People with T5 experience

[gjuarez]

Hey guys, i just ordered my lights from reefgeek. Already had the IceCap Ballasts so i got the reflectors and bulbs and a couple of standoffs. I am going with an overdriven retro system powered by IceCap Ballasts, with IceCap reflectors and IceCap endcaps and standoffs. THe bulbs will be cooled with IceCap fans. My bulb configuration was carefully chosen by none other that the T5 guru himself, The Grim Reefer. Here is my bulb configuration:

Front
ATI Blue Plus
UVL 75/25
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus
GE 6500K Daylight
ATI Blue Plus

I am getting my lights in next thursday or friday, cant wait. So, what do you guys think? Oh, and this will be an SPS tank. A 75g tank with the standard dimensions.

[Gseclipse02]

do you have a pic what the color should look like ??

[gjuarez]

Nope I dont... I normally like my tanks to be very crisp white, this settup should be a little bluer though. Once i get them all wired up i will post a pic

[fishypets]

You'll be happy with T5's for sure. I'll never ever go back to M.H. Tanks runs cool without a chiller and you can pretty much change the colors in your tank just by swapping out one bulb. I'm also more than pleased with the growth my sps have put on.

[Rychek]

The only change I would make to your bulb lineup is to swap something out for an actinic bulb. I ran my IceCap 660 with 4 bulbs with the following bulbs:

ATI Blue Plus
UVL Aquasun 10k
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus

The overall color was crisp and fairly white, but, the corals didn't POP until I added another 660 with the following two bulbs:

UVL Actinic
KZ Figi Purple

I'll never go back to not having a true actinic bulb, especially after I lost my UVL actinic and repalced it with a Geissman PowerChrome.

[gjuarez]

I thought about getting the KZ fiji purple. I have heard nothing but great things from it. I def need more 420nm in my light setup. I'll wait a month to order it. I debated for a while on the GE 6.5k, not a fan of 6.5k but it should help a ton for growth. We shall see

[fishypets]

The only change I would make to your bulb lineup is to swap something out for an actinic bulb. I ran my IceCap 660 with 4 bulbs with the following bulbs:

ATI Blue Plus
UVL Aquasun 10k
ATI Aquablue
ATI Blue Plus

The overall color was crisp and fairly white, but, the corals didn't POP until I added another 660 with the following two bulbs:

UVL Actinic
KZ Figi Purple

I'll never go back to not having a true actinic bulb, especially after I lost my UVL actinic and repalced it with a Geissman PowerChrome.

I have four ATI actinic bulbs in a 10 bulb configuration and my corals have a ton of "pop"

[gjuarez]

Ordering on the KZ fiji purple on monday.. The guy at reefgeek said they would be sending the bulbs until tuesday so I can still add it. Are you guys overdriving your T5s

[Rychek]

Ordering on the KZ fiji purple on monday.. The guy at reefgeek said they would be sending the bulbs until tuesday so I can still add it. Are you guys overdriving your T5s

I'm overdriving mine, though I didn't know that until recently. From what I understand, all IceCap 660 ballasts overdrive the bulbs. One thing to keep in mind when overdriving is keep the bulbs cooled. A fan is a must if you want the bulbs to perform well and not have a shortened life.




I have four ATI actinic bulbs in a 10 bulb configuration and my corals have a ton of "pop"

40% actinic should give you a lot of pop. Though, IME, there is a difference between blue bulbs and actinic bulbs. The blues don't make the colors pop like the actinics do.

[ErikH]

Don't you have to run those icecaps in a specific wiring config to overdrive them? Or just run less bulbs???

Actinics are purple, more like a blacklight. Pure Actinic + are pretty darn purple.

Lizard, the GrimReefer eh? :)

I am running 2x250HQI XM20k, PFO minis, icecap and an ARO. Four Geisemann bulbs, two are Actinic + and the others are Pure Actinic +. The Pure Actinics, one is at the front, and the other is at the very back. My tank is fairly blue, but it's alot better than dingy lookin' yellow.

[rz1a]

Did you setup the tank already? I'd like to see what it ends up looking like with that combo. I remember seeing that list somewhere and they said it'd be a crisp white

[gjuarez]

As far as actinic, its normally confused with blue light. True Actinic 03 is 420nm, while most blue bulbs are 460nm. Zooxanthellae need 420nm to color up so yes you are right. I've never had T5 actinic, i have seen it though and personally i dont like it much. IME nothing compares to VHO so now I am considering going with 4 T5 bulbs driven by the 660 and 2 actinic VHO run by a 430. I am not sure i will go this route but I am definately considering it. Oh yeah, I also have IceCap fans blowing into the ends of the bulbs, according to grimreefer if the bulbs are not cooled down they do not put enough as much PAR.

[rz1a]

he also mentioned that if theyre cooled down too much that they also lose PAR

[gjuarez]

I will be getting the bulbs next thursday so they will be up and running by next weekend. I'll try to get pics of it then but i wont be setting up the tank for a couple of weeks or so.

As far as the bulbs being cooled, its difficult to say what gives the best PAR values. Too hot and you loose PAR, too cool and you loose PAR. LOL FOr that reason, the fans should point towards the endcaps and not the bulbs directly.

THanks for chiming in guys, this was the conversation I had in mind. DOnt stop give me more. LOL

[ErikH]

With Geisemann bulbs, the Actinics are blue, while the Pure Actinics are purple. Not sure on the NM of each though.

[rz1a]

T5s are great, I don't think ill ever go back to MH. On my 75g I was originally going to do 2x250w MH, thats already 500w, not including any actinics compared to only 324w where I can achieve the dusk and dawn effect. ReefGeek is a great place to order from, love how they throw in the treats in there. You should have told me you were going to order from there, I just did my bulb order a couple weeks back

[gjuarez]

420 nano meter is the purple light, 460 nano meter is the blue light. Zooxanthellae prefer 420nm but they still take in the 460nm. Even the standard 10k mh has some 420nm in them and can give great coloration, it when you go lower into 6.5k that corals really look like _____ . The zoox dont starve, but its like putting them on the atkins diet, which result in poor coloration. The yellow and the red colors love it though.

So what do you all think about going VHO for the actinic supplimentation?

[gjuarez]

WIsh i would have know Ruben.. They gave me FREE groung shipping though, and Greg even deducted 20 dollars off of my order. I love reefgeek

[rz1a]

Blue+ by ATI to help some colors pop out, 3 of these bulbs were recommended to me by GR on RC for 6x54w setup

are you trying to turn these on before the other lights turn on? or you adding actinics to it?

[gjuarez]

If I go VHO actinic ill add two 110w bulbs, if I go with t5 i will go with only one KZ fiji purple. I dont like my tanks to be too blue.

[wkada]

I just set up my 6 bulb TEK light as follows:

Front:
ATI Blue plus
UVL aquasun
UVL 75/25
ATI Aquablue special
ATI Aquablue special
ATI Blue plus

decided to forego actinics after reading Grimreefer's forum. Even with only 2 blue pluses, things trend toward the blue side with everything on. I think you may find 3 blue pluses to be too much blue so I like your idea of going with the fiji purple. I can post some pics if your interested.

[gjuarez]

Yes, please post some pics, i am very interested in seeing them

[wkada]

I'll try to take some and post them tonight. My tank is by a window and there is too much glare during the day. Very interested in how you like the Fiji purple if you get it. Supposed to be great for pinks/reds.

[wkada]

Gave some misinformation. One of the ATI aquablue specials burned out so I replaced it with a UVL actinic white 50/50...only bulb I had around. Pics are of marginal quality.

All on followed by shots with only blue plus on

[gjuarez]

I really like the first two pics. That is very close to the color that i am looking for, maybe just a tad bit more blue but not much. THanks for the pics, you tank is looking great, very clean