Another Lighting Question

strout · 04-19-2009, 09:18 AM

I went to the home of another reefer in a local forum I am in and got some zoas and polys a few mushrooms and a few other things. Her and her husband have a 180g reef tank that is really nice. Anyway, they have T-12 lights in their tank and at one point they turned off most of the T-12s and turnerd on 2 T-12s that she called 454 lights, these lights are a must have for my tank, these lights when turned on made the zoas and polys (how should I say this), its like the zoas and polys that were in the tank were on light switches, when the T-12 were on the zoas and polys were just setting there in the off position and when she turned on the 454s its like they just lite up, you could see every color and every detail of every single polyp in the tank even with my bad eye sight, it was truely awsome. My question: Has anyone heard of these lights and: I have 4 T-5 lights in my tank and the bulbs on the T-5s are at least half the size of the T12s, what I want to know is do they sell these 454s in a T-5 size bulb so that I could relace two of my T-5 bulbs with two of theses 454 bulbs that would fit in the T-5 housing unit.

midmichman80 · 04-19-2009, 12:37 PM

Hmmmm, perhaps she may have meant 4x54w which would probably be t5 bulbs. Someone correct me if I am wrong, but that seems to be the most logical explanation. Did you see the 454 bulbs themselves?

Lotus · 04-19-2009, 12:45 PM

Check out this link: 454 bulb from UVL aims to fill the 420-470nm gap | Reef Builders

It's basically an actinic bulb.

What bulbs do you have in your fixture now? The 454 bulb is available in a 48-inch T5. Available here: Custom Aquatic - Store - Lighting Supplies - T5 Bulbs - [ 48 in T5 Blue 454nm Bulb 54 watt, URI/UV Lighting ]

The problem is, while actinics give a nice effect, and are really attractive, but there is a tradeoff with growth rates.

midmichman80 · 04-19-2009, 01:14 PM

Thanks Lotus for setting me straight. and thanks for the links.

zoalover34 · 04-19-2009, 03:07 PM

Yea they are deff. actinics what your talking about.. I just got some for my tank (my bulbs broke so had to wait on the new 1's) These bulbs are sweet! I love just having them on it really makes the colors stand out..

strout · 04-20-2009, 02:11 AM

Theses bulbs do to ploys and zoas, like what a black light does to a black light poster, for those of you old enought to remember, lol. We only run the T-5s about three hours a day, maybe more after I get these lights,lol. We run the MHs about 7 hours per day, the T-5s are on 1 1/2 hours before and after the MHs are on. I don't run them at the same time to help keep down the heat.

strout · 04-20-2009, 02:12 AM

My bad, sorry, thanks for the link Lotus, I will be checking those out.

strout · 04-20-2009, 02:29 AM

Ok, so I went to order the lights from the link Lotus (aka, da Link Master) provided in her post, and they have this bulb in 54 and 85 Watt bulbs, what do I want, I don't know what the differences in wattages do. LOL, I found something that I want in this hobby that dosn't cost a C note.

quaddity · 04-20-2009, 07:39 AM

I don't know what a 454 would do better then a 420 though (no not the fake holiday today

The 420 actinic will cause the corals to fluoresce more then a 454 I would think. The wattage is determined by your light ballast. Make sure what wattage your bulbs are and buy the same wattage.

ATI makes a lot of varieties. The "blue plus" seem nicer then a regular actinic:
Aquarium Technik Innovation ATI | New ATI-T5 lamps | ATI " PRO COLOR" and ATI "ACTINIC

di0nysus · 04-20-2009, 01:11 PM

happy 4-20

04-19-2009, 09:18 AM	#1
strout Large Fish Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 774	Another Lighting Question I went to the home of another reefer in a local forum I am in and got some zoas and polys a few mushrooms and a few other things. Her and her husband have a 180g reef tank that is really nice. Anyway, they have T-12 lights in their tank and at one point they turned off most of the T-12s and turnerd on 2 T-12s that she called 454 lights, these lights are a must have for my tank, these lights when turned on made the zoas and polys (how should I say this), its like the zoas and polys that were in the tank were on light switches, when the T-12 were on the zoas and polys were just setting there in the off position and when she turned on the 454s its like they just lite up, you could see every color and every detail of every single polyp in the tank even with my bad eye sight, it was truely awsome. My question: Has anyone heard of these lights and: I have 4 T-5 lights in my tank and the bulbs on the T-5s are at least half the size of the T12s, what I want to know is do they sell these 454s in a T-5 size bulb so that I could relace two of my T-5 bulbs with two of theses 454 bulbs that would fit in the T-5 housing unit.

04-19-2009, 12:37 PM	#2
midmichman80 Little Fish Join Date: May 2008 Location: Midland, MI Posts: 292	Hmmmm, perhaps she may have meant 4x54w which would probably be t5 bulbs. Someone correct me if I am wrong, but that seems to be the most logical explanation. Did you see the 454 bulbs themselves? __________________ Happy fishies

04-19-2009, 12:45 PM	#3
Lotus Moderator Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Southern California Posts: 14,845	Check out this link: 454 bulb from UVL aims to fill the 420-470nm gap \| Reef Builders It's basically an actinic bulb. What bulbs do you have in your fixture now? The 454 bulb is available in a 48-inch T5. Available here: Custom Aquatic - Store - Lighting Supplies - T5 Bulbs - [ 48 in T5 Blue 454nm Bulb 54 watt, URI/UV Lighting ] The problem is, while actinics give a nice effect, and are really attractive, but there is a tradeoff with growth rates. __________________ Lotus and Ecotank's tanks "So long, and thanks for all the fish."

04-19-2009, 01:14 PM	#4
midmichman80 Little Fish Join Date: May 2008 Location: Midland, MI Posts: 292	Thanks Lotus for setting me straight. and thanks for the links. __________________ Happy fishies

04-19-2009, 03:07 PM	#5
zoalover34 Super Fish Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Kent, OH Posts: 1,237	Yea they are deff. actinics what your talking about.. I just got some for my tank (my bulbs broke so had to wait on the new 1's) These bulbs are sweet! I love just having them on it really makes the colors stand out.. __________________ Tankless at the moment

04-20-2009, 02:11 AM	#6
strout Large Fish Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 774	Theses bulbs do to ploys and zoas, like what a black light does to a black light poster, for those of you old enought to remember, lol. We only run the T-5s about three hours a day, maybe more after I get these lights,lol. We run the MHs about 7 hours per day, the T-5s are on 1 1/2 hours before and after the MHs are on. I don't run them at the same time to help keep down the heat.

04-20-2009, 02:12 AM	#7
strout Large Fish Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 774	My bad, sorry, thanks for the link Lotus, I will be checking those out.

04-20-2009, 02:29 AM	#8
strout Large Fish Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 774	Ok, so I went to order the lights from the link Lotus (aka, da Link Master) provided in her post, and they have this bulb in 54 and 85 Watt bulbs, what do I want, I don't know what the differences in wattages do. LOL, I found something that I want in this hobby that dosn't cost a C note.

04-20-2009, 07:39 AM	#9
quaddity Medium Fish Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 598	I don't know what a 454 would do better then a 420 though (no not the fake holiday today The 420 actinic will cause the corals to fluoresce more then a 454 I would think. The wattage is determined by your light ballast. Make sure what wattage your bulbs are and buy the same wattage. ATI makes a lot of varieties. The "blue plus" seem nicer then a regular actinic: Aquarium Technik Innovation ATI \| New ATI-T5 lamps \| ATI " PRO COLOR" and ATI "ACTINIC

04-20-2009, 01:11 PM	#10
di0nysus Little Fish Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: sunnyside of california Posts: 260	happy 4-20 __________________ 40g reef two red eared slider turtles