Favorite lighting.

[Bruce Burnett]

What is everyone's favorite lighting. T5, LED or Hybrid Led with T5. What do you like or dislike about each setup.

 

[Old Fritz]

Led In my opinion it makes colors pop better than all the other options

 

[wrasse man]

I’m digging my Kessil and Orphek combo. I like the shimmer.

 

[Bruce Burnett]

I’m digging my Kessil and Orphek combo. I like the shimmer.

Orphek bars?

 

[The Aquatic Arsenal]

I use Reef Breeders Photon V2+ LED's. I have great spread and coverage with them. I will use the T5 hybrid kit over our SPS system once I can evict the rest of the coral to their own system lol

 

[vetteguy53081]

Tough question as everyone will have their own needs, taste, budget and tank Par requirements based on size of tank
My favorite for my large tank is Orphek Atlantik while for my other tanks are Ai Prime and Ai hydra 26 respectively

my Atlantiks:

 

[wrasse man]

Orphek bars?

Yes, OR90’s.

 

[Hemmdog]

I really like my 360x’s for color, for growth with led I would do radions. I haven’t seen some of the non mainstream brands in person like reefbreeders and all of those but I’ve heard good things. I like t5 supplement with all leds during peak intensity of the day, then just leds for a long 2-3 hour ramp down with blues and uv to make the corals pop.

 

[Bpb]

MH/T5ho hybrid. I like the modest cost of entry, ease of use, and fool proof growth and color success

 

[Bruce Burnett]

MH/T5ho hybrid. I like the modest cost of entry, ease of use, and fool proof growth and color success

That's what I used for years but don't like the heat generated. I always had to use a chiller and if the chiller was in the same room then between the lights and the chiller a lot of heat was added to the room. If you live where a lot of the year is cold I think it is a plus but if you live where it is hot no so much.

 

[MTBake]

I use metal halides, Kessil 360we and t5s. Happy with all of them.

 

[Coralgod69]

Best of both worlds .... affordable and best overall "look" of a mixed reef w fish is hands down....kessils!! The only thing you sacrifice w them...is the true actinic pop. But u can easily supplement the tank w cheap single blue only led strips.

 

[Bpb]

That's what I used for years but don't like the heat generated. I always had to use a chiller and if the chiller was in the same room then between the lights and the chiller a lot of heat was added to the room. If you live where a lot of the year is cold I think it is a plus but if you live where it is hot no so much.

I’ve been fortunate enough to never have to use a chiller. Even in central tx during the heat of summer. Temps never get above 80

 

[LadyTang2]

MH/T5ho hybrid. I like the modest cost of entry, ease of use, and fool proof growth and color success

your tank looks good, whats your photoperiod and what are you using as a timer/controller for the lights?

 

[Bpb]

Thanks! I have to reiterate I actually use a MH/LED combo, but given a choice at the same price I got this setup for I’d have opted for t5’s as supplements. I use an apex to control them. Just simple on/off programs no led ramping

 

[Daniel Waters]

My favorite is T5 with LED combination. T5s give excellent uniform coverage, while the LEDs give me shimmer and controllability, so that I can tweak the overall tank color and run a better dawn / dusk period (visually speaking). You can certainly get a dawn / dusk look with T5s , but T5s just don't quite provide quite the same deep royal blues and violets as well as the LEDs do.

 

[Sarah24!]

Hello,

Gosh all I have ever used is led so it would be fun to find out. I’m the off name brand girl, and I have the current usa marine pro 4114, (x3), over my 240. They have been fantastic easy, and they grow everything.
I would be interested in adding t5 just for the colors. My leds are strip lights instead of pucks, so I have very small shadows if any. But if I can figure a way to make it work, I’d totally add T5 to the system.