Adding T5’s with my LEDs

[cane]

Decided to add T5’s to my system. I have an 8 foot tank with 4 SB Reeflight LEDs. Growth is fine but color seems to be lacking. I’ll be running ATI Blue plus and Coral life bulbs.

My question is should I turn down my LEDs with the new T5’s and should I run them the same time I run my whites? If not, what do you guys recommend? I’m currently using an Apex to control everything.

Just painted canopy so took the doors off and added the T5’s.

 

[Daniel Waters]

In general, I think the corals can handle the addition of T5 lighting much easier than the addition of LEDs. However, it's always best to make gradual lighting changes and observe.

If you have some idea of how much par the T5s will be providing, I'd recommend reducing your LED intensity so that your total par will remain about the same to start off with. If you don't have that information and need a general safe plan of action, I'd recommend starting with a 25% reduction in your LED output and start your T5s at 2 hours per day running time. Add an hour per day running time each week till you get your T5 duration where you want it. If you need additional intensity at that point, increase your LED intensity back up about 5% per week from there.

 

[cane]

Great help. Thanks.

 

[Robsk]

I was really surprised by how much my par increased when I only added two 24 inch t5s to a 4 foot tank lit by a reefbreeder. Areas that were in the 300s were now 500. I didn’t adjust my leds, but do run a much shorter t5 schedule.

 

[cane]

I just finished setting it up. I forgot how good T5s look. I’m thinking of turning my whites on the LED’s way down. Maybe even off as the T5s light looks so dang good

 

[cane]

Just turned the lights on for the pic. Everyone was sleep

 

[Daniel Waters]

I just finished setting it up. I forgot how good T5s look. I’m thinking of turning my whites on the LED’s way down. Maybe even off as the T5s light looks so dang good

Looks good!

So you are using 4 blue plus and 4 coral plus bulbs? You said coral life bulbs in your earlier post, so I wasn't sure if that was a typo or not. I did what you are contemplating (in regards to turning the LED's to more blue). I have a 6 bulb ATI fixture (centered) and 4 Kessil A360's on articulating mounts so that two are on each side of the ATI fixture. I run my LED's pretty blue (25% color on the Kessil controller, which is pretty blue). I feel like my coral plus and purple plus bulb provide plenty of daylight spectrum for any corals. I do like to run just my deep blue look on my Kessils for dawn / dusk without the T5's.

 

[cane]

Yes I ment coral plus. I run 2 blue plus an 2 coral plus on each side. 4’ bulbs. Then the LEDs in the middle. Currently I run my blues at 70% and whites at 40%. The tank looks amazing with everything on except the LED whites. I will likely reduce them to around 20%.

How do your corals like your new setup

 

[Daniel Waters]

Yes I ment coral plus. I run 2 blue plus an 2 coral plus on each side. 4’ bulbs. Then the LEDs in the middle. Currently I run my blues at 70% and whites at 40%. The tank looks amazing with everything on except the LED whites. I will likely reduce them to around 20%.

How do your corals like your new setup

I personally love T5 and LED hybrid combinations. I was mostly LED with some T5 supplementation on the sides (much like your setup) before my recent change. I decided to go with a better fixture (6 bulb ATI) in the center and moved my Kessils on both sides of the fixture using articulating mounts. Now I'm probably getting 75% of my par from my T5 fixture and 25% from the LED's, where it was probably reversed before. I'm probably 4 weeks into the new setup. I'm definitely seeing a pickup in growth on some of my acros and I'm seeing some acros start to color up that hadn't before. It's possible that is from the additional par or it could be spectrum related, as I am using a bit more full spectrum in my bulb combination than before. My bulb combo now is 3 blue plus, 1 actinic, 1 coral plus, and 1 purple plus. I've never cared for the purple plus bulb in a 4 bulb comb setup, but I kind of like it in the 6 bulb setup I have. Your combination of 1 coral plus to 1 blue plus should give you plenty of full spectrum, so I definitely think you can reduce your white LED's if you want.

 

[cane]

Thanks. Post a pic of your system. I’m running a total of 8 bulbs. 4 blue plus and 4 coral. Here’s a pic pointing out my setup lol

 

[Daniel Waters]

I will try later today to post pictures. The reason I asked to clarify is your pictures look really blue, but I know at a 1:1 blue plus to coral plus ratio that it must look whiter in person than the pictures show. I need to tackle how to do better aquarium pictures as a future project

 

[Daniel Waters]

Post a pic of your system.

Here you go. My system is a 72"L x 24"W x 18"H. I run my 6 bulb ATI about 14" off the water. The kessils are around 12" off the water on articulating mounts. The spread on the wide angle version if those kessils is pretty severe at that mounting height (like 36" spread), but I'm using my LEDs more for their shimmer and dawn / dusk effect than any needed par they provide during the day. Full details of my system are listed on my profile information .

 

[jda]

Corals generally do not mind getting more good quality light as long as it you keep it under 1000 PAR, or something. I would just put them on. Light from T5 does not do the nasty things that light from LED can do.

 

[cane]

Beautiful tank Daniel. Very nice setup