Retrofit T5 Lighting

d00dy · Jul 15, 2014

Has anyone used something like this? Are they decent?
LET Lighting 36" 2x39W Miro-4 T5 High-Output Retrofit Kit ? ReefGeek

I can't find many retrofit kits, or many reviews.

The plan is to add two (2) of these on each side of my DIY LED fixture to cover my 40B (four total). The lights will be in a canopy, and that is the main reason I am going with a retrofit. I would like to primarily keep SPS. Any advice would be helpful since I don't know a whole lot about T5's.

jedimasterben · Jul 15, 2014

You don't need four T5 to cover a 40B for supplementation, you only need two. They are great kits - quality HEP ballasts (not the garbage Workhorse that most still sell), very good reflectors.

Mattiejay6 · Jul 15, 2014

That is a great retrofit package! Has everything you need! I agree with the overkill adding 4 bulbs.

d00dy · Jul 15, 2014

OK, I went with 4 just to make it symmetrical (one set on each side of my LED's) and I'm still not 100% which light will do the main work. I just recently started researching hybrid systems because I seem to be having a problem that some others have with LED's. Corals grow, but lose some coloration. If I added 1 pair of bulbs, what would be the best color? Also would it be better to center the LED's or the T5's over the tank?

Daniel@R2R · Jul 15, 2014

Great questions. Following

jedimasterben · Jul 15, 2014

d00dy said:
OK, I went with 4 just to make it symmetrical (one set on each side of my LED's) and I'm still not 100% which light will do the main work. I just recently started researching hybrid systems because I seem to be having a problem that some others have with LED's. Corals grow, but lose some coloration. If I added 1 pair of bulbs, what would be the best color? Also would it be better to center the LED's or the T5's over the tank?

What LEDs are you planning on using?

Most only have odd color issues if they have too much intensity (which is a real thing and very easy to do with LEDs) or are using cool white LEDs as their base.

d00dy · Jul 15, 2014

These were DIY LED's. All LED's from stevesleds.

16 - RB Luxeon ES (80Âº Optics)
8 - NW Luxeon ES (80Âº Optics)
4 - Tristar (Cool Blue, Cyan-Turquoise, Deep Red)
3 - UV (~405)

They are set up in a row of 4 clusters, and each cluster separated by 1 UV between them. They are powered by 3 Mean well ELN-60-48D drivers (one driver for RB, one driver for NW, and one driver for everything else). They have been over the tank for about a year. I started all the LED's about 30%, and slowly increased them over a few months to about 60-65%, and then back down to about 50% (current for a few months) because things weren't looking as good. The fixture sits about 12" above the water in a canopy and the lights are on for about 10 hours total (9 hours white, and 9 hours blue).