T5 users- what would you recomend?

[class clown]

so working on some lighting plans for my new setup and wanted to know what all of the T5 users out there would recomend for T5 equipment. I'm looking for two sets of 2 48" bulbs.

I'm looking at

• Aqua medic 48 inch Ocean Light T5 system w/ two bulbs (what's nice here is it looks like it comes with it's own hanging fixture)
• Finnex 47 " dual 54 Watt HO T5 - would have to drill if I wanted to hang, but looks nice. Not sure about it only being 47" though? aren't all standard bulbs in 48"?

and a couple of retrofit systems:

• Coralvue 48 inch
• TEK retrofit from sunlight supply (48 inch)

Any thoughts are appreciated
Ben

 

[jezzeaepi]

Neither the aqua medic or the finnex come with good individual reflectors, so I would pass on those. Your going to have yours behind a wall anyways, so no need to pay extra for a metal case.

Id go with the tek retro. 2 of these :
http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5...:_2-54W_T5_HO_Fluorescents_by_Sunlight_Supply

Since you get to choose your bulbs with the tek retro(huge huge huge advantage over the preboxed ones) go with either ati or uvl. What color are you looking for from them?

 

[class clown]

Thanks Jesse.

why having them in an enclosed case woudl be nice...

• Cleaner appearance
• I could possibly bypass my plans for a suspended lighting rack if I got a couple that were encased and could hang on their own - saving $ in long run.
• I get a glass sheild and knowing me and how I tend to splash water up, it would be nice for protection.

why having them enclosed in a case is not so nice...
Ideally I'd like to have 2 10ks independent of the actinics so I could control when they go on and off. I don't think I could do this without a retro b/c the 10ks would have to be on one time and the actinics woudl have to be on another.

so do I lean towards better looks and more protection or more flexibility in my lighting schedule and better reflectors? hmm... Ideally it'd be a blend of both, but I think I'm going to have to pick & choose.

 

[class clown]

Neither the aqua medic or the finnex come with good individual reflectors, so I would pass on those. Your going to have yours behind a wall anyways, so no need to pay extra for a metal case.

Id go with the tek retro. 2 of these :
http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5...:_2-54W_T5_HO_Fluorescents_by_Sunlight_Supply

Since you get to choose your bulbs with the tek retro(huge huge huge advantage over the preboxed ones) go with either ati or uvl. What color are you looking for from them?

Jesse - just to clarify. You're saying individual reflectors are very important, right?

 

[jezzeaepi]

"I could possibly bypass my plans for a suspended lighting rack if I got a couple that were encased and could hang on their own - saving $ in long run.
I get a glass sheild and knowing me and how I tend to splash water up, it would be nice for protection."

I would save the money on the premade light housing and use it to make your own rack. I like how BR has their lights suspended above their frag tank behind the 300. You could so something similair to that, and just throw in a pulley and your set. As I recall, they said it was pretty cheap to build.

 

[jezzeaepi]

The individual refelctors increase the output by about 30-50% and gives it a better spread. Think of it like a LIII vs flat piece of aluminium.

 

[class clown]

You da man Jesse. Thx

 

[class clown]

bump - any other differing/confirming thoughts?

 

[Scooterman]

Yea well since I screw up ideas on your other thread guess I can try here LOL
First off how much room do you have height/ width/ length? I thought you are making a 6ft tank not 4ft?

 

[class clown]

Yea well since I screw up ideas on your other thread guess I can try here LOL
First off how much room do you have height/ width/ length? I thought you are making a 6ft tank not 4ft?

You say screw up, I say improve. Would never feel bad for giving advice/recomendations. It sure beats the alternative which is spending a bunch of $ on something that won't work, ya know..

So here are the specifics.

it's a 48" x 48" display
(-) It's in wall, so the wall will eat into approximately 8-9" of the display
(-) the overflow will eat into approximately 4" of the display
that leaves me with an area that I need to illuminate of appx 36" x 48"

I have two existing 250w MHs that I plan to reutilize right in the middle. these will be housed in (2) LIII's measuring 19.5" by 19.5".
I was thinking It'd be advantagous to have 2 sets of 2 x 48" T5s on either side of the MH's to illuminate the rest of the area and provide some actinic action for the morning and evening hours.

so, 36" workable room
(-) LII'S in the middle (19.5)
leaves me about 8 " on both sides of the LIII's to illuminate w/ the t5s

(note: I also have 4 existing 24" PCs I can utilize if need be - these run off of 2 PFO ballasts)

 

[Scooterman]

Lets see if I can get autocad to show up here!
Well converting to something usable these sux! Basically you have 8 1/4" front & back like I have it centered here but that leaves you plenty of room. I like the addition of the T5's, should work out nice & Jezze posted.

 

[class clown]

Ok.. I'll plan on adding 2 Tek retros, 2 URI Actinics & 2 URI 10ks unless any other suggestions. thx guys!

Scooty - you may have better time showing the cad if you uploaded it to one of the public image sharing places as a jpg (i.e photobucket or flickr or something) Thanks for trying though.

Ben

 

[class clown]

does anyone know typically how big the retro reflectors are for the T5s..

48 " x __?___

I know the PCs are 48" by 4" - are these reflectors smaller since the bulbs are smaller or same size?

 

[Snowboarda42]

Ben,

It depends on the brand. That link I sent you has them listed at 2" wide, Which would allow you more adjustment if there was a possibility of two interfering with one another. But there are brands that are 3.5"-4" wide as well.

-Elliott

 

[class clown]

Thanks Elliot!