Should I get a better light?

[jialuvqr]

have seen many reefers here with beautiful tank with wonderful lights. the lights that are produced are so clear and nice

My tank is 2ft with a Rainbow NO T5 with 4 tubes

seen many T5 HO or MH, should I get it? how should I improve the looks of my tank?

tks in advance

[Alvin Tan]

have seen many reefers here with beautiful tank with wonderful lights. the lights that are produced are so clear and nice

My tank is 2ft with a Rainbow NO T5 with 4 tubes

seen many T5 HO or MH, should I get it? how should I improve the looks of my tank?

tks in advance

bro..get a T5 HO with german tubes...can last longer..

unless u have a chiller..if not 4get abt MH...

cheers..

[jialuvqr]

bro..get a T5 HO with german tubes...can last longer..

unless u have a chiller..if not 4get abt MH...

cheers..

hey bro is it really essential? cuz a lot $ involve haha

what are the advantage over normal lights like mine?

[Alvin Tan]

hey bro is it really essential? cuz a lot $ involve haha

what are the advantage over normal lights like mine?

bro...im sure u can see some of ur corals are losing its colours..it is partly due to poor lighting....its $ well spent anyway...

[jialuvqr]

what kind of budget am i looking at and what kind? there are so many to choose from I am now so blur

your side how?

[akahoshi]

Seriously though, If you got no chiller and you want the best lighting possible..

Get the T5 HO with German Tubes with Moonlight effect from Aqu*Marin*.

I have to say that it is really value for money.. (considering that I got it while it was on offer.. dunno whether offer still on..)

Corals in my tank are blooming and growing very healthily.

Don't get T5 that are not HO and not with German Tubes.. They dun really make the cut. Don't waste your money on that type of T5, just spend alittle more $$ for a better lighting.. Your corals will thank you.

[jialuvqr]

Seriously though, If you got no chiller and you want the best lighting possible..

Get the T5 HO with German Tubes with Moonlight effect from Aqu*Marin*.

I have to say that it is really value for money.. (considering that I got it while it was on offer.. dunno whether offer still on..)

Corals in my tank are blooming and growing very healthily.

Don't get T5 that are not HO and not with German Tubes.. They dun really make the cut. Don't waste your money on that type of T5, just spend alittle more $$ for a better lighting.. Your corals will thank you.

Yeah, aquamarin very near my house too haha!

want to get one but just dunno what really makes the diff

so they are more brighter and can penertrate deeper right?

but one question, the one aquamarin selling dun come with a stand right, how i put on top of my tank....?

I very newbie so dunno anything abt the lights

oh ya, what is the diff between MH and T5?

[akahoshi]

There are more experts here in lightings than me, so if any bros here know that my info is wrong, do correct me hor! thanks..

Ok, here's my info..

The effect of the Metal Halide is like the sun, the intensity of the light is strong and the heat is overwhelming.. therefore you need a chiller. The MH is best for corals as it is the most "natural" thing as compared to the sunlight shining over a natural reef in the ocean. However I do not recommend this if you do not have a chiller as although the MH is good for your corals but the temp will kill your corals.

T5 is the next best thing to MH, although it doesn't really have that sunlight effect, but it does have the spectrum of light to help corals have photosynthesis. Does not generate as much heat as the MH, therefore advisable is you do not have chiller.

T5 OH with german tubes have a much better spectrum and intensity of lighting that is essential as compared to a normal cheap T5.

[iantoh]

hi jialuvgr,

just to add on to what fellow bros here have said, HO T5 lightings are preferable to NO T5 lightings because the intensity and penetrative potential of a high output T5 set is a lot higher than NO T5. intensity in lightings is measured by lumens, and a HO T5 bulb is generally measured at above 2000 lumens, with the german tubes being higher in lumens rating. Metal halide bulbs range around 6000 lumens, which shows their greater intensity, but HO T5s i think will suffice for you if your tank is not too deep and youre not planning on full fledged sps.

good quality HO T5 bulbs, like the german ones bro akahoshi recommended, retain their colour spectrum emissions, and intensity, better over time- that is, their stated 10000k bulbs for example, continue to shine at close to 10000k spectrums of light for longer.

how many 'k' a light is actually only refers to its colour temperature, and doesnt refer much to its closeness to sunlight. for that, it is useful to know the CRI (Colour rendering index) of the bulb, with 100 being exactly like the sun. HO T5 bulbs have a CRI of up to 98, whereas flourescents are usually lower, around the 80s (though arcadia and coral sun make some really high CRI FL).

in sum, the HO T5 bulbs will give you strong intensity (lumens), coupled with strong likeness to the sun's rays (CRI), along with the colour temp of your preference. as the sun's rays penetrate the reef's waters, the yellow, red and orange wavelengths get increasingly filtered out, the deeper it goes. so if youre keeping shallow reef corals, 10000k would do well; if youre keeping typical reef flat or reef front corals, then 20000k. i think a mix of both helps make sure all organisms are covered. and the aquamarin package gives you one 10000k bulb and one 20000k bulb. seriously a good deal. the 20000k bulb also helps to show up the flourescence of your coral's zooallanthae.

hope that helps clarify things for you.

cheers,

ian

ps: if youre planning to keep sps, or have a chiller, an MH light may be a better or cheaper option. think theres a promotion at Irwana if i read correctly for clip on MH now. you could possibly mix an MH with your existing NO T5 set used to provide supplemental actinic lighting.

[jialuvqr]

tks alot frens!! really help alot with all the info here

I seen the Aquamarin pics, but it seems that there is no stand. How do i put on my tank's top?

[Alvin Tan]

tks alot frens!! really help alot with all the info here

I seen the Aquamarin pics, but it seems that there is no stand. How do i put on my tank's top?

if it is T5 retrofit...it dosent have a stand...the whole thing jus rest on the tank's cover.. ..

[jialuvqr]

got another newbie question, should i get 2 blue or 1 blue 1 white?

whats the diff between the 2 colours?

[Alvin Tan]

got another newbie question, should i get 2 blue or 1 blue 1 white?

whats the diff between the 2 colours?

definitely is 1 blue and 1 white lors...if best take four tubes..

[jialuvqr]

definitely is 1 blue and 1 white lors...if best take four tubes..

hey bro why blue and white leh? isnt blue tank more beautiful....i dunno pls advise

[jialuvqr]

another question, I see all the T5 lights are without stand....for my 2ft it has to rest on top isn't it going to get alot splash?

are there any modifications that I can add a stand?

hmmm some reefers also told me that for my little 2ft tank a NO T5 is ok already....now i really cant decide.......

[Diablos]

I oso same as u leh....use rainbow T5 NO...cheap cheap compare to T5 HO! My tank size 2 x 1 x 1.5ft, dunno izit sufficient for my LPS and soft corals or nt??? So far so good it seems...

[akahoshi]

It really all depends again on what type of corals you intend to keep.

Zoos, Mushies, the small type of bubble coral.. might be able to SURVIVE in T5 NO.

However, with T5 NO, you will not be able to keep these listed corals healthy and opened to their full potential - big bubble, goniopora, true octo, hammer, elegance, cynarina.. etc.

Then again.. Most of the listed corals above are seldom kept in a 2x1x1.5ft tank.. Most reefers who keep these corals usually have 3ft or 4ft tank..

[jialuvqr]

emailed DE lightings and they told me to get the DIY T5 HO at $80 only....but from the photo I dun see any parts that can rest the light on my tank leh?

actually is it possible that the DIY set can use to modify my Rainbow T5 NO lights by changing the ballast and tubes, possible?

[hotlemond]

its not really worth it. even if you can mod it you may not be able to make use of the more efficient reflector.

and you end up with a bare ballast to risk to the elements.

those kits are for reefers with wooden retrofit on thier hood.

I would rather you fork out a little more for one with retrofit. Other than DE, Aquamarin are also offering such model.

For a 2 feet, you are fine for the while with the Rainbow T5. Watt for watt, they are almost the same. You can only be bother with color spectrum, tube replacement and reliability.

[jialuvqr]

its not really worth it. even if you can mod it you may not be able to make use of the more efficient reflector.

and you end up with a bare ballast to risk to the elements.

those kits are for reefers with wooden retrofit on thier hood.

I would rather you fork out a little more for one with retrofit. Other than DE, Aquamarin are also offering such model.

For a 2 feet, you are fine for the while with the Rainbow T5. Watt for watt, they are almost the same. You can only be bother with color spectrum, tube replacement and reliability.

good advice!

alot still advice that my current light is sufficient

[jialuvqr]

I was told by a LFS that I can actually modify my Rainbow ballast to a HO type and then buy HO tubes to replaces the ones I have.....

If this is true, is this recommended? sounds easy and cheaper

can any experts pls advise:)

[FuEl]

I was told by a LFS that I can actually modify my Rainbow ballast to a HO type and then buy HO tubes to replaces the ones I have.....

If this is true, is this recommended? sounds easy and cheaper

can any experts pls advise:)

As long as the wattage of both tubes and ballasts match it can be done. A HO ballast is basically just a ballast which has a wattage rating that is suitable for the HO tube.