Tek 5 T5 Lighting

[yvrod]

I was wondering if anyone can give me some feedback on the tek 5 T5 lighting....I'm plannig on getting the fixture with 6 bulbs. I will be attempting mostly sofites but would like clams and SPS... any info would be great...

Keep in mind i know MH probably would be better but living in an apt with extreme heat in the summer i would think it would cause too much heat...I have a/c but would like to stay away from getting a chiller.....

By the way any one with the new Solaris LED Fixture....I would like to know some feedback on that. I hear initial cost may be quite high but maintenance and no heat and no need for a chiller due to lighting is saving cost right from the getgo....

 

[dylanjs]

i have a 6 bulb Tek 5 and I love it. Everything is doing well and it's way easier to keep the tank cool. I don't even run a chiller, just a fan.

 

[Salesbig]

Also ask deepwater . he sells them. he can give you great advise on them

 

[yvrod]

do u have any sps and are your anenomes colored up or are they white... I'm just trying to get the right equipment b/c so far i have upgraded everything that i have and have lost a great deal of money if i had gone right from the beginning i'd have some money for corals right now=0)

 

[fritz]

You will have a tough time keeping softies (low light) with sps (high light) and having both of them thrive. Also softies are fierce animals that are often in the midst of chemical war with each other. I wouldn't expect sps to do very well in a tank full of softies.


That being said, the tek fixtures do not produce very good PAR. They also have no way of cooling the bulbs down and when those bulbs get hot the performance drops like a rock. If you're willing to spend the money for a Solaris fixture (don't do it I've never read, seen or heard of anyone that was happy with it) I'd consider a Solar Flare fixture from Aquatinics/Icecap.

I few local members have them and perhaps you could check out their tanks to see for yourself.

 

[drperetz]

...

I have a tek 5 fixture that I got from Ronen 1 and a half years ago. I LOVE IT.
It is exactly what I wanted. IT does not compaire to MH bulbs but it still does its job. I am experimenting with clams and sps right now..... For results pm me.

 

[ming]

You will have a tough time keeping softies (low light) with sps (high light) and having both of them thrive. Also softies are fierce animals that are often in the midst of chemical war with each other. I wouldn't expect sps to do very well in a tank full of softies.


That being said, the tek fixtures do not produce very good PAR. They also have no way of cooling the bulbs down and when those bulbs get hot the performance drops like a rock. If you're willing to spend the money for a Solaris fixture (don't do it I've never read, seen or heard of anyone that was happy with it) I'd consider a Solar Flare fixture from Aquatinics/Icecap.

I few local members have them and perhaps you could check out their tanks to see for yourself.

I would say its primarily leathers that emit chemicals that would effect SPS, the other softies are just fine with SPS. Just because softies in general often have low light requirements, they are usually adaptive to high light.

From what I've read, the fixtures produce great PAR, but I will agree that the bulbs get too hot and there needs to be a way to cool the bulbs. Without proper cooling, the flourescent phosphors burn themselves out which shortens the bulb life.

And I have a RBTA which is doing well in my tank

 

[DRENALYN9]

i just bought a 6bulb tek t5 light set up from deepwater for my 65gal reef and all my sps are happy as hell and are growing faster then they did when i was running 2 175mhs and 2 96watt pcs. i would deff say get them.

old lights 492 watts

tek t5 6 bulbs-234 watts and a lot less heat

deepwater is the guy to talk to about getting these lights.

 

[Deanos]

Keep in mind i know MH probably would be better but living in an apt with extreme heat in the summer i would think it would cause too much heat...I have a/c but would like to stay away from getting a chiller.....

Read this thread on addressing heat issues, before deciding T5s are your best solution. Not every tank in an apartment with MHs overheats and/or requires a chiller.

 

[LouZoo51]

Cool thread Deanos,I forgot about that one...
I just set up my tank with two 400w halides,and that helped to put my mind at ease with heat issues.Not so bad though I live in a basement apartment with two AC's on all summer.I like it cold!!!!
thanks,Lou...

 

[SuRFeR BoY]

i have tek t5 4 bulb .. great lights, have mainly sps and a few softies.

 

[Zuska]

what are some lights to have everything in the tank?

 

[DevIouS]

what are some lights to have everything in the tank?

http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/reefs-beginners/25106-lighting.html

 

[fritz]

You're eventually going to go MH so you might as well do it now. If you want a quality T5 fixture go with the Solar Flare or the ATI Powermodule. The Tek fixture is not your best option. The lack of cooling causes it to produce very little par. When a T5 bulb gets hot the PAR value drops like a rock, blow air over the bulb and the PAR value is very high.

 

[NYreefNoob]

tek t5

i have 3 tek t5 retro's kits on mine total 6 bulbs. i have amazing light range. 2 gies 6k's 2 giess 11k's and soon to change antic's to the giessmans. i have sps and lps in my tank. as well as a clam. bulb to sand bed is about 22" though and sps is towards the top and lps { zoa's and shroons alond the lower part. i have 2 fans blowing across water to keep it cool. bulbs last alot longer, are alot cheaper and less energy. i chose this route over the mh, and could have got a mh for less. but like i said i have a mixed reef and like the ability to have the different bulbs