T-5 lighting

[The Shark]

I have been doing a ton of research into a lighting upgrage for my 48" 100 gallon tank. (Currently has 4 48" VHO's)

I have decided on going with 6-8 T-5 bulbs, after reading about energy consumption, and savings on cost.

Couple of questions:
1. I have an Icecap 430 and 660, can I run t-5's with these, or do they require a different ballast?
2. Has anyone here successfully kept SPS and clams under T-5 only?
3. How do people have these bulbs attached to their canopies/reflectors?

Thanks,

Dan

 

[LakeEd]

Dan,

I've never run the T-5 bulbs, but have read where it is VERY important you only use the type that come with the individual reflectors!!!

I do believe the Icecap ballasts will fire the bulbs, check out their website, and I'm sure they will have wiring diagrams for them there.

I remember hearing from several people here that are using the T-5 lights on their entire systems, and I've seen beautiful clams... so I do think its a possibility for you!

Hopefully, this bump will get your post back up towards the top of the listing, so those with actual experience can give you better information.

 

[Scooterman]

Things to consider when keeping sps units H.O. T5's are you want the lamps very close to the water surface, no more than 5" or 6" off the water surface. They are more efficient but when you run 8 T5 compared to two mh your up for a wash. They do last a long time but PAR wise you Will see sps wanting them replaced more often than the mh if your tank is more than 20" deep & your keeping clams & sps that low. You can run t5's on your ballast & like Ed said use the website to get your wiring information & by all means get the reflectors like mentioned also, Individuals for each used. They have end caps for them like VHO's & you can get the stand offs similar also. If you call or e-mail Andy @Ice-cap he will tell you exactly what you need to reuse your two ballast.

 

[jezzeaepi]

"I have been doing a ton of research into a lighting upgrage for my 48" 100 gallon tank. (Currently has 4 48" VHO's)"
How deep is your tank? T5's are really good at spreading the light evenly, but not as good at punching it through depth. I have a 3 foot tank and I keep my lowest SPS about 2/3rds of the way down. It has good color and grows, but I am sure it could grow quicker if it were higher up. I doubt the coloration would change though.

"I have decided on going with 6-8 T-5 bulbs, after reading about energy consumption, and savings on cost."

This I think is biggest misconception of T5's. They are not any cheaper to set up, are no cheaper on bulb replacement, and use about the same amount of energy to get the similair growth and coloration. Where they DO differ from MH drastically is they are a lot easier to cool and dont "punch" heat down in the water like MH's do. This can be a huge savings for some who can avoid the purchase and electricity costs of a chiller. Even if you live in arizona and require a chiller anyways, the T5's will allow you to use a smaller unit so youll save some on purchase costs and running costs of a chiller, but not as much as those who can compltly forgo it. Thats where the cost savings come in for T5's.


"Couple of questions:
1. I have an Icecap 430 and 660, can I run t-5's with these, or do they require a different ballast? "

Defintly contact Andy at icecap. He usually returns messages quickly, and is very helpfull.

"2. Has anyone here successfully kept SPS and clams under T-5 only? "
Many have, including myself. I dont have a clam so I can't comment on those, but al of my SPS have poppin colors. As long as I dont slack on my daily calc/alk additions, I can see daily growth.


"3. How do people have these bulbs attached to their canopies/reflectors?"
When you build your canopy, make SURE you put in some fans. T5's are great because they have a greater surface area then MH bulbs. Having a greater surface area allows for greater cooling. If your not drawing hot air away from the bulbs though via a fan, then your not going to be able to take advantage of that greater surface area, and the heat wont be any better then MH. Like the others said, make sure you do individual reflectors like ice cap or tek.


Peace

 

[returnofsid]

Check out this link for canopy installation. They have great prices on whole fixtures and retrofit kits. I just recently purchased a 6 bulb 48" unit and LOVE IT!! Tek 5 by Sunlight Supply is the only way to go though...IMO. It's all in the reflectors!!!

http://www.reefgeek.com/

 

[Damsel13]

Wow sounds great! Thanks for the link returnofsid.

 

[Katchupoy]

T5

Couple of questions:
1. I have an Icecap 430 and 660, can I run t-5's with these, or do they require a different ballast?

Yes.
660 is 440 watts total
430 is 330 watts total


2. Has anyone here successfully kept SPS and clams under T-5 only?
Not me but this guy is.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/2/aquarium/view#h2


3. How do people have these bulbs attached to their canopies/reflectors?
are you going to buy a retrofit or a fixture. The Icecap reflector are now the best but the TEK II will come out anytime soon...
You can check here.
http://diyreef.com/shop/index.php?cPath=89&osCsid=109dfa330aed0bc12137148b6ebe56d8

and here

http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5_Fluorescent/Sunlight_Supply/Tek_Retrofit_Kits/

 

[returnofsid]

I currently have SPS under my T5s. I plan on having more. I can't comment on long term though because my lighting system is pretty new. I feel confident that I'll be able to keep most SPS or clams under the lighting long term though. The SPS I currently have are as follows and all are doing wonderfully.

Orange Montipora Capricornus
Purple Rimmed Green Monti Cap
Orange Monti Digitata
Pocillopora damicornis (I think)

The above were all also under PC lighting until recently and doing alright but have shown amazing growth in the past few weeks under T5.

I also have:

Acropora Valida
Encrusting Hydnophora
Branching Hydnophora

These have been under the T5s for a short time but already the Acro Valida has shown growth.

 

[Katchupoy]

Sid, do you have any pic of your tank?

 

[returnofsid]

Katchupoy, yes I do. Here's a link and I'll be adding more soon. These pics were taken before the disastrous leaky tank I went through the other day. You can find a link on that in General Discussion as well...lol. So the pics I'll be adding will look different as the rockwork is arranged differently.

http://s81.photobucket.com/albums/j210/returnofsid/Salt Water/75 Gallon Reef/

 

[aquarookie]

1. I have an Icecap 430 and 660, can I run t-5's with these, or do they require a different ballast?
Thanks,
Dan

Dan, even though your ballasts will run t5 bulbs, it might be more cost effective for you to buy a complete fixture and sell your current lighting. Icecap 660 have really high resale value.

 

[Dr. Dee]

T5's

Here is a pic of some T5's i use and these are 4x54

 

[Scooterman]

Dan, even though your ballasts will run t5 bulbs, it might be more cost effective for you to buy a complete fixture and sell your current lighting. Icecap 660 have really high resale value.

Actually you can get the IC660 Ballast in several fixtures on-line, It is just packaged with reflectors fans in a nice fixture.

Dr. Dee man, your Pic isn't working man!

 

[Meche]

They are more efficient but when you run 8 T5 compared to two mh your up for a wash. They do last a long time...

Scooter, where did you source this from? I've been trying to find a credible source on HO bulb replacement for a while now.

 

[Katchupoy]

I believe that some of the fixtures being sold right now online comes with the same icecap ballast...

 

[aquarookie]

I believe that some of the fixtures being sold right now online comes with the same icecap ballast...

Sure, I was just saying that sometimes buying separate pieces (bulbs, reflectors, sockets) costs more than buying a complete, mass-fabricated fixture. AND you could get money back from selling your IC660. But hey, do whatever works best for you

 

[Scooterman]

Scooter, where did you source this from? I've been trying to find a credible source on HO bulb replacement for a while now.

Well Sanjay Is planning on testing them soon, he is very well experienced & equipped so the verdict may still be out on that but from what the Overseas guys say. They see a drop off in about 6 to 8 months on their sps corals & start changing them then, so in short, you see problem replace lamps
Wish we had more substantial technical data to provide but we do have what people are using & doing.
I along with others will be really happy to get real test results in in these!


http://www.aquarium-lighting-guide.com/aquarium_lighting_guide

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1013083

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1032804

http://www.coralreefecosystems.com/ltg_qa.htm#How long will my bulbs last

http://oceanencounter.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=OE&Category_Code=ICTR

 

[jezzeaepi]

Hopefully in about 3 weeks Ill be able to get some more spectrometer readings for my little experiment. I took readings at new bulb, 100 hours, and this next reading will be 5 months. Its not my spectrometer obviously, so I am at the mercy of my roomate to take me down to use the one in his lab at school, but it shouldnt be a problem.

 

[Dr. Dee]

scooterman it work's now thanks

 

[Scooterman]

Nice T5's Dr Dee! I bet that fixture looks awesome over a tank!