I need help with limited lighting options

[Shilpan Patel]

Hey guys! I live in Auckland, New Zealand, and as such we don’t have access to a range of many different brands of lighting. So I wanted advice about how I can choose my lighting with the options available.

I have a 100gallon tank (A 127cm by 50cm rectangle shaped tank, with a water depth of 70cm). I have soft corals but I want to keep LPS in future. My current 4x T5’s have finally corroded and stopped working after 4 years of use (Chinese brand came with the tank).

At the moment I have access to the AI hydra’s (26HD and 52HD), the Tuna blue 160 and 320, and some DIY cheaper Chinese models.
I’m leaning towards the Tuna cause it’s cheaper than the Hydra’s.

Could you give me some advice to help me choose my lighting? I’ve never purchased lighting before, only bulb changes for my T5’s. I know they are better for coral growth but I’ve decided due to bulb changing cost I want to stick with LEDs now.

Edit: also have access to Maxspect lighting (R420R and glaive models)

 

[Retro Reefer]

Modern T5 bulbs from a reputable manufacturer such as ATI will last upwards of 18 months and also remember LED’s don’t last forever so it’s a possibility in 3-5 years you may need to repair or replace them which would be expensive. As far as which of those LED’s would be best I would probably go with the Kessil tuna blues

 

[Emma01]

Hey guys! I live in Auckland, New Zealand, and as such we don’t have access to a range of many different brands of lighting. So I wanted advice about how I can choose my lighting with the options available.

I have a 100gallon tank (A 127cm by 50cm rectangle shaped tank, with a water depth of 70cm). I have soft corals but I want to keep LPS in future. My current 4x T5’s have finally corroded and stopped working after 4 years of use (Chinese brand came with the tank).

At the moment I have access to the AI hydra’s (26HD and 52HD), the Tuna blue 160 and 320, and some DIY cheaper Chinese models.
I’m leaning towards the Tuna cause it’s cheaper than the Hydra’s.

Could you give me some advice to help me choose my lighting? I’ve never purchased lighting before, only bulb changes for my T5’s. I know they are better for coral growth but I’ve decided due to bulb changing cost I want to stick with LEDs now.

Edit: also have access to Maxspect lighting (R420R and glaive models)

I’d go with the Kessil tuna blues personally
All the best
Emma x

 

[Shilpan Patel]

Thank you for your input team! I appreciate it

Lastly how do I decide between one big tuna 360 vs two smaller tune 160’s?

 

[Retro Reefer]

Thank you for your input team! I appreciate it

Lastly how do I decide between one big tuna 360 vs two smaller tune 160’s?

One LED won’t be enough, IMO you would need at least three or four 360’s on that tank even for just softy’s and low light LPS

 

[reefwiser]

I would keep with the t5's easier to get repaired down there. LED's if there is an issue may be hard to get serviced. I have seen other hobbyist in OZ have issues getting support from US or European companies after buy a piece of equipment

 

[Shilpan Patel]

Ohh ok, thank you for the advice guys
I will look into T5’s a bit more then

 

[homer1475]

Love my ATI T5's.

When I started back up I went all LED. While corals grow well under LED's, most people in the hobby tend to play with the intensities, and spectrum, all the while ticking the corals off, same as I did. Corals never grew well, algae took over the tank, etc.

Switched to tried and true T5's with a simple off and on, and my tank has never been better. I would give T5's another serious look. While the cost of bulbs can get daunting, the cost of replacing the entire LED fixture if something goes wrong, far outweighs the cost of a few bulbs.

 

[Shilpan Patel]

Hmm ok good points, is Geissemen a good brand? I don’t know an awful lot about it. They sell both T5’s and LEDs (TEZLAs)

http://www.livingreef.co.nz/p/513/glo-t5-ballast-2-x-54-watt

 

[homer1475]

Geissmen is right up there with ATI. While I have never used their fixture or lights, I have read good things about them. Some even claim their bulbs are better then ATI's.

 

[reefwiser]

Geissmen is good lights I would find out what you can get in NZ an that is what I would work with.

 

[jda]

If you are happy with what you had, then just get another 4 bulb T5 unit. Get a 6 bulb if you think that you might need more light soon.

Any of the LEDs that you listed will be different than the T5 - you might like them more, or you might hate them, but they are not going to be the same.

Giesemann is a good brand. So is ATI.

 

[Shilpan Patel]

Thank you guys!
I have access to geissemen led and T5’s. T5’s are cheaper so I think I’ll just stick with that.

Thank you!

 

[Wagonpitt]

I went from mh/t5 to led and led is better to the eye i think but corals were much happier and grew better under mh/t5 lighting.