t5 or not

TangMang232

TangMang232

Member
So I'm starting to get all the equipment i need for the 150 gallon reef project I'm putting together. The lighting unit I am debating on is the Current USA NOVA extreme Pro 72' T-5 HO unit. it has 12x39watts of power with individual reflectors. Sounds nice but by calculation it might not be enough for SPS, which is what I am trying to get. I read a review the other day about how T-5 Wattage can not be calculated like power compacts would.

Is this a good light to get, I am trying to avoid the cost on MH even though I would love to have them. The heat concern and electric concern are big on my wifes mind, so i must play fair lol.

Heres a link to the light.

72 inch Current USA 12x39W Nova Extreme Pro T5HO 6-10k/6-460nm Actinics (Saltwater Aquarium Supplies > Lighting > Fixtures > T5 Lighting > 72in Units )

The other thing I am trying to figure out is if there is a brand that you recommend over another one. I have seen a few threads and have seen some bad comments on the Current USA line. What are your thoughts. Any and all help would be much appreciated. Thanks all
 
JoJo

JoJo

Active Member
Thats what i plan on using for my 135g, what were the bad comments? I have been told that just about anything you can keep with MH you can keep with T-5. Have you thought about the solaris lights? Thats what MH people are going to.
 
dfurbee

dfurbee

Active Member
I have T5's, the Nove extreme pro. very nice, my sps love them. If I could have afforded to would have gotten the solaris led
 
TangMang232

TangMang232

Member
yeah i have considered, but there so exspensive. Im sure they pay themselves off in no time. a 72inch set is like 3 grand and thats about what the hole tank is gunna cost without stock lol.

The bad comments were that Current have a really poor ballast design. I also read that there design and overall quality was not that of coralife products. Im searching for the article now but im not sure if ill find it or not. Ill keep ya posted.

My 65 gallon now has regular t-5 (not HO) and a set of power compact. I like the T-5 becasuse they dont heat my tank up like no other lol. Im going to be playing around with the bulbs to see what color i can get, i like the very bright white look, so im guessing 10k is the best. Think a mix of 10k and 14k would look cool?? and then of course keeping actinic?
 
Z

zy112

Active Member
Eventually the LED's should come down in price like all new technology. How deep is your tank? That would be my only concern.
 
JoJo

JoJo

Active Member
hmmm....if this was a 10 second dragster i would be worried about engineering, but for ME if it cuts on and supplies the right power i'm ok with it. just make sure the bulbs are good as well. i know i will catch some flack for this but, i'm aiming for a middle price range.
 
TangMang232

TangMang232

Member
I like the 14 bulb set. I still like the Current light because of the price. In my boat I have to go cheap or I cant do the tank and IMO, thats not an option lol. The tank will be at the max a 180 gallon tank. The smallest would be a 125. If i have my way it will be the 180 gallon. The T-5 light I posted would have enough wattage to grow SPS wouldnt it?? provided there high up in the tank correct??
 
N

NATIVEVAMAN

Member
I think people are still underestimating t-5's,especially when single lamp reflectors are used.Those 9 bend reflectors are actually taking light from the back of the bulb and putting it in the tank.That is something no other lighting system can claim.Because you will be using light from 360 degrees of bulb it nearly doubles the wattage.People are finding that with these large t-5 units like the 12 bulb unit that they are having to remove bulbs and raise fixtures to prevent coral bleaching.
 
lcstorc

lcstorc

Well-Known Member
The light looks pretty good. It has individual reflectors so that is good as well. I would swap out some of the actinics but that is just my preference.
(psst. It is cheaper at Premium Aquatics and they are an RS sponsor. I didn't look at all of the sponsors one may have it for even less.)
 
TangMang232

TangMang232

Member
okay NATIVE, What would you suggest for a lighting system in T-5HO, and about how many bulbs?? would it make more sense to DIY something. Tank 125-180 and at max 24" tall. SPS in mind as well.
 
N

NATIVEVAMAN

Member
I am glad you mentioned DIY because thats exactly what I had in mind.How about t-5 vho.You get 60 watts per bulb but only 8 bulbs spread out further apart and reaching a depth of 29 inch's.You only have enough par with t-5 ho to be effective down to 19 inchs.If you have to unhook 2 bulbs it better than unhooking 4 and you can keep clams on the bottom of the tank.Use 2 Ice Cap 660 ballasts and uvl bulbs that are designed for vho use.The hardest part of the whole thing is building a canopy.
 
JoJo

JoJo

Active Member
is 2 ice cap ballasts close to the same wattage as MH per hour? also do t-5 vho put out as much heat as t-12 vho?
 
N

NATIVEVAMAN

Member
In a manufactured fixture t-5 ho has an operating temp of 95 degree's.T-5 vho is slightly higher but still only warm to the touch.t-12 vho is warmer than t-5 vho but I really dont know the operating temp.If you use the Ice Cap 660 to its max that would be 4 48 inch t-5 vho bulbs at 85 watts each or 340 watts,if a mh ballast was making 340 watts it would use more electricity than the the t-5 vho and the amp draw for t-5 vho would be less.I hope that answered your question JoJo.
 
lcstorc

lcstorc

Well-Known Member
If you are going to build a retro fit go with individual reflectors. They reflect the light from the other side of the bulb.
 
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