Audiofile18
Active Member
+1......
Halide vs. LED vs. T5! Which do you prefer and why?
- Thread starter Daniel@R2R
- Start date
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+1......
Eckolancer
LED GURU
The new kessils are giving me coloration like the t5s.
TheReefKeeper
Well-Known Member
Good colors you have a 400W Radium and two 4 T5's and 2 Blue RB on this tank? Wow I need to lower my light how may inches is that and you have any heat issues?
Looks good!!!
Looks good!!!
400w 20k Radium, 4 T5's, and 2 blue LED reefbrites running on my system. I can honestly say that I have the best lighting available in reef keeping (far from most expensive). Spectrum, intensity, and coverage is excellent. Running a single halide over a large cube is surprisingly efficient as well.
Not the best pic but you can get an idea of coverage and the bright appearance.
IMG_0859 by rich.colombo, on Flickr
nature786
Well-Known Member
I like my halide & led for actinics combination.
If I find the fixture I want.
It would definitely be t5 & Halide.
Can't get the same growth from anything else but Halides personally.
If I find the fixture I want.
It would definitely be t5 & Halide.
Can't get the same growth from anything else but Halides personally.
kidtango
Active Member
I have used 2 GHL Mitras and now back to two 4-bulb 80W ATI fixtures with two kessils in the middle between the two ATI fixtures. I get the best color, spectrum, control, no heat issue (I don't run a chiller or fan and I live in Houston, TX), and how I can forgot the shimmer! haha.. The Kessils A360W has the best shimmer I can find for LEDs. It out shines my Mitras by far and the Mitras has very wide/even spread than the Radions.
The corals are loving the lights for sure and I am very in love with them also. Happy corals = happy reefer.
The corals are loving the lights for sure and I am very in love with them also. Happy corals = happy reefer.
Reefkeepr1986
Active Member
I used to use Halides but to save money I have moved to LEDs and I am happy with them and so is my corals all hard and softies!!
Reefkeepr1986
Active Member
jackson6745
Valuable Member
Thanks. Yep 400w radium, 4xt5, 2xreefbrites on this 32x32 cube. The halide itself is about 12" from the water surface. It looks like the fixture is lower because it slopes down in the front and back.
d2mini
5000 Club Member
I've tried pretty much everything over the years and I prefer MH supplemented with T5 for overall coral health and color.
I've done LED long term and for SPS I'm not a fan at this time in their development. The tank is too dim, the corals are bald underneath from poor light spread, they exhibit odd growth patters probably due to the same issue, and I've found that some sps just don't color up or grow nearly as well as MH. Where-as EVERYTHING seems to like MH. Maybe some colors are different or you prefer some color under LED, but looking at the tank overall I find it does MUCH better under MH/T5. MH gives you the point light source with shimmer and proven spectrums with no guesswork. Just buy a bulb, throw it up there and watch your coral grow. The T5 give you the dawn dusk and ability to make any tweaks you might want with color. I might even try VHO instead of T5 at some point since that is really supposed to be the holy grail of actinic supplementation. I have also thought about adding some Reefbright strips to my MH/T5 fixture since its an easy add-on but not sure if its going to gain me much.
I've found the positive far outweigh the negatives of heat/electricity (I'm not in a tiered area) and have also found that savings touted by the manufacturers is not nearly as much as they would have us believe.
Here's my tank under MH/T5...
I've done LED long term and for SPS I'm not a fan at this time in their development. The tank is too dim, the corals are bald underneath from poor light spread, they exhibit odd growth patters probably due to the same issue, and I've found that some sps just don't color up or grow nearly as well as MH. Where-as EVERYTHING seems to like MH. Maybe some colors are different or you prefer some color under LED, but looking at the tank overall I find it does MUCH better under MH/T5. MH gives you the point light source with shimmer and proven spectrums with no guesswork. Just buy a bulb, throw it up there and watch your coral grow. The T5 give you the dawn dusk and ability to make any tweaks you might want with color. I might even try VHO instead of T5 at some point since that is really supposed to be the holy grail of actinic supplementation. I have also thought about adding some Reefbright strips to my MH/T5 fixture since its an easy add-on but not sure if its going to gain me much.
I've found the positive far outweigh the negatives of heat/electricity (I'm not in a tiered area) and have also found that savings touted by the manufacturers is not nearly as much as they would have us believe.
Here's my tank under MH/T5...
Reef Junky150
Active Member
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I've run mh vho t5 and led
I am stuck on my led's. Look great, great growth and color, no longer running a chiller and a/c isn't working it's but off anymore. I kept my mh setup in case I wanted to switch back but am currently looking into selling them. I'm pleased with the led's so much I will never switch back.
Background info, I ran mh/vho for 7 years mh/t5 for 3 and been running led for just over a year now.
I am stuck on my led's. Look great, great growth and color, no longer running a chiller and a/c isn't working it's but off anymore. I kept my mh setup in case I wanted to switch back but am currently looking into selling them. I'm pleased with the led's so much I will never switch back.
Background info, I ran mh/vho for 7 years mh/t5 for 3 and been running led for just over a year now.
LILBUDDHA
Valuable Member
My next lighting will be a t5 /led hybrid unit. I think it gives a great combination of efficiency,colors and coral growth . I would prefer the hybrid to be heavy on the t5 side or with equal t5/led at a minimum . It will be interesting to see the new PacSun hybrid and the Geisemann Aurora hybrid in action next year.
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Eckolancer
LED GURU
Leds for look, long term cost, and coloration.
My tank kessils
Buddies tank DIY
Kessils on friends
My tank kessils
Buddies tank DIY
Kessils on friends
