Fishkeeping - T5s and temperature

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T5s and temperature

Hi all

I have a 4ft, 18" deep tank that is a (UK) temperate tank. I think of
it as a reef tank as I have a DSB and live rock, and much invertebrate
life on the rock (although the inverts aren't as spectacular as the
coral pics I see links to here).

Obviously I don't have to worry about the high light levels you need
for corals/anemones, but my current lighting is not enough to grow
much macroalgae, which I would like to do.

I have a 4ft standard flourescent (which is a 60/40 actinic/white
light mix IIRC).

I've been looking at a twin set of 3ft T5s (one white and one actinic
maybe)?

Will this give me a lot more light than the 4ft flourescant?

And importantly, will it give off a lot more heat? I have an enclosed
hood, and I'm right on the limit of acceptable temp for some temperate
species (especially in summer) and I can't afford a chiller.

Thanks in advance for any help.

T5s and temperature

you might find it best to do a few things

first run a seperate refugium

put it up so the top is just above the display tank's water level and power it off an
airlift use an overflow for the return.

put as much light as you can on that, let it grow your macro's

my temperate tank is a partially setup warm temperate(S. Calif cost biotope) which is
where I am located, and all the T5's that I own heat up the water too much.

--
Richard Reynolds

T5s and temperature

"Richard Reynolds" wrote in message news:5%ihc.28299$fq4.9122@lakeread05...
you might find it best to do a few things

first run a seperate refugium

put it up so the top is just above the display tank's water level and power it off an
airlift use an overflow for the return.

put as much light as you can on that, let it grow your macro's

my temperate tank is a partially setup warm temperate(S. Calif cost biotope) which is
where I am located, and all the T5's that I own heat up the water too much.

Thanks, but I'd want the macros in the main tank. Unfortunately no
space for a refugium either.

Shame about the T5s :-(

T5s and temperature

How so? T5, Power compact, and Metal Halide are the three most
efficient aquarium lights out there. A single 3ft T5 will produce
about double the light of your 4ft T12 (shop light) for the same
ammount of heat.

ok lets make this simple the example works for them all but its better with MH.

so you have your MH now its a 4' tank, so now you need 2

the normal lowest wattage you can get is 175 now youve gone from somewhere in the 35 watt
range (he didnt really say which bulb he has) to 350w, now IF he were running a normal
reef a few degrees rise is really no big deal, there are super easy and effecient ways of
getting around it(fans work best when the air temp is cooler than the water not warmer),
but he has a tank that cant be anywhere near as hot, my temperate tank is a warm temperate
tank it can get as hot as 72F (thats MAX I dont wanna run at MAX every day) it was 70F in
december and yes i live in the northern hemisphere so that was in my winter. both he and I
do not want to run chillers they are expensive to buy and even more expensive to run. MH
would be nice, if you could get one that was say 35W but you cant so now they dont work
all over again. the same thing goes for T5's and power compacts

Another trick to reduceing waste heat is to move the light's ballast
away from the tank. The ballasts in shop lights are often magnetic and
get very hot. An electronic ballast produces much less heat but should
still be moved out of the canopy if heat is an issue.

I dont recall him saying he uses shop lights, just that he uses NO lights and has an
enclosed hood. you are assuming the ballast has not already been moved. though I am making
the assumption that it has, or else he would be on here going my tank is too hot, which is
clearly not what he is asking.

im also making the assumption that snorkelboy is a him :D

--
Richard Reynolds

T5s and temperature

"Richard Reynolds" wrote in message news:l9Ghc.34327$fq4.33572@lakeread05...
How so? T5, Power compact, and Metal Halide are the three most
efficient aquarium lights out there. A single 3ft T5 will produce
about double the light of your 4ft T12 (shop light) for the same
ammount of heat.

ok lets make this simple the example works for them all but its better with MH.

so you have your MH now its a 4' tank, so now you need 2

the normal lowest wattage you can get is 175 now youve gone from somewhere in the 35 watt
range (he didnt really say which bulb he has) to 350w, now IF he were running a normal
reef a few degrees rise is really no big deal, there are super easy and effecient ways of
getting around it(fans work best when the air temp is cooler than the water not warmer),
but he has a tank that cant be anywhere near as hot, my temperate tank is a warm temperate
tank it can get as hot as 72F (thats MAX I dont wanna run at MAX every day) it was 70F in
december and yes i live in the northern hemisphere so that was in my winter. both he and I
do not want to run chillers they are expensive to buy and even more expensive to run. MH
would be nice, if you could get one that was say 35W but you cant so now they dont work
all over again. the same thing goes for T5's and power compacts

Another trick to reduceing waste heat is to move the light's ballast
away from the tank. The ballasts in shop lights are often magnetic and
get very hot. An electronic ballast produces much less heat but should
still be moved out of the canopy if heat is an issue.

I dont recall him saying he uses shop lights, just that he uses NO lights and has an
enclosed hood. you are assuming the ballast has not already been moved. though I am making
the assumption that it has, or else he would be on here going my tank is too hot, which is
clearly not what he is asking.

im also making the assumption that snorkelboy is a him :D

Richard - I don't quite understand what's going on. Were the comments
you are replying to emailed to you? Because they aren't showing up on
Google groups. Am I missing replies to my post?

Can't remember exactly what wattage my tube is - but it's the
standard one for a normal 4ft flourescent - will have a look tonight.
The ballast is fixed to the outside of the wooden hood - might be
worth moving it.

Oh - and yes - I am a him.

T5s and temperature

Snorkelboy may have written:

Richard - I don't quite understand what's going on. Were the comments
you are replying to emailed to you? Because they aren't showing up on
Google groups. Am I missing replies to my post?

My bad. I had x-no-archive set so google didn't carry my
posts. Richard was replying to me.

The summary of what I wrote:

a 4ft T12 normal output (standard tube) is 40watt.
a 3ft T5 is 39watt.

In both cases regardless of how warm the tube gets all of those watts
end up as heat in your tank.

A T5 produces about twice as much light per watt as a normal
flourescent. A single T5 could work well for you produceing twice the
light without excess heat.

For temperate tanks I believe daylight bulbs would be better for
growing macro algea. Actinic and other blue lights are really for
looks and produce less light then similar daylight tubes.

If I were you I would try twin T5. Add a fan and a vent to your
canopy. Buy a good electronic ballast that will run either one or two
tubes. Advance makes ballasts like this. I believe you will have to
rewire for one tube use, but this gives you flexibility. In the summer
months you may have to reduce the light hours. Remember of course that
twin T5s produce four times the light you currently have.