Anyon have a 36" 4 bulb t5 over your reef and happen to have a par meter? I have one 8" over a 40b and was wondering w/o the investment what the #'s are. My rocks are pretty low so probably about 14" from the rocks to the light.
T5 4 bulb par?
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Crabs McJones
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What bulb combination are you using? I had two ati blue+ and two actinics and was getting low to mid 100s all over my 40 breeder at 8"off the waters surface
Crabs McJones
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You could pick up a cheap lux meter and figure out par just to be safe. Better than guessing and they run around 15-20 bucks.
Retro Reefer
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When you say all over is that top and bottom? Getting ready to put this same fixture and bulb combo over a 40b, I was hopeful it would do most of the grunt work so I could get away with lower power cheap LED’s mostly to balance out colors.. kinda want a minimum of around 100-150 on the sand and 250-300 at the surface.
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Correct, since my rockwork only comes about half way up in the tank, i measured there first and then the bottom.
On the bottom I was getting low 100's to high 90's and at the top of my rockwork (approx 8-10 inches deep) i was getting 150's
Well, the type of fixture / reflectors can make a big difference in par values (as well as bulb choice). My ATI fixture puts out 40% to 50% more par per bulb than my old aquatic life T5's.
With T5s, I honestly doubt you need to worry about having too much light, so you could certainly lower your lights a bit more if you feel the need. A 4 bulb T5 fixture should give you ample light for any softies or LPS corals (and some lower light SPS). If you're wanting clams or acropora, I think you would want more light or mount them as high as you can.
If I had to take an "educated" guess based on past fixtures and measurements I have taken, I'd say expect 25 to 35 par (per bulb) at the bottom of the tank. 35 to 45 par at mid level (per bulb). Maybe 75 par (per bulb) at the very top right below the water line. But, like I said, that's just a rough guess as a lot of factors can impact these values, but that should give you a workable range to plan from.
Crabs McJones
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I believe you take the lux number and divide it by 60 or 70
You should be at 250-300 at the top and 150 about a foot deep with a 4 bulb fixture with reef bulbs. This is just a wild guess, but I have measured a lot of them and even the Chinese Hydro Fixtures can do this.
shnapper20
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Ive got 4 * 3ft giesman fixtures and t5 bulbs. I was originally using them for supplementary lighting for my leds. I have since upgraded my leds and kept the t5s with the thought to use them on a frag tank. Would they be suitable for that?
Err i have 4 T5s using the white fixtures with individual reflectors.. identical to atis jist no fan or splash guard.. two blue+ two coral + in my 125g tank.. 8 inchs from the watee line.. And im growing 15 types of acropora.. Including a red planet thats bright pink in my tank, green slimer, rainbow milipora, turquiose stag, walt disney, pink lemonaid, hawkings enchinda, myagi tort, purple bonsai, green tort, frogskin acro, tricolor valida. And few others.
They are all about 10 inchs from the water line give or take. So 18 inchs from the light. They are all bright colored.. pinks. Purples blues.. not one is brown.. and they all grow.
This isnt even counting the 30 other lps and sps i have on the mid to bottom
4 t5s is plenty for a 40b.. especially if it works in my 125g. Just get a good fixture with good reflectors..
They are all about 10 inchs from the water line give or take. So 18 inchs from the light. They are all bright colored.. pinks. Purples blues.. not one is brown.. and they all grow.
This isnt even counting the 30 other lps and sps i have on the mid to bottom
4 t5s is plenty for a 40b.. especially if it works in my 125g. Just get a good fixture with good reflectors..
shnapper20
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ThanlsErr i have 4 T5s using the white fixtures with individual reflectors.. identical to atis jist no fan or splash guard.. two blue+ two coral + in my 125g tank.. 8 inchs from the watee line.. And im growing 15 types of acropora.. Including a red planet thats bright pink in my tank, green slimer, rainbow milipora, turquiose stag, walt disney, pink lemonaid, hawkings enchinda, myagi tort, purple bonsai, green tort, frogskin acro, tricolor valida. And few others.
They are all about 10 inchs from the water line give or take. So 18 inchs from the light. They are all bright colored.. pinks. Purples blues.. not one is brown.. and they all grow.
This isnt even counting the 30 other lps and sps i have on the mid to bottom
4 t5s is plenty for a 40b.. especially if it works in my 125g. Just get a good fixture with good reflectors..
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