T5 Q&A
Printed From: Utah Reefs
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Forum Name: Equipment
Forum Description: This is the place to ask question about reef equipment.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=32851
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Topic: T5 Q&A
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Subject: T5 Q&A
Date Posted: April 25 2009 at 11:27am
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I thought I would start a thread here locally for anyone that has questions about T5's and what combos to run. There is a HUGE thread on RC about this but I like to hear from local people and keep it here on our site. So if you have experience with T5, share your knowledge here! Here is a great site for all things T5: http://home.comcast.net/~stevelarsen00/site/?/home/ - http://home.comcast.net/~stevelarsen00/site/?/home/ That site is a little outdated but still a great starting point.
A great article on T5's from Anthony Calfo: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1637546 - http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1637546
So let me know if you have any questions regarding T5's. |
Replies:
Posted By: chk4tix
Date Posted: April 25 2009 at 7:23pm
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Nice idea Ryan. If I remember I will post my current bulb choice and setup with pics of the tank just so people can have a visual. I defiantly think t5's make colors pop compared to my mh's
------------- Original Crappy Reef Club Member #2 |
Posted By: DanhNgo
Date Posted: April 26 2009 at 1:18pm
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I saw this deal when during my search for t 5 60'' Aquarium Light T5 HO 12x 80 NEW Moon Lunar Reef
http://www.riceaquatic.com/servlet/the-61/60-Aquarium-Light-T5/Detail - http://www.riceaquatic.com/servlet/the-61/60%27%27-Aquarium-Light-T5/Detail
I was wondering if any one heard or used them before. Thanks- Dan ------------- 200 Gal Reef 25 Gal Nano Reef |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: April 26 2009 at 1:33pm
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I haven't heard anything on them but would suppose they are pretty cheap in the end. When it comes to fixtures, you get what you pay for. The bulbs would need to be replaced within the first 6 months. That is another $250 or more. I would just look into (2) ATI Sunpower 6x80W. They make some bold claims that can not be backed up. For example they say, "Best reflectors in the industry." That is not a true statement. ATI has the the best reflectors available but we can't buy them here in the states, yet. After ATI it is Reefgeek, Aquactinics and IceCap. It would be nice to get a fixture and test it but I am not gonna throw away $700 to find out. The best fixtures are (in order): ATI Powermodule ATI Sunpower Aquactinics Constellation and TX5 The new Sfigoli's are supposed to be alright, but EXPENSIVE! Tek Fixtures Current USA Ebay knock offs - avoid IMO.
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Posted By: chk4tix
Date Posted: April 26 2009 at 2:38pm
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I hear the ATI are the best and the brightest. I dont even know what to think about the difference compared to my TEK. I had to reduce the amount of "light" time compaired to my mh's because it was starting to bleach out my corals. However with the reduced light period, I can still keep my monti plate alive sitting on the sandbed. If I had the money to get an ATI, I probably would but my TEK seems to be working great for a "decent" light. I do have mine cooled which helps.
------------- Original Crappy Reef Club Member #2 |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: April 26 2009 at 4:38pm
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Cooling a TEK will increase the output by about 20% and DO NOT run an acrylic shield on them. It traps the heat in and fries the ballasts. On my 40 Gallon, I am torn on what to do. I really want the ATI Sunpower but I wouldn't be able to keep any of LPS happy because it will be too much light for them. I have thought about the Tek instead but am a little cautious and weary. I have also thought of having a canopy built and going with a retro fit kit instead. Decisions, decisions!
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Posted By: chk4tix
Date Posted: April 26 2009 at 4:55pm
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Well with my TEK, I did have to shade a few of my LPS so I can only imagine the power of an ATI. I had enought reflectors and ballasts to do a full 8 bulb t5 retro but decided to go with the fixture for a cleaner look, eventhough I have a canopy. I have been happy with the TEK so far, just need to get this Da** redslime under control still ------------- Original Crappy Reef Club Member #2 |
Posted By: DanhNgo
Date Posted: April 27 2009 at 11:39pm
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Great information. I was looking at the ATI Power Module 10 80 watts, but's it about 1500. Ouch! Do you know if the light will be enough for coral at the bottom of my 24" tank?
Dan ------------- 200 Gal Reef 25 Gal Nano Reef |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: April 27 2009 at 11:43pm
| Enough light with the ATI? Yes the ATI will be plenty of light on the sand for SPS. Some people have had to shade low light SPS with the ATI's. |
Posted By: chk4tix
Date Posted: April 27 2009 at 11:46pm
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As Ryan said, Yes the ATI would easily work well on a 24" deep tank. As I stated above I have an 8 bulb TEK and on my 24" I am keeping sps frags on the sandbed with no problems. So the ATI, which is much more efficent and better then mine, would have no issues. You might even have to much light
------------- Original Crappy Reef Club Member #2 |
Posted By: chk4tix
Date Posted: April 28 2009 at 12:11am
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Because I said I would post some pics of my lights, here are some crappy cell phone shots. I will swap these out with pics from my real camera in a few days.
  And here is a "before and after shot" with my mh's. I shot these with my Canon Rebel but did not use flash or do any after processing so that it was an accurate depiction of the brightness of the lights. MH's -
2 - 250w mh
Pheonix 14000k bulbs running on Icecap ballasts.
4 x 54 watt t5 actinics on Icecap 669
 T5's - 8 bulb TEK 48" fixture
FRONT
ATI Blue Plus (311) KZ Fiji Purple (330) ATI Blue Plus (311) ATI Aquablue Special (336) KZ Fiji Purple (330) ATI Aquablue Special (336) Blue Actinic 03 (???) ATI Blue Plus (311)  ------------- Original Crappy Reef Club Member #2 |
Posted By: Jeff Morrill
Date Posted: April 28 2009 at 1:43am
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Craptastic. lol
------------- WHAT KINDA GUM????... Give em 2 sticks. |
Posted By: chk4tix
Date Posted: April 28 2009 at 1:47am
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Jeff, its good to see your still alive.
------------- Original Crappy Reef Club Member #2 |
Posted By: Jeff Morrill
Date Posted: April 28 2009 at 1:58am
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I couldnt stay away for ever.
------------- WHAT KINDA GUM????... Give em 2 sticks. |
Posted By: chk4tix
Date Posted: April 28 2009 at 2:24am
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I was scared at first thinking about switching from the "old faithful" mh's, but I think I made a great choice. The colors of my corals are amazing now and the lights really make everything pop. I was worried about not being able to keep SPS on the sandbed, what I should have wondered about is if I now have to much light. lol Also, I am looking forward to seeing how much of a difference the light will make on my power bill. I went from running 716watts total lights to only 432watts. I know I have heard a lot about the "shimmer" effect that mh's give off as a reason not to switch. I personally love the shimmer effect, however I have seen the same effect achieved with a few white LED's. I may add these to mine but there is no rush, the tank looks great. I just wish my corals would grow quicker. (this tank has only been up for 4 months now) ------------- Original Crappy Reef Club Member #2 |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: April 28 2009 at 11:02am
| Many will argue and disagree but T5's have shown time and time again they out perform MH if set up properly. The industry is moving towards T5 and LED. All the MH people will be left in the dust clinging to an old technology. Keith is proof that watt vs. watt the T5 win. The only time to you need MH is if your tank is over 30" deep but even then you just have to be selective where high light corals are placed. |
Posted By: jonafriendj
Date Posted: April 28 2009 at 11:42am
That's an awesome picture! I use a pair of the T5s off our 120 to light our garage  ------------- Pleasant Grove |
Posted By: Jeff Morrill
Date Posted: April 28 2009 at 6:34pm
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thought you sold the 120?!!! ------------- WHAT KINDA GUM????... Give em 2 sticks. |
Posted By: BrandonA
Date Posted: April 28 2009 at 9:12pm
LOL that cracks me up, a discussion on what lights your tank better and you have yours to light your garage. 
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Posted By: jonafriendj
Date Posted: April 29 2009 at 8:40am
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Nice to hear from you Jeff! I did sell the 120! I guess that was what I was trying to say... I liked the T5s so much I kept them haha. ------------- Pleasant Grove |
Posted By: chk4tix
Date Posted: April 29 2009 at 9:57pm
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I updated the before and after pictures for visual comparison. ------------- Original Crappy Reef Club Member #2 |
Posted By: ksarcury
Date Posted: May 03 2009 at 11:30am
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We have and 8 light T5 system - 4 actinics and 4 12000K daylights, and moonlights.
So, what is the "correct" setup for a T5 system? Best combination of bulbs is . . . . . . ?
Thanks.
Kenna ------------- 90 gal. reef 12 g. nano w/acans 34 g. salano system |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: May 03 2009 at 12:49pm
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The correct set up is good ballasts, good reflectors, and good bulbs and then it must be properly cooled. If T5's are not cooled they will lose over 50% of their output within a few hours of being on and the life of the bulbs decreases big time. The best combo of bulbs is really subjective. If you like a white tank then it will be different from someone who loves a blue tank. My personal favorite for 8 bulbs is this: ATI Blue Plus KZ Fiji Purple or UVL Actinic White ATI Blue Plus GE 6500K ATI Blue Plus KZ Fiji Purple or UVL Actinic White ATI Blue Plus ATI Blue Plus
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Posted By: chk4tix
Date Posted: May 03 2009 at 3:37pm
Ryan answered most of the your questions, but I just wanted to add that you would be amazed at the colors you can get with a good combination of bulbs. I would recommend when the time comes to switch out bulbs to get a change from just 12000k and actinics.
As I posted before, my bulbs are aranged in this order
FRONT of tank
ATI Blue Plus KZ Fiji Purple ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue Special KZ Fiji Purple ATI Aquablue Special Blue Actinic 03
ATI Blue Plus I tried a GE daylight bulb, but it made it to "yellow" for my tastes. You are more then welcome to drop by and see the color of the tank in person. I would say that with my bulb combination I hit pretty close to the same color as my 2 - 250w Pheonix bulbs. I know there are many members of the board that like the color of the Pheonix bulbs. ------------- Original Crappy Reef Club Member #2 |
ksarcury wrote:Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: May 14 2009 at 3:16pm
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Just wanted to BUMP up this thread and also pass on new information regarding T5's. This article is on RC and is written by Anthony Calfo. Very good read and well worth your time. http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1637546 - http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1637546 I also placed this in the first post so it won't get lost in time.
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Posted By: chk4tix
Date Posted: May 14 2009 at 3:32pm
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Good info Ryan. I look forward to that discussion to see what the "proper" temp of the bulbs should be, this will help many T5 users "tune" their systems accordingly ------------- Original Crappy Reef Club Member #2 |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: May 14 2009 at 6:44pm
| The proper temp is 113 degrees at the cold spot. |
Posted By: chk4tix
Date Posted: May 14 2009 at 7:19pm
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Thanks
------------- Original Crappy Reef Club Member #2 |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: July 15 2009 at 1:47am
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BUMP up this old thread! I have been so busy and have not been around lately. My tank is also looking a little crappy. Dang jobs! |
Posted By: Aquatic Evolution
Date Posted: July 24 2009 at 4:23pm
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WELL I MUST BE BORED TODAY, CAUSE' I'M GOING TO CHIME IN. WE CURRENTLY EMPLOY THE USE OF OVER 100 HO T-5 FIXTURES. I AGREE WITH THE STATEMENTS OF QUALITY FOR THE ABOVE MENTIONED BRANDS. ATI WAS THE FIRST BRAND AND MANY OTHERS TO FOLLOW THAT WE'VE USED OVER THE PAST 8-9 YEARS. BUT ARE THEY THE BEST? ITS ALL RELATIVE. BUT I DONT BELIEVE THEY ARE. BUT THEY ARE VERY GOOD. MY AQUACULTURE SYSTEM THAT I SET UP 7 YEARS AGO HAD A 8 BULB FIXTURES W/ ATI BULBS, COLOR ON MY SPS WAS GREAT AND GROWTH WAS NORMAL. BUT AT 9 MONTHS OR SO T-5 ARE USELESS IMO TO GROW ACROPORA, COLOR FADED GROWTH ALL BUT STOPPED. FAN COOLED, PARABOLIC REFLECTORS, ATI BULBS, 15" DEPTH DIDNT SEEM TO CHANGE THE LIFE SPAN OF THE BULBS OR INCREASE MY SUCCESS. I FOUND THAT @ 9 MONTHS I HAD TO REPLACE ALL OF MY BULBS FOR MY SPS TO CONTINUE TO THRIVE. YEAR AFTER YEAR REPLACING THESE BULBS BECAME JUST AS EXPENSIVE AS METAL HALIDES TO OPERATE.
THE INDUSTRY IS CONVERTING TO T-5 BULBS BUT IT HAS MORE TO DO WITH THE E.P.A THAN THE AQUARIUM INDUSTRY. METAL HALIDES ARE IMO STILL THE BEST LIGHT SOURCE TO MEET ALL YOUR NEEDS IN THE REEF HOBBY.
DONT GET ME WRONG, I WILL CONTINUE TO USE HO T-5 LIGHTING FOR MY FLOURESCENT NEEDS, BUT IT WILL NEVER REPLACE METAL HALIDES ON LARGER SYSTEMS. T-5'S JUST DONT COMPARE. THEY ARE OK ON SMALLER SYSTEMS, BUT HEED WHAT I SAID ABOVE.
I HOPE THIS HELPS, IT IS JUST MY OPINION, BUT IT IS BASED ON MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE (MY OWN) AND MANY OF OUR CUSTOMERS. IF ANY OF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS GIVE ME A CALL @ THE STORE.
P.S. MY AQUACULTURE SYSTEM HAS ALL METAL HALIDES NOW
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Posted By: Adam Blundell
Date Posted: July 24 2009 at 5:03pm
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Shawn- thanks for the info!!!!
It is great to get input from someone with years of experience and who has had the chance to try out many lights.
I'm glad you were "bored today"
 Adam ------------- Come to a meeting, they�re fun! |
Posted By: chk4tix
Date Posted: July 25 2009 at 12:19am
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Very interesting, Thanks for the input. I do like my current t5 setup, but I am not looking forward to speeding a few hundred $$ to replace the bulbs every 8-12 months. ------------- Original Crappy Reef Club Member #2 |
Posted By: Mike Savage
Date Posted: July 25 2009 at 12:20am
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Great info Shawn. Thanks! Mike -------------  |
Posted By: Turbostud653
Date Posted: July 25 2009 at 12:27am
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Thanks for the input my 90 gallon tank that I am setting up has t-5 on it. ------------- Here is what a customer said while on hold Oh my gosh! Did you open the door? I told you not to open the door. Dre is in here completely naked and he's got freak'n Macaroni and Cheese in his hands. |
Posted By: Chad
Date Posted: July 25 2009 at 1:59am
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I'm in the process of switching all of my frag system to t5 HO's. I know I won't save a ton of money with the t5's but I think even replacing them often it might be a little cheaper, but my main concern right now is keeping my fish room temp from getting too hot and I am eliminating 3x 250 watt halids and then going t5's on all of my new stuff, my frag tanks are only 10 inches deep of water anyway. ------------- What?! You pooped in the refrigerator, and ate the entire wheel of cheese?! I'm not even mad.... That's actually amazing! |
Posted By: Nick801
Date Posted: July 25 2009 at 2:27am
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Just curious if you guys are able to pick up any of these locally? ATI Blue Plus KZ Fiji Purple or UVL Actinic White GE 6500K ATI Blue Plus Seems like all the pet stores just have glo brand... how do these compare to glo? ------------- http://www.reefinsanity.com" rel="nofollow - www.ReefInsanity.com http://www.facebook.com/ReefInsanity" rel="nofollow - www.Facebook.com/ReefInsanity 801-680-4676 |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: July 25 2009 at 11:36am
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Shawn, While I appreciate the info I did not intend this thread to be a MH vs. T5 discussion. I respect your opinion and your expertise but this is a Q&A about T5 stuff. The majority of people get 12 months out of their T5 bulbs that I know. However if you have a full blown SPS tank then yes you should probably replace them every 9 months or so. I would ask you Shawn what temp you were running your T5's at when you fan cooled them? Just having a fan isn't enough if the bulbs are still running 130 degrees at the endcaps. You want the endcaps to run at 113 degrees for maximum output and life span. You also stated that you spend just as much with MH but I highly disagree. For example on my 40 gallon I would need to replace 2 150W bulbs every year at the tune of $110 each time. (I would be running Phoenix 14k bulbs) Add in the expense of a chiller and I am way more expensive in every way compared to my T5 setup where I need no chiller and bulbs will run me maybe $100 a year(not a huge savings but 10 dollars is 10 dollars). Not to mention the savings in electricity.
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Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: July 25 2009 at 11:37am
Set it up correctly and you will not be disappointed.
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Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: July 25 2009 at 11:43am
Reef Runners can get you ATI Stuff and they are the same price as Reefgeek. Very worth the drive to see the new store if you haven't already. STAY AWAY from anything Glo brand. Too darn expensive for what you get. I had Glo brand bulbs over a tank for about a month and immediately took them down. Terrible colors compared to the good brand stuff. Your setup you mentioned above will be REALLY white just FYI. For 4 bulbs I would do this: ATI Blue Plus KZ Fiji Purple ATI Aquablue ATI Blue Plus |
Posted By: sanddune600
Date Posted: July 25 2009 at 2:29pm
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what about 6 bulbs
------------- Andy Jorgensen My number is four three 5 7 six four 8 0 three four |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: July 25 2009 at 2:34pm
ATI Blue Plus UVL 75/25 ATI Blue Plus KZ Fiji Purple or UVL Actinic White ATI Blue Plus or ATI Aquablue ATI Blue Plus Use 4 Blue Plus if you want more of a 15-17K look. If you want more of a 12k look then go with the Aquablue in slot 5.
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Posted By: bfessler
Date Posted: July 26 2009 at 7:52am
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I have a question regarding the degradation of the lamps without cooling fans. I have been researching T5HO properties and it is suggested that one of the properties of these lights is that they perform better in areas of excess heat such as High Bay warehouse applications where the lights are hung high in a building and where ambient temperatures are frequently over 90 degrees. It also states that the life expectancy of the lamps in high heat applications was initially thought to be between 10,000 and 15,000 hours but in areas that have few on off cycles they are seeing lamp lives of 30,000 hours plus even in warm conditions. I have looked at several of these High Bay fixtures and the ballast is enclosed in a steel channel with no cooling fan and little ventilation. Many of them are enclosed with sealed clear acrylic cover which would increase the temperature around the bulbs.
I haven't been able to find any reference to degridation of light based on temperature. Can you point me to information related to the necessity of cooling T5 lamps? I am wondering if this degridation is limited to the specialty lamps that are required for reef applications. Most of the testing info I have found is related to commercial applications using 6500K Lamps. According to the information I have been able to find it appears that cooling would be more to decrease heat transfer to the water column. ------------- Burt An equal opportunity reefer, I support all hobbyists and organizations involved in Marine Aquarium Keeping. [email protected] |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: July 26 2009 at 10:19am
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Go to the first post in this thread and click on the link to Reef Central. It will take you to a thread and article by Anthony Calfo that is all about T5. You can get a ton of life out of T5 bulbs if you want. Your corals won't be happy but you will still have light. After 9-12 months the actinic and blue phosphurs burn out. You usually can't see that your bulbs have shifted color because it does it over time and very slowly but the color shift occurs. I have an article where they tested the ATI Powermodule against the really expensive Geissemann T5 fixture(can't remember the name). The ATI has cooling and the Gmann does not. After 2 hours of both fixtures being on and running, the Gmann lost over 50% of its' output because of no cooling. The ATI never lost more than 2% output over the span of 8 hours. I would also research how T5 bulbs work. Once you understand the science behind them you will also see the need for cooling them. When you run electricity through the bulb it excites the phosphurs and thus you have light. The more heat, the more resistance, the more resistance, the less amount of the phosphurs that get excited.
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Posted By: bfessler
Date Posted: July 27 2009 at 10:10am
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Ryan, Have you ever seen the Catalina Aquarium fixtures? They are manufactured in California and use Advance ballasts. Their new design uses a perforated aluminum panel in the top of the fixture to let out the heat without a cooling fan. Perforations span the entire fixture.
From what I have been reading the best temperature for T-5 lamps is 113 degrees ambient temperature at the ends of the tube. The problem with aquarium lighting is that so many tubes are sandwiched closely together which prevents good circulation of air around the tubes requiring a cooling fan. This fixture may solve that problem with the perforations. If mounted in a canopy cooling fans may be needed to aid circulation inside the canopy itself.
The fixtures are very reasonably priced and come with the tubes. I don't think they are very high quality tubes and may need to be replaced soon but for a 4 tube T5HO fixture at $189.00 and a quality ballast this may be something to look at.
http://www.catalinaaquarium.com/product_info.php?cPath=71_136&products_id=1423 - http://www.catalinaaquarium.com/product_info.php?cPath=71_136&products_id=1423 ------------- Burt An equal opportunity reefer, I support all hobbyists and organizations involved in Marine Aquarium Keeping. [email protected] |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: July 27 2009 at 11:29am
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I have seen them and know about them. Avoid them at all costs. Perforations don't do anything for heat control. You need fans that move cool air around the tubes. The best fixtures for cooling are the ATI stuff. I will try to find a picture of how they cool their stuff. I don't say this to sound like a jerk but if you are looking at cutting corners with the lighting, your tank may suffer in the end. I would wait and be patient and get good lighting. If some of the good fixtures are too expensive, you can look into getting a retro kit and building a canopy. I also like retro fit kits more because you can customize them a little more. The correct temp is 113 degrees at the cold spot like you stated. Here is a pic of the ATI cooling scheme. You can see the vents where the cold air comes in and blows across the length of the tube. The acrylic shield acts as a duct to direct the air.  |
Posted By: Aquatic Evolution
Date Posted: July 27 2009 at 12:40pm
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My intetnions were not to compare MH VS T-5 Ho, but to hope that not too much faith was put onto T-5 as the best lighting. They very much have their limitations within the reef hobby. I would agree that small tanks like Ryans would likely do better with T-5 vs MH as far as heat is concerned.
Ryan was asking what my operating temperature on my T-5's @ the endcaps. I tested them this morning with my IR temp. gun. Outside endcaps were @ 103.7 F, towards the center 118.9 F ( fan cooled ). As far as runninig a chiller everyones tanks will do better with a chiller being used. ( stability ) But that is a personal choice, the vast majority of Hobbiests do not use them nor need to using MH or T-5.
Brand choice as well, is also a personal one, Like I said before ATI are very good ones, but so are Geissmen, Aquamedic, UVL, Icecap, GE, Sylvania, Glo etc.. the colors vary with all brands. The one I use the most is UVL and Glo. The prices are better than the Typical Euro brands ( ATI, AM, Geissman etc.) If any of you are looking for brands not typically available I'm sure any of the local stores will be able to aquire them for you, please support your local store.
Another very important thing that probably has the most to do with bulb degradation, is how it is being fired. Soft start ballasts will extend the life of your bulb dramatically ( heating filament to the proper burning temp. before igniting) vs Hard start ( on instantly).
Don't put too much thought into how T-5 flourescents work its basically the same as VHO, HO, NO Flourescents with the exception of output and diameter of the tube. All manufacturers have their own formula of Phosphors.
Ryan you peaked my curiosity, If you could let us know how youve developed your opinions on all of the major brands and your experiences ie: How long have you been using T-5, What brands have you used, What are the major growth differences that you've attained with diff. brands. What are your burning Temps. @ your endcaps? etc.
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Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: July 27 2009 at 12:55pm
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My personal belief is that T5 is the best lighting choice available today. That is just my IMO. However if I had a 600 gallon display tank like you I would never use strictly T5 for it. I would run MH on a large system. I would supplement with T5 though. I personally believe I can keep any coral I want under a properly setup T5 system. Your temps are pretty good Shawn and are of no worry there. ATI has the best fixtures right now. PAR numbers show that. Gmann's biggest problem is they have no active cooling on their T5 stuff. The company actually says you don't need to cool T5 for maximum performance but every test out there shows otherwise. I have a tough time supporting a company like that. JMO though. All the brands you mentioned above are great brands. My personal preference is ATI, UVL/IceCap, and AquaScience. I also really like Korallen Zucht stuff. The ballast plays a huge role in life lamp and color like you mentioned. Avoid ever using Workhorse ballasts with T5's. The Universal Accu Start ballast is my personal favorite to use. It properly runs the bulbs and doesn't over drive them. The IceCap ballasts are also very nice but come with a price tag to match. My experience is limited as I don't have the money to just test everything available. I have dealt with different brands however. I used to have an Odyssea/JBJ T5 fixture and hated it. The ballast died all the time and was a headahce to deal with. Their bulbs were also terrible in color and performance. Currently I have a Current USA T5 fixture on a FW planted tank. It is running ATI, GE and Gmann bulbs. I am happy with all of them but the fixture leaves much to be desired. I have run the Reefgeek brand reflectors and they are AMAZING! I sold them to Andrew on here and he absolutely loves the setup. I hope to have an ATI Sunpower in the near future to test. Shawn you are more than welcome to donate anything to my cause LOL JK.Thanks again for your input.
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Posted By: Aquatic Evolution
Date Posted: July 27 2009 at 1:53pm
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It's kind of funny Ryan, you sound a little like I used to years ago. I was the first store in Utah to carry HO T-5 bulbs and fixtures. I thought they were the fix all for all of my lighting needs, I loved them! I embraced them just like you. Brands like Odyssea, Current and others did not exist. The ones that did, thought I was crazy to use them and called it a fad when I requested T-5 fixtures.
Money is not what is needed to develop experience, time is however. There are always people looking to this board for advice, some good some bad. Opinion is opinion ( I have my share of them ) I feel sometimes people need a little more application of of methods and experience, to base their buying decisions upon.
Too many people dont research enough, or at all. They make their buying decision based on opinion. I think there is a lot of usefull discussion here to hopefully encourage others to research, and make their choices wisely.
Just be carefull, all manufacturers claim to have the best, and they will have their own research to back it up.
 P.S. Have any of you wondered whats the difference between HO T-5 and Power compacts?
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Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: July 27 2009 at 2:21pm
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I don't go off any manufacture claims. I have a buddy in Colorado that tests all things T5. He has put more time and effort into T5 study then anyone else I have ever found. Here is a link to his thread on RC: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1677547 - http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1677547 He has spent thousands of dollars to test and study T5. I take what he says as fact becasue he has all the numbers to prove it. The difference between T5 and PC is that T5 works and PC doesn't! I have PC's on my 2 nanos and hate the lighting. The colors of my corals have always suffered becasue of PC. T5's are much more efficient and have a much better bulb selection to choose from. I can't believe you would even think to compare T5 to PC.
 That is an apples and oranges discussion. Same goes for T5 vs. MH. |
Posted By: Aquatic Evolution
Date Posted: July 27 2009 at 3:14pm
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Are you sure?
T-5 is the diameter of the bulb.
I know of 100's of people that have been succesfull with PC's, and so have I.
In Germany they call PC's T-5 bulbs
How is the output that much different?
What are the different Phosphors they use on HO T-5 and not on PC?
2 main differences, shape and the reflector (wich is the most important, HO T-5 are useless without them.)
Anything else?
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Posted By: Aquatic Evolution
Date Posted: July 27 2009 at 3:20pm
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Ryan;
You keep refering to the link above, is there a certain post that we're looking for? Please let me know. I would also be interested in reading your friends research, like Ive said before I like HO T-5.
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Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: July 27 2009 at 3:21pm
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The PAR numbers for PC are much much lower than T5. You are correct that PC bulbs are T5 in size but that is where the comparison ends. Why is UVL the only company that still invests in PC? Why doesn't Gmann and ATI make PC? It is because T5 technology is better. You can reflect a lot more light back into the tank with a T5. Also the colors that T5's bring out are so much better than PC! I guess you could say I am successful with PC becasue my corals are alive and growing. Their colors however suffer because of the limited selection of bulbs.
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Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: July 27 2009 at 3:25pm
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Not any particular post. That whole thread is about T5. you can read for days and days with all his research. That thread moves faster than any other thread I have ever seen. http://tfivetesting.googlepages.com Check that one out also.
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Posted By: Aquatic Evolution
Date Posted: July 27 2009 at 8:43pm
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From what I understand the PAR values are quite alike if you take away the reflector on HO T-5, allowing the same variences between manufacturers. I actually favor HO T-5 to PC's, because of the reflector. A part of me even still likes VHO because I've had great sucess with those as well. HO T-5 are the best flourescent lighting available today.
UVL has never manufactured PC's that I'm aware of. Until recently. their niche was with NO and VHO not T-5. ATI and Geissman are strictly HO T-5 flourescent manufacturers, its been their specialty in Germany for the past +/- 10 years.
There are still many more manufacturers of PC's than T-5 at this time. Ultimately it boils down to what type of Corals and Clams you want to purchase and maintain. Without a doubt the type of ligthing you choose will ultimately dictate your sucess with them.
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Posted By: chk4tix
Date Posted: July 27 2009 at 9:17pm
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This is some great info and I believe both mh's and t5's have their place. I dont have much experience in the t5 world, however I tried reading everything I could about the pro's and con's of t5's vs. MH's. I came to the decision to try T5's when I re-set up my 120g at my new house. So far I have had great growth on my SPS and the range of colors is amazing compared to my 2 - 250w mh + 4 t5 retro I had. The biggest deciding factor with me was the energy saving over my retro. With all the equipment to needed to run 2 tanks on two different levels of a home any power savings I can achieve is a bonus. The second reason was because I was able to get a brand new 8 bulb tek fixture for under $400 complete with my choice of bulbs. I was planing on upgrading to a fixture instead of a retro, and I found a great deal on the tek so I decided to try out t5's. So far I have been extremely happy with the SPS growth. One thing I have noticed about t5's compared to mh's is my softies and LPS do not expand as much in the t5 lighting. Maybe because of how the light is distributed, but there is a big difference. On my frag tank I run mh's and have a lot of the same corals as in my display, however the colors just arent as vivid in the frag tank. I have tried different bulbs but just dont have the same luck. Also in my frag tank, my LPS and softies expand a lot more and look better (IMO) then in my display tank. The growth of both SPS and LPS are good in my frag tank, but I believe they grow at a slightly faster rate in the display. The point of this long winded post is that I have had good results with t5's and at the same time I have saved on my power bill. I am not saying they are the end-all of lighting but if you are making an SPS tank (home tank not retail), they will do the job and use less energy doing so. (But on the same note, this isnt the first time I have swapped out my lights and probably wont be the last) If I get the time I will post a "growth" picture of my tank in the last 6 months. ------------- Original Crappy Reef Club Member #2 |
Posted By: bfessler
Date Posted: July 28 2009 at 11:58am
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Here is an interesting fixture that could be used inside a canopy or suspended above a frag tank in an area that looks aren't that important. It is made by Lithonia and Advance and is an I-Beam Fixture. There is no enclosed box around the lamps which are suspended between the I-beam frame. Air can circulate freely around the lamps and the individual reflectors direct light downward. It also uses a special ballast that is guaranteed for 5 years and is UL certified to operate up to 149 Degrees F. Ambient temperatures should be easily controlled to keep the temp at the cool spot at or below 113 degrees with a simple cooling fan in the canopy. There is also a new Fluorescent technology called amalgam tubes that provide optimum performance at 65-170 Degrees F. Unfortunately I these tubes are only available up to about 5500K presently but if manufacturers of Reef Lighting Tubes could use the amalgam process then Cooling fans would not be needed in any fixtures for performance reasons.Here is a link to the product page
http://www.lithonia.com/Micro_Webs/I-BEAM/IbeamBrochure.pdf - http://www.lithonia.com/Micro_Webs/I-BEAM/IbeamBrochure.pdf
There is a compact version that is jost over 8" wide as well.
http://www.acuitybrandslighting.com/Library/LL/documents/specsheets/IBC-T5.pdf - http://www.acuitybrandslighting.com/Library/LL/documents/specsheets/IBC-T5.pdf
 ------------- Burt An equal opportunity reefer, I support all hobbyists and organizations involved in Marine Aquarium Keeping. [email protected] |
Posted By: Turbostud653
Date Posted: July 30 2009 at 1:25am
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Are UVL bulbs for T-5 a good way to go for a 90 gallon? ------------- Here is what a customer said while on hold Oh my gosh! Did you open the door? I told you not to open the door. Dre is in here completely naked and he's got freak'n Macaroni and Cheese in his hands. |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: July 30 2009 at 1:30am
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UVL bulbs are good bulbs, yes. Personally I like ATI more because they have better numbers but you won't be disappointed with the UVL stuff. How many bulbs? What ballasts? What reflectors?
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Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: July 30 2009 at 11:33pm
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Matt, I answered your post but it never shows that I have. The post is there but it is like the system didn't recognize it. Hope you saw my answer!
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Posted By: bfessler
Date Posted: August 02 2009 at 11:03pm
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I am starting a frag tank. It is made from a 55G and is described on the you can do it thread http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=34323 - http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=34323
My question is what tube combination would you suggest to maximize coral growth. I will have a 4 tube T5HO Fixture. Frags can be positioned high midway and in the bottom of the tank depending on lighting requirements. I want to maximize the growth and color development of the corals. It's not a display tank so I am more concerned with the growth and health of the coral than the color of the display.
Also where can I get a good price on quality tubes?
Thanks,
Burt ------------- Burt An equal opportunity reefer, I support all hobbyists and organizations involved in Marine Aquarium Keeping. [email protected] |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: August 02 2009 at 11:45pm
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Reef Runners can order you anything from Reefgeek.com. Find what you want on reefgeek then have John order it in. ATI Blue Plus KZ Fiji Purple or UVL Actinic White ATI Aquablue or GE 6500K ATI Blue Plus That will be great colors and good growth. Very high PAR
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Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: October 31 2009 at 5:57am
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BUMP Thought some people would be interested in this thread again.
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Posted By: CapnMorgan
Date Posted: October 31 2009 at 6:13pm
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I have ordered my Tek fixture but was wondering what the best way to cool it would be. I have an extra fan but am unsure how exactly to attach it. I really want to make the most of my system and extend the life of my bulbs. ------------- Steve http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40637&PID=356246" rel="nofollow - My Old 180G Mixed Reef Currently: 120G Wavefront Mixed 29G Seahorse & Softies Running ReefAngel Plus x2 435-8 |
Posted By: chk4tix
Date Posted: October 31 2009 at 6:15pm
------------- Original Crappy Reef Club Member #2 |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: November 01 2009 at 3:21pm
Buy the Azoo 4 fan unit and blow it on the fixture. Do not blow air directly on the bulbs or you will over cool them and hurt performance.
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Posted By: chk4tix
Date Posted: November 01 2009 at 4:26pm
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Thanks for the name of the fan, Dr. Fosters and Smith has them on sale.
------------- Original Crappy Reef Club Member #2 |
Posted By: CapnMorgan
Date Posted: November 01 2009 at 4:33pm
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Thanks for the info! I'm sure my corals will be much happier under the new lights. ------------- Steve http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40637&PID=356246" rel="nofollow - My Old 180G Mixed Reef Currently: 120G Wavefront Mixed 29G Seahorse & Softies Running ReefAngel Plus x2 435-8 |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: December 10 2009 at 3:11pm
| BUMP |
Posted By: Adam Haycock
Date Posted: December 17 2009 at 8:44pm
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Great thread! I have a question for you T5 experts. I want to light a 20 gallon long (30"x12"). I was thinking of placing the tank on the kitchen counter and mounting the lights under the cabinets. Would this be okay heat-wise?
And most importantly, what would you buy? What would be the best setup and what would be the cheapest? Where would you buy them from? I live in Las Vegas (where there are no good LFSs), so i'd probably be best buying online. Thanks! ------------- 
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Posted By: jwoo
Date Posted: December 17 2009 at 10:27pm
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Adam, I have a tank with 6 T5 lights on it - it's a 45 and the lid comes down so that it's only a few inches off of the water - maybe two. I've never had a heat issue. My tank stays at a stable 78 degrees. < id="gwProxy" ="">< ="jsCall;" id="jsProxy" =""> ------------- None at the moment Soon: 72 Gallon Bowfront |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: December 18 2009 at 1:10am
You shouldn't have heat issues with your tank but you will want to cool the bulbs somehow. If you can just mount a computer fan on one end that will be plenty. You have a few options here as far as T5 goes. You can run 2 or 4 bulbs over that tank. I personally would run 4 and use at least one actinic. The BEST reflector and T5 setup is the Aqua Illuminations retro kit from Reefgeek. It is also one of the better priced options. Probably will run you $250 or so for the whole thing. You can also run just 2 bulbs and have enough PAR for just about anything with proper placement. Keep high light critters right under the bulbs and up on the rocks. The cheapest setup would be to use UVL bulbs that have internal reflectors but you will need 4 of those for sure. The PAR on them is pretty bad actually but you wouldn't need reflectors. Now for the ULTIMATE light setup on that tank, 2 of these bad boys! http://www.nanotuners.com/product_info.php?products_id=623 - http://www.nanotuners.com/product_info.php?products_id=623 The only issue is you need those to be like 10" off the water and then use the 80 degree optics. I think your best option is 2 T5's to start and see what you think. Run an ATI Blue Plus and either a KZ Fiji Purple or an ATI Aquablue. The Fiji Purple will look pretty blue with some purple to it but colors will be awesome. It is REALLY hard to get a good look with only 2 bulbs.
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Posted By: badfinger
Date Posted: December 18 2009 at 9:23am
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i think those par38 LEDs are sick!!! try those out if you want long bulb hours, low heat, shimmer, and the cutting edge of lighting.. I use T5s and LOVE them, in a 4-bulb setup i use 3 ATI blue +, and 1 aquablue.... I fiddled around with a Fiji purple in the mix quite a bit but to my eyes it gave kind of a "red hugh" over the tank.. after all its supposed to help bring out the reds... as ryan told me to get an extra bulb and try differnt bulb combos.... and i wouldnt just go with a 2 bulb setup just cause it would be too hard to get a color that you like for your personal taste. And that is one of the great parts of goind with T5s, change a bulb out a whole differnt look of your tank
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Posted By: tileman
Date Posted: December 18 2009 at 9:52am
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Does reef runners stock any T-5 bulbs?
Specificly 36" ------------- 335G Reef TOTM. http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2015/2/aquarium ReefKeepers TOTM Feb. 2012 http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index....k-of-the-month & |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: December 18 2009 at 12:30pm
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Brad, John has has a bunch of 48" in right now but no 36". Although they can be ordered and only take a couple days to arrive.
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Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: December 18 2009 at 12:34pm
The PAR38's are incredible. I know a couple people here on the board have them. You have to be really careful with them. They can fry just about any coral if you don't mount them properly. I know Evil was saying with the 40 degree optics he is hitting 400 PAR almost 16" from the lamp, open air. His 15W that are on his 40 hit 135 PAR on the sand and they are mounted 30" from the sand. The new version is 21W but you can also get 60 and 80 degree optics now to help spread the light out. On my 40 gallon breeder I am going to to go with an ATI Sunpower in the 4x24W version and then hang a PAR38 on each side. That way I get the shimmer without the halide.
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Posted By: chk4tix
Date Posted: December 18 2009 at 12:56pm
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very interesting, I would like to see some of them in person.
Speaking of ATI Sunpower....look at this
   I just need my tank to come in... ------------- Original Crappy Reef Club Member #2 |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: December 18 2009 at 12:58pm
That is awesome Keith!!! Glad to see it arrived for you. Question: In picture number three is that from back to front going left to right?
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Posted By: chk4tix
Date Posted: December 18 2009 at 1:10pm
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in that picture the front of the "tank" is ------>
I took that picture while laying in the stand. lol ------------- Original Crappy Reef Club Member #2 |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: December 18 2009 at 1:16pm
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Sweet! Just making sure you put the Fiji bulb in position number 2. That way the light strikes the viewing side of the corals and reds pop better. What bulbs come on for dusk/dawn on that fixture? I have heard 1 and 6 but also heard 2 and 5. FYI putting the fans at 7.5 volts gets the best performance.
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Posted By: chk4tix
Date Posted: December 18 2009 at 1:23pm
 )
 ------------- Original Crappy Reef Club Member #2 |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: December 18 2009 at 2:04pm
| The Blue Plus and Fiji can look pretty cool for dusk/dawn but you have to like the look. You can always move it to position 3 and move a Blue Plus to position 2. |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: December 26 2009 at 2:40pm
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Hey Guys, Thanks everyone, James.
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Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: December 26 2009 at 2:49pm
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Depends on the bulbs and reflectors. Crappy bulbs and reflectors you could try low light SPS right under the bulbs. If they are good bulbs and good reflectors you will still want to keep the SPS high up directly under the bulbs. Good reflectors triple the amount of light that reaches the tank. The good reflectors are ATI, Aqua Illumination, Aquactincs and anything else made with Miro IV aluminum. Just plain old polished aluminum isn't the greatest. So in the end it depends on how good the setup is. What is more important is your flow and water quality however. Lighting always takes a back seat to those two things.
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: December 26 2009 at 5:03pm
| Awesome, thanks Ryan. I got the reflectors for like $15 each from hellolights.com. They're probably pretty junky huh? |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: December 26 2009 at 6:09pm
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I don't know if I would call them junky but not the best either. I have never seen numbers on them so without that, it is hard to give a fair and accurate opinion. I am 99% sure they are not made with Miro IV aluminum and that will hurt their output. You spent $30 on reflectors with very little info on them and could have spent $42 to get the best reflectors on the market. Will all your corals suffer and die? I highly doubt that but if you go to add more get the Reefgeek setup if you can. I think you will be just fine with everything you have. Some good ATI bulbs wouldn't hurt if that is in the budget.
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: December 26 2009 at 8:14pm
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Man I would have consulted you much more before I set this up if I had known how many things were involved in a "good" lighting system. I definitely should've gone with top-of-the-line reflectors for an extra $12. I didn't think there was much of a difference between bulb brands so I bought a GLO Marine-Glo actinic bulb from The Aquarium and an Ocean Sun 10,000K bulb from Fish-4-U. Are these decent brands? Also, while I have you, how far from the water should my bulbs be? I built the hood and did a sort of retrofit, but I didn't realize how low I mounted the bulbs until I put it on top of the aquarium. When the tank is full, the bulbs are probably only 3/4" - 1" from the surface. Does it not really matter as long as the bulbs aren't touching or is there an "optimum height"? Thank you very much for all your help Ryan, it is so nice to get direct answers from someone who knows what they're talking about. -James.
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Posted By: chk4tix
Date Posted: December 26 2009 at 8:59pm
------------- Original Crappy Reef Club Member #2 |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: December 26 2009 at 10:52pm
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Don't listen to Keith on anything. He is a crappy reef club member! JK The Hagen bulbs aren't the greatest but will work well for the next 6 to 8 months for you. I haven't seen numbers on them but when I switched my Dad's FW planted tank from the Hagen brand to ATI, the difference was night and day. They were so much brighter and nicer. All of his plants were a ton happier and grew at incredible speeds. So I know the PAR was quite a bit different. As for the distance, you will want them at least 4" off the water. Keith is right that the water will splash and tarnish the reflectors very quickly. Salt water destroys everything in it's path and metal is one of those that it doesn't like. So try to move them up to at least 4" if not 6". Have fun and don't worry about the lighting too much. Make sure you have good flow and keep good water parameters. You will want to play with different corals for the first 6 months and then worry about more lighting.
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Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: January 25 2010 at 9:17pm
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Danh,
Great fixture! Make sure you acclimate everything. That will be more powerful than a 400W MH and you could destroy a tank if not careful. You will be able to have clams and SPS wherever you want. If you have any softies or LPS shade them because they won't be happy. What is your livestock like and what size tank? I would run 6 ATI Blue Plus, 2 ATI Aquablue and 2 KZ Fiji Purple. That should be a little over 14K. Maybe like 16K or so. |
Posted By: chk4tix
Date Posted: January 26 2010 at 9:04am
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I need to re-think my current bulb configuration over my new tank. The color over my 120g is amazing with crisp whites and lots of color, but the light over the 150g just doesnt seem right. I think the more bulbs you can have over the tank the better. Trying to achieve the same color pattern with my 6 bulb fixture as I have with my 8 bulb fixture has been a little challenging. ------------- Original Crappy Reef Club Member #2 |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: January 26 2010 at 10:37am
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Keith, What are you running over the tank now? The more bulbs, the better color choice but I have found some sweet 6 bulb setups. What was your 8 bulb combo? On 6 bulb I like 4 ATI Blue Plus, 1 UVL Actinic White or Fiji Purple and 1 GE 6500K or Aquablue. The Aquablue will help make the tank a little bluer but the GE picks up yellows and greens a lot better!
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Posted By: chk4tix
Date Posted: January 26 2010 at 10:49am
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Ryan, I had a list of what bulbs I bought with the tek 8 bulb, but when I look at the light I know that is now what I ended up with. I havent had the time to physically check what bulbs I am running on there now. However, on my 6 bulb I have 4 blue +, 1 KZ fuji purple, and 1 aqua blue. The think that I have noticed the most is it makes things that are purple in normal light apear to be blue about the same color as the tool bar in windows XP. Also greens look more brown/yellow. I wanted a ULV but they didnt have them in the 60" size ------------- Original Crappy Reef Club Member #2 |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: January 26 2010 at 12:04pm
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You could switch out the ATI Aquablue for an GE 6500K. That will pop greens and yellows a little more for ya. The Aquablue is a good bulb to add some white and brighten the look but for color they SUCK! They wash corals out big time.
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Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: January 26 2010 at 12:05pm
| Heck, 4 ATI Blue Plus and 2 KZ Fiji Purples would look pretty cool IMO. |
Posted By: chk4tix
Date Posted: January 26 2010 at 1:57pm
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Yah I need to get 2 different bulbs and see what I like. Just havent had the time lately to get different bulbs. My tank is still in the ammonia cycle so I havent been in to big of a hurry either. ------------- Original Crappy Reef Club Member #2 |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: January 26 2010 at 2:10pm
| I just switched my order on my new light. I went with the 6 bulb Sunpower over the 4 bulb. More bulbs for better color choices. I am thinking of running a little different combo then I have seen. 3 ATI Blue Plus, 1 UVL Super Actinic, 1 Fiji Purple and 1 GE 6500K. I also ordered an extra Blue Plus to play with. I hope to have it this week and installed on the tank by the middle of February. |
Posted By: snoyce
Date Posted: January 26 2010 at 4:11pm
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:) I think you will like the UVL super Actinic, I know for me personally when I get to many blue plus bulbs it starts to wash out the greens and reds, everything in my tank starts to look just blue, I like having a super actinic it helps pop the colors better in my opinion ------------- Scott Noyce 90G reef ready AGA display basment 20G sump, 29G fuge 4x54 watt T5 retro SLR Octopus NW150 |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: February 01 2010 at 2:05pm
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New site from Grim over on RC. Great info and good reading. http://home.comcast.net/~stevelarsen00/site/?/home/ - http://home.comcast.net/~stevelarsen00/site/?/home/ Excuse some of the typos and grammar issues. He is not done and has not proofed it yet but the info is still really good.
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Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: February 01 2010 at 2:06pm
Also is there any way to get this stickied? What mod do I have to pay for that?
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Posted By: Shane H
Date Posted: February 01 2010 at 3:08pm
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Ryan,
What do you know about the Coralife 31 watt T5HO bulbs? I have the Coralife fixture over my 20 gal long and I'm a bit disappointed in the amount of light. Included are 1, 10,000k and 1, Actinic 03 bulb. I was expecting it to be much brighter. Although I have not taken any par readings, it just seems much less bright than even my PC equivalent bulbs over another tank.
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