Thoughts on adding a T5HO fixture to current setup

[bluecheese]

Strange that it’s not working for me.

 

[oreo54]

Strange that it’s not working for me.

Screenshot ..

 

[Reefering1]

... umm what's the question again?

 

[bluecheese]

... umm what's the question again?

Will t5s work in my tank

Is it a wise business move to have me working on a reef tank on company time

Why is the video I posted not working for me

Pick your poison.

 

[Reefering1]

Will t5s work in my tank

Is it a wise business move to have me working on a reef tank on company time

Why is the video I posted not working for me

Pick your poison.

Ok, I'll take a wack at it...
1.) More light is more light. Though not ideal, t5's should span the length of the tank. If I had to use a 36" fixture, I would center it(so it doesn't look like one end is brighter). If centered, you MAY be able to use the peaks of rock work for a bird nest or other less demanding sps.
2.) Who cares. If you're an accountant or lawyer, bad idea. If your fliping burgers at McDonald's, good idea. I've spent countless hours on my tank. If I were getting paid for it, it would be double that.
3.) I can see your video..

 

[bluecheese]

So I noticed something. Certain corals are fluorescing more even with the T5 fixture turned off. I guess long lasting fluorescence is a reaction to the new lights.

 

[bluecheese]

the new lights turned an Acan from this

To this

 

[Reefering1]

the new lights turned an Acan from this

To this

Nice. Now let boss man notice the difference and get a taste. Use that as a selling point to cover the tank more sufficiently. Imagine the entire tank blanketed in that light

 

[bluecheese]

He’ll probably say something like “why buy a new light when it’s apparent this one is sufficient?”

But I’m thinking of approaching him about maybe the Quanta light bars since they’re relatively cheap.

 

[minus9]

Tell him the whole tank should and can look better, not just a section. But non reefing people may be hard to convince?

 

[jda]

Have you ever seen anybody who regretted adding T5s to their LEDs? If so, can you find a second person?

This is kinda like sex... nobody says "I tried it once in college and it just wasn't for me..."

They might not fit, or you might not want to buy them, but they will help if you install them.

As for the company guy/boss? Only you know. I had an investor once tell me that I could not hire a guy because his eyes were too blue... nobody knows the intricacies/nuance of your boss like you do. I would not let the tank cost you your job unless you just hate it.

 

[bobnicaragua]

JDA almost always hits the nail on the head. T5 are being dismissed out of hand these days. There really isn’t a better light for growing corals, especially SPS.

 

[minus9]

There’s no lighting system on its own that lights a tank better than T5’s. My issue was always with how everything looked, no contrast or depth, but for pure growth and health, they’re hard to beat. That’s why halides and T5’s had such success lighting tanks.

 

[bluecheese]

What's everyone's thoughts on acclimating the tank to the T5s by increasing their on time by 1 hour a week versus just putting them on the full light schedule now?

I ask a because right now I'm at 2 hours a day of on time for the T5s, and the corals are responding well to them, but when the T5s turn off some of the corals are retracting like its night time before coming back out again.

Should I continue with my one hour a week increase, or would it be ok to just go full tilt boogie with it and set it to its full photoperiod now?

 

[jda]

You can add one hour per day and be plenty OK. Acclimating corals to mercury based lighting is not as big of a deal as with LEDs.

 

[bluecheese]

You can add one hour per day and be plenty OK. Acclimating corals to mercury based lighting is not as big of a deal as with LEDs.

Why is there a difference between the T5s and LEDs?

 

[jda]

Spectrum, spikes in wavelengths, not enough red or IR to help handle data moving between photosystems.. maybe more. Nobody really knows for sure and nobody cares enough to research... it has just always been this way. My MH bulbs drop by like 30% in the two years that I run them and when I change them out it is like nothing happened - you increase LEDs 43% to get from 70 to 100% and corals will freak out.

 

[minus9]

Why is there a difference between the T5s and LEDs?

It's how they "deliver" the light.

 

[minus9]

I usually reduce the photo period by an hour when changing my mh bulbs and add 15 minutes every couple days until I'm back to norm. Been doing this since the late 80's early 90's without issue. Change LEDs by 10-20% and you get issues.

 

[bluecheese]

So should I stick with my original plan of an hour increase a week, or just go ahead and put the t5s at their full schedule now?