How to add T5's to existing LED system?

[Greenjeans]

I'm currently running 3x Kessil a360x lights over my 4' tank at a 9hr photo period with 1hr ramp up/down, max intensity 86%.

I purchased a 48" dimmable t5 fixture with 4 bulbs, it says I must run the bulbs at full intensity for 50 hours before using the dimming feature.

How can I add these 4x t5 bulbs at full intensity to my tank without shocking my corals?

I can reduce the LED by some percent...start with 2 of the 4 t5's....only use them for a short period during the peak of the day....?

I don't have a par meter to judge more accurately how to add these lights gradually...

 

[jassermd]

How about you connect them in another room, run them for the 50 hrs without any concern to your corals, etc, and then install them in the tank?

 

[Radman73]

I'm currently running 3x Kessil a360x lights over my 4' tank at a 9hr photo period with 1hr ramp up/down, max intensity 86%.

I purchased a 48" dimmable t5 fixture with 4 bulbs, it says I must run the bulbs at full intensity for 50 hours before using the dimming feature.

How can I add these 4x t5 bulbs at full intensity to my tank without shocking my corals?

I can reduce the LED by some percent...start with 2 of the 4 t5's....only use them for a short period during the peak of the day....?

I don't have a par meter to judge more accurately how to add these lights gradually...

I'll be in a similar situation on Dec 25 lol! I'll be getting a non-dimmable one though and I currently use 2 AP700's over a WB130. My plan is to drop down to 1 AP700 with the T5's and raise the fixtures higher than they currently are(~5 inches off the water). By dropping one AP700 and raising to say 10 inches off the water I'm hoping to be fine. I've managed to either kill most coral I add or have a fish eat it so I'm not risking much at this point lol!

 

[Greenjeans]

I considered running the lights in a another room for 50 hrs, but that still leaves the original question of how to add the fixtures to my existing light schedule...I guess reduce the LED intensity and run a similar ramp profile on the t5's in this case? I think 4x t5s at 100% is going to be a lot more light than my corals are currently used to....

How about you connect them in another room, run them for the 50 hrs without any concern to your corals, etc, and then install them in the tank?

 

[dedragon]

i dont think non dimmable need any burn in. not sure if you can maybe cycle bulbs though the non dimmable fixture to burn in the lamps before installing in the dimmable

 

[Greenjeans]

My fixture is dimmable and came with instructions to run new bulbs at 100% for 50 hours to burn them in correctly.

 

[Mywifeisgunnakillme]

Run them in another place. In the early 2000's we put window screening under the light or over the tank to reduce intensity. Also its harder to burn corals with t-5s... LED's are a like little lasers but i don't know if i have ever bleached a coral with just t5's.

 

[ScottB]

My fixture is dimmable and came with instructions to run new bulbs at 100% for 50 hours to burn them in correctly.

That is why I chose to go non-dimmable. Having to take down my fixture for 2 days every year or so, ugh. But here we are.

Once burned in and hung, just set a kind of acclimation schedule for the T5s. Keep the LEDS right where they are on schedule.
Week 1: 2 hour full
Week 2: 4 hour full
etcetera

Honestly, there is no more forgiving light source than T5 hands down. You can go much more aggressive with acclimation and you should be fine. T5s do a great job solving for shading.

 

[Greenjeans]

Awesome, thanks everyone. I'll burn them in in another room then start an acclimation schedule, slowly increase the t5 intensity and duration over a month or so. Just leave them on for 50hrs straight to burn in?

 

[Greenjeans]

Awesome, thanks everyone. I'll burn them in in another room then start an acclimation schedule, slowly increase the t5 intensity and duration over a month or so. Just leave them on for 50hrs straight to burn in?

 

[Midrats]

You can just let them burn in for 50 straight hours if you want. Is it an ATI? I have a dimmable Sunpower. I don't use the dimming, I just wanted one cord, the integrated controller, and the thermostatically controlled fans, it's much quieter. I just raise the fixture up with the help of a lux meter until the new bulbs read what the old ones did and lower it back down to 8" over time. No need to take it down. You can buy a cheap t5ho fixture for burning in bulbs remotely.

 

[Thor2j]

Get a PAR meter, adjust accordingly, no acclimation necessary.

 

[mfinn]

I would be tempted to do what I did when I changed out new MH bulbs for old ones and knew there would be a ton of new par with the new bulbs.
I put eggcrate and 2-3 layers of window screen over the top of the tank( under the lights ). That would help shield the corals from all the new lights. Then I just removed a layer every 3-4 days.