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T-5 and Power Compacts
- Thread starter erid
- Start date
sanjay is testing this now... for MACNA
my take....
I went from a coralife 260 watt fixture (on a 24" deep 90 gal) to a 4 lamp retro t-5 setup including overdriven (by icecap) 48" lamps with individual reflectors, which is the trick!! as in a 54 watt lamp producing 80 watts for 320 watts of power. From the first second they went on I could notice how much brighter it was!! mushrooms at the bottom of the tank used to stretch for light... they sit snuggly on the rocks now. I have a nice mix of actinic and actinic white lamps which make it look pretty but I'm sure my growth is slow! GE makes a 6500K lamp that I will probably try soon for growth. now, mind you, I'm not stocked heavily at all... mostly frags, a decent size colt, purple nana, couple digi's, shrooms, brain, hammer (at the bottom) but all seem happy. I might try MH's if I think i can control the heat, which is the reason I went T-5. all lamps of the same wattage produce the same heat, it's just spread out more on a t-5 therefore making it easier to cool.
my take....
I went from a coralife 260 watt fixture (on a 24" deep 90 gal) to a 4 lamp retro t-5 setup including overdriven (by icecap) 48" lamps with individual reflectors, which is the trick!! as in a 54 watt lamp producing 80 watts for 320 watts of power. From the first second they went on I could notice how much brighter it was!! mushrooms at the bottom of the tank used to stretch for light... they sit snuggly on the rocks now. I have a nice mix of actinic and actinic white lamps which make it look pretty but I'm sure my growth is slow! GE makes a 6500K lamp that I will probably try soon for growth. now, mind you, I'm not stocked heavily at all... mostly frags, a decent size colt, purple nana, couple digi's, shrooms, brain, hammer (at the bottom) but all seem happy. I might try MH's if I think i can control the heat, which is the reason I went T-5. all lamps of the same wattage produce the same heat, it's just spread out more on a t-5 therefore making it easier to cool.
OK, I found some more information on my fixture.
According to Current USA, the T-5 are brighter (as some of you have stated) at 108w VS my 130w with compact florescents. In addition they will last two years.
I cannot convert the compacts to the T-5s and I personally feel that it "is not" worth it.
I don't like the Dual Actinic (420nm and 460nm) look, so I'll just switch my HQI's to 14K and call it a day. I'll be a happy camper then!
OK, any recommendations for good blue 14K HQIs?
According to Current USA, the T-5 are brighter (as some of you have stated) at 108w VS my 130w with compact florescents. In addition they will last two years.
I cannot convert the compacts to the T-5s and I personally feel that it "is not" worth it.
I don't like the Dual Actinic (420nm and 460nm) look, so I'll just switch my HQI's to 14K and call it a day. I'll be a happy camper then!
OK, any recommendations for good blue 14K HQIs?
My tank has very good growth with PCs. Since the last meeting where I got a frag pack from the club, every piece has new branches each about 1/8" long. Thats about 1/4" a month on Digi. I am expecting this to be more now that the coral is out of transport shock and the color is back.
Someone mentioned overdriving the tubes earlier in the thread. It works, but doesn't that just burn out the bulbs faster? 10% overdrive means 10% less life of the bulb?
Someone mentioned overdriving the tubes earlier in the thread. It works, but doesn't that just burn out the bulbs faster? 10% overdrive means 10% less life of the bulb?
OK Guys, If IrradiatedReef is gaining 1/4" per month off of only PCs, I have a serious growth problem...
See the pictures above of my tank before adding the 12 SPS Frags that I have added in the past month on a half or so.
They are growing in the "base area", as I was told they would "first", but have not achieved 1/4" growth on the branches. I see a difference but it's definitely not 1/4". Now that's on a 90Gal with 2-150w Hqi, and 2-130w Dual actinics!
Erik
I have a coralife 24" system. 130 watts 65 10k/ 65 antinic over a 15 gal. nano. All my digi is in the top 1/3 of the tank. They are all within 10" of the light. Is your calcium over 400? Do you use Phyto or other feeding additives for the coral? I use DTs live phyto. I also have 0 ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. I do a 10% water change weekly. Only product I use for filtration is synth. carbon. I suppliment calcium and iodide <2 drops weekly>.
On another note, I just can't help to think that mixing equipment that is not ment to go together <eg. overdriving bulbs> is just looking for trouble.
On another note, I just can't help to think that mixing equipment that is not ment to go together <eg. overdriving bulbs> is just looking for trouble.
All my SPS are up high. Within 12" of the lighting fixture.
Nitrates 0
Phosphates 0 (Ro/Di water)
Mg 1300
Cal 450
Ak 11 dkh
PH 8.3 8.4
Flow -awesome, 3 maxijet 600s
Feeding - brine shrimp, zooplex, and feed the fish flake and mysis shrimp to make them poop for food.
*iodine and strontium are added once a week.
Nitrates 0
Phosphates 0 (Ro/Di water)
Mg 1300
Cal 450
Ak 11 dkh
PH 8.3 8.4
Flow -awesome, 3 maxijet 600s
Feeding - brine shrimp, zooplex, and feed the fish flake and mysis shrimp to make them poop for food.
*iodine and strontium are added once a week.