T5 Lighting

Discussion on aquatic lighting.

Moderator: snoopdog

User avatar
Fishfood
Chromis
Posts: 1831
Joined: Sat Feb 22, 2003 12:41 pm
Are you a Bot ?: No
Location: Mobile

T5 Lighting

Post by Fishfood »

I'm debating adding some T5 lighting so i can cut back my MH. After talking to Billy the other day I started thinking about it and wanted to maybe put a setup together myself.

Does anyone know anything about these..?

From what i saw you can run 4 54 watt bulbs on one of those workhorse 7's.

can anyone point me in the right direction for cheap endcaps and everything else I'd need. From the little research i've done it looks just like a vho set up so easy to install. What bulb mixture would you run with 4 bulbs?
Redfish
Copepod
Posts: 398
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2005 10:01 am
Location: Pensacola, FL

Post by Redfish »

I have seen a couple of T-5 tanks in Atlanta. Definitely nice.

Phil
User avatar
KrazyPlace
Astrea snail
Posts: 1005
Joined: Sat Aug 30, 2003 4:25 pm
Location: Beaumont, TX

Post by KrazyPlace »

Isn't B&B's new setup on T5s?
Wind me up!
User avatar
snoopdog
Yellow Tang
Posts: 4258
Joined: Mon Feb 17, 2003 7:37 pm
Are you a Bot ?: No
Location: Mobile, Al
Contact:

Post by snoopdog »

Rich at Progressive had some pretty awesome T-5 setups, retro fit. I was impressed on how small the ballast were.
"When they was no meat we ate fowl, when there was no fowl we ate crawdad. And when there was no crawdad to be found, we ate sand."--Cellmate
"You ate what?"--H.I.
"We ate sand."--Cellmate
"You ate sand?"--H.I.
"That's right."--Cellmate
User avatar
Scott
Goby
Posts: 2495
Joined: Wed Feb 19, 2003 9:00 pm
Are you a Bot ?: No
Location: West Mobile
Contact:

Post by Scott »

Rich has a 4 bulb set up for something like $250. I am pretty sure all you would have to do is mount it in the canopy and plug it in. It looked like they were 5 foot bulbs but I didn't ask. Since he just joined here maybe he can be a little more specific.
Wanted: to set up a tank again.
User avatar
Brandon
Chromis
Posts: 1841
Joined: Thu Feb 20, 2003 10:52 pm
Location: Bay Minette
Contact:

Post by Brandon »

Rich is using the URI VHO's for his Actinic's, and T5's for the white's. The T5 Actinics still don't look right (kinda purplish).
They're probably the most economical setup you can run though, the bulbs last a long time.
- A wookie is nothing more than three ewoks duct taped together.
User avatar
Scott
Goby
Posts: 2495
Joined: Wed Feb 19, 2003 9:00 pm
Are you a Bot ?: No
Location: West Mobile
Contact:

Post by Scott »

The set up he had was for sale over in his dry goods section. Most people don't use the actinic T-5's the blue plus bulb is far more popular. Fat Fish uses T-5's on his coral tank with 175w halides.
Wanted: to set up a tank again.
User avatar
snoopdog
Yellow Tang
Posts: 4258
Joined: Mon Feb 17, 2003 7:37 pm
Are you a Bot ?: No
Location: Mobile, Al
Contact:

Post by snoopdog »

I just like how compact they are. For anyone doing a new tank and wanting godly amounts of lighting I feel they should look into them. They have to produce less heat and pull less power than Halides. You just do not get the shimmer effect.
"When they was no meat we ate fowl, when there was no fowl we ate crawdad. And when there was no crawdad to be found, we ate sand."--Cellmate
"You ate what?"--H.I.
"We ate sand."--Cellmate
"You ate sand?"--H.I.
"That's right."--Cellmate
User avatar
Fishfood
Chromis
Posts: 1831
Joined: Sat Feb 22, 2003 12:41 pm
Are you a Bot ?: No
Location: Mobile

Post by Fishfood »

I want them with the halides just want to cut back the halides a bit. I'll probaby wait until next year and look into them at that point.
User avatar
ShagMan
Goby
Posts: 2145
Joined: Fri Feb 21, 2003 3:41 pm
Location: Mobile, AL
Contact:

Post by ShagMan »

T5's actually give a pretty decent shimmer effect... not as much as halides tho definitely... How long do the bulbs last? Rich is a big fan of T5 setups, he always has retrofits in stock.
-Josh Murrah
User avatar
Scott
Goby
Posts: 2495
Joined: Wed Feb 19, 2003 9:00 pm
Are you a Bot ?: No
Location: West Mobile
Contact:

Post by Scott »

ShagMan wrote:How long do the bulbs last?
I read two years when they were first getting popular. I am not sure if that has changed since then.
Wanted: to set up a tank again.
Redfish
Copepod
Posts: 398
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2005 10:01 am
Location: Pensacola, FL

Post by Redfish »

Were Rich's retrofits individual reflectors or one big sheet reflector?

Phil
User avatar
ShagMan
Goby
Posts: 2145
Joined: Fri Feb 21, 2003 3:41 pm
Location: Mobile, AL
Contact:

Post by ShagMan »

one big sheet type reflectors, at least the ones I looked at.
-Josh Murrah
Redfish
Copepod
Posts: 398
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2005 10:01 am
Location: Pensacola, FL

Post by Redfish »

Dang! Thought I might be able to make a local purchase.

Phil
User avatar
ShagMan
Goby
Posts: 2145
Joined: Fri Feb 21, 2003 3:41 pm
Location: Mobile, AL
Contact:

Post by ShagMan »

Call him up and ask.
-Josh Murrah
Post Reply