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sshm 
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 Topic: T5HO users
Posted: February 27 2007 at 1:20am |
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I changed my bulb combination and I'm very happy with the results. I am now going with 1 GE 3000k, 1 ATI Aquablue Special, 1 URI SuperActinic and 1 ATI Blue+. The last 2 bulbs come on first and go off last. The color from these 2 is very close to a 20000k MH, the greens just pop and the fluorescence is awesome. The 3000k is orange when used as stand alone but it really brings out the reds. Both my reddish/purple seriatoporas (thin and thick branch) completely fade out under the actinics, they appear bluish grey. So the actinics have no high range reds in them.
The two actinics have high peaks at 420nm-450nm. The 3000k has peaks at 550 and 625nm. The aquablue+ has a large peak at 400-500nm, another at 550 and a shorter peak around 625nm. I reasoned that this combo would give me peaks at 425, 450, 500, 550 and 625. The peaks at the higher range are more for bringing out the reds more than anything else. This can be swapped out for the higher par 6500k, actually I think that the 6500k would be a better choice. When all 4 lamps are on, the back of the tank (which is the area the 3000k lights) is very orange but when viewed from the front the other 3 bulbs wash it out. My earlier bulb combo was 3 Giesemann Aquablue+ and 1 Jalli 10000k and it was seriously crappy, although I did not see any bad effects in terms of growth. I am hopeful that I will still get good growth with this bulb combo, but that remains to be seen.
Of course this thread is useless without pics, so I will try to get some up asap.
What this thread is: I'd like this to be a reference thread about T5 combos and colors, so please post away with your bulb combos and pics.
What this thread is not: This is not a T5HO vs MH, T5HO vs VHO thread.
Edited by sshm - February 27 2007 at 1:21am
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Mike Savage
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Posted: February 27 2007 at 9:59am |
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Great info on bulb combination. Keep us posted! I hope more people chime in too.
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shaggydoo
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Posted: March 05 2007 at 12:53pm |
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I just set up my 120G with 2 6.5k ge, 2 10k TRU, 2 super actinic TRU, and 2 blue plus ATI. Its only been running for a couple weeks but the colors are already starting to become a lot more vibrant than under my previous MH. The look is mostly white but I guess without pics my explanation is fairly worthless. I'll try to get some but no promises as to how soon since I don't have a comp at home for the moment. I am a huge fan of t5 and love the results I have seen so far (even though they are fairly limited timewise).
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60g LPS Cube
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sshm
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Posted: June 12 2007 at 12:45am |
Here are some pics that are long due. I just wanted to show some pics of a couple of corals under the lights mentioned in the first post.
Here is a shot of a birdsnest (from Bruce Ewald) under all 4 tubes:
Here is the same coral under only the 12000k and the 3000k bulb:
Here the coral is under the ATI and URI actinics:
Notice how dark it looks, apart from one conclusion that this coral probably does not flouresce, another is that the two bulbs do not have any light near the "red" part of the spectrum.
Here is a different SPS under all lamps:
and here is the same one under the 12000k and the 3000k lamp:
Here is another shot showing flourescence under the actinics:
Here is a shot of a orange plating coral under the 12000k/3000k lamps:
And here is the coral under the actinics:
A shot of frogspawn flourescing under the actinics:
My tank was completely overrun with caulerpa and it had grown all over most of the corals (including the SPS in the photos). Nevertheless, I've had god growth and health under these lights. As shaggydoo said, there are a lot of variables in coral health, color and growth, but as far as I can tell, all things considered, the lights have not been a limiting factor.
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Mike Savage
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Posted: June 12 2007 at 8:42am |
That is great. Thanks for the pictures. I really like the color on that Birdsnest!
Mike
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: June 12 2007 at 9:19am |
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Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks:www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
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TriggerHappy
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Posted: June 12 2007 at 11:28am |
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Wow...I'm really liking the looks of the T5's. You are getting me to start thinking.
What about anemones and clams...how do they do?
Bill
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210 gallon Mixed Reef
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sshm
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Posted: June 12 2007 at 11:43am |
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I've never kept anemones or clams, so I can't say. Also, I have to say that the SPS in the pic are at a distance of 8"-9" away from the tubes, and about 5" or so away from the water surface.
Also, color is all about the bulb combination, you can see that the same corals look very different under different bulbs, so with T5HO you can choose a bulb combination that brings out the best color. I think I'm not getting as much PAR and therefore not as much growth with this setup, when compared to having 4 6500k tubes. So if I'd gone with a 6500k instead of the 3000k I might have got faster growth, but the pinkish 3000k bulb really brings out the reds.
I'm wondering if a setup with a 6500k MH surrounded by T5s would be a good option to get growth, so the MH can come on for about 6 hrs a day (at a time when the tank is least viewed) and the rest of the time the T5HOs are on with a nice bulb combination that brings out the color (while sacrificing PAR).
Edited by sshm - June 12 2007 at 11:50am
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TriggerHappy
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Posted: June 12 2007 at 11:48am |
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What are the dimensions of your tank?
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210 gallon Mixed Reef
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Mike Savage
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Posted: June 12 2007 at 11:50am |
I've read that SPS, anemones, and clams can all do well under T5HOs.
Mike
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sshm
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Posted: June 12 2007 at 11:52am |
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Its a standard 20H. So i guess thats 24"x12"x16"?
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TriggerHappy
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Posted: June 12 2007 at 11:57am |
I was looking at hellolights...it would be kinda pricing for me to experiment on my 6' 125.  I have 3 Workhorse 7's...do you know if they would work on the T5's? Mike...where did you read that? I'd still like to entertain the idea.
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210 gallon Mixed Reef
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shaggydoo
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Posted: June 12 2007 at 12:06pm |
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SPS and clams do very well under t5. I've got a blue clam (don't know the exact type but I think its a crocea) in my sandbed and many sps at various heights in my 120 (even some sps in the sand as well) and growth is amazing. I went from 250w 10k mh and my growth with t5 is much better... not all because of light alone but the lights aren't holding the growth back any. I went with a more white look than sshm having 2 6.5 k bulbs but it is all taste specific and with my next bulb combo may try a bluer look to get more intense coloration and sacrifice a little of the growth I have been seeing.
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60g LPS Cube
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pickensw
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Posted: June 12 2007 at 12:20pm |
I am running 3 48" T5HO on a workhorse 7. It will do 4 but that is all my hood will handle so I put one super actinic on another ballast. I don't have any clams but I do have an anemone which moved about 3" from where I first put it, and that was to put it's foot under a ledge. It's very close to the bottom of the tank.
Anemone is in the lower left hand.
Edited by pickensw - June 12 2007 at 12:39pm
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TriggerHappy
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Posted: June 12 2007 at 12:31pm |
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Shaggydoo...what is the depth of your tank?
Pickensw...great info...thanks!
FYI. I'm currently running 3 160 watt Actinic 03 (72") and 2 175w MH 14k's.
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210 gallon Mixed Reef
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TriggerHappy
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Posted: June 12 2007 at 12:45pm |
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Nice looking tank Pickensw!
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210 gallon Mixed Reef
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pickensw
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Posted: June 12 2007 at 1:05pm |
I think this is the link Mike was talking about.
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shaggydoo
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Posted: June 12 2007 at 2:01pm |
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Its a standard 120 so I believe that is 24"....
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60g LPS Cube
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jeffras
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Posted: June 12 2007 at 2:11pm |
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All this talk about vho and t5vho on the board lately!
What is the difference in ballasts from vho to ho to pc? I run 4 96w pc's right now on a 150 and was thinking about changing to the t5ho. Do I have to buy new ballasts or can I use what I already have (workhorse).
Shaggy, Are you running strictly vho?
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Jeff Rasmussen
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pickensw
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Posted: June 12 2007 at 2:21pm |
 jeffras wrote:
What is the difference in ballasts from vho to ho to pc? I run 4 96w pc's right now on a 150 and was thinking about changing to the t5ho. Do I have to buy new ballasts or can I use what I already have (workhorse).
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I am using a Workhorse 7 and it will power 4-48" T5HO
A Workhorse 7 will only power 1-48" VHO
T5HO 48"=54W
VHO 48"=110W
Here is a link to Fulham website and off to the right is a "Find Your Ballast and Wiring Diagram" just plug in the bulbs you want to use and it will tell you what ballast and the wiring for them.
Edited by pickensw - June 12 2007 at 2:29pm
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