LED vs. T5 . which do you choose?

[Kworker]

So with starting process of my first SW tank which is a 55 gal that will be in the living room with 20 gal sump I've been trying to figure out which is best fit for me. I want the capability of getting SPS down the road if i choose so. With my father being an electrician DIY LED fixture does not seem anything him and I can not accomplish with his knowledge in electrical work and the amount of research I have done. So without the thought of time/effort needed for the DIY LED fixture I'm trying to figure which is best fit for what I need/want. So I want to hear what a lot of you have to say opinion wise with the fixtures you have.

Now i know the beginning cost between the two is pretty different but not as much if i were to choose premade LED like a ecotech Radion. Also with the T5's bulb replacement that I honestly do not mind if the lighting/fixture is more promising and proven. Electrical cost really is not much of a factor as well seeing 2/3's of my houses power is generated through solar panels.

What I am trying to narrow down to is, are all of you making switch really that content?
Are LED's proven or is it too soon to make the call saying its the superior?
How many of you out there are waiting a year or two until LED gets more developed?
Has anyone switched back to something after going LED?

I have seen the T5 thread, many of you are still running them and seem thrilled with what they produce, convince me to stray away from the LED project i have planned. I do admit as easy as it may be for me I'm also somewhat worried about how much wiring I'm going to have to organize between the "daylights"/moonlights and the drivers as well as dimmer to function the LED's opposed to a nice slim everything in one unit T5 chassis.

The one t5 fixture I'm going to ask some of you about because I had some issues finding reviews about if for a 55gal tank is the T5 tek light fixture that Bulkreefsuplly is selling. I would have to go with the 4lamp 48" because any of the other 4foot fixtures with more lamps are too wide for my dimensions. Would the 4 bulbs be enough to keep SPS, anemones and Clams down the road if I choose too? (T5 Tek Light Fixture - FIxtures - T5 Fluorescent - Lighting - Bulk Reef Supply)

Than of course the LED's would be ordered from RapidLed

I'm trying to do everything right the first time around. I would rather get a light for things I MAY choose to get down the road instead of getting one that will only cut it for some and have to upgrade at some point.

 

[Pappy]

The cost of a DIY led fixture with Cree LEDs would be pretty close to buying a new quality t5 fixture on a tank that size . I know lots of people growing everything under LEDs and stuff looks and is growing great. LEDs (when done correctly) are def the way to go. Some people will tell you they don't work because they either bought cheap fixtures (ecoray knock off off eBay) or diyed and didn't do it right (fried corals) or are not happy with an overpriced non full spectrum like ai sols and didn't like coverage. DIY led ARE without a doubt IMO the way to go by far.

 

[droblack]

Both! Dimmable T5 with supplemental blue led for POP is the best light combo. I have a TEK light and a blue Reefbrite strip, but am upgrading to ATI dimmable soon. Looks great with the TEK and led.

 

[mwminer]

radions are the way to go I also have 2 mp60 that run together awesome set up

 

[fish&corals]

i have had MH and T5s on my 180 set up .. by far im sticking with LEDs .. i have 3 evolution 120watt LED fixtures and i would never go back to either .. MH ran my tank way to hot .. T5s just didnt do it .. i was running 12 bulbs over my 180 and i was not happy with it .. the LEDs i get what i want plus my par readings are way better in the corners where the T5s and MHs were lacking .. my tank being in fla runs about 79 to 80 during the day and 78 during the night ..

 

[roc5288]

I run a 8 bulb 48" Powermodule with a 48" blue reefbrite. Tank looks amazing 120g. Everything has great pop and great growth clams, sps. My 34g solana has a 6 bulb nova with a blue truelumens led for supplement. Again love it.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Isoprene]

I don't have a large tank so I relate here completely. This being my first tank (55g bow front) I started with T5's. They honestly just don't do the job they need to in my opinion (although I was only using a 2 bulb structure for a bit). I am currently looking at the pricing for a 4 bulb T5 vs. DIY LED's and DIY LED's are the way to go in my opinion. I am paying a LFS guy I am friends with 240 bucks (everything included) to build a really nice structure that will hang over my tank. Considering its going to look like the ones at the LFS I am super excited to make the switch.


LED's just plain just look cooler, I mean corals look completely different T5 --> LED. LED makes everything pop imo and they just look better, idk at least to me they do. I haven't made the switch yet but when I do ill post my comments again and hopefully that will help. One other thing I like about DIY LED's that if they are done right and work you can add them with more DIY LED's when you upgrade to a larger tank (this is what I plan on doing). That's all the opinion I have until I make the physical switch to my LED's.

 

[Flipside]

I personally went from LEDs back to MH/T5's. I never had any luck with running a system on full-LEDs. I had a DIY fixture with optics (CREEs), and went to a Ecotech Radion. I was never impressed with how my corals looked under them. Softies did okay (zoas), LPS did not do well, SPS did well but lost color.

I also am not too fond of the shimmer under LEDs, as well. With optics on them, it almost looked like a rainbow going-on, on my sandbed... Hard to explain; but the main reason I went back is because my corals never responded kindly to them. I was spoiled though... I was used-to a certain level of growth and coloration with my overdriven T5's, MH/VHO combo, and MH/T5 combos... I'm going to wait awhile for the companies to stop puking forth a new design every few months... Then I'll buy what you guys sell-off.

I am very fond of the money savings, long term! Buying bulbs can get old, but it's something I'm used to and easy to do. So... meh... I guess it's really up to the person spending the money...