Show me your DIY LED/T5 Hybrids

[Masedaddy]

So I have been thinking about building a T5-LED combo with my Radions being the led component, would I be wrong in thinking I can place two of these T5 fixtures ( http://www.htgsupply.com/products/htg-supply-4-foot-2-lamp-high-output-t5-fixture ) to hang inside my hood with the Radions hanging between them?

What size is your tank?

 

[HeulittSalmi]

What size is your tank?

I will be running this over several tanks. Jbj 30, Nuevo 10, possibly a 45, and then a 4' Frag tank.

I plan to do two four foot sections, each with 4, four foot T5's and radions

 

[Masedaddy]

The 4 ft T5s would only fit really over the 4ft frag tank but you could use the 2 ft T5s for the other builds. I recommend using EZ Tube metal framing to build the structure to hold the Radions/T5s. I plan on doing this and then building floating canopy shell around it

 

[HeulittSalmi]

The 4 ft T5s would only fit really over the 4ft frag tank but you could use the 2 ft T5s for the other builds. I recommend using EZ Tube metal framing to build the structure to hold the Radions/T5s. I plan on doing this and then building floating canopy shell around it

So you dont suggest keeping two tanks under the same 4 foot light? I am just looking at it from a cost perspective, buying four 2 foot lights for a four foot space would run a lot more than two four footers.

 

[iemsparticus]

So you dont suggest keeping two tanks under the same 4 foot light? I am just looking at it from a cost perspective, buying four 2 foot lights for a four foot space would run a lot more than two four footers.

You can use 1x 4ft light fixture over the 4 ft frag tank, and then 1x 4ft light fixture over the other 4 foot section, yes.

 

[HeulittSalmi]

Would it be better to buy a T5 fixture from a hydroponics/hardware store or one that is made for reef keeping? I know the hydroponics store will sell me 1, two bulb fixture for 40 bucks, but T5 fixtures at my LFS cost a pretty penny.

 

[iemsparticus]

The only real difference, as far as I am aware, is how water resistant the sockets are. If you are able to keep the sockets from getting wet, basically any T5 fixture should work as well as any other.

 

[HeulittSalmi]

The only real difference, as far as I am aware, is how water resistant the sockets are. If you are able to keep the sockets from getting wet, basically any T5 fixture should work as well as any other.

Awesome, they are going to be at least 12-18 inches above so I dont think I will need to worry about that.

 

[Mundeez]

I added this little LED bar to my ATI T-5's for a little "morning and evening" actinic action

 

[Torqued]

Its not hybrid T5 YET, but it will be

Here is just the LED fixture which is 6x Lumia 5.2 clusters 420w total. Sorry for the poor quality video, and at the time of shooting this only 4 out of the 6 LEDs were running. This is using the Bluefish controller.

<div style="position:relative;height:0;padding-bottom:56.25%"><iframe src="" style="position:absolute;width:100%;height:100%;left:0" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

 

[cooper5389]

Hey there, I recently added two BRS 80w T5 retrofits to my setup. Really like the additional brightness it added and it helped a lot with the shadowing from my 3 Radion Pros LEDS.

One negative, I need to work out some canopy cooling or fans. I now have a 2.5 degree temp swing when the t5s come on. Lot of opinions online that say that's not a big enoght swing to worry about but I'm super OCD.

I'm sure the bulbs add heat but I also installed the ballast under my canopywhich gets pretty hot. I'm hoping if I relocate the ballast outside my canopy (on the back) maybe I'll get away with not having to add fans or cut vent holes on the top of my canopy. The entire back side of my canopy is wide open but I still think with no fans heat still gets trapped with no upward way to escape.

Anybody else have trouble with heat coming off t5s? Obv if you got a rimless system it's probably not a factor.

Happy reefing!

 

[HeulittSalmi]

Hey there, I recently added two BRS 80w T5 retrofits to my setup. Really like the additional brightness it added and it helped a lot with the shadowing from my 3 Radion Pros LEDS.

One negative, I need to work out some canopy cooling or fans. I now have a 2.5 degree temp swing when the t5s come on. Lot of opinions online that say that's not a big enoght swing to worry about but I'm super OCD.

I'm sure the bulbs add heat but I also installed the ballast under my canopywhich gets pretty hot. I'm hoping if I relocate the ballast outside my canopy (on the back) maybe I'll get away with not having to add fans or cut vent holes on the top of my canopy. The entire back side of my canopy is wide open but I still think with no fans heat still gets trapped with no upward way to escape.

Anybody else have trouble with heat coming off t5s? Obv if you got a rimless system it's probably not a factor.

Happy reefing!

I am looking to do something exactly like this do you have any photos of the process to look at as reference or is it in one of your threads?

 

[iemsparticus]

I run 2x Kessil A360WEs, and 4x T5 tubes: two in front, two in back. It's in a canopy, with the ballasts mounted outside. I do get temp swings during the summer (I live in Fort Worth, and we get some nasty summers), but they are + or - no more than 2 degrees, which is not stressful for the livestock. I do have a fan on each side set to turn on at 80 degrees, and the T5s are set to shut off at 81, and the LEDs are set to shut off at 82 as a last resort.

 

[HeulittSalmi]

I run 2x Kessil A360WEs, and 4x T5 tubes: two in front, two in back. It's in a canopy, with the ballasts mounted outside. I do get temp swings during the summer (I live in Fort Worth, and we get some nasty summers), but they are + or - no more than 2 degrees, which is not stressful for the livestock. I do have a fan on each side set to turn on at 80 degrees, and the T5s are set to shut off at 81, and the LEDs are set to shut off at 82 as a last resort.

How do you have the fans set up to turn on like that?

 

[iemsparticus]

How do you have the fans set up to turn on like that?

I use the temp probe and my Apex.

 

[HeulittSalmi]

I use the temp probe and my Apex.

Thats what I was thinking, but i was hoping it would be something a little under a few hundred bucks haha

 

[iemsparticus]

Thats what I was thinking, but i was hoping it would be something a little under a few hundred bucks haha

Check out the ReefKeeper Basic Light.

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/reefkeeper-lite-basic-digital-aquatics.html

$125 will do all of the essential tasks an Apex will do, without the endless expansion possibilities, and without the internet alerts/etc...

But you will certainly be able to use your fans with this to turn on when the tank gets too hot.

 

[Reef dog]

Here is my build for a floating canopy with led/t5 combo. It came out pretty well, it's over my 90g

 

[Acrostick]

Could you tell me where you purchased and what brand these dual t5's are? These look promising to give a try. Thanks

 

[pilot108]

Here’s mine all controlled with apex