t5 lighting over 20L

psariandras

psariandras

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May 18, 2007
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What kinds of corals can I keep with two 30" T5s over a 20L in contrast to having three or four T5s over the same tank?

With four I'd be good to keep even SPS right? I really don't have to keep SPS I'll be happy with LPS corals.

The info on LFS/Equip sites says dual t5 fixtures are suggested for fish only tanks but the 20L is not a tall tank, T5s will work well on just 13" tall?


I need to have some idea if I should prepare to get 2, 3, or 4 18 watt T5s on my 20L.
 
Im not the T5 expert but I do know quite a bit. It depends on if the light has individual relectors of very high quality. Thats where you get most of your light with T5s is the reflection. Also they do penetrate deeper than a PC light would but not a whole lot. The length of the bulb doesnt matter. Get a 20inch to fit the tank. Also make sure you get a fixture with individual reflectors. If it doesnt have individual reflectors get 4 bulbs but if it does I think you could get away with 2 bulbs.
 
They don't have individual reflectors I was looking at cheap ones.

Do you suggest even for just LPS four non-individual-reflector t5 bulbs?
I thought that the longer ones would be stronger because they have higher wattage. I guess I need to read more on lighting.
 
Ya the longer ones are going to come in a higher wattage but most of the light is going to pour over the edges of the tank.

Most LPS are a moderate lighting species where most SPS require high lighting.

Like I said Im not the T5 expert but I would think you want to shoot for a 4 bulb fixture. Individual reflectors are very important because without you loose like 50% of the light.
 
I believe that it would be more cost efficient to use two or more dual bulb strips without individual reflectors than using half as many that have individual reflectors. That is assuming that they would be otherwise equivalent and based on the ones I could find on ebay and other places.

Haha, maybe I'll put a reflective surface on three sides of the tank to fix the problem of most going out the sides, that would be nice to look at.
 
psariandras said:
I believe that it would be more cost efficient to use two or more dual bulb strips without individual reflectors than using half as many that have individual reflectors. That is assuming that they would be otherwise equivalent and based on the ones I could find on ebay and other places.

Haha, maybe I'll put a reflective surface on three sides of the tank to fix the problem of most going out the sides, that would be nice to look at.
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I dont think you understand what Im saying. Maybe someone like Ace or Amph will chime in with more input as Im sure those 2 have more experience with T5s than I do.
 
I thought I did.

I am saying that the individual reflector fixtures were significantly more expensive at least the ones I saw and I was joking about putting a reflective surface on the other three sides of the tank that would be absurd.

I understand that individual reflectors increase the light output but I have heard that they are inconsequential in such a shallow tank. I thought that with a tank that was that shallow it wouldn't matter whether or not I had individual reflectors.
 
Ya it does matter. Otherwise you are just wasting light. Dont skimp on equipment. Many of us who have done it learned our lesson and regret it. I was super cheap when I got into SW and I regretted doing it. Now I only buy the best.
 
Here is my first hand experience with T5HO's. 1 24" CurrentUSA Nova Extreme, 2 bulb, 1 reflector. This cheap $65 fixture blows away any 2x 65w PC fixture. Personally, I think it is enough light for LPS in a 20G tank, but probably very close to the "low light" limit still. My next fixture for my 29G was to add a 30" CurrentUSA Sundial, 4x 22" bulbs with "contoured" reflector and I added that to the other light to give me 6xT5HOs on my 29G. Contoured meaning reflector is slightly bent around each bulb, still doesn't come close to = individual reflectors. Finally, on my new tank, I went with retro, Icecap 660 w/ 4x 22" T5HO UV Actinics on individual reflectors.. awesome setup, only problem is Icecap themselves state the Icecap660 isn't meant to work on T5HOs (never heard this before I called them because of a problem). I blow out a T5 bulb about once every 3-4 weeks using the Icecap even though the bulbs are rated to run on that ballast. Very frustrating and expensive.. I wouldn't have gone Icecap on the T5s had I known that Icecap themselves state they don't recommend running T5s on that ballast.

What really worked good for a cheap small tank was using that $65 2 bulb T5 fixture on a 10G tank. A 10G is only 20" long, but a 24" T5HO fixture, the bulbs are actually only 22", and even then take another 2" off for the ends of the bulbs, so you pretty much get end to end coverage with the bulbs without any overhang, other than a couple inches from the fixture itself.. but the light doesn't spill over.
 
Ace25 said:
Here is my first hand experience with T5HO's. 1 24" CurrentUSA Nova Extreme, 2 bulb, 1 reflector. This cheap $65 fixture blows away any 2x 65w PC fixture. Personally, I think it is enough light for LPS in a 20G tank, but probably very close to the "low light" limit still. My next fixture for my 29G was to add a 30" CurrentUSA Sundial, 4x 22" bulbs with "contoured" reflector and I added that to the other light to give me 6xT5HOs on my 29G. Contoured meaning reflector is slightly bent around each bulb, still doesn't come close to = individual reflectors. Finally, on my new tank, I went with retro, Icecap 660 w/ 4x 22" T5HO UV Actinics on individual reflectors.. awesome setup, only problem is Icecap themselves state the Icecap660 isn't meant to work on T5HOs (never heard this before I called them because of a problem). I blow out a T5 bulb about once every 3-4 weeks using the Icecap even though the bulbs are rated to run on that ballast. Very frustrating and expensive.. I wouldn't have gone Icecap on the T5s had I known that Icecap themselves state they don't recommend running T5s on that ballast.

What really worked good for a cheap small tank was using that $65 2 bulb T5 fixture on a 10G tank. A 10G is only 20" long, but a 24" T5HO fixture, the bulbs are actually only 22", and even then take another 2" off for the ends of the bulbs, so you pretty much get end to end coverage with the bulbs without any overhang, other than a couple inches from the fixture itself.. but the light doesn't spill over.
Click to expand...

Sounds like more of a ballast issue, there. I have run multiple T5s of varying brands and sizes on varying IceCap ballasts (all 660s) for well over a year without issues. Now on the "not supposed to be used with the 660," that's technically true, since it overdrives the lamps--a properly designed and appropriate ballast wouldn't overdrive the lamps they are meant for. However, most T5s show that they can stand up to overdriving--it is just that the lifespan tends to be shortened. But again, your case is really the exception more than the rule.

Now for the OP's question. A 4 bulb fixture without individual reflectors would be fine for that size tank and the corals you want. In terms of efficiency, you can't beat the individual reflectors--it can easily double the available light. So you'll basically be wasting light and a bit of your power bill, but it'd take a while to add up to the cost of a decent single-reflector fixture. However, Drs. Foster and Smith are now selling a Current Nova Extreme SLR (Single Lamp Reflector) 4 bulb fixture for just over $150, which isn't bad at all. It can be found here . The reflectors aren't top notch, but you wouldn't really need to be as concerned about that. This would at least give you an edge over other fixtures that lack reflectors.
 
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