Switching back to T5 Question

goldenhurricane2 · Jan 25, 2017

Ok, so I've decided that I'm switching back to a 4 bulb t5 setup over my 55 gallon. However, I want to get an led supplement to give the corals and tank a better visual effect. So, my question is: what is the best supplemental led light strip/bar overall and then for the price?

Reef bright techs seem to be very nice. I've also looked at the sb reef light bar. Are there any I'm missing? Any of you have good or bad experiences with any of these for this type of application?

cromag27 · Jan 25, 2017

I prefer DIY from rapid led.

mcarroll · Jan 25, 2017

I don't quite understand the dueling motives.....moving away from LED's yet at the same time toward them to improve the new lights. What happened?

For What It's Worth
You can build a very easy DIY LED system for around $70 or less that could light the whole tank, so it would certainly work for supplemental lighting too. I have been using these as main lighting for around five years now, I think.

Here's an example build on a 55 Gallon in-wall build (not mine):

For Your T5's
But to supplement your T5's, one of Current USA's strips would probably be where I'd look....they have a nice range of models to pick from.

You can choose either to add some very simple, low power strips or opt for a higher-end fixture that will add sunrise/sunset and possibly other effects, such as with their Orbit, Orbit Pro and Orbit IC. Any single one would be sufficient, depending on your expectations.

GHL also makes nice strips, Hamilton Technology, etc...

goldenhurricane2 · Jan 25, 2017

Well... the reason for the desire for the combo is the look. T5 grow coral better than led, but led has a better look... so that's why I want to add a supplement.

I went out on a limb and bought some sb reef lights and I'm just. It super happy with them.

Mpierce · Jan 25, 2017

Growth is a whole other argument.

If you like the look of your LED I would get them dialed in and let everything acclimate before you make the switch. Too often people get the fancy new LED and play with the color/intensity so much that the corals never get to settle in. I would certainly agree that initial growth can be a bit slow while the corals are adjusting to the LED if they came from a system that used a different lighting source. However, overall similar growth can be achieved with either. There are plenty of tests out there with comparison.

goldenhurricane2 · Jan 25, 2017

I have no doubt they can grow coral, but I'm just not as impressed with them as every else is. I've had them for about 5 months now and haven't seen much growth at all...

reefwiser · Jan 26, 2017

LED's are good for POP which everyone is SO excited about now days. Get some Reefbrite LED strip if you want a well built POP light

mcarroll · Jan 26, 2017

goldenhurricane2 said:
I have no doubt they can grow coral, but I'm just not as impressed with them as every else is. I've had them for about 5 months now and haven't seen much growth at all...

5 months is no time at all......try to have some more patience and focus on other factors. (food sources? no3? po4? flow rates across the tank?)

Light is easy to do right (if you leave it alone and use a light meter) and doesn't have that much influence on growth. It's a factor, but nutrients and flow are each at least as important (probably more...look over some of the research articles I have on my blog...see link in sig) and they more difficult to get right.

Plus, are you trying to farm these corals or enjoy them? If you aren't farming, there's really no need to rush....fast growing corals are literally less-hardy than slow-growing ones. (Again, see blog. But here's one link: Fast Growth May Impair Regeneration Capacity in the Branching Coral Acropora muricata In a nutshell, they can become so consumed with maintaining photosynthesis they can't even heal a wound properly.)

dragon99 · Jan 26, 2017

I read a rumor that SBReef is going to release a dimmable version of their actinic light bar in the next few months. If you are not in a hurry to add one, that's what I'd get. All the greatness of T5's with the ability to do a sunrise/sunset with the LED bar.

goldenhurricane2 · Jan 26, 2017

mcarroll said:
5 months is no time at all......try to have some more patience and focus on other factors. (food sources? no3? po4? flow rates across the tank?)

Light is easy to do right (if you leave it alone and use a light meter) and doesn't have that much influence on growth. It's a factor, but nutrients and flow are each at least as important (probably more...look over some of the research articles I have on my blog...see link in sig) and they more difficult to get right.

Plus, are you trying to farm these corals or enjoy them? If you aren't farming, there's really no need to rush....fast growing corals are literally less-hardy than slow-growing ones. (Again, see blog. But here's one link: Fast Growth May Impair Regeneration Capacity in the Branching Coral Acropora muricata In a nutshell, they can become so consumed with maintaining photosynthesis they can't even heal a wound properly.)

Just curious... what lights do you use?

mcarroll · Jan 27, 2017

Radium halides for the first five years or so.

Then EcoXotic Panorama strips. They burned up within a couple years.

And later DIY LED's. I've built three of these...one for each tank, plus a pilot project. Very impressed.

Much later, a Maxspect Razor to see what sunrise/sunset were about and if high-end LED's (including 420nm) would make a difference vs others.

Lots of others at work, but these are the ones I'm most familiar with.

reefwiser · Jan 27, 2017

I went thru the whole LED phase Kessils , Radions and Black Boxes wasted a lot of time and money. I like to keep really high light SPS and my current tank would not let me put a ton of LED's on the tank and my Wife would really hate it in the living room. So I went at MACNA this year looking for the light I needed and ended up with the Reefbrite MH/LED fixture. An it is working great love it. I can stop worrying lighting and concentrate on water chemistry. You have Three limiting factors in keeping a Reef tank Lighting, water chemistry and YOU. If you can eliminate one or two of these factors DO IT. Using T5 and MH takes lighting off the table so I do it in a heart beat.