t5 lighting

Gold3nku5h · #1 (**permalink**) 01-05-2009, 12:16 AM

I was wondering if anyone has built their own t5 lighting system. Im planning on getting 4 36inch t5's going for my 40 gallon breeder. I want to have it on two different ballasts 2 bulbs each. I also am getting about 8 neutral white led's that give off 45 lumens each, and am going to setup a moonlight effect. i probably wont use all 8 but just getting a few because i know i will want them for other moonlighting projects. Anyways if anyone knows where or what brand to get, or any sources for t5 36inch bulbs that are 6500 and 2900 color temps would be awesome, thanks.

thercman · #2 (**permalink**) 01-05-2009, 04:25 PM

I am at work so this will be quick. Check out Welcome to BallastWise.com for the ballasts. For the lights you can go to any Hydroponic shop to get T5s in the spectrum you need... More later...

Jhumphres · #3 (**permalink**) 01-06-2009, 12:04 AM

Check out Forums for Saltwater fish tanks....I use MichiganReefers.com They will have a tun of tutorials for wiring your own ballasts and such. I made one for my reef and it was not hard at all...you just need to understand positive and negative and know how to use a drill

thercman · #4 (**permalink**) 01-06-2009, 01:01 AM

Ditto I use them to supplement the metal halides over my 25 and 375 gallon reef tanks. A few more reef sites would be Reef Central Online Community Reef Frontiers and Saltwater and Reef Aquarium Forums I moderate on the last two. :-)

Gold3nku5h · #5 (**permalink**) 01-06-2009, 02:00 AM

its not that, im just wondering about really, where to get the supplies, but now that i figured my work, which is a hardware store, is pretty much the owner of a lighting company, i have no worries about getting the ballasts and wiring, i just need to figure exactly what color i want in t5's i think im using 34 inch t5's in i dont know what color spectrum yet. tomorrow morning im going to talk to them to see if they know what color they are. anyways. i got just about everything but the actual bulbs and wiring. i didn't get those because the bulbs, i kinda wanted to think about, and wiring doesn't need to be got till i am actually constructing it. I also am about to order a few LED's from ledsupplies.com, and getting a few of their K2 stars in neutral white, which is the closest to actual moonlight color spectrum as we probably can get, which is 4125, and the neutral white is 4100. I'd say thats damn close.

thercman · #6 (**permalink**) 01-06-2009, 04:26 PM

I believe around 5000 - 6000K is Sunlight so if you are planting the tank then that is what I would go with.

Gold3nku5h · #7 (**permalink**) 01-07-2009, 12:39 AM

well, i decided to just go with the color spectrum that my grow and bloom lights are, and i found what moonlighting is sooo... Grow is 6500 K, Bloom is 2900 K (by sunleaves T5's) and Moonlight is 4125 (neutral white if you can find it). I got my 2 T5 ballasts, but may just go with 4 so i can have an individual light on each ballast, with 4 different times to turn on.. That may just be overkill though.

Gold3nku5h · #8 (**permalink**) 01-18-2009, 08:08 PM

I've changed things up a bit, and went with 2 foot bulbs, with 3 ballasts running 2 bulbs each. theres 6 bulbs, which will be on 3 different timmers, to give a nice dawn and dusk effect. I bought 3 neutral white, and 3 green LED's (green because that doesn't interupt photoperiods of plants). I am not sure which ones im going to use first because i want it to look nice viewable wize, but may just settle with the green's because it wont mess with anything. The woodwork is going to be my lighting system mount, and is basically plywood with the ballasts on top, and lighting on bottom. After i get mylar on tuesday i will screw all the wood together, then run my wiring through the plywood to the top. Then i'll cut the mylar to shape, and glue it to the wood, then screw in my T5 sockets so that i dont have to mess with the mylar around them. Then that will be ready, and wiring will be done. So till then, this is all i leave you with.

froggsong · #9 (**permalink**) 01-19-2009, 12:42 AM

I like how you made the part the bulbs are sitting in (currently, of course). Very good idea... I think I might steal it.

Gold3nku5h · #10 (**permalink**) 01-19-2009, 12:57 AM

why thank you. just wait till its all lit up with its glorious mylar sheeting. i cant wait to get it and finish it, and turn it on, i've been looking at the pictures and going back and forth on this forum and another because i want to work on it so badly.