Best T5 HO Lighting

[dochow]

Hi all, new to the forum, looking forward to getting some collective knowledge.

I currently have a 48" Current Orbit Marine Pro LED over my 75 gallon reef with SPS, LPS, fish and live rock.

The light is gorgeous and I'm getting some decent growth, however the spectrum is narrow. There is about a 45 degree angle on the light and until the light goes about 10 inches deep it does not have good spread. Parts of tank are a bit dark, especially front and back.

The point is, I believe I need to add either another 48" Current Orbit Marine Pro LED or another light.

I'm thinking however that a mix of LED and T5 HO lights would be a great mix for coral growth.

Does anyone have any good suggestions for T5 HO light fixtures?


Current DT set-up, start date 10/5/15:
75 gallon, 75 lbs live rock
ph 8.2, SG 1.025, 0 ammonia and nitrite, trace nitrate
Mg ? Ca 450 Phosph ?
30 gallon sump/refugium w/ mix of macro algae (chaeto, caulerpa, red). Coralife skimmer (actually works well)
All RO/DI water from spectra life 90gpd unit.

20 gallon QT, start date 11/31/15:
SG 1.023, ph 8.2. 2lb live rock, no sand. HOB filter and small pump.

Fish in DT:
Kole Tang (12/15/15)
Starry Blenny (11/14/15)
2 Stubby Ocelaris (11/14/15)

Invertebrates in DT:
Skunk cleaner shrimp (12/13/15)
Fire Shrimp (11/28/15)
4 mixed snails
4 hermits (Cortez and blue leg)

Corals (all frags):
Leather toadstool
Birdsnest
Candy cane
Stylophora
Psammacora
Encrusting Montipora
Frogspawn
Chalice

Fish in QT:
Royal Gamma (12/13/15)
Six Line Wrasse (12/13/15)

 

[nstd]

I got the retrofit kit from bRS. It fills in what my led lacks

 

[smh254]

ATI

 

[nstd]

+1 I use ati blue plus bulbs

 

[reesed5]

I use coralife t5 ho lunars, I have some if you are interested.

 

[dochow]

I'd like to put the LED strip down middle and one or two T5 bulbs anterior and posterior to it. The ATI fixture is super expensive and they don't have two bulb strips. Can ATI bulbs fit in any T5 fixture? Sorry for being slightly naive, haven't used T5's before, I'm guessing it's a universal socket. How about a kessil pendant in front and in back? I'll get a pick up. I'm trying not to spend more the $300 more on my lights and I want to maximize my money, not sure if T5's with my LED is best option or just go straight LEDs all the way...

 

[dochow]

How difficult to assemble build reef supply retrofit? I don't have a hood, would probably have to hang it from ceiling

 

[nstd]

How difficult to assemble build reef supply retrofit? I don't have a hood, would probably have to hang it from ceiling

Plug in and play. If you can do Legos, you can set up the bRS retro