Lighting votes

[okaqua]

So I was looking for lights for a JBJ 45 biotope and I found the 4 best options for me now I don't know which one I want to use for you can vote for which on you want to see over the tank one vote per person and I will count all of them tomorrow and the one with the most combined votes wins!
1:Ati dimmable sunpower 24"
4 blue plus
2coral plus
2purple plus

2:Giesemenn spectra 24"
14500 Giesemenn one end bulb
2 blue plus
2 purple plus

3:Kessil AP-700

4:Aquatic life kessil hybrid
2 A360's
Spectral controller for A360's
2 blue plus
2purple plus

 

[scott11106]

So I was looking for lights for a JBJ 45 biotope and I found the 4 best options for me now I don't know which one I want to use for you can vote for which on you want to see over the tank one vote per person and I will count all of them tomorrow and the one with the most combined votes wins!
1:Ati dimmable sunpower 24"
4 blue plus
2coral plus
2purple plus

2:Giesemenn spectra 24"
14500 Giesemenn one end bulb
2 blue plus
2 purple plus

3:Kessil AP-700

4:Aquatic life kessil hybrid
2 A360's
Spectral controller for A360's
2 blue plus
2purple plus

I would pick the kessil ap-700, but i am a bit biased as i am putting these on my new tank build and with the research that i have done it is a solid solution.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

If I have to choose an option from your list, it would probably be the Kessil, the only all-LED option. In real life I don't think I'd ever spend the cash on an AP700, not when there are so many capable black box LEDs (or premium black boxes like the SB Reef Lights) on the market. I'm not a huge fan of hybrid solutions personally. Having LEDs and T5s provides added benefit because you get the pros of each. You also, however, get all the cons associated with LEDs and T5s, all in one fixture. I would probably not go all T5 either. I've used T5s and they're very dependable and simple.. no fiddling with spectrum, just plug them in and get great growth. I grew tired of replacing bulbs though. Replacing $80 in bulbs a year would pay for a nice LED fixture in a few years and a cheap LED fixture in as little as two years. And that's not even counting the money you spent on the T5 fixture.

Those are just my opinions though. Everyone will likely feel a little bit differently on this topic. The most important factor is which option you like best. Your preferences, cost tolerances and your individual livestock choices should be the deciding factor.

 

[NS Mike D]

I am an all led guy but if i were to do it all over again, based on the results i have seen from very successful sps growers, I would go with a hybrid set up. T5s, MH and LED all have proven to grow corals well, but each has its faults and limitations and these hybrids appear to blend the best.

I am not convinced of the long term cost and maintenance of LEDs. For example, good LEDs that are designed to mimic T5s have to increase the clusters and use diffusers to spread the spectrums evenly along the tank. I know that in at least one analysis, this brought the power consumption up to the same as the T5s, thus negating the lower energy use argument. Secondly, LEDs advertise 50,000 hours. Thats 8.5 years at 16 hours a day. However, no one really knows and LEDS don't just burn out like regular lights, they fade over time. Also, i don't know what affect dimming, ramping and general tinkering have on LED lifespan. No doubt that if you go all LEDS you can sit back and relax while the T5 folks change bulbs along with smoke detector batteries, but keep in mind that they won't last forever and the price changing clusters could very well put led fixtures in the disposable electronics category.

In any case, don't take my word on the virtue of hybrids, as i have no personal experience with them. i just am putting it out there as I highly respect the opinion of the some of well-know sps growers who have opted for that route and the logic why. Also, I totally recognize that my tank needs are no way near demanding as their needs, so my $200 second hand rapid led corona is what I ended up doing.