T5HO users
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Specialized Discussion
Forum Name: Equipment
Forum Description: This is the place to ask question about reef equipment.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=16854
Printed Date: August 21 2025 at 10:18pm
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Topic: T5HO users
Posted By: sshm
Subject: T5HO users
Date 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. ------------- http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1157896 - Difficult and special care reef inhabitants |
Replies:
Posted By: Mike Savage
Date 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. -------------  |
Posted By: shaggydoo
Date 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). ------------- 60g LPS Cube |
Posted By: sshm
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 12:45am
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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. ------------- http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1157896 - Difficult and special care reef inhabitants |
Posted By: Mike Savage
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 8:42am
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That is great. Thanks for the pictures. I really like the color on that Birdsnest!
Mike ------------- |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 9:19am
 ------------- 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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Posted By: TriggerHappy
Date 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 ------------- 210 gallon Mixed Reef |
Posted By: sshm
Date 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). ------------- http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1157896 - Difficult and special care reef inhabitants |
Posted By: TriggerHappy
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 11:48am
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What are the dimensions of your tank? ------------- 210 gallon Mixed Reef |
Posted By: Mike Savage
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 11:50am
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I've read that SPS, anemones, and clams can all do well under T5HOs.
Mike ------------- |
Posted By: sshm
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 11:52am
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Its a standard 20H. So i guess thats 24"x12"x16"? ------------- http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1157896 - Difficult and special care reef inhabitants |
Posted By: TriggerHappy
Date 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. ------------- 210 gallon Mixed Reef |
Posted By: shaggydoo
Date 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. ------------- 60g LPS Cube |
Posted By: pickensw
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 12:20pm
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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.
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Posted By: TriggerHappy
Date 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. ------------- 210 gallon Mixed Reef |
Posted By: TriggerHappy
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 12:45pm
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Nice looking tank Pickensw!
------------- 210 gallon Mixed Reef |
Posted By: pickensw
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 1:05pm
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I think this is the link Mike was talking about.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1120850 - http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1120850
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Posted By: shaggydoo
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 2:01pm
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Its a standard 120 so I believe that is 24".... ------------- 60g LPS Cube |
Posted By: jeffras
Date 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? ------------- Jeff Rasmussen |
Posted By: pickensw
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 2:21pm
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.
http://www.fulham.com/Detail_BallastClass.php?ID=WH - http://www.fulham.com/Detail_BallastClass.php?ID=WH
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jeffras wrote:Posted By: shaggydoo
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 2:32pm
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I am running all t5s on individual reflectors. ------------- 60g LPS Cube |
Posted By: TriggerHappy
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 2:41pm
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This may be a totally dumb question, but...what if I just replaced my VHO's with T5's...would the MH wash them? Educate me PLEASE! ------------- 210 gallon Mixed Reef |
Posted By: pickensw
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 2:43pm
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Sorry...
I have never used VHO or MH.
I would use VHO...JMHO
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Posted By: chris.rogers
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 2:56pm
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Camaro, what do you mean by 'wash'? ------------- Ils sont fous, ces Romains! |
Posted By: pickensw
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 3:01pm
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Over power them I think....
A flashlight with D's will "Wash Out" a flashlight with AAA....
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Posted By: TriggerHappy
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 3:10pm
Exactly what pickensw said.  I'm just wondering if there would be any savings going with the T5's next time I have to order bulbs. Of course there will be initial costs such as new refectors and endcaps...how much longer do the T5's last? ------------- 210 gallon Mixed Reef |
Posted By: chris.rogers
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 3:15pm
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Longevity of T5 Bulbs: 12 months, give or take a month. Whether or not the MH will wash out the T5... Boy that's a tough one. I don't know. 4 T5 bulbs with individual reflectors can get bright, but I have yet to see a tank with my own eyes. Better to wait for some more authoritative input. ------------- Ils sont fous, ces Romains! |
Posted By: TriggerHappy
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 3:23pm
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I hear you Chris. My VHO's accent the MH's very nicely. I'd hate to spend a bunch of money and be unhappy. So the T5's do not last that much longer than the T12's...hmmmm. I'd have to do the entire canopy with T5's and ditch the MH's to make much sense I think. Bill ------------- 210 gallon Mixed Reef |
Posted By: jeffras
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 3:36pm
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From my little experience in this I am wondering what the advantage is of moving from vho to t5. I thought they were about the same. Is there that much of a difference? With the pc's I would be able to swap out the endcaps and reflectors and bulbs for the same price as the replacement pc bulbs (which are pretty much spent after 6-8 months). I ask because I was going to swap pc's for either of the two and have not decided which yet. ------------- Jeff Rasmussen |
Posted By: chris.rogers
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 3:38pm
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jeffras, to be honest with you, other than personal choice of the way the tank looks, i'm not aware of many differences between VHO and T5 either. They're both fluorescent, they're both bright, they're both about the same when it comes to the way they're wired up, and they can keep about the same kinds of things. I'd do so more asking/reading before I'd conclusively say one way or another, but for now, it does seem that VHO and T5 have more in common than not. ------------- Ils sont fous, ces Romains! |
Posted By: pickensw
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 3:41pm
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Longevity....as with any bulb it depends on how cool you keep them.
I think Scott told me that he changes out VHO daylight every 2 yrs and actinics every year or as he can afford them..
 .I have heard 18 months for T5. I have never changed mine. They are about 6 months old right now.
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Posted By: Mike Savage
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 3:42pm
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I think VHOs make better supplements to MH because of the awesome URI Super Actinics. I don't think their T5HO Actinics are as pretty. I do like tanks lit by all T5s though. Mike ------------- |
Posted By: jeffras
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 3:43pm
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Thanks Chris, Great discussion about this. How deep of a tank will the t5ho penetrate? I have a 150 which is 72x18x28. I am running 4x96 watt pc (which are pretty pathetic at the bottom of the tank, and 1 175watt mogul, and 1 150watt hqi. The pc's are at the front of the tank (which is the deepest). Do you think the t5ho's will light the bottom of the tank well? ------------- Jeff Rasmussen |
Posted By: pickensw
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 3:44pm
I agree except T5 use half as much power as compaired to VHO.
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Posted By: Mike Savage
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 3:51pm
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And produce much less heat. ------------- |
Posted By: Mike Savage
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 3:52pm
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Check with Tileman about T5HO supplements. I believe he uses them on his 65gallon with MH HQI.
Mike ------------- |
Posted By: pickensw
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 3:55pm
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The reason I chose T5...
The Ballast.. was only $40 (new from Mark when he moved) I think new are $45~$50 plus shipping.
Endcaps..same as VHO
Bulbs..Same as VHO
The tank is in my office at work so I wanted to help keep cost down with the lower wattage. I didn't think I would be able to keep sps but I tried some and they are doing great. I also like the look. I did try a few different bulbs. I do have some as a spair now. I have one URI daylight that I put in the #2 position and I didn't like the red color but in the #4 position I do like it much more as does my sps.
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Posted By: pickensw
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 3:58pm
 I keep forgetting about the heat because I don't have a problem with it |
Posted By: shaggydoo
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 4:47pm
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T5s give great penetration. I have no issue keeping many coloful zoas and sps (and a claim) in my sand. My tank is only 24" deep yet I can keep any light hungry coral as far down as I want... so thats a testament to the penetration power.
I have read bulb life anywhere from 18-24 months but you do have to actively cool (fans) the bulbs to extend the life that long. I haven't replaced mine yet but will just gauge my tank and play it by ear when the time comes. Heat is also very minimal.... the bulbs and ballasts do get hot to the touch but the heat does not add to the tank in any noticeable way. ------------- 60g LPS Cube |
Posted By: sshm
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 4:58pm
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I'm sure there is good information out there on the longevity of T5HO bulbs vs VHO. But from what I've seen most people (including me) change out their T5HOs whenever a new bulb comes along and someone says "awesome bulb!".
It happened when the ATIs came out with their new bulbs, when URI came out with their new T5 super actinics (people laughed at you if you had any other actinic bulb), when people figured they got get great PAR from the GE T5s in HD (people laughed at you when you bought the ATI 6500k when the GE 6500k had better PAR for half the price), and so on. It would take someone with a lot of courage and patience to actually stick with a set of bulbs for 1+ years to see what the light output is. But most people buying these are not experimenting, they are interested in keeping livestock so they change their setups believing that is what is best for what they keep. The same thing with the VHOs as well, I doubt anyone actually has a definitive answer on their longevity, but no one would take a chance on waiting for the bulbs to fizzle out or to change spectrum. That being said, there are a few things we can assume. The phosphors used in the fluorescent bulbs degrade over time and therefore they shift their output spectra. The actinics degrade faster, and therefore they need to be changed out faster. The VHOs arc more current than the T5HOs of a similar size, therefore they will degrade/burn out faster. Therefore, one cannot compare T5HO and VHOs on longevity. Of course, this is just conjecture, I don't know if anyone has compared the two on longevity. But as has already been indirectly said before, for a given bulb, you can get almost the same light output from a T5HO as that of a VHO, while drawing less power. But I think you would notice the cost differences, i.e. 100s of dollars, if you are lighting a baseball field. So it really comes down to personal preference and prejudices when choosing between the two. So best to go check out some tanks (personally or online) lit by any of the lamp choices (MH, T5HO, VHO, PC, LED..) and decide what would work. Which is what the purpose of this thread is, not to compare one vs the other but to show some examples of T5 bulb combinations and the results people have had with them. ------------- http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1157896 - Difficult and special care reef inhabitants |
Posted By: ct79
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 5:11pm
I have a 90G tank that's about 24" deep. I have a t5 fixture that has 5 bulbs with indv. reflectors. The unit also has active cooling so it helps a lot with cooling. The unit sits right on top of my tank with no heat issues. I just barely upgraded the ballast to the icecap 660. I have 4 of those bulb being overdriven to 80w and man are they bright! Before I upgraded I had SPS and my clam on the sand bed with no issues. Anyway below are some pics of the tank. Most of the SPSs are adjusting to the bright light.    ------------- Midvale |
Posted By: Mike Savage
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 6:26pm
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The corals look great. Beautiful colors Mike ------------- |
Posted By: pickensw
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 8:10pm
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Very Nice
sshm...Here..Here...Well said
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Posted By: TriggerHappy
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 8:26pm
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Yes, I have personally seen Chau's tank...that is what really got me initially thinking about T5's to begin with...his corals are beautiful! ------------- 210 gallon Mixed Reef |
Posted By: ct79
Date Posted: June 12 2007 at 10:35pm
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Thanks Bill and Mike for the compliments! For anyone that is interested in t5s I say go for it! Just as long as you do research and get a good unit or retro kit, you won't regret it.
------------- Midvale |
Posted By: sshm
Date Posted: June 13 2007 at 10:05am
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great tsnk ct79. Is that the aquactinics Tx5 fixture? Good buy! ------------- http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1157896 - Difficult and special care reef inhabitants |
Posted By: ct79
Date Posted: June 13 2007 at 12:20pm
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I think it's a great buy. It has everything you would look for in a t5 fixture. It does use the workhorse ballast but I've not had any issues with it. How deep is your tank?
------------- Midvale |
Posted By: shaggydoo
Date Posted: June 13 2007 at 11:36pm
Well if we are showing off some t5 pics were here are some of mine. Their the best I can do so give me some slack but the do look better in person.
And there are more were that came from.... I'm posting more in my 120g thread in the general forum but since I owe ALL my success to t5 ;) I figured I'd post some here too for good measure. ------------- 60g LPS Cube |
Posted By: jeffras
Date Posted: June 14 2007 at 9:48am
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I saw shaggy's tank this week and I was amazed at the amount of light the t5's put out. Great looking tank! It was the final nail in the coffin for my pc's, they will be going away asap.
------------- Jeff Rasmussen |
Posted By: mikeden
Date Posted: June 21 2007 at 4:58pm
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Is there a store in SLC, or Ogden or Provo for that matter, where they stock ANY T5 HO bulbs? I'm setting up now, and I'm extremely impatient. I found plenty of Internet and eBay offerings, but would rather not wait, or pay through the nose for overnight delivery.
If it's against forum policy to 'advertise' a store, please PM or email me.
New to Saltwater, and new to this board. Great message board, BTW!
Thanks! ------------- 150G Reef |
Posted By: sshm
Date Posted: June 21 2007 at 6:08pm
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Like cholesterol, there are two types of impatience - the good kind and the bad kind , the bad kind will really screw up your tank. The good kind is fun. Sorry, thats my Yoda moment, I don't know for sure if any stores stock T5HO bulbs. ------------- http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1157896 - Difficult and special care reef inhabitants |
Posted By: mikeden
Date Posted: June 21 2007 at 8:38pm
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Found it!
Aqua Spot in Orem!
http://aquaticaonline.net/home.html - http://aquaticaonline.net/home.html
Thanks! ------------- 150G Reef |
Posted By: ct79
Date Posted: June 21 2007 at 10:52pm
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You should try reefgeek.com. They have great bulbs (ATI, Giesmann, UVL) at decent prices and they are located in California so you get your bulbs in about 2 days with ground shipping. I personally don't think LFS here have good t5 bulbs. I wish they did... I think Aquatica only carried GE bulbs (at least they did the last time I checked) and they just don't have that great of PAR compared to the brands listed above. ------------- Midvale |
Posted By: shaggydoo
Date Posted: June 21 2007 at 11:14pm
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Whoa... ge doesn't have good par? I beg to differ. From what I've seen and read, the ge 6.5k is second to none in terms of par and intensity. ------------- 60g LPS Cube |
Posted By: mikeden
Date Posted: June 21 2007 at 11:29pm
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Why don't our LFS owners read these forums and be members of our local Society (WMAS) to keep abreast of the hobbyist's [our] needs and desires. I realize some of them are, as evidenced by the members in the Pet Store group. The way I see it, these guys have a huge advantage in that this is the perfect market research area for their business. If you want to see what to stock for high turn rate inventory, just read these forums [as in this and ReefCentral.com, etc.].
Heck! I think I'll open an aquarium store!
P.S. Who do pay to I become a "Paid Member"? ------------- 150G Reef |
Posted By: jeffras
Date Posted: June 21 2007 at 11:42pm
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LOL, There are very few on this board that run t5ho. From my experiance here I would say PC's and halides rule this board. Then vho. Then t5ho. If you go to about us you can pay online. ------------- Jeff Rasmussen |
Posted By: Mike Savage
Date Posted: June 22 2007 at 12:05am
You can pay at the meetings (the next one is July 12th) or through PayPal by clicking the link
http://www.utahreefs.com/Pay%20Membership%20Dues.htm - http://www.utahreefs.com/Pay%20Membership%20Dues.htm
Mike ------------- |
Posted By: shaggydoo
Date Posted: June 22 2007 at 12:06am
But you are working to change the balance of the lighting force by coming to the 'dark' (and by dark I mean much brighter) side of the lighting world, aren't you young Skywalker. HAHAHA Laughs me 'Darth t5 Vador' aka shaggydoo ------------- 60g LPS Cube |
Posted By: jeffras
Date Posted: June 22 2007 at 12:11am
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I will be placing my order tomorrow...... "something something something DARK SIDE, something something something COMPLETE!" ------------- Jeff Rasmussen |
Posted By: ct79
Date Posted: June 22 2007 at 12:21am
Hmm.. I just remeber reading that on reefcentral at one time when I was doing research for my t5 unit. ------------- Midvale |
Posted By: ct79
Date Posted: June 22 2007 at 12:22am
welcome to the darkside... I think you will enjoy it very much over here.... ------------- Midvale |
Posted By: jeffras
Date Posted: June 22 2007 at 12:25am
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I'm sure I will. If we can get this GE thing straightened out before I place the order. Time to turn to General sanjay
------------- Jeff Rasmussen |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: June 22 2007 at 12:35am
| reef runners in lindon has the best bulbs in town. plus ryan is the nicest guy at any LFS period. |
Posted By: ct79
Date Posted: June 22 2007 at 12:39am
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I'm also going to do a little more research on GE bulbs as well. I have a 6500k Giesemann bulb and I get good growth but if I could get better PAR with GE, i wouldn't mind going that route. You should also pm the grim reefer on reefcentral. He knows what he's talking about when it comes to t5s.
------------- Midvale |
Posted By: ct79
Date Posted: June 22 2007 at 12:44am
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Any t5 users using a 3000k bulb?
------------- Midvale |
Posted By: mikeden
Date Posted: June 22 2007 at 12:45am
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Thanks rtparty! I'll check out Reef Runners tomorrow! ------------- 150G Reef |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: June 22 2007 at 12:46am
| last time i was there he was a little low on stock so he may need to order some. but his prices match internet prices. |
Posted By: shaggydoo
Date Posted: June 22 2007 at 9:58am
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I read on the grim thread of reefcentral the ge was the best. When I was researching back in Jan. Feb. this was the info I got. Maybe newer 6.5k bulbs put out more but everyone on that ridiculously long t5 thread (I think its split like 20 times) was praising the ge bulbs when I did my setup. Plus when you look at my ge bulbs they are definitely brighter than the 10k's I have. In fact I ran just my two ge bulbs at first right next to each other and other than being pretty yellow the entire tank lit up extremely well from just these two bulbs. ------------- 60g LPS Cube |
Posted By: Mike Savage
Date Posted: June 22 2007 at 10:26am
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Check the PAR here:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=918935&perpage=25&pagenumber=1 - http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=918935&perpage=25&pagenumber=1
Mike ------------- |
Posted By: shaggydoo
Date Posted: June 22 2007 at 12:10pm
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Thanks Mike. So it looks like the ge bulb is second only to the ATI sun pro (and not by much). Considering the ge bulb is almost half the price of other bulbs though that is great. ------------- 60g LPS Cube |
Posted By: sshm
Date Posted: June 22 2007 at 12:10pm
I have one bulb. The bulb itself started out pinkish red then turned orange and now looks yellowish orange. But it really makes the reds pop and my yellow polyps also look great under it. ------------- http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1157896 - Difficult and special care reef inhabitants |
Posted By: ct79
Date Posted: June 22 2007 at 1:06pm
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Cool! I was thinking about switching out one of my bulbs for a 3k bulb. But just wasn't sure what effects that would have on my color. ------------- Midvale |
Posted By: jeffras
Date Posted: June 22 2007 at 3:07pm
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Where are you gonna get the 3k from? Wanna split shipping? I am making my order from diyreef.com today. Does anyone want to get in on the shipping? ------------- Jeff Rasmussen |
Posted By: ct79
Date Posted: June 22 2007 at 5:02pm
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I'm not quite ready to get the bulb just yet but thanks for the offer.
------------- Midvale |
Posted By: Aquatic Evolution
Date Posted: June 23 2007 at 6:26pm
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I CANT HELP BUT GIVE YOU SOME OPINIONS ON T-5 BULBS. I HAVE BEEN USING THEM FOR OVER 5 YEARS AND SELLING THEM FOR AS LONG. WE CURRENTLY HAVE 76 HO T-5 FIXTURES IN USE AT OUR STORE. SO OBVIOUSLY I HAVE USED A FEW BRANDS IF NOT ALL OF THEM. TO KEEP IT SIMPLE I WILL RATE SOME OF THE ONES WORTH MENTIONING BASED ON MY USE AND MY CUSTOMERS. POOR-GOOD -BETTER- BEST HAMILTON- GOOD ATI- BETTER GEISMAN-BETTER AQUAMEDIC-BEST SYLVANIA-BEST CORAL VIEW- BETTER GE-BETTER URI-BETTER HELIOS- POOR SOLAR MAX-BEST HAGEN-BEST GE-BETTER I KNOW THIS IS ONLY SOME AVAILABLE, BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY THEY ARE NOT ALL CREATED EQUAL. SOME BURN OUT QUICK, FADE AND CHANGE THEIR SPECTRUM. WE HAVE SOLD NEARLY ALL OF THEM AND I HAVE NARROWED THEM DOWN TO JUST A FEW BRANDS THAT I FEEL ARE THE BEST AND MOST RELIABLE. SOLAR MAX, AQUA MEDIC, HAGEN AND CORAL VIEW. 18K, 10K, 6700K, O3 ACTINIC, 7100K ACTINIC. 24", 36", 48", 60". SOME OF YOU NEED TO KNOW. BE VERY CAUTIOUS RUNNING HO T-5 BULBS WITH VHO BALLASTS. IVE SEEN FIRES, MELTDOWNS, AND A LOT OF BAD THINGS WHEN NOT PROPERLY USED. T-5 SPECIFIC BALLASTS ARE MADE AND I SUGGEST USING THEM. HOPE THIS HELPS! SHAWN @ AQUATICA |
Posted By: Mike Savage
Date Posted: June 23 2007 at 7:53pm
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Great info. Thanks!
Mike ------------- |
Posted By: jeffras
Date Posted: June 23 2007 at 7:58pm
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Shawn, Do you consider the workhorse to be an acceptable ballast for t5ho? Why/Why not?
------------- Jeff Rasmussen |
Posted By: pickensw
Date Posted: June 23 2007 at 8:09pm
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Is anyone using nonwaterproof endcaps? You sure could put a lot of bulbs in there! They are as wide as the bulbs!
Will
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Posted By: ct79
Date Posted: June 24 2007 at 1:11am
I had 2 workhorse ballasts running my 5 t5 bulbs for a while and they never had any problems. ------------- Midvale |
Posted By: jeffras
Date Posted: June 24 2007 at 10:30am
I was mainly interested in more info on this comment. The workhorse is not strictly a t5ho ballast and I wanted to know more about what the specific t5 ballast does to prevent fires over other ballasts. I see workhorse ballasts sold in t5 retrofit kits all over the net and fulham suggests the workhorse 7 for a 4x54w t5ho config. ------------- Jeff Rasmussen |
Posted By: pickensw
Date Posted: June 24 2007 at 1:38pm
| I have heard that the IceCap ballast need to have a mod done on them to work with T5's if they are older ballasts |
Posted By: Aquatic Evolution
Date Posted: June 25 2007 at 8:42pm
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MOST OF THE T-5 MANUFACTURERS RECOMMEND USING VHO BALLASTS ONLY ON 60" T-5 HO BULBS. MY EXPERIENCE WITH VHO BALLASTS IS THAT THEY WILL OVERDRIVE THEM AND THEY GET TOO HOT. THEIR PINS ARE SO CLOSE TOGETHER THAT THEY BEGIN TO COMPRESS WHEN THEY ARE EXPOSED TO THE EXCESS HEAT. ALSO WHEN YOU EXPOSE BULBS TO THAT MUCH HEAT IT SHORTENS THEIR LIFESPAN. IF YOU USE WORKHORSE MAKE SURE YOU READ THE FINE PRINT, YOU NEED TO USE THEIR WIRING SPECS FOR THAT SPECIFIC APPLICATION. I PERSONALLY HAVE HAD VERY BAD LUCK WITH WORKHORSE. MY QUESTION IS, IF THERE IS T-5 SPECIFIC BALLASTS WHY WOULD YOU USE ANYTHING ELSE? THE MANUFACTURER USUALLY KNOWS BEST. BESIDES T-5 BALLASTS ARE LESS EXPENSIVE. INITIAL COST AND OPERATING COSTS. JUST BECAUSE IT LIGHTS UP, DOES NOT MEAN ITS WORKING.  |
Posted By: jeffras
Date Posted: June 25 2007 at 9:00pm
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Thanks for the info Shawn. What ballasts do you recommend?
------------- Jeff Rasmussen |
Posted By: jeffras
Date Posted: July 09 2007 at 2:41am
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I just finished reworking my lights (quite a project). I have to say that the $350 I spent on the t5hos is probably my best tank purchase to date. I have a few questions though. How long does it take to burn in the bulbs? Do the bulbs tend to go blue or yellow when they burn in or does it depend on the bulb? Do I need to worry about acclimating the tank to these lights? ------------- Jeff Rasmussen |
Posted By: jeffras
Date Posted: July 09 2007 at 2:47am
  ------------- Jeff Rasmussen |
Posted By: Mike Savage
Date Posted: July 09 2007 at 7:56am
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Jeff the pictures look great. Yes you need to acclimate the tank to the new lights.
Mike ------------- |
Posted By: jeffras
Date Posted: July 09 2007 at 10:52am
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Thanks Mike, I had a 175w halide where the t5hos are now. How long do you think I should run the t5's to acclimate? Right now I have them on my normal schedule. ------------- Jeff Rasmussen |
Posted By: Mike Savage
Date Posted: July 09 2007 at 10:56am
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I would say 1/2 normal or so and increase every couple days. Keep an eye on the corals. You might be able to raise the T5s and then lower them to normal height over a period of time.
Mike ------------- |
Posted By: shaggydoo
Date Posted: July 09 2007 at 12:08pm
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Acclimating them is a really good idea. Watch for bleaching because it happend bad with my t5's. I should have started with a shorter photoperiod and then upped it gradually. Especially when the bulbs are new because they do burn extremely bright for the first few weeks (depending on how long you are running your bulbs.
My bulbs burned in at around the 2-4 week mark and seem to have stabilized to where they are at now. I didn't really notice any yellowing in any of my bulbs but they did get noticeably less bright. ------------- 60g LPS Cube |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: September 18 2007 at 6:25pm
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Is there a commercially produced dual or triple 150W MH with 2 dual banks (4 lines of tubes) of T-5 tubes running the full length of the fixture? ------------- 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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Posted By: Mike Savage
Date Posted: September 18 2007 at 7:05pm
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Not that I have found.
Mike ------------- |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: September 19 2007 at 11:17am
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Has anyone done a study to see how many T-5's it takes to equal the lumens of a single VHO? ------------- 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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Posted By: shaggydoo
Date Posted: September 19 2007 at 12:21pm
About .00005 T5 is the ultimate!------------- 60g LPS Cube |
Posted By: pickensw
Date Posted: September 19 2007 at 1:24pm
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Mark
Is this what your looking for?
Current USA makes a fixture with 150 or 250 MH and 4XT5's with moon lights.
Here's the link
http://www.aquarium-supply.biz/ordering/lighting_Outer_Orbit3.htm - http://www.aquarium-supply.biz/ordering/lighting_Outer_Orbit3.htm
Will
------------- All things can be cured by salt water, whether by sweat, tears or going to sea. ~Isak Dinesen |