75 Gal with T5 lights - how many bulbs? - Page 2

prow · 01-13-2008, 01:51 PM

sweet, i am not sure if he had them running on a icecap ballast or not. did you click on the link below the pic?

Ratpack · 01-13-2008, 04:56 PM

I did, but it didn't say whether he was overdriving or not. Even if he were with 4, maybe my 6 will be close. I also looked at your thread, and that is a nice tank as well. What lighting do you have?

prow · 01-14-2008, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ratpack

I did, but it didn't say whether he was overdriving or not. Even if he were with 4, maybe my 6 will be close. I also looked at your thread, and that is a nice tank as well. What lighting do you have?

you will be able to grow them for sure. maybe even still on the bottom. but its not same to just add bulbs. yeah that increases your wattage and help push the light through the water. but they are still not as intense. meaning they dont punch through the water as good. if you over drive a 54watt T5 it becomes a 80watt bulb, thats a 33% increase. could compare that to a 150watt MH vs a 250watt MH, thats a 40% increase. so not quite as much of difference but more than the difference between a 175w MH to a 250w MH, thats 30%.

so what you might have is 6x 54watt bulbs = 324watts
4 bulbs overdriven would be 4x 80watt bulbs = 320watts
so it will be ok and work, but you still will not be getting the punch out of the 6 bulbs at 54w that you would get out of 4x 80w bubls even though the wattage is slightly more with the 54w bulbs

01-13-2008, 01:51 PM	#16 (permalink)
prow Tridacna maxima Join Date: May 2005 Location: Redondo Beach, CA Posts: 4,240 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: 75 Gal with T5 lights - how many bulbs? sweet, i am not sure if he had them running on a icecap ballast or not. did you click on the link below the pic? __________________ "He who sees things grow from their beginnings shall have the finest view of them" ........Aristotle........ "The only difference between me and a madman is that I'm not mad." - Salvador Dali my chronicle........ http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...al-system.html my clamicle..........http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...my-tank-d.html

01-13-2008, 04:56 PM	#17 (permalink)
Ratpack Star Polyps Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Lexington, SC Posts: 157 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: 75 Gal with T5 lights - how many bulbs? I did, but it didn't say whether he was overdriving or not. Even if he were with 4, maybe my 6 will be close. I also looked at your thread, and that is a nice tank as well. What lighting do you have?

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