Par from T5 vs par from led

[jda]

The people who think that using hybrids is "the best of both worlds" rarely consider that they are actually getting "the worst of both worlds." This is a tough paradigm shift even in everyday life, but people who go all-in and live with any deficiencies generally do better than those trying to serve two masters... this works in reefing just like it does in a career, relationship, etc.

There is more to lighting corals than photosynthesis... and that chart does not show all proteins. Reflection is also a big deal. There is no getting around that daylight still renders the best colors, but is not all that good at illuminating them. Trying to "best" mother nature by just picking a few waves has not even come close to achieving the best color, illumination or growth. In every other pseudo-science that I can think of, nature is right until proven wrong... but in reefing, people get cute trying to outsmart nature and corals suffer.

 

[TexasTodd]

Thanks for adding that Alton, that makes a lot of sense and explains the main issue!

 

[dz6t]

Double?

Reflectors, no matter how good they are, wont give you that much boost.

For example, a test was done on ATI parabolic reflectors on their Powermodule t5 vs the bent reflectors on their less expansive Sunpower t5, the parabolic reflectors only give 5 to 10% more PAR.

The reflectors on Aquaticlife is comparable to ATI Sunpower reflectors.

Also I have an old aquaticlife 6 bulb t5 fixture with active cooling, with the same bulbs installed, it is comparable in PAR to an ATI Sunpower 6 bulb t5 that I also have.

 

[Water Dog]

I believe the new Aquaticlife T5 Hybrid fixtures now use HEP ballasts, same as ATI T5 fixtures, so I’m inclined to believe it’s gotta be the reflectors. Others seem to agree.

 

[dz6t]

The people who think that using hybrids is "the best of both worlds" rarely consider that they are actually getting "the worst of both worlds." This is a tough paradigm shift even in everyday life, but people who go all-in and live with any deficiencies generally do better than those trying to serve two masters... this works in reefing just like it does in a career, relationship, etc.

There is more to lighting corals than photosynthesis... and that chart does not show all proteins. Reflection is also a big deal. There is no getting around that daylight still renders the best colors, but is not all that good at illuminating them. Trying to "best" mother nature by just picking a few waves has not even come close to achieving the best color, illumination or growth. In every other pseudo-science that I can think of, nature is right until proven wrong... but in reefing, people get cute trying to outsmart nature and corals suffer.

Agree, coral utilize light more than just photosynthesis. There are many studies show that coral can utilize the full visible spectrum the sun provides.

On the other side, white LED do indeed provide a broad spectrum, because the technology behind it is to excite phosphor coating via a narrow blue spectrum to generate board spectrum light output.

Right now, the newer technology of broad spectrum led chips is to use a narrow violet spectrum to excite phosphor coating, which is claimed to be more efficient.

 

[dz6t]

I believe the new Aquaticlife T5 Hybrid fixtures now use HEP ballasts, same as ATI T5 fixtures, so I’m inclined to believe it’s gotta be the reflectors. Others seem to agree.

Active cooling makes a difference.
Also does Aquaticlife uses the exact same ballast as ATI?

 

[Water Dog]

Active cooling definitely makes a difference. See the big ATI Sunpower vs Giesemann Matrixx II thread over on RC. But then the Aquaticlife Hybrid doesn’t have a splash guard, which should in theory, help with the bulb cooling, at least according to BRS. Does not having active ballast cooling hurt par output that much? As far as I know both fixtures use HEP ballasts. ATI definitely uses programmed start ballasts. Does HEP even make rapid start ballasts?

 

[jda]

It is also that the Aquatic Life has the T5s out to the side a bit rather than in the middle - this sacrifices some PAR as well.

Not all HEP ballasts are the same - is anybody sure that it is actually the same ballast and not different ballasts made by the same people.