T5 comparisons
 

I have been an advocate of T5's for some time now. I have never used metal halides over a reef tank, only reptiles, so I can't really comment on T5's vs. MH's. I get good growth, great colour rendition which I can tailor to suit my likes. Here are my tanks that are on T5's. I apologize, my quick editing has left the tanks looking dull, and they are much more vibrant in person.

85 gallon display:

Top
AquaScience Blue 22000
AquaScience Special 15000
KZ Fiji purple
AquaScience Special 15000
AquaScience Blue 22000
AquaScience Blue 22000
BOTTOM

Two 4" fans running air across the length of the bulbs.

Dawn/Dusk Bulbs
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k9...-dawn-dusk.jpg
Dawn/Dusk Tank
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k9...-dawn-dusk.jpg

Daytime Bulbs
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k9...5s-daytime.jpg
Daytime Tank
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k9...ay-daytime.jpg

40 gallon Frag Tank

TOP
KZ New Generation
AquaScience Blue 22000
KZ New Generation
AquaScience Blue 22000
BOTTOM

Open to air, no active cooling (I will add fans at some point, I'm just lazy right now)

Bulbs (I was running 2 Fiji Purple instead of the instead of the AquaScience Blue 22000 but I switch to get colour instead of growth)
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k9...40-gal-T5s.jpg
Tank
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k9...al-display.jpg

10 Gal Canreef Contest Tank

AquaScience Blue 22000
AquaScience Blue 22000

Two 3" Fans drawing air out of the hood.

Bulbs (Notice the difference between the left and right bulb. The one on the left is 5 months old; the one on the right is brand new)
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k9...10-gal-T5s.jpg
Tank
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k9...al-display.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...0/IMG_2313.jpg

back to front

Giesemann Pure actinic
Korallen-zucht fiji purple
Korallen-zucht new generation
Korallen-zucht coral light (10,000k)
Korallen-zucht new generation
Aqua medic reef blue

WOW, those Fiji Purples are really Purple.

Myka, can we see some pics of your tank and the light it produces. Now, seeing how Purple they are, I dont know. I am used to the blue now.

here is one i have always found interesting

2 ATI blue+, 2 ATI blue special, 2 ATI pro color

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k72/jartanyon/cl.jpg

I also notice most of you have your lights 8-12" off the water. Is there a specific reason for this? I have my light hung form the celing, on a retractable string hanger, and we lower it to like 3" off the water. Is that bad? I have the Plexi cover on the light

The more I look at bulbs online, the more confused I get.........

My 85 definitely has a warmer, almost red/pink hue. The Fiji Purple does a helluva job! I think the two AS Special 15000's really counteract any blue spectrum that the AS Blue 22000 put out, at least to the naked eye. Obviously the light is still getting to the corals, it just looks nothing like my other two T5 tanks! It doesn't have the blue tinge whatsoever.

That's the joy of T5's. you can configure them to suit your preferences/needs. The bad part is a bulb costs ~$25-$40 per, and a 6 to 8 bulb fixture can cost up to $320 a year in bulbs. With the IceCap ballast's I use (660), the bulbs are overdriven to ~145% of their normal output.

ie. 39 watt 3' bulbs overdriven to ~56.5 watts.

So my 6 T5's on the 85 = ~340 watts. Almost a 400 watt halide, gah!

You overdrive your T5? what ballasts should I use for my 24W bulbs? I am never satisfied, am I LOL

Here are some pics. My old point and shoot camera makes everything bluer than it actually is and washes out all the colors. But I thought I'd stay true to my word and post some pics - next step is buy a real digital SLR camera.

My lamps are from front to back:

ATI Blue+
ATI Aquablue Spezial
ATI Blue+
ATI Blue+
ATI Aqualblue Spezial
ATI Blue+

For a frame of reference with respect to the disparity between the way things look in the pictures and how they look in real life I did have 1:1 ratio of Blue+ and Aquablue Spezial but it was too white.

Now I'm considering trying out a KZ Fiji Purple in place of one of the Aquablue Spezials

http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/v...g?t=1237951838

http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/v...g?t=1237952152

http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/v...g?t=1237952192

That last pic is just one that I took with the flash and the color is truer to real life (unfortunately it's not one of the tank)

Dumb Question, please don't laugh! On my tanks I keep the light 3 inches from the top.
I do not have the light cover, but I have always kept the glass lid thing on my tanks.
My question is should I take off the glass and purchase the acrylic for my fixture's.?
Then raise the light or leave it? Good lord. Thanks for all the light picture's. It helped
huge with my decision. Depending on what you guys think I may order the covers with
new bulbs. I keep tossing the idea around and around. Not sure of the benifits of removing the glass. That and worried about the evaporation.....help!
Thanks any help would be great!
Leah

Leah, I have a glass top made for my tank as well. I now, never use it. I found the glass, 4mm, would block a noticeable amount light. That and I was forever cleaning it. Then, with no glass, and no plexi cover on my lights, I was cleaning my reflectors, but not as much as the glass. The plexi cleans up so much easier than the reflectors. Have you decided on new bulbs yet? what are you going with?