LED to T5

[Liron Mishal]

What brand is your LED?

I had the kessil 360 bt, radions and a customized black boxes. All of those left some to be desired. To be honest, the customized black boxes gave the best results for me..
Perhaps because of the almost no tinkering options.

Im currently building a t5 led hybrid.
It will have 6 bulbs, ati reflectors, dimmable ballasts and three 100w custom led.
I got 3b+, 2c+ and 1 true actinic.
Should be sweet.

 

[A. grandis]

I had the kessil 360 bt, radions and a customized black boxes. All of those left some to be desired. To be honest, the customized black boxes gave the best results for me..
Perhaps because of the almost no tinkering options.

Im currently building a t5 led hybrid.
It will have 6 bulbs, ati reflectors, dimmable ballasts and three 100w custom led.
I got 3b+, 2c+ and 1 true actinic.
Should be sweet.

I don't recommend getting the dimmable SunPower. There is no need for that. I had one and changed for the regular Sunpower. I had many systems with Sunpower and they were all amazing. The best T5 fixture! I don't use LEDs at all. I have halides/T5s now and that is even better than my Sunpower results in terms of color and growth.

 

[jordan10]

I have 2 ic loop 48in on my DT and stuff was growing very slow. I added a cheap t5 set up with them and the coral growth took off. So I say just add t5 with ur leds

 

[keystoneckp]

I picked up the T5 fixture yesterday and the LFS where I got it from sold the bulbs I was looking at. Of course no one locally had any bulbs., so I will need to order some. Hope to get it setup today with only a couple of the blue bulbs running.

 

[Jet915]

I have the current led strips as well and retrofitted 3 t5s in my canopy. Getting good growth with the addition of t5.

 

[X-37B]

Suggestion for the ATI bulbs:
3 Blue Plus
1 true Actinic
2 Coral Plus.
Enjoy!!!
Try to place a fan towards the fixture to cool it down.
Please post pictures when you install!!
Your corals will love you so much!!!!

I run 3b+ 3 c+ in an ati unit over my 120 4" off the surface. Look around as
You can find a used ati for a decent price.
I had a black box led over my nano 25. It grew corals well. I had several frags that looked great but no growth.
Put everything in the new 120 3.5 months ago and they are already growing.
Picked up a giesemann 6 bulb unit 4 months old for 200. It will go over my 36x24x12 frag tank.
They are not as strong but wont matter a on a 12" high tank. Will run same combo of 3&3.

 

[keystoneckp]

Well you know the saying " you get what you pay for" seems to be the case with this Aquatic Life fixture. Tried to set it up and the blue channel button won't work. The white and night (led) will program and let up turn them to on/auto/off, but not the blue.
Emailed there customer support, got a quick reply. But sorry we can't help you, have not had parts for 2 years for this light. So much for the life time warranty.
Look like I will be doing some mods to this light, but won't be right away, have a bathroom to remodel first.

 

[A. grandis]

Well you know the saying " you get what you pay for" seems to be the case with this Aquatic Life fixture. Tried to set it up and the blue channel button won't work. The white and night (led) will program and let up turn them to on/auto/off, but not the blue.
Emailed there customer support, got a quick reply. But sorry we can't help you, have not had parts for 2 years for this light. So much for the life time warranty.
Look like I will be doing some mods to this light, but won't be right away, have a bathroom to remodel first.

Return it to the store and get the ATI with your credit card.
Be happy and let your corals love you forever... until you get a halide system... then your corals will adore you forever.

 

[Waters]

I actually just switched to a hybrid fixture also....I have ran strictly Radion LEds for the 2 year life of the tank. Hoping for some additional coloring and growth

 

[Liron Mishal]

I don't recommend getting the dimmable SunPower. There is no need for that. I had one and changed for the regular Sunpower. I had many systems with Sunpower and they were all amazing. The best T5 fixture! I don't use LEDs at all. I have halides/T5s now and that is even better than my Sunpower results in terms of color and growth.

Why do you reccomend against the dimmable options?
Bulb lifespan issues?

 

[Ashley Kekua]

what about all blue plus bulbs grandis? what you think of it?

 

[A. grandis]

Why do you reccomend against the dimmable options?
Bulb lifespan issues?

Yes, bulbs deteriorate much faster and we can notice the faster spectrum change. Plus I hated the fact that when electricity goes out you need to reprogram the time. The programing of the light photoperiod would be saved but there was no back up for the time itself for some reason. Totally unnecessary feature in home tanks to dim the light anyway.

 

[A. grandis]

what about all blue plus bulbs grandis? what you think of it?

I never recommend that! They definitely need some "white" to grow healthy. I used so many combinations throughout 15+ years... Even the tanks that I used one "white" for 5 Blue Plus bulbs didn't give me the colors and specially growth I wish or could get with at least 2 "white" bulbs to 4 Blue Plus bulbs in my 6 bulb combo. It's not about what we see, but what the corals will use.

 

[BryanD]

I guess I'm a minority. Removed my T5's in Nov. 2017, 216 watts. 65 gallon. Replaced with 3 of the Current LED's, which in my opinion are pretty good thought their wavemakers are garbage, and everything is growing better. I think the 3 together total like 75 watts. Monti, Acro X 2, Zoas, Lobo, Frogspawn, Toadstool, Red War Coral, GSP, and mushrooms, all growing better. And my electric bill came down noticeably. Now I will give you the "color" argument, I can't seem to dial in the blue color everyone loves and makes things pop, but my livestock are healthy and growing. That's the most important thing IMHO.

 

[A. grandis]

I guess I'm a minority. Removed my T5's in Nov. 2017, 216 watts. 65 gallon. Replaced with 3 of the Current LED's, which in my opinion are pretty good thought their wavemakers are garbage, and everything is growing better. I think the 3 together total like 75 watts. Monti, Acro X 2, Zoas, Lobo, Frogspawn, Toadstool, Red War Coral, GSP, and mushrooms, all growing better. And my electric bill came down noticeably. Now I will give you the "color" argument, I can't seem to dial in the blue color everyone loves and makes things pop, but my livestock are healthy and growing. That's the most important thing IMHO.

More whites than blues...
Colony structure and color will tell you in the long run.
Thanks for sharing your results.
Pictures?

 

[blstravler]

I’m also switching from running a hybrid set up (AI 52’s and aquatic life T5) to all T5’s. Going with the regular 48’ 8 bulb ATI Sunpower. I’m just getting back into the hobby after about ten years away and LED isn’t for me. Going back to ole’ reliable. The ATI fixture will cost me the same as one Radion. LOL.

 

[Liron Mishal]

Yes, bulbs deteriorate much faster and we can notice the faster spectrum change. Plus I hated the fact that when electricity goes out you need to reprogram the time. The programing of the light photoperiod would be saved but there was no back up for the time itself for some reason. Totally unnecessary feature in home tanks to dim the light anyway.

I'm building my own fixture, electronics and all, clock is synced by internet clock servers on power up..
No clock sync issues

 

[A. grandis]

I'm building my own fixture, electronics and all, clock is synced by internet clock servers on power up..
No clock sync issues

Will it be the same price or more of the regular Sunpower?
Main thing in a T5 system for the best performance and efficiency is the cooling of the bulbs. The ATI has it wired with excellence and simply the very best in the market for that reason alone. The reflectors are IMHO the best in the market too. Much easier to get one of those and worry about what corals you will get instead.
I admire you for your DIY gift and this isn't to fire you in any way. Just my personal opinion about the qualities of the ATI. Good luck with your project.

 

[Liron Mishal]

Thanks!
Well, where i live, a six bulb 36" fixture costs about 1000usd.. without the bulbs.
My fixture costs about 300usd, and with 3 high power leds, so better then ati.
I'm a mechanics engineer and i also love electronics and software, so this is a perfect project for me.
I also use ati reflectors, didn't want to do my own optics, so in terms of t5 performance, should me the same as ati.

 

[A. grandis]

Thanks!
Well, where i live, a six bulb 36" fixture costs about 1000usd.. without the bulbs.
My fixture costs about 300usd, and with 3 high power leds, so better then ati.
I'm a mechanics engineer and i also love electronics and software, so this is a perfect project for me.
I also use ati reflectors, didn't want to do my own optics, so in terms of t5 performance, should me the same as ati.

Sounds interesting.
Maybe a good thread on that.
Best wishes!