they have one to send me. I was planning on going with the aqualuxlighting reflectors as per The Grim Reefer they are not as good as the SLR but better then the SLS reflectors. If I am unable to get the ballast I will have to really look at a 150w PFO mini with Phoenix 14kk or the LAIII reflector with 15kk XM 175w SE. I would really like the T5 due to the average summer temps here in the vvalley are like 105 and 85% humidity. Not sure if it is any different in SA but I keep the A/C at 78 day and 75 night. Not sure how much it would heat up the house and tank and I don't want to have to add a chiller or keep the A/C at 75 all day long.

[alexwolf]

Let me tell you what, I hated my T5's at the store until i made one simple change. I have a 3 bulbs setup, 2 10k and one Aquamedic Ocean Blue. I changed one 10k tonight to another Oceanblue and bang, glowing color. IF you stick to a ratio of 2 or 3 blue to one 10k, i think you wil be fine.

[VeeDub]

dwdenny,

If you have to go m/h lighting, run with the 15K XM.
Here's what our zoos became.
This pic was altered for size only- didn't touch the saturation even though the coralline looks suspect. That was caused by running the flash at the highest setting instead of the normal setting.

[dwdenny]

great looking zoos Veedub. I am still a little up in the air about lighting. But if I get the WH8 ballast I will go T5 if not then I will have to look at MH.

[dwdenny]

Workhorse ballast deal fell through with my uncle. So how much heat will a single 175w MH or 150w DE put out into the tank and the house. the tank is 36"X18"X16" on this tank. I know everyone is going to tell me go 250w but I aafraid of the heat issue that I will have with 250 watters. I was thinking of using the Lumen Arc III reflectors with 175w with XM 15kk or a ROIII with bluewave III ballast phoenix 14kk. I will not have actinic supplementation with MH.

[mkengr45]

You should be able to handle the heat of a 250. I have a 250w 20k halide over a 30 gallon cube, and I just have a fan in the canopy blowing across the water. my temp is usually about 78.

[dwdenny]

that is not bad at all. Is it SE or DE? I know tha that the HQI ballast runs the DE better but what do you think of an eballast for both SE and/or DE setups. What could I expect with mag ballast and bulb life?

[mathias]

I have 2 fans and 2 400 watt MH and my temp is about 79 80....

[dwdenny]

Thanks for all the comments. I am leaning toward the 250w XDE 15kk on ROIII with IC 250 eballast or possibly a 150 with XDE 15kk on IC 150w eballast. Iknow they will love the blue spectrum more and color up better but not sure if I need the 250w. This will be a dedicated zoo tank and all.

[alexwolf]

my zoo tank is a 45 gal. I have 1 250w 20k XM mogul. IMO, perfect color for the zoos.

[dwdenny]

should I be looking at par value as well. I was looking at sanjays site and it gives PPFD which from what I have read can be translated into PAR value.

Here is the site if anyone doesn't have it already: http://www.reeflightinginfo.arvixe.com/index.htm

On IC eballast there is a big difference between EVC and XM then EVC seems to be better but not sure of the spectrum compared to the XM. You know is it bluer then the XM or more white. Will have to find that one out now. How blue does the XM 20kk blub look?

What do you all think about the ROIII pendant. The other option is the PFO. I was looking at the oceanencounter.com and they have the ROIII with EVC ballast and bulb for 239 plus shipping and the PFO for 224 same thing for 224. Not much differnce but I think that I saw tha tthe ROIII had a better light spread then the PFO. Anyone with personal experience?

[dwdenny]

I have been thinking about it and I am going with the 150w ocean light with AB20kk bulb. If I don't like th color then I can switch to the 14k Phoenix or the XDE 15kk bulb. With only 16" of depth should look good.

[dwdenny]

yeah me too Joshua. I have been looking for it but to no luck. So you think that the 15kk would give better color. I will look into that.

What do you think the bulb life would be on a 150w XM with the HQI ballast. Would I at least get 12 month out of the bulb?

[Thunderkat]

All zoo tank? Nah, you gotta throw in some mushrooms too. :)

[dwdenny]

I might but I was planning palythoa and parazoanthus as well. But I might throw in some ricordea or favia or some thing like that. But it will mostly be zoanthid species.

[dwdenny]

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005/6/aafeature2

Info on 15kk XM don't look to good for the 15kk XM.