Best T5/LED Hybrid?

[CodyRVA]

Looking for input on the best T5/LED Hybrid. The new fixtures from ATI are unreasonably expensive. Anyone have any DIY methods or modifications of existing fixtures that accomplished this feat?

 

[d2mini]

Looking for input on the best T5/LED Hybrid. The new fixtures from ATI are unreasonably expensive. Anyone have any DIY methods or modifications of existing fixtures that accomplished this feat?

I like the Geisemann fixtures. The led modules are pretty big. But they only offer 4 t5 bulbs.
ATI is the only company I know offering 6 and 8 bulb setups.

You can have nanobox led do a conversion. They'll take out the center couple bulbs from a t5-only fixture and install leds.

 

[luke33]

Depends on what you want. If you want fully controllable led's then your cheapest alternative is led fixture with some t5 retro's inside a canopy or home made fixture. If you just want t5 with supplemental led just get a nice t5 fixture and use the dusk dawn bulb's and add in some blue pop e5's. I run a 8x80w ati sunpower and have two e5's in the dusk dawn setting so I have that nice blue led for two hrs before the rest kick on and then two hrs after the t5's go out.

 

[CodyRVA]

Depends on what you want. If you want fully controllable led's then your cheapest alternative is led fixture with some t5 retro's inside a canopy or home made fixture. If you just want t5 with supplemental led just get a nice t5 fixture and use the dusk dawn bulb's and add in some blue pop e5's. I run a 8x80w ati sunpower and have two e5's in the dusk dawn setting so I have that nice blue led for two hrs before the rest kick on and then two hrs after the t5's go out.

I'm assuming you have to have a dimmable fixture to dim these bulbs? I have a 6 bulb, 4 foot, ATI sunpower fixture. Could i just replace one of my blue actinics with one of these e5 blue pop bulbs? I'm not looking for a massive amount of LED's, i want the fixture to be 90% T5, and just a handful of LED's for moonlighting, ramp up, etc.

 

[reefndude]

Just add a led bar or two. I have a 6 bulb t5 fixture with 2 royal blue strips and couldn't be happier with the results

 

[luke33]

I'm assuming you have to have a dimmable fixture to dim these bulbs? I have a 6 bulb, 4 foot, ATI sunpower fixture. Could i just replace one of my blue actinics with one of these e5 blue pop bulbs? I'm not looking for a massive amount of LED's, i want the fixture to be 90% T5, and just a handful of LED's for moonlighting, ramp up, etc.

Yes you could just swap out an actinic with a blue pop, no you don't need a dimmable fixture

 

[Chibils]

I like the Geisemann fixtures. The led modules are pretty big. But they only offer 4 t5 bulbs.
ATI is the only company I know offering 6 and 8 bulb setups.

You can have nanobox led do a conversion. They'll take out the center couple bulbs from a t5-only fixture and install leds.

Sorry thought this was funny --
"ATI is too expensive"
"Have you thought about Geisemann?" [emoji23]

 

[todda5914]

Put together a four bulb T5 fixture and a Current LED fixture. The T5s are switched on two channels. The LEDs can be ramped. The day starts with LED ramp up, with T5 actinic then daylight bulbs. Funny looking but mixed reef corals are growing well.

 

[john.m.cole3]

I'm assuming you have to have a dimmable fixture to dim these bulbs? I have a 6 bulb, 4 foot, ATI sunpower fixture. Could i just replace one of my blue actinics with one of these e5 blue pop bulbs? I'm not looking for a massive amount of LED's, i want the fixture to be 90% T5, and just a handful of LED's for moonlighting, ramp up, etc.

I have the same fixture but dimmable and have been hearing about guys adding a reefbrite strip to the edge of the fixture (around $250) to accomplish this. Supposedly the reefbrites come w/ hardware for mounting, but haven't seen any fixtures first hand that have done this. Following!

 

[john.m.cole3]

Put together a four bulb T5 fixture and a Current LED fixture. The T5s are switched on two channels. The LEDs can be ramped. The day starts with LED ramp up, with T5 actinic then daylight bulbs. Funny looking but mixed reef corals are growing well.

got pics? I have a orbit fixture sitting around and have been thinking about what you're doing

 

[todda5914]

The T5 is in the back. LED is lower in the front. I use a cowling (old empty API fixture housing) to cover the gap. Sorry about the picture quality. Night iPhone shot.

 

[john.m.cole3]

My problem is that my T5 fixture is a half inch deeper (front to back) than my tank, so the LED or Orbit Current Strip would have to mounted at an angle on the front edge of the tank

 

[d2mini]

Sorry thought this was funny --
"ATI is too expensive"
"Have you thought about Geisemann?" [emoji23]

LOL! I know... it was a double sided OP... he asked for the best... ATI and Geisemann are the best.
But then I added the conversion of an old fixture for the cheap side.

 

[Fin]

The OP already has an ATI Sunpower 6 bulb. Why not just add one or two ReefBrite XHO LED fixtures in the front and/or back of the ATI fixture. I would have recommended Build My LED fixtures, but they are no longer building reef lighting.

Disclaimer: This is not my image. Just illustrating how the ReefBrite can be added to the ATI fixture. I did something similar, but with a TEK light and a BML actinic strip. It works well for me.

 

[john.m.cole3]

The OP already has an ATI Sunpower 6 bulb. Why not just add one or two ReefBrite XHO LED fixtures in the front and/or back of the ATI fixture. I would have recommended Build My LED fixtures, but they are no longer building reef lighting.

Disclaimer: This is not my image. Just illustrating how the ReefBrite can be added to the ATI fixture. I did something similar, but with a TEK light and a BML actinic strip. It works well for me.

WOW clean look. So the XHO strip is the way to go then? IYO of course?

 

[john.m.cole3]

@Sabellafella how's your reefbrite strip attached to your T5 fixture and what kind of reefbtite is it?

 

[BryanS4]

Just add a led bar or two. I have a 6 bulb t5 fixture with 2 royal blue strips and couldn't be happier with the results

What royal blue strips did you go with?

 

[Fin]

This is my set-up with the TEK and a BML strip. I liked the mounting options for the BML better, because of the track that runs the length of the fixture. But they recently suspended their reef lighting division to concentrate on their hydroponics division. I am trying to get my hands on the last 24" actinic fixture that they have on the shelf for the rear of the TEK.

I believe that the ReefBrite XHO fixtures are more powerful though. I have never used them, so I can't say for sure.

 

[Sabellafella]

@Sabellafella how's your reefbrite strip attached to your T5 fixture and what kind of reefbtite is it?

The 2 bottom screws come out and you can mount the reefbrite straight onto it, gotta bend the mounting on the reefbrite strip a tiny bit though, and tech actinic blue. The xho are crazy powerfull

 

[reefndude]

What royal blue strips did you go with?

DIY build. I have 2 bars with 27 3 watt chips each