Confused....T-5 versus new LEDs...HELP Please

[RedSea500MaxS]

a decade ago, I had a 225 gal mixed reef with mostly SPS. Lighting was T-5s with blue and actinic bulbs available back then, plus home made LEDs I bought for like $20 each LOL. My corals glowed! And grew like crazy! Had no idea how or why. And all I had was a skimmer, and CA Reactor with water changes.

yet today I have a brand new Red Sea Max S tank with AI Hydra 26 LEDs. BUT my tank does not look as good, corals do not glow (and I have tried dozens of AI settings) and I swear corals are not as happy, or growing as fast.

am I crazy? I am frustrated, and about to go back to T-5s and Reefbrite Actinia Strip.

HELP please.

PS...I am also switching from DOS Part 1 and 2 Frtitz, to CA Reactor with my skimmer and algae refuge. Old school worked!

 

[Montiman]

There are many who have achieved good results with LED alone but I still like t5s and halides.

There are two possibilities for why your color could not be as good as before.
1. you just haven't figured out the settings yet.
2. You just can't get the results you want under leds or leds alone.

I know my coral looked way better as soon as I added a t5 hybrid to my existing LEDs.
I would personally call a 6 or 8 bulb t5 fixture with reefbrights a superior light to the hydra 26s but without all the fancy led features. Adding the hybrid fixture may be a worth while compromise.

 

[RedSea500MaxS]

Thx...let’s get some more inputs from the R2R pros. thx!

 

[dragon99]

Lighting probably isn't the problem, but I always support anyone's decision to go with T5's. They are simple and effective. What settings are you using on the hydras? I'd suggest looking up the BRS setting that is equivalent to the Radio AB+ setting.

Can you create Radion's AB+ spectrum on AI Hydras? - #AskBRStv

On this #AskBRStv, we're finally answering a very common question about how to recreate the EcoTech Radion AB+ spectrum settings for the Aqua Illumination Hydra26 and Hydra52. This #AskBRStv episode comes to us from our friends and reefing family over on Reef2Reef.com and a big thanks to dave57...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

 

[Hemmdog]

I use t5 and LED’s. Much better growth from the t5’s; then crank up the violet/uv channels on the leds to make them glow.

 

[TheOne]

I use t5/led hybrid. Best of both worlds and more than enough par to grow anything. If you plan on staying in the hobby then make the investment now and never worry about lighting again.

 

[Jon Fishman]

I swapped out Black Boxes for 4 Radion xr30 pros and two 48” Aquatic Life Hybrid fixtures. looks great, just wish I knew how to program them

 

[RedSea500MaxS]

I use t5/led hybrid. Best of both worlds and more than enough par to grow anything. If you plan on staying in the hobby then make the investment now and never worry about lighting again.

sorry, I don’t exact;y understand.

T-5 bulbs Plus LEDs....or like Reefbrite LED actinic?

 

[Jon Fishman]

sorry, I don’t exact;y understand.

T-5 bulbs Plus LEDs....or like Reefbrite LED actinic?

You put the Leds in the fixture with T5 bulbs too

48" T5 HO Hybrid LED 4x54W-Lamp Mounting System Fixture (Kessil, Ecotech, AI) - Aquatic Life

Free Shipping on Everything, Rewards, Free Swag, Price Matching & Free Returns.

www.saltwateraquarium.com

 

[hart24601]

Honestly the LEDs are not the issue. You can switch, and there is nothing wrong with switching if you like, however IMO it's better to examine other potential causes and not get distracted by the lighting.

 

[Tamberav]

a decade ago, I had a 225 gal mixed reef with mostly SPS. Lighting was T-5s with blue and actinic bulbs available back then, plus home made LEDs I bought for like $20 each LOL. My corals glowed! And grew like crazy! Had no idea how or why. And all I had was a skimmer, and CA Reactor with water changes.

yet today I have a brand new Red Sea Max S tank with AI Hydra 26 LEDs. BUT my tank does not look as good, corals do not glow (and I have tried dozens of AI settings) and I swear corals are not as happy, or growing as fast.

am I crazy? I am frustrated, and about to go back to T-5s and Reefbrite Actinia Strip.

HELP please.

PS...I am also switching from DOS Part 1 and 2 Frtitz, to CA Reactor with my skimmer and algae refuge. Old school worked!

Just add some t5's and have the best of both worlds.

 

[TheOne]

sorry, I don’t exact;y understand.

T-5 bulbs Plus LEDs....or like Reefbrite LED actinic?

I built my own using T5 HO Miro-4 Retrofit Kits and Kessil a360we's but aquatic life makes some great ones also.

T5 HO Miro-4 Retrofit Kit

Add to your canopy with the Miro-4 T5 High Output Retrofit Kit from LET Lighting. Retrofit kits give you the flexibility to add T5 lamps virtually to any tank, while keeping a low overall cost. T5 lighting can either be the main light source or supplemental light to another light source like LED...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

LED - T5 Hybrid

Bulk Reef Supply - Saltwater Aquarium Supplies for Reef Tanks

www.bulkreefsupply.com

 

[jda]

I absolutely think that there is a ceiling with LEDs only with acropora... whether you can even tell, or if it matters to you, is a totally different issue. It probably does not matter as much with other coral types. To get the best color and pop you are going to need to use a mostly daylight spectrum to render the best colors in the coral and then you can blue-it-up to your liking to look at them. You were doing this when you have the T5s, which provide a wide spectrum and then your Actinic Bulbs or old LEDs would pop them a bit. You cannot pop color that is not there.

Some of the best LED only acropora tanks use nearly 100% on all channels for most of the day.