Finally upgraded to T5s! Need a little help...
 

I ordered a 4 foot, 4 bulb, High Output T5 fixture. See it here: HTG Supply - GrowBright 4 Foot 4 Lamp High Output T5 With Choice of Bulbs It hasn't arrived yet but I have a few questions...

I have a few mottled leaf paphs and some noID phals. How close should I put them to the lights?

I will be going to an upcoming show. What other orchids could I get that will do well under these lights?

I would like to try mini cattleyas, phrags, brassias, and maybe bulbophyllums. Will any of these grow under T5s?

I want some reccomendations of orchids that would do well under these lights.

One more question: How would you set up lights for a Paphiopedilum sanderianum?

Phals and paphs might actually find that too much light, so start off pretty far away. (2-3 feet at least, I'd say). If you have individual control over the lights, you may like to exercise that option.

Yes, anything can pretty much be persuaded to grow under such lights by moving them closer or further away from the lights depending on the species. Catts like a fair bit of light, so you'll have to elevate them closer to the bulbs than your paphs and phals. Bulbophyllums are all over the place with light requirements.

All you have to do is raise it high enough to satisfy your lowest-light plants, then elevate the others on inverted pots and the like.

That's what I do but I mainly have Catasetinae as close to the lights without burning the leaves and a few Bulbs. And a warm growing Coelogyne, that's it. Not only is it BRIGHT but it's HOT under there and I'm watering twice as much as under T8s !

Thanks for your help everyone. I've been doing a lot of research on T5s and it sounds like I can grow lots of different kinds of orchids under them. What orchids CAN'T I grow under T5s? (Orchids that get too tall, vandas...)

Here's a pix of mine. It's mounted as close to the ceiling as I could get it and the shelf is 34" from the bottom of the lights. I have some plants that sit on the shelf and almost touch the lights and that's why I mounted it as high as I could. The fixture next to it is a T8.
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Looks precarious!