Adding T5's to LED's

[Chitown tom]

I have 2 ocean revive t247's over my 120g SPS tank.
I have the par set to about 450 on the top rocks measured with a seneye.

I just added the LET light T5 retrofit kit and added a coral + bulb to the front and a blue + to the back of the LED's.

I wanted a hybrid let setup as I love the shimmer of the LED's but love the coverage of T5's.

I set the T5's to run for 1 hour to simulate high sun.

What settings are you guys running supplemental t5's?

I also read to go slow on adding t5's.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

What settings are you guys running supplemental t5's?

How do mean settings w t5?

And yea start with an hour or two and add time to acclimate them.

Id also look at the par on the sand a bit more than the top and aim for 100+ and then deal with whatever happens at the top.

 

[Chitown tom]

How do mean settings w t5?

And yea start with an hour or two and add time to acclimate them.

Id also look at the par on the sand a bit more than the top and aim for 100+ and then deal with whatever happens at the top.

What I meant was the amount of time the t5's were on and how quickly to change the times. Ie first week an hour then a week later up to 2 hours, ect.

What should be my max time on for the supplemental t5's?

Ill also get better readings this weekend to see how much extra par the 2x t5's are getting me.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

What I meant was the amount of time the t5's were on and how quickly to change the times. Ie first week an hour then a week later up to 2 hours, ect.

got it. Really its watch the corals. you may have higher rock with coral etc.

What should be my max time on for the supplemental t5's?

there's no real max you could eventually run them as long as the leds if you wanted too. less time will save the tubes.

Ill also get better readings this weekend to see how much extra par the 2x t5's are getting me.

cool. depending on height it should be in the 150 ea range per tube at 12in.

One of the reasons to acclimate slowly it we are increasing the metabolism of the animal kinda, so they take some time. they'll begin to eat more nutrints. a good article.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/h...d-i-dont-know-what-to-do.210035/#post-2401666

I run lower alk and higher nutrients. I have xena and acros in the same tank same height and light. About 600 to 700 par. I got there slowly.

 

[Leadfooted]

As you start to increase the T-5's you might need to dim down the LED white's too. I use to run my LED WHITES at 100% before T5's. I've now found a sweet spot with LED WHITE's only at 20%. I injured a few corals by not acclimating slowly enough and also didn't think to dim my LED's once my T5's were running full peak periods (6 hours). What ever advise you get to acclimate, listen up, wish I did it and wish I did it slower.

 

[Chitown tom]

If my memory serves me right my whites are at 39% and Blue's at 100%

I run some par readings this weekend to see what I am at.

 

[Scorpius]

I just added four T5 bulbs to my Kessil 360we lit tank. Been running the T5's for 3 hrs and I'm impressed at the increased Alk/Ca demand I see already.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I just added four T5 bulbs to my Kessil 360we lit tank. Been running the T5's for 3 hrs and I'm impressed at the increased Alk/Ca demand I see already.

That sounds sweet. How high are the t5s ?

 

[Scorpius]

That sounds sweet. How high are the t5s ?

About 7ish inches.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

About 7ish inches.

Oh yea. Par monster.

 

[Chitown tom]

Here is my setup

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Nice!

 

[jason2459]

Love the T5 plus LED combo.

 

[BigHildy53]

What does the T5 LED combo give? I currently have A360W's over my 6' 180 (72x24x24). I see people adding T5's. What's the benefit?

 

[ReeferMaddness843]

What does the T5 LED combo give? I currently have A360W's over my 6' 180 (72x24x24). I see people adding T5's. What's the benefit?

I added to my kessil 160s as they didn't produce enough light for my need at the time when I had them. The biggest plus I found when I added them was elimination of shadowing and shaded areas.

 

[Scorpius]

What does the T5 LED combo give? I currently have A360W's over my 6' 180 (72x24x24). I see people adding T5's. What's the benefit?

You must not have SPS.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

What does the T5 LED combo give? I currently have A360W's over my 6' 180 (72x24x24). I see people adding T5's. What's the benefit?

I added to my kessil 160s as they didn't produce enough light for my need at the time when I had them. The biggest plus I found when I added them was elimination of shadowing and shaded areas.

Agreed less shading. And depending on how intense the led is it adds extra par and some belive some parts of the spectrum not in the led.

 

[PSLReefer]

You must not have SPS.

Don't need a combo for sps. Straight led's grow sps fine.

The combo design is for those as saltyfilm mentioned. Shadowing, extra par if needed, spectrum, color, etc.

 

[Scorpius]

Don't need a combo for sps. Straight led's grow sps fine.

The combo design is for those as saltyfilm mentioned. Shadowing, extra par if needed, spectrum, color, etc.

You say LED's grow SPS just fine, but then add T5's help with shadowing, extra par, spectrum, color, etc. I used to believe LED's were the end all be all, but when my SPS started suffering from the shortfalls of LED's I added T5's.

I honestly could go straight T5's if I didn't want to lose my dawn to dusk effect and shimmer and the pop blue led's give my corals.

 

[madweazl]

You must not have SPS.

Many people do without issue (including many we buy said SPS from).