Seminolecpa's 180G upgrade
- Thread starter seminolecpa
- Start date
sfsuphysics
Supporting Member
T5s are good with 400watters in that you don't keep the 400watters on more than 4-6 hours, and t5s the rest. *shrug* it's what I do, and I do it with 250watt bulbs.
corals b 4 bills
Guest
Hey! Where have I been? Congrats on the new tank Bryan!.....I too can be available for tank squashing people on the stairs adventure! Just give me a few days notice and I'll give you guy's a hand. BTW a big tank has a bit more challenges then smallers ones don't they, keep the pictures coming!
tuberider
Guest
[quote author=corals b 4 bills link=topic=5363.msg67204#msg67204 date=1228445293]
Hey! Where have I been? Congrats on the new tank Bryan!.....I too can be available for tank squashing people on the stairs adventure! Just give me a few days notice and I'll give you guy's a hand. BTW a big tank has a bit more challenges then smallers ones don't they, keep the pictures coming!
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Thank God, Mark can you represent me as a carrier? Damn I'm so glad I'm off the hook!
Hey! Where have I been? Congrats on the new tank Bryan!.....I too can be available for tank squashing people on the stairs adventure! Just give me a few days notice and I'll give you guy's a hand. BTW a big tank has a bit more challenges then smallers ones don't they, keep the pictures coming!
[/quote]
Thank God, Mark can you represent me as a carrier? Damn I'm so glad I'm off the hook!
Dyngoe
Supporting Member
Hey Bryan,
I thought you were an advocate for VHO T12 over T5s as Actinic supplementation? If you are going T5, why not go with TekII reflectors? They are a single piece reflector and almost the same as the IC SLRs. I wouldn't go Tek for primary lights, but for supplementation of 400W radiums...come on, how good do they have to be anyway?
I thought you were an advocate for VHO T12 over T5s as Actinic supplementation? If you are going T5, why not go with TekII reflectors? They are a single piece reflector and almost the same as the IC SLRs. I wouldn't go Tek for primary lights, but for supplementation of 400W radiums...come on, how good do they have to be anyway?
tuberider
Guest
[quote author=Dyngoe link=topic=5363.msg67218#msg67218 date=1228448922]
Hey Bryan,
I thought you were an advocate for VHO T12 over T5s as Actinic supplementation? If you are going T5, why not go with TekII reflectors? They are a single piece reflector and almost the same as the IC SLRs. I wouldn't go Tek for primary lights, but for supplementation of 400W radiums...come on, how good do they have to be anyway?
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Matt thank you for saying what I wanted to say, damm VHO's kicked to the curb
Hey Bryan,
I thought you were an advocate for VHO T12 over T5s as Actinic supplementation? If you are going T5, why not go with TekII reflectors? They are a single piece reflector and almost the same as the IC SLRs. I wouldn't go Tek for primary lights, but for supplementation of 400W radiums...come on, how good do they have to be anyway?
[/quote]
Matt thank you for saying what I wanted to say, damm VHO's kicked to the curb
pixelpixi
Guest
[quote author=seminolecpa link=topic=5363.msg67108#msg67108 date=1228373469]
Forgot to mention if anyone is looking for 250W ballasts. I will have 3 for sale soon pretty much brand new Icecap ballsats for $100 each
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I still want one when you've got one available! Now that my skimmer and dosing pumps are in the closet, my magnetic ballast is the noisiest thing on my tank.
Forgot to mention if anyone is looking for 250W ballasts. I will have 3 for sale soon pretty much brand new Icecap ballsats for $100 each
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I still want one when you've got one available! Now that my skimmer and dosing pumps are in the closet, my magnetic ballast is the noisiest thing on my tank.
seminolecpa
Past President
Erin,
You are on for one for sure. I acually have that one available whenever you want. The other two are in use.
Jeremy and Matt. I was a lifelong believer in t12 bulbs believe me, but decided on this next round of replacing the bulbs to try out the T-5's to really make a honest determination if my opinion was true. I will be the first to say I was wrong. I really like the supplementation color from the t-5's and the variety in the colors I can go with on the bulbs and the bulbs are way easier to ship.
You are on for one for sure. I acually have that one available whenever you want. The other two are in use.
Jeremy and Matt. I was a lifelong believer in t12 bulbs believe me, but decided on this next round of replacing the bulbs to try out the T-5's to really make a honest determination if my opinion was true. I will be the first to say I was wrong. I really like the supplementation color from the t-5's and the variety in the colors I can go with on the bulbs and the bulbs are way easier to ship.
seminolecpa
Past President
Just an opinion.
sfsuphysics
Supporting Member
I would think that a T5 would be way more efficient than a VHO bulb, however never having seen par ratings on a VHO I won't absolutely say that's true.
I think the big push is that VHOs have awesome actinic, but meh... Blue+ give one particular fluorescence, UVL makes a nice actinic that's "purple" with a different fluorescence. So what is "better" is more a personal choice, some might like it better, others not that big of a deal.
I think the big push is that VHOs have awesome actinic, but meh... Blue+ give one particular fluorescence, UVL makes a nice actinic that's "purple" with a different fluorescence. So what is "better" is more a personal choice, some might like it better, others not that big of a deal.
seminolecpa
Past President
I wouldn't look at it as a BIG statement. Let me qualify and say that I see little or no different in the color with the supplementation in my tank and I like the colors better with just the actinics on. It could be nothing more then my eyes getting worse as I get older . It is all about preference as if you are using them as I do (only supplements), it is all about what looks best to you as there is very little truly beneficial light to your livestock. In many situations you can as two different people how they like the color of a bulb and get two totally different answers.
. It is all about preference as if you are using them as I do (only supplements), it is all about what looks best to you as there is very little truly beneficial light to your livestock. In many situations you can as two different people how they like the color of a bulb and get two totally different answers.
iani
Supporting Member
You can also think about it this way, 1 4 foot VHO bulb = 2 T5HO bulbs in wattage (not true if you overdrive the T5HO). For VHO because of how big the bulb is a reflector would not do any good. Its not that it has a built in reflector like people say. With that said aren't you wasting a lot of light with VHO bulbs?
tuberider
Guest
[quote author=iani link=topic=5363.msg67275#msg67275 date=1228499803]
You can also think about it this way, 1 4 foot VHO bulb = 2 T5HO bulbs in wattage (not true if you overdrive the T5HO). For VHO because of how big the bulb is a reflector would not do any good. Its not that it has a built in reflector like people say. With that said aren't you wasting a lot of light with VHO bulbs?
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Yeah yeah yeah, PAR this and output that, the UVL VHO T12 still fluoresces coral better than any other bulb. That's what supplementation bulbs do, they are not there to grow coral, just make them look pretty.
Plus you are not "wasting a lot of light", a little energy maybe, but light, no. If you put VHO's side by side one with the reflector one with out you will see a big difference in output.
You can also think about it this way, 1 4 foot VHO bulb = 2 T5HO bulbs in wattage (not true if you overdrive the T5HO). For VHO because of how big the bulb is a reflector would not do any good. Its not that it has a built in reflector like people say. With that said aren't you wasting a lot of light with VHO bulbs?
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Yeah yeah yeah, PAR this and output that, the UVL VHO T12 still fluoresces coral better than any other bulb. That's what supplementation bulbs do, they are not there to grow coral, just make them look pretty.
Plus you are not "wasting a lot of light", a little energy maybe, but light, no. If you put VHO's side by side one with the reflector one with out you will see a big difference in output.
seminolecpa
Past President
[quote author=Elite link=topic=5363.msg67183#msg67183 date=1228434861]
Does T5 do any good with 400W MH?? That 400W MH is probably so bright that you might not be able to see T5 light at all.
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Phong. Just curious what makes you say that. If it is true then what is it that people use to supplement 400W bulbs? Would it help if I put the t-5's closer to the water say like 4-5" off anf the halides say 10" off the water?
Does T5 do any good with 400W MH?? That 400W MH is probably so bright that you might not be able to see T5 light at all.
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Phong. Just curious what makes you say that. If it is true then what is it that people use to supplement 400W bulbs? Would it help if I put the t-5's closer to the water say like 4-5" off anf the halides say 10" off the water?
sfsuphysics
Supporting Member
Nothing says you have to run the T5s when you run the 400s too, with your controller you can time it exactly, save 216watts (assuming you do 4 t5s) when your halides are on, then have them pop on later to get the slow gradual push into night. In fact I'd absolutely do that now if I had decent spread on my MH bulbs, problem is I only one opening on the front of the tank now, so there are T5s over the acrylic on the back half on all day, although the halides are only on for 5.5 hours a day.
seminolecpa
Past President
Luckily I won't have that problem with the glass eurobracing. I am thinking now of pushing the t-5's closer to the water. Still holding out right now on buying the t-5's as I can't figure out how many is enough (i.e. 4 vs. 2), how long, and now whether they will do any good whatsoever since I would only use them at least primarily for supplementation.