Considering making the switch

[authentic]

Currently running an ATI 8 bulb over my 60x24 140 gal system 7 inches above the waterline.HEAT is becoming an issue.tank runs 78-82. Have always run t5 with excellent results which is why I've been hesitant to switch.now considering radios 15 or 30's,looking for thoughts from others that have been in a similar situation

 

[dmy535]

Currently running an ATI 8 bulb over my 60x24 140 gal system 7 inches above the waterline.HEAT is becoming an issue.tank runs 78-82. Have always run t5 with excellent results which is why I've been hesitant to switch.now considering radios 15 or 30's,looking for thoughts from others that have been in a similar situation

Radions run very cool and don’t produce a ton of heat. I have a rimless and no canopy mounted 12” above water and no issues. My old lighting always ran hot and raised temps 1-2 degrees when on!

 

[A. grandis]

Currently running an ATI 8 bulb over my 60x24 140 gal system 7 inches above the waterline.HEAT is becoming an issue.tank runs 78-82. Have always run t5 with excellent results which is why I've been hesitant to switch.now considering radios 15 or 30's,looking for thoughts from others that have been in a similar situation

I've never had heat problems with T5s. Never needed even to add fans. The tank had the same temperature running LEDs or T5s.
Had canopy with the fixture right on the tank covering the whole surface area without any problems.
Check what's wrong there, cause if you have heat problems with T5s you most likely will also have with LEDs to only try to find similar results.
The results with T5s are way better than LEDs IME.
If you need a chiller, you need a chiller.
You could start adding a good fan between the fixture and water surface and that should be the end of the problem.

 

[Big E]

You can easily get away with raising that fixture an inch or two. I'd also try running a shorter all on photoperiod. Your tank should not be suffering from rising heat with T5.

If you're going to decide to spend that type of $ on LED, I would consider going with ATI Strattons or another type of LED that's going to give that same blanket of light you're used to seeing and also from a more equal coverage perspective for the corals.

 

[josephxsxn]

I don't feel like 82f is really an issue, I have turned my tank to 83f to fight dinos before. If your locked in that range on the hottest day of the year I wouldn't worry about it... If your gonna get hotter then that tho I would consider a chiller to be safe.

 

[Fishfinder]

The T5 add a ton of heat. LED will help, should cut the heat down quite a bit. Is your lighting in a fixture or open top? My only suggestion is that you get lighting with a better “blanket” of light. It was be a huge difference going from T5 to radions

 

[MONTANTK]

While I personally like to keep my tank around 79-79, being around 81-82 wouldn’t bother me as long as my coral didn’t seem to be suffering. If it were my tank, I’d look for a way to make the T5s work because I much prefer those over LED. That said, Radions are more than capable of lighting your tank. I’d would probably go with 4 XR15s