chimera Posted May 3, 2006 Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 Here's a full tank shot, 3 x 150W halides only. Here's a full tank shot the following day, 3 x 150W halides + 4 x T5's (2 white, 2 blue) It's only after I put these on did I realise how poor my lighting was. Huge difference! Now the test continues again, will be interesting to see if acro's colour up THIS time!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tel Posted May 3, 2006 Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 very nice, now i know my crap pics are me not the sony w5 i was blaming. how many blues are there in the t5s? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted May 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 2 blues, 2 whites. it sucks without the blues, looks too yellow. the 2 blues even it out perfectly. awesome white balance now. stoked. if its not enough lighting though, probably get a big mutha 400W'er in the middle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KP Posted May 3, 2006 Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 What temperature bulbs are you using with the halides? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tel Posted May 3, 2006 Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 you must be real happy and almost kicking yourself for not doing it sooner . the before now looks like a good twilight shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted May 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 you must be real happy and almost kicking yourself for not doing it sooner oh HELL yes!!! the before now looks like a good twilight shot. hahaaa! wife said "it looks like you just had a night light on before" so true. maybe i should get 5 x 400W'ers instead then buy shares in the local power company Im considering gruntier halides, but as a test, I want to see how well the sps respond to the new lighting. if no improvement in a couple of months (and gonna see if i can get wasp to test my water with his colormeter at some stage - so assuming thats all ok) then i try 400W'ers... :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tel Posted May 3, 2006 Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 what does a colormeter measure? :oops: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted May 3, 2006 Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 what does a colormeter measure? :oops: Color. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted May 3, 2006 Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 Chim..... that has transformed your tank, I didnt realise you were only running 150's. Im running 2 x 400's and a 250. Awesome dude...you should notice a massive difference. Looks MUCH better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony.Bates Posted May 3, 2006 Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 That looks awesome Chimera - well done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted May 3, 2006 Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 how deep is your tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted May 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 how deep is your tank? Pretty standard, 600mm. All SPS are halfway or higher, all softies and LPS are nearer the bottom. LPS/softies respond well to the light they had, opened up, very large when polyps extended, good colour. Issue is SPS. I think its highly likely to be lack of lighting after seeing before and after shots!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted May 3, 2006 Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 You dont need 400 watters then. My ACRO bank is directly under the 250 watt hallide and my tank is 600mm and they're doing great. You should come have a look you slackarse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted May 3, 2006 Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 (better add the smiley or you might think im a nobhead... :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted May 3, 2006 Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 I agree, i think 400's are overkill on anything up to 600 high. Layton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetskisteve Posted May 3, 2006 Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 Chim, you know my tank is 600 high? It looked damn fine with 2x 150W even if i do say so myself, the only thing the 2 x250 watters have done is up the power bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted May 3, 2006 Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 so are you reverting back to 150 watt then steve? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted May 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 You should come have a look you slackarse it's true, i should, i will. jetski ur finally back will see how the T5's shape up. the evidence in 'lack of lighting' is substantial without the T5's - just look at the number of shaded areas in the first photo, first page. will see what happens in the next few months - proof is in the pudding! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevan Posted May 3, 2006 Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 What type and size T 5s ? Looks real good I think I'll have to invest in some T5 s . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted May 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 type T5? brand you mean? narva i think. 4 foot so dont quite cover the length of the tank but because of the spread, they still work brilliantly. reflectors came in from singapore (the bulk purchase organised by puttputt) contact jetskisteve hes got heaps of T5 gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drifty Posted May 3, 2006 Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 I had to raise my light up 5cm, seemed too bright. using 5 100w t5's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted May 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 100W T5's must be quite intense, these are 54W bulbs and the combo of all 4 are bright enough. The additional 216W added from four of them makes a considerable difference (even 3 are brighter IMO than a single 150W halide - purely because the better spread of light) In terms of brightness, i think its really what you're used too. I used to think 3 x 150W'ers looked good until I added the T5's. IMO the real key is getting the combined colour spectrum just right (both aesthetically and for photosynthesis), if I don't have the 2 x blue T5's on it looks way too yellow. Happy with it right now, just hoping this is what it takes to start getting acro's colouring up again. I noted one such photo showed an acro that was starting to colour up nicely to a good purple colour, looking at the same acro now its gone backwards. I know it takes the right combination of all things to get good colour - at that time it was the calcium reactor that packed up and all water chemistry parameters went out the door that caused it. Once those get back on track as well as the additional lighting, I'm confident things will progress along much better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke Posted May 4, 2006 Report Share Posted May 4, 2006 100w T5's did not know you could buy them? Were are these avalible? Will a standard 54w setup power these? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted May 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2006 100w T5's did not know you could buy them? neither to be honest. i thought 54W was the max. you could get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drifty Posted May 4, 2006 Report Share Posted May 4, 2006 5 ft t5's are 80w, using icecap ballasts which overdrive them to 100w Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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