t 5 4 ft lights

[DCordell]

I need to replace my t5 lights. they arr the really skinny long florressant type running right around $30 a piece Right now I'm using aquarium as a reef tank,it currently has 4 54 watt bulbs. I saw online they go up to 80 watt. can I mix and match all 4 bubs with different spectrums and can or should I go up to 80 watt. I now have 2 blue and 2 bright white. not sure of the wattage of the blue. Where csn I order/buy these bulbs at best prices. Oh by the way this a 135 gallon tank I'm a beginner so I need as much imfo as your willing to type or call me, David 3016537773

 

And next , what are these hard litte specs all over/on the glass and is there a solution I can buy to get rid of them. My tank in plexy glas so I really cant the the magnetic type. They r really hard to getoff.

 

 

Thanks in advance,

 

 

 

David

Edited June 17, 2012 by DCordell

[Jan]

Same here. Need to replace 4 T5's, 2 MH's and 1 57watt UV bulb. Maybe a GB?

[smallreef]

hhrrmmm I wonder if Reefgeeks.com does group buy prices? I have 6 bulbs I need to buy....

 

or if we could atleast all order together to save on shipping? (maybe to have delivered the day before our ric's get to jans so whom ever does the ordering can bring them over?)

[smallreef]

and you may want to see what your light fixture is rated for... if you add to many bulbs that are higher than what was there to begin with may burn up the fixture....

[Jan]

You can only go as high on wattage as your fixture is rated for. So if it's 54 watt T5's you have to use 54 watts. You can change the color spectrum. Super actinics are a darker blue and give you more pop on colors. Whites give you brighter light but not so much pop on color.

 

I need to replace my t5 lights. they arr the really skinny long florressant type running right around $30 a piece Right now I'm using aquarium as a reef tank,it currently has 4 54 watt bulbs. I saw online they go up to 80 watt. can I mix and match all 4 bubs with different spectrums and can or should I go up to 80 watt. I now have 2 blue and 2 bright white. not sure of the wattage of the blue. Where csn I order/buy these bulbs at best prices. Oh by the way this a 135 gallon tank I'm a beginner so I need as much imfo as your willing to type or call me, David 3016537773

 

And next , what are these hard litte specs all over/on the glass and is there a solution I can buy to get rid of them. My tank in plexy glas so I really cant the the magnetic type. They r really hard to getoff.

 

 

Thanks in advance,

 

 

 

David

[flooddc]

I need to replace my t5 lights. they arr the really skinny long florressant type running right around $30 a piece Right now I'm using aquarium as a reef tank,it currently has 4 54 watt bulbs. I saw online they go up to 80 watt. can I mix and match all 4 bubs with different spectrums and can or should I go up to 80 watt. I now have 2 blue and 2 bright white. not sure of the wattage of the blue. Where csn I order/buy these bulbs at best prices. Oh by the way this a 135 gallon tank I'm a beginner so I need as much imfo as your willing to type or call me, David 3016537773

 

And next , what are these hard litte specs all over/on the glass and is there a solution I can buy to get rid of them. My tank in plexy glas so I really cant the the magnetic type. They r really hard to getoff.

 

 

Thanks in advance,

 

 

 

David

 

You need to check your light fixture to see what is the maximum rating for the fixture. Your fixture is likely a 200-230watts fixture. I'd upgrade the fixture to a larger one IF you are going to have corals. Some soft corals may be ok with your existing fixture. For your 135G, typically you will need at least 3 watts per gal. (400 watts or more), Unless you are getting LED's.

 

[flooddc]

Oh! I have never seen a 4 feet (48") t5 bulb before! however there are 5' (60") 80W ones.

[nbgen12]

4ft T-5 bulbs are the 56 watt bulbs.....that's the same sort of fixture.im running except with 6 4 ft 56w bulbs

 

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2

[Jim]

I need to replace my t5 lights. they arr the really skinny long florressant type running right around $30 a piece Right now I'm using aquarium as a reef tank,it currently has 4 54 watt bulbs. I saw online they go up to 80 watt. can I mix and match all 4 bubs with different spectrums and can or should I go up to 80 watt. I now have 2 blue and 2 bright white. not sure of the wattage of the blue. Where csn I order/buy these bulbs at best prices. Oh by the way this a 135 gallon tank I'm a beginner so I need as much imfo as your willing to type or call me, David 3016537773

 

And next , what are these hard litte specs all over/on the glass and is there a solution I can buy to get rid of them. My tank in plexy glas so I really cant the the magnetic type. They r really hard to getoff.

 

 

Thanks in advance,

 

 

 

David

 

In a 4 bulb setup for your tank I'd recommend 3 ATI Blue Plus and 1 ATI Purple Plus.

 

Try either Dobie pads or the original Magic Eraser to clean your acrylic tank. They both work very well and will not scratch.

Edited June 17, 2012 by Jim

[Jim]

Same here. Need to replace 4 T5's, 2 MH's and 1 57watt UV bulb. Maybe a GB?

 

BRS offers all of the popular reef bulbs and has group buy pricing. That's where I buy my T5's and they pack them very well.

[surf&turf]

BRS offers all of the popular reef bulbs and has group buy pricing. That's where I buy my T5's and they pack them very well.

 

+1

 

Just bought 2 coral plus and 2 blue plus.

[DCordell]

You can only go as high on wattage as your fixture is rated for. So if it's 54 watt T5's you have to use 54 watts. You can change the color spectrum. Super actinics are a darker blue and give you more pop on colors. Whites give you brighter light but not so much pop on color.

 

 

[DCordell]

OH YEAH:ohmy: that makes a lot of sence. Thats what I'll doi. I was also wonderimg if by going higher on wattage would bennefit my tank in a positive way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But thanks for the advice. I hope I posted this reply correctly. Thanks again.

 

 

 

 

 

You can only go as high on wattage as your fixture is rated for. So if it's 54 watt T5's you have to use 54 watts. You can change the color spectrum. Super actinics are a darker blue and give you more pop on colors. Whites give you brighter light but not so much pop on color.

 

 

 

 

David

[LCDRDATA]

I've purchased my 48"/54W T-5s from Reefgeek.com, hellolights.com, and BRS and have never had a problem. I believe the first two offer group buys, and I know BRS does. Hellolights seems to have sale pricing a bit more often. Depending on where you look, you may see the 54W bulbs listed as 46.5" rather than 48" - don't worry, they are the same (the former doesn't include the length of the pins at either end). As far as spectrum goes, there's an ongoing T-5 Q&A thread on Reefcentral here that has all the information you'll ever need, and the main authors usually reply within a few hours. However, I would agree with earlier posts that you're going to need more than 4x54W on a 135 gallon tank if you want to keep stony corals.

[DCordell]

OH YEAH:ohmy: that makes a lot of sence. Thats what I'll doi. I was also wonderimg if by going higher on wattage would bennefit my tank in a positive way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But thanks for the advice. I hope I posted this reply correctly. Thanks again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

David

Edited June 19, 2012 by DCordell

[DCordell]

I've purchased my 48"/54W T-5s from Reefgeek.com, hellolights.com, and BRS and have never had a problem. I believe the first two offer group buys, and I know BRS does. Hellolights seems to have sale pricing a bit more often. Depending on where you look, you may see the 54W bulbs listed as 46.5" rather than 48" - don't worry, they are the same (the former doesn't include the length of the pins at either end). As far as spectrum goes, there's an ongoing T-5 Q&A thread on Reefcentral here that has all the information you'll ever need, and the main authors usually reply within a few hours. However, I would agree with earlier posts that you're going to need more than 4x54W on a 135 gallon tank if you want to keep stony corals.

[DCordell]

OK. Thanks man.

[Origami]

Reefgeeks has good pricing and used to (I don't know if they still do it) free shipping above a certain amount. I don't think you'll hit that amount with four lamps, though. I used to buy 8-10 80W T5's at a shot and know that I got free shipping when I ordered. (Just confirmed free shipping on most orders over $200.)

 

54W T5's are sold at a number of shops in Virginia, too. Blue Ribbon Koi, for example, used to have some in the store. They're in Manassas, though. A bit of a hike for you. 80W T5's are 5-feet long and won't fit your fixture unless you're willing to make modifications. Still, you won't drive that much more wattage than what the ballast is designed for. It's probably easiest to stick with what you have, as long as it's doing the job for you.

 

An original Dobie pad (get them at the grocery store in the dishwashing detergent aisle) works great to remove a lot of stuff from acrylic panels. You can also use the edge of an old credit card or one of those magnetic hotel keys to scrape off really tough stuff.