Lighting comparison ATI vs TEK for T5's

Tom Barr

Founder
Staff member
Administrator
Jan 23, 2005
18,699
786
113
I'm always pretty skeptical when folks claim things about how great lighting difference are. ATI claims higher % from their fixtures, well, I just measured 4 different fixtures and the Tek 8 bulb fixture had 250 umol at 14" and the 6 bulb ATI had 400umol at 14".
So less bulbs 1/4 fewer bulbs but 1/3rd more light. So the 50% more light claim seems to apply to even well designed fixtures like Tek.
The ATI also has controller and dimmer options that are small and discrete function on the fixture. They come in more bulb configurations also.

Very impressed. Tank does not really look brighter, but the meter does not lie.

I can change the height and over spray of the fixture and still dial the dimmer settings to 0-100% ranges with 1 % increments.
I also can run 2 banks of lights separately and rev them up with the dimmer for dawn to dusk settings.

What I will likely do is run them at 0-25% for the first 2 hours and then 25-100% over the next 2 hours, lave them run 100% for 1 full hour, then drop from 100-25% over 2 hours and then 25-0% over the last two hours.
7 hours total run time. The 50% or more will only run for 3 hours, so I'll be using much less light overall, but still have a very intense spike.

Another method might be to slowly increase light till about 5 hours in, then leave it at the max level the last 2 hours with a 30 minute drop off.
This mimics the CO2 build up in many non pH controlled CO2 enriched tanks. It tends to increase and then levels off after 4-6 hours at a high range, then drops rapidly after the lights go off.
 

Mark Lem

Guru Class Expert
Dec 4, 2006
145
0
16
Very timely for me as I'm looking to start up a no holds barred 180 this winter, ATI looks to be a winner. Thanks for the info
 

nipat

Guru Class Expert
May 23, 2009
665
0
16
Nice to know that the more expensive unit really does more.
This also makes me wonder how do units in the lower end do.

(I thought your interest has shifted to LED).
 

feh

Guru Class Expert
Jan 14, 2011
668
2
18
50
South Carolina
Yeah, but the price difference also reflects this claim. Nice to see someone actually took the time to test things though. If I upgrade my lighting for my reef tank I may go with an ATI fixture if I don't take the plunge on going to LED.
 

Jim Miller

Lifetime Charter Member
Lifetime Member
Oct 31, 2010
448
0
16
Baltimore, MD
A couple of questions:

1. Why the measurement at 14" rather than at 24" or more? That would seem to be more appropriate given the likely use of this lamp.
2. I'd be curious as to the spread front to back of the output at that 24" height. Moving the PAR meter to find the half power point might give some useful info

Since both likely use good reflectors and physics is physics there has to be an explanation for the difference. Of course dimmable ballasts are nice.

Jim
 

Tom Barr

Founder
Staff member
Administrator
Jan 23, 2005
18,699
786
113
At 36", the umol was 120

I just did not include 24" is all.
I will later and let Hoppy plot the sucker.

It was very even front to back, as much as the Tek over 24" width but just more intense.
The active cooling and the ballast driver have something to do with it.

It's about 2x as heavy as the Tek fixture also, but that's not that heavy really.







Jim Miller;76410 said:
A couple of questions:

1. Why the measurement at 14" rather than at 24" or more? That would seem to be more appropriate given the likely use of this lamp.
2. I'd be curious as to the spread front to back of the output at that 24" height. Moving the PAR meter to find the half power point might give some useful info

Since both likely use good reflectors and physics is physics there has to be an explanation for the difference. Of course dimmable ballasts are nice.

Jim
 

Tom Barr

Founder
Staff member
Administrator
Jan 23, 2005
18,699
786
113
feh;76406 said:
Yeah, but the price difference also reflects this claim. Nice to see someone actually took the time to test things though. If I upgrade my lighting for my reef tank I may go with an ATI fixture if I don't take the plunge on going to LED.

I got a Black Friday deal(10% off), plus they had free shipping, plus they had the lowest price etc.

I can grow most any reef SPS nicely with these hoods.
 

feh

Guru Class Expert
Jan 14, 2011
668
2
18
50
South Carolina
Tom Barr;76412 said:
I got a Black Friday deal(10% off), plus they had free shipping, plus they had the lowest price etc.

I can grow most any reef SPS nicely with these hoods.

Which bulbs do you plan to use? I'm planning to use ATI Blue+, Purple+, and either ATI Aquablue Special, KZ New Generation or something in the 10000k range.
 

Tom Barr

Founder
Staff member
Administrator
Jan 23, 2005
18,699
786
113
feh;76438 said:
Which bulbs do you plan to use? I'm planning to use ATI Blue+, Purple+, and either ATI Aquablue Special, KZ New Generation or something in the 10000k range.

For the reef: 2 ATI blue +, pur, and then 3 ATI Blue specials.

The planted: 3 GE 6500K, 1 Giesemann Aquaflora, 2 Gieseman daylight. I might use 1 of ATI blue special in place of the gieseman or the GE.
 

Mark Lem

Guru Class Expert
Dec 4, 2006
145
0
16
Do not see an ATI 72" fixture, so for 72" tank (180gal 24" width) would you go with 2x36" with the 39w bulbs (4 or 6) or 1x 60" with the 80w bulbs. Also assume the dimmable power module is the one preferred
 

Gerryd

Plant Guru Team
Lifetime Member
Sep 23, 2007
5,623
22
38
South Florida
Mark Lem;76640 said:
Do not see an ATI 72" fixture, so for 72" tank (180gal 24" width) would you go with 2x36" with the 39w bulbs (4 or 6) or 1x 60" with the 80w bulbs. Also assume the dimmable power module is the one preferred

Mark,

I could never locate a 72" Tek or ATI fixture and is one of the reasons I went with the aqauticlife fixture...

Let us know what you decide...