Hey fellow new reefers! Seeking some advice. Right now I have a standard 120 with 2 Kessil 360s for lighting. I have about 15 frags (a mix of softies and LPS). I am eyeballing the Aquatic life Hybrid fixture to add some T5. Everybody keeps telling me that if I want my corals to color up I need T5. Thoughts?
Do I need T5 lighting?
- Thread starter Bxr126
- Start date
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mta_morrow
Of course I have room for 1 more fish!
Some T5 users will tell you that you have to use T5s
Some metal halide users will tell you that you have to use MH
Some LED users will tell you that you have to use LED.
The TRUTH is, they all grow coral, and there is much more to growing coral than just the lights.
You already have great lighting. Just search here in R2R and you will see.
It is purely up to you and what YOU want to do.
JBKReef
Valuable Member
on a standard 120 2 Kessils is a bit of a stretch. Additionally lighting will help corals grow.
If thats adding an extra A360, T5, or whatever your choice may be I would think it would only help.
I have a 93 cube, that I'm debating about adding T5 into the lighting to try to reduce some shadowing, increase the blanket light, and give an extra boost to PAR.
If thats adding an extra A360, T5, or whatever your choice may be I would think it would only help.
I have a 93 cube, that I'm debating about adding T5 into the lighting to try to reduce some shadowing, increase the blanket light, and give an extra boost to PAR.
reacclimating 2 the hobby
patience is... oh look an acro pack fs!
2 Kessils on a 120 is a stretch as mentioned above... that said Kessils will grow LPS and softies no problem (check for the BRS TV episode on ULM lighting)... I'd think about a third one or the t5 fixture as you mentioned. Good luck!
Firemanreefkeeper
Active Member
I have the aquatic life t5 led hybrid and I love it. I have the ap700 sandwiched in the middle with some mods. You won't be dissatisfied with it. My corals did good with the kessil alone. T5, for me, made them color and grow.
JBKReef
Valuable Member
What improved under the T5's for you?
reacclimating 2 the hobby
patience is... oh look an acro pack fs!
I also have the t5 led hybrid, with two XR15 pro's... just starting my tank back up again so can't comment on how I like them yet. I loved my ATI Dimmable Sunpower I had before.
DMG Reef
Valuable Member
True story - I light my SPS dominant reef with T5's and a Reefbrite LED. But due to overcrowding, I moved a frogspawn coral, a cabbage leather, and a hairy mushroom to my sump. The sump is lit with a blue/white LED light, an inexpensive one at that. The leather has turned a bright neon green, the frogspawn has grown considerably and the mushroom has split into 2. I love my T5's but you won't catch me throwing shade at LED lighting. LED's work great imo.
Firemanreefkeeper
Active Member
The color and the growth of acros and my acans. They grew under the kessil alone but I noticed over the last 4 months that they've grown and they have deeper colors to them. Running 2 blue plus and 2 coral plus bulbs
miPapareef
Well-Known Member
Exact same equipment and experience. Better color, growth, less shaded faded bottoms of the coral branches.
If you add the T5s I’m sure you won’t be disappointed
Yeah I have pretty much ruled out SPS until I get a better feel for the system. Taking things nice and slow as so many have advised. For some reason I am having trouble getting my zoas to color up as they should. they do come out but my punch drunks look orange which is strange.
Thank you. One thing I have figured out is not to take everything I hear so serious. I did once and now I have a homeless Flame Angel. If I hear from multiple independent sources That generally means more to me.
reacclimating 2 the hobby
patience is... oh look an acro pack fs!
check out BRS TV ULM Lighting episode...
