I failed…so badly

[Miami Reef]

I need support for you guys today. I’m not feeling my best.

Basically I have been researching and planning for weeks to switch my ai hydra’s to T5’s. Well, today the T5’s came and I spent my whole entire day trying to set them up. Tweaking and trying to mount it. Basically, it didn’t work out as planned.

The T5 unit was giving problems where some bulbs wouldn’t turn on. Once it fixed, then the entire unit would just flicker. Then the other T5 fixture had 2 bulbs that didn’t turn on. I spent hours trying to twist, remove, adjust. This is 16 bulbs total and it was very difficult for me, especially on top of a ladder inside a canopy.

One bulb arrived broken and I dropped another.

At the end of all this, I ended up putting my ai hydras back because we were going to eat as a family and I couldn’t let my family see my lights a mess. I didn’t do anyone of my homework today and I couldn’t help my parents today in the family business. I couldn’t go to the gym today either. My whole day felt like it went to waste.

To top it off, marine depot said these 2 ATI fixtures were FINAL sale.

I think we all have days where things just don’t go as planned. I mean, if reefing was easy it probably wouldn’t attract so many people to the hobby. We would probably stick to freshwater tanks.

I really liked the color of the T5’s. I tried many different bulb combinations and I liked 50/50 blue+ and purple+ combo. The spread was really nice and I really liked the quality of the colors compared to LED’s. I see colors in my sps frags that I never saw before.

Unfortunately, I don’t know if I’m going to keep my plan of having T5’s. If this unit doesn’t get fixed, and if ATI doesn’t offer support, I’m screwed. Luckily T5 fixtures aren’t that expensive compared to LED’s.

 

[N.Sreefer]

Sorry to hear about your troubles fingers crossed its something easy to fix like a loose connection.

 

[Billldg]

Sorry for the troubles you are having with the T5 fixture. It sounds like you may have a few bad ballasts.

Don’t give up on the T5’s.

 

[olonmv]

T5 ballasts need all lamps installed and in working conditions to ignite and stay lit. If a lamp is bad or missing it will flicker on and off intermittently.

 

[Rick]

Work on it and get them all lit before putting in canopy sometimes the bulbs once installed need to be tweaked or pulled down in the socket to set right and fire off I’ve had similar issue with a sun power never any probs out of the old t5 power module, good luck stick with it the ati is a powerhouse for growing coral

 

[Miami Reef]

Sorry for the troubles you are having with the T5 fixture. It sounds like you may have a few bad ballasts.

Don’t give up on the T5’s.

Can I ask why you said not to give up on the T5’s? I don’t know why. Maybe I’m doubting myself? I’m looking at the tank now and im thinking that the lights look the same. I don’t have to change bulbs. It can be done with a click of my phone. Basically, I feel stupid for trying T5’s in the first place. I feel like I made a stupid mistake.

The reason I wanted T5’s was because I liked the colors, simplicity of plug and play. Proven spectrums, more consistent (because im prone to changing my LED settings too much) and the blanket spread. But now im feeling like I caused all the problems to myself.

 

[Miami Reef]

Work on it and get them all lit before putting in canopy sometimes the bulbs once installed need to be tweaked or pulled down in the socket to set right and fire off I’ve had similar issue with a sun power never any probs out of the old t5 power module, good luck stick with it the ati is a powerhouse for growing coral

I did just that. I wish I tested them BEFORE putting it in the canopy. I carefully placed each bulb correctly. Let me see if it will still flicker.

 

[Miami Reef]

Edit…so far so good.

 

[dbowman5]

I need support for you guys today. I’m not feeling my best.

Basically I have been researching and planning for weeks to switch my ai hydra’s to T5’s. Well, today the T5’s came and I spent my whole entire day trying to set them up. Tweaking and trying to mount it. Basically, it didn’t work out as planned.

The T5 unit was giving problems where some bulbs wouldn’t turn on. Once it fixed, then the entire unit would just flicker. Then the other T5 fixture had 2 bulbs that didn’t turn on. I spent hours trying to twist, remove, adjust. This is 16 bulbs total and it was very difficult for me, especially on top of a ladder inside a canopy.

One bulb arrived broken and I dropped another.

At the end of all this, I ended up putting my ai hydras back because we were going to eat as a family and I couldn’t let my family see my lights a mess. I didn’t do anyone of my homework today and I couldn’t help my parents today in the family business. I couldn’t go to the gym today either. My whole day felt like it went to waste.

To top it off, marine depot said these 2 ATI fixtures were FINAL sale.

I think we all have days where things just don’t go as planned. I mean, if reefing was easy it probably wouldn’t attract so many people to the hobby. We would probably stick to freshwater tanks.

I really liked the color of the T5’s. I tried many different bulb combinations and I liked 50/50 blue+ and purple+ combo. The spread was really nice and I really liked the quality of the colors compared to LED’s. I see colors in my sps frags that I never saw before.

Unfortunately, I don’t know if I’m going to keep my plan of having T5’s. If this unit doesn’t get fixed, and if ATI doesn’t offer support, I’m screwed. Luckily T5 fixtures aren’t that expensive compared to LED’s.

Dude! where would the sense of accomplishment come from if it was plug-n-play? you will get it.

 

[Billldg]

Can I ask why you said not to give up on the T5’s? I don’t know why. Maybe I’m doubting myself? I’m looking at the tank now and im thinking that the lights look the same. I don’t have to change bulbs. It can be done with a click of my phone. Basically, I feel stupid for trying T5’s in the first place. I feel like I made a stupid mistake.

The reason I wanted T5’s was because I liked the colors, simplicity of plug and play. Proven spectrums, more consistent (because im prone to changing my LED settings too much) and the blanket spread. But now im feeling like I caused all the problems to myself.

For the same reasons you mentioned. The color and color spectrum is awesome and proven. I run a hybrid and the spread I get from the T5’s is second to none.

 

[Rick]

Yeah you have to like slowly twist them while pulling down
Deff worth it once you get them dialed

 

[Miami Reef]

Guys! I think it’s working! I think I didn’t put the bulbs in correctly when I tried installing the bulbs while it was in the canopy. I’m going to try to hook it up again with the bulbs already in.

 

[tehmadreefer]

T5’s when you first fire them up can be a bit buggy but once they are all on your good to go. Run them for about 10 minutes to get em warmed up then shut down and mount.

 

[CanuckReefer]

Sorry for the troubles you are having with the T5 fixture. It sounds like you may have a few bad ballasts.

Don’t give up on the T5’s.

Concur. Don't give up on the T5s .

I need support for you guys today. I’m not feeling my best.

Basically I have been researching and planning for weeks to switch my ai hydra’s to T5’s. Well, today the T5’s came and I spent my whole entire day trying to set them up. Tweaking and trying to mount it. Basically, it didn’t work out as planned.

The T5 unit was giving problems where some bulbs wouldn’t turn on. Once it fixed, then the entire unit would just flicker. Then the other T5 fixture had 2 bulbs that didn’t turn on. I spent hours trying to twist, remove, adjust. This is 16 bulbs total and it was very difficult for me, especially on top of a ladder inside a canopy.

One bulb arrived broken and I dropped another.

At the end of all this, I ended up putting my ai hydras back because we were going to eat as a family and I couldn’t let my family see my lights a mess. I didn’t do anyone of my homework today and I couldn’t help my parents today in the family business. I couldn’t go to the gym today either. My whole day felt like it went to waste.

To top it off, marine depot said these 2 ATI fixtures were FINAL sale.

I think we all have days where things just don’t go as planned. I mean, if reefing was easy it probably wouldn’t attract so many people to the hobby. We would probably stick to freshwater tanks.

I really liked the color of the T5’s. I tried many different bulb combinations and I liked 50/50 blue+ and purple+ combo. The spread was really nice and I really liked the quality of the colors compared to LED’s. I see colors in my sps frags that I never saw before.

Unfortunately, I don’t know if I’m going to keep my plan of having T5’s. If this unit doesn’t get fixed, and if ATI doesn’t offer support, I’m screwed. Luckily T5 fixtures aren’t that expensive compared to LED’s.

As per your other post, this could be easily fixable ...well maybe not 'easily' , as troubleshooting electrical is a methodical process. Electrician of 25 years, and some days are frustrating, but its rewarding to solve the issue... so, you've tried the lamp connections ensure they are engaged properly, next is discovering whether we have a faulty dim system or ballast(s)... as I asked earlier, are these lights flickering on full voltage (ie: not dimmed but on full blast) or are they doing this when dimming is activated. It makes a difference as per diagnosis. If a ballast needs replacement, it can often be done with relative ease, so long as wiring pinout on new ballast is a match to the existing. Hopefully you have a model number in this case on the ballast if it needs replacement. Keep us updated on THIS THREAD, as to your thoughts/ discoveries.

 

[olonmv]

T5 ballasts are extremely finicky. Bad or wrongly installed lamps is usually the culprit. 20+ year sparky here.

 

[CanuckReefer]

Guys! I think it’s working! I think I didn’t put the bulbs in correctly when I tried installing the bulbs while it was in the canopy. I’m going to try to hook it up again with the bulbs already in.

We have light!!!

 

[CanuckReefer]

For the same reasons you mentioned. The color and color spectrum is awesome and proven. I run a hybrid and the spread I get from the T5’s is second to none.

^^^ this. I run both as well, my LED's just to supplement, and run a ramp dawn / dusk...my T5's do the heavy lifting.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Great to hear you have them working and you now these lights well. Many of us endure similar cases.

 

[BanjoBandito]

 

[Miami Reef]

ITS WORKING!!!!!!!