t5 coral placement

[machome79]

hey there t5 users,

I have a mixed reef with a 4 lamp t5 ho fixture. I have never used a t5 light before only led. my tank is a 120 tall. I have included a picture to show you where the coral are right now. I'm not sure how close to the light they should be. I have the light hung 9 inches from the water surface. let me know what you think, Im ok with building up the rock or rearranging the scape.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

It will really depend on how your coral responds...

 

[Waters]

Right now, your rockwork is pretty much even all the way across.....doesn't matter where you put them. With T5s, you have a pretty even spread across the whole tank. I would leave it as is and check PAR if possible...if that isn't an option, just watch the coral like suggested.

 

[A. grandis]

hey there t5 users,

I have a mixed reef with a 4 lamp t5 ho fixture. I have never used a t5 light before only led. my tank is a 120 tall. I have included a picture to show you where the coral are right now. I'm not sure how close to the light they should be. I have the light hung 9 inches from the water surface. let me know what you think, Im ok with building up the rock or rearranging the scape.

That's great. No one should be afraid using T5s.
Coral placement doesn't matter under T5s!!!
Fixture can be touching the tank and it will be fine!
Normally 8" - 10" over water surface on tanks up to 24" high is the ideal.
You just have to acclimate when changing bulbs or when you start the tank.
Easiest lights to reef! Enjoy your tank!

 

[nereefpat]

What corals are you keeping? Some like higher light than others.

4 bulbs over a 120 shouldn't be too high of PAR anywhere.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

That's great. No one should be afraid using T5s.
Coral placement doesn't matter under T5s!!!
Fixture can be touching the tank and it will be fine!
Normally 8" - 10" over water surface on tanks up to 24" high is the ideal.
You just have to acclimate when changing bulbs or when you start the tank.
Easiest lights to reef! Enjoy your tank!

This is a bit of an overstatement... You do still need to understand the lighting needs of the coral you keep and place them in the proper location in the tank.

 

[A. grandis]

This is a bit of an overstatement... You do still need to understand the lighting needs of the coral you keep and place them in the proper location in the tank.

Tell me ONE coral that won't do amazingly under T5s after proper adaptation to the T5s in ANY place in the tank, please.
Like any other light you will need to adapt, but you will be able to place any coral anywhere you want.

 

[Koh23]

Really dont matter....

4xT5 will grow any soft and lps coral, anywhere in tank, and no coral is gona have too much or too little light.

If your aim is sps, then yes, u need to place them higher, closer to light, or upgrade fixture to 6 or 8 bulbs, and then again, placement is not an issue.

In terms of "scaping", yes, some corals go to bottom, some are best looking in middle, but, lightwise, you really cannot go too much wrong with t5

 

[Big E]

Is that a 36" horticulture light fixture? If so, it's woefully inadequate par and coverage for sps. For LPS and softies you can get away with it
If you don't want to dive in with high cost you can buy LET 2x48" diy fixtures. 3 will give you 6 bulbs and good coverage.
Or buy the 8x48 horticulture fixture. You could also buy a 4x48 fixture and add two LED strips of quality.

Either way, use good bulbs.......ATI or Giesemann
-----------------
Keep in mind those horticulture fixtures don't have moisture end caps and over time some parts of the fixture will rust. It's basically a throw away once it starts going bad.
They are fine if you want to try T5 without buying a quality T5 fixture.

A Sunpower or LET T5 will last your whole life. It's easy to replace ballasts or fans over many years of use.

 

[A. grandis]

I agree with Big E. I always use ATI non dimmable. Best investment to the casual or experienced hobbyist IMO! The ATI has a cooling system that will keep the efficiency of the bulbs with the fans. The reflectors are well spaced, has a protection for the bulbs and it will last a lifetime in most cases.