JMsAquarium March 3, 2006 Share March 3, 2006 Last night I installed my new lights. I switched from 2 400W MH + 4 VHOs to 4 T5s + 2 VHOs. The amount of light the T5 are putting is awsome. Here is a description of the new setup: All DIY - T5 items purchased at BRK. Thank you Johnny. Four 48" individual reflectors from sunlight supplies http://www.sunlightsupply.com/aquarium/pro...ag_rep_ballasts Two Aquablue 54W (60% actinic 40%white) 11,000K Two Blue 54W http://www.sunlightsupply.com/aquarium/pro...ent_lamps.shtml The above are all Giesemann brand fired by an IceCap 660. Two URI super actinic 110W. These are fired by an IceCap 430. The tank is a standard size 120 gal 48 x 24 x 24. I just fired the whole thing to see if every thing was working. The overall color combination is awsome, a crisp white with a hint of blue. The corals have better coloration, the fluorescent tones are striking and the colors are very crisp. I just found out that my red zoos have a blue rim on their skirt . I will stop by at Home Depot on my way home to get some window screen to put between the bulbs and the tank for acclimation purposes. The T5s are currently off, of course. Next step will be adding two Giesemann (or GE) Sun bulbs with individual reflectors. Sorry, no pics cuz I don't have a digital camera JM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Folta March 3, 2006 Share March 3, 2006 Welcome to the T5 club! Hope they work out well for you. Things in my tank are improving, but I think its more of a water issue for me than the lights... things have been getting progressively better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikS March 3, 2006 Share March 3, 2006 Sounds nice..........though we'd REALLY like to see some pictures!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie97L March 3, 2006 Share March 3, 2006 Sounds nice..........though we'd REALLY like to see some pictures!! 54952[/snapback] pics pics! i'm going t5 supplemental this weekend, i think, or vho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMsAquarium March 3, 2006 Author Share March 3, 2006 pics pics! i'm going t5 supplemental this weekend, i think, or vho. 54953[/snapback] Sorry guys, like I said, I do not have a ditial camera :( . But you are welcome to see it in person And if you really really prefer to see pics....well... my B-Day is coming very soon :65: :angel: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xeon March 3, 2006 Share March 3, 2006 Sounds very nice... I am strongly considering switching my inwall 75 to T5's. Currently it is a MH and VHO combo. Will be watching this thread since the T5's seem to be pretty good in terms of output for a tank of my depth, run cooler, use less power... bla bla bla Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest maestro774 March 3, 2006 Share March 3, 2006 I have a GE sun out of my 4 T5s and it's very yellow. You can definitely tell the area that's lit beneath it even with one blue+ angled towards it. When it's bulb replacing time, I'm switching it out with something closer to 10k. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMsAquarium March 3, 2006 Author Share March 3, 2006 Sounds very nice... I am strongly considering switching my inwall 75 to T5's. Currently it is a MH and VHO combo. Will be watching this thread since the T5's seem to be pretty good in terms of output for a tank of my depth, run cooler, use less power... bla bla bla 54986[/snapback] You are very welcome to stob by and see what it looks like. I have switched to T5 for the very same reasons you mentionned. With the MH and two clip on fans, I have never been able to get the water temp under 83 during the summer. That and an evaporation of about 3 gallons per day. maestro774, Mar 3 2006, 03:39 PM]I have a GE sun out of my 4 T5s and it's very yellow. You can definitely tell the area that's lit beneath it even with one blue+ angled towards it. When it's bulb replacing time, I'm switching it out with something closer to 10k. Interesting, I have an extra URI Sun VHO. I will definitely play with it and see how it looks like. As far as color goes, I assume it would be very similar. With regards to PAR, it might be another story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhoch March 3, 2006 Share March 3, 2006 Heh... welcome to the club... Bet you'll want that par meter now Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMsAquarium March 4, 2006 Author Share March 4, 2006 Heh... welcome to the club... Bet you'll want that par meter now Dave 55008[/snapback] LOL, you won your bet :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryL March 4, 2006 Share March 4, 2006 let us know how the electric bill changes. that would be my incentive. im already impressed with the lights Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Grenier March 4, 2006 Share March 4, 2006 Wow, now thats a leap! My new 65 has 6 3' T5s. I think the VHO/T5 combination is the best way to go because the VHO actinics can't be beat while the amount of light per watt of the T5s cant be beat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMsAquarium March 4, 2006 Author Share March 4, 2006 let us know how the electric bill changes. that would be my incentive. im already impressed with the lights 55016[/snapback] Well, let's see. Before I had 2 MH electronic ballasts rated at 4 amps each, plus an IceCap 660 rated at 4.4 recap:12.4 amps for a total of 1240W Now, an IceCap 660 but firing about 320 W (since a 54W T5 is overdriven at around 80W, so they say in RC) Amps used probably less than the 4.4 max,right? Add an IceCap 430 rated at 3.3 amps with 220 W of VHOs. New total is max of 7.7 amps for a total of around 550W. All in all, I guess that yes, a reduction in the electricity bill will noticeable. I'll check on that on the next bill. I think the VHO/T5 combination is the best way to go because the VHO actinics can't be beat while the amount of light per watt of the T5s cant be beat. Larry, I agree Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikS March 4, 2006 Share March 4, 2006 the VHO actinics can't be beat Which is why I keep following the URI status thread @ RC - come on URI make some T5 actinics as good as your VHOs! (if anyone can do it they should be able to). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnybv March 4, 2006 Share March 4, 2006 Which is why I keep following the URI status thread @ RC - come on URI make some T5 actinics as good as your VHOs! (if anyone can do it they should be able to). 55039[/snapback] I spoke to Jeff at URI yesterday, I should have some samples to try in the next few weeks, and the full line should be available April. They sound like they will be as good as their regular bulbs! John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikS March 4, 2006 Share March 4, 2006 Excellent - sometimes it's good to be a procrastinator :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhoch March 4, 2006 Share March 4, 2006 Johnny, When you get the URI actinic T5s in, I'll definitly take at least 1 of them. Jean-Marie, They definitly do draw more... I have a neat little product you can plug anything into and it will tell you the watts and amps that are being drawn from it... My T5s run ~100W (and they are the 80W bulbs). Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Grenier March 4, 2006 Share March 4, 2006 URI T5s... sounds like I did get the perfect light setup... Oh I forgot, we're supposed to be telling JM how smart HE is :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveoutlaw March 4, 2006 Share March 4, 2006 JM- Most of the threads I've seen on the T5s say that the blue plus bulbs blow the daylight bulbs away. I just ordered 3 blue plus so I will have 3 aquablue and 3 blue plus T5s and I'm going to use VHO actinics. I'll post some pics later. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhoch March 4, 2006 Share March 4, 2006 Steve, Depends on what you want... the daylight bulbs (the 6500K GE, and the 6000K ATI) produce far more par than any of the other bulbs...and give out better growth Of course they have a yellower look... Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Yomeister66 March 5, 2006 Share March 5, 2006 JM, Did you use a chiller on your MH system, and if so, do you still have to use it on your T5 set-up? And do you have any kind of SPS in your tank? Personally I think we should appoint a volunteer in the Falls Church area to go take pictures. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMsAquarium March 5, 2006 Author Share March 5, 2006 JM, Did you use a chiller on your MH system, and if so, do you still have to use it on your T5 set-up? And do you have any kind of SPS in your tank? Personally I think we should appoint a volunteer in the Falls Church area to go take pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhoch March 5, 2006 Share March 5, 2006 Jean-Marie, email them to me (the pics), and I'll post em for you. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Yomeister66 March 5, 2006 Share March 5, 2006 Thanks for the info. Looks like we have much the same type of livestock in the tank. I'll have to keep an eye on this post and see how you make out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMsAquarium March 7, 2006 Author Share March 7, 2006 Thanks for the info. Looks like we have much the same type of livestock in the tank. I'll have to keep an eye on this post and see how you make out 55130[/snapback] 5 days after initial set up.... Temp is reading: low 75 high 79. THAT I like, finally a nice temp range. I started with a T5 light period of 01:30 hours,a nd been bumping it up slowly up to about 15 minutes more per day. So far the polyp extension is great. Even the mushrooms are fully opened without any signs of stress. All inhabitants are as happy as it can be. So far so good. More feed back in a few days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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