Going with T5's. What's the best setup?

[glb]

I've decided to us t5's for my 40g build and need brand recommendations, number of bulbs, bulb colors etc. The tank will be primarily LPS with softies and a few SPS. What are your recommendations?

 

[glb]

Bump.

 

[ksc]

I'd go with the ATI Sunpower with 6 bulbs.

 

[glb]

I'd go with the ATI Sunpower with 6 bulbs.

That's where I'm leaning. The LPS is what I want most in the tank and I know they are lower light compared to SPS. What makes the sun power model worth the extra money?

 

[ksc]

I guess it would depend on what you were comparing it too. You could DIY and come up with a comparable light for a little less money but it might not look as good.

 

[Sabellafella]

I've decided to us t5's for my 40g build and need brand recommendations, number of bulbs, bulb colors etc. The tank will be primarily LPS with softies and a few SPS. What are your recommendations?

Sounds great!! You could go with some guismen fixtures are nice and sleek, could also go with something like a dimmable sunpower. Just going to have to be carefull with some species if lps. I would go with a controlled option like the ati pmhybrid or the dimmable, they only have 1 powercord and automatically cool the bulbs for you

 

[FrankAbagnale]

I just purchased an ATI fixture for my new build, but in the past I've used AquaticLife T5's for my tanks and have had great luck with them. I used a 6 bulb AquaticLife with 4 LED moon lights on my 40 breeder. It did a great job!

 

[jsker]

A member and myself have a thread with a comparison you can click the link and read through and see what the T5's guys are saying. @Sabellafella does know his stuff.

 

[Christopher Davis]

I went to the local hardware store and purchased a 48inch 4 bulb T5 HO fixture for under 90 bucks, given some assembly required it has worked absolutely amazing on my tank Anemones and softies are in Heaven. I had two 32 inch Current LED fixtures that I am less than pleased with, after about a year I took one off my tank and now have LED being supplemented by the T5 HO. I went the cheap route and mounted the fixture in my hood! as far as bulbs go I would get a Colormax should be pink to promote zooxanthellae and of course your 10K whites and Actinic blues!!!

What it really comes down to is what your willing to pay and what look your going for!!! thats when reefing becomes MADNESS! :O

 

[glb]

Thanks everyone. I don't know anything about T5's. I had CF's on my nano then upgraded to leds, which I haven't been happy with. So does dimmable mean less lights are on? These lights are all on/off rigbt? Like I said, the main corals I want are LPS so I want the perfect lighting for them. I want to grow acans, favia, stolys, lobos, plate corals, brain corals, etc. Then I want zoas and other softies and maybe a few lower light sps.

 

[Sabellafella]

Thanks everyone. I don't know anything about T5's. I had CF's on my nano then upgraded to leds, which I haven't been happy with. So does dimmable mean less lights are on? These lights are all on/off rigbt? Like I said, the main corals I want are LPS so I want the perfect lighting for them. I want to grow acans, favia, stolys, lobos, plate corals, brain corals, etc. Then I want zoas and other softies and maybe a few lower light sps.

With ati, the powermodule you can use 2 channels, one channel with 2 bulbs and the other with 4-6-8ect. It also comes with a fan, so you need 3 seperate plugs and timers/apex to control. For the extra 100-150 bucks you can get that all on a controller with a powercord on the dimmable. The dimmable option you can also ramp the bulbs up from 0-100

 

[glb]

With ati, the powermodule you can use 2 channels, one channel with 2 bulbs and the other with 4-6-8ect. It also comes with a fan, so you need 3 seperate plugs and timers/apex to control. For the extra 100-150 bucks you can get that all on a controller with a powercord on the dimmable. The dimmable option you can also ramp the bulbs up from 0-100

Thanks. I just read that joint thread you did about the 72g bows with different lights. It was great! I'm so frustrated about lighting. I want s setup that's more or less plug and play. As far as the comparison, the less plugs the better, so the upgrade makes sense. Are T5's easy? I need easy!

 

[glb]

With ati, the powermodule you can use 2 channels, one channel with 2 bulbs and the other with 4-6-8ect. It also comes with a fan, so you need 3 seperate plugs and timers/apex to control. For the extra 100-150 bucks you can get that all on a controller with a powercord on the dimmable. The dimmable option you can also ramp the bulbs up from 0-100

I thought flourescent lights weren't dimmable? Like I said, I know nothing about t5's. Lol

 

[Sabellafella]

Nope they are lol and they work great

I thought flourescent lights weren't dimmable? Like I said, I know nothing about t5's. Lol

 

[Sabellafella]

Yea t5s are deffinily very simple, just have to clean the splash guard often and change the bulbs every 8-12 months

 

[glb]

Yea t5s are deffinily very simple, just have to clean the splash guard often and change the bulbs every 8-12 months

So I can plug them in without adjustments and my corals will be ok? I'm weary of adjustments after dealing with LEDs! And 6 bulbs won't be too much for LPS? So the dimming is for sunrise to sunset stuff, and they can run at 100% without bleaching anything? Sorry for all the questions but you sound like the guy to ask!

 

[glb]

And I just read up on the advantages of a controller. I'll definitely get that one. It's worth the extra money. As an aside, I read the directions for the sun power dimmable and they were, shall we say, not originally written in English. I'm still laughing.

 

[Sabellafella]

So I can plug them in without adjustments and my corals will be ok? I'm weary of adjustments after dealing with LEDs! And 6 bulbs won't be too much for LPS? So the dimming is for sunrise to sunset stuff, and they can run at 100% without bleaching anything? Sorry for all the questions but you sound like the guy to ask!

Lol as with any lighting, you have to truely be careful, how long and wide is your tank? Idealy you want the fixture at average of 35 inches up from the sand bed

 

[Sabellafella]

If its the 36 inch fixture and under, you should be good with the 6 bulb(or 4 depends on the width of your tank)

 

[glb]

Lol as with any lighting, you have to truely be careful, how long and wide is your tank? Idealy you want the fixture at average of 35 inches up from the sand bed

It's a 40g breeder, so it's 17" high and 18" front to back. The tank is 36" long. So I'm thinking I need the 6 lights to cover the the tank from front to back. Since the tank is rather shallow, the light would be c. 16" above the tank. Isn't that a little high? Most of the fixtures I see don't look that high off the sand. But I definitely don't want too much intensity, and since LPS usually go on the sand and the tank isn't very deep, I want to make sure they'll thrive.