My tank has been up and running for over 5 years and is packed wall to wall with SPS Coral. I have been running t5's over my 60 in tank since the beginning and have no complaints other than Heat in the room which has required me to put a small air conditioning unit in to keep the temperature below 82°, midday. I am now thinking about switching over to radeons. Wondering what the effect on my tank will be and whether or not it is really worthwhile at this point. Any thoughts welcomed
More info...
Tank size. I've seen dimensions from 60x 18x 30" deep to
60 x 48 x 12" deep for a 140.
Next you are running an 8 tube 60" t5 array?
480 total watts.
You seem to have contemplated this before and you used Radions in the past correct?
I know this sounds like the Spanish Inquisition but it helps in order to decide why.
Leds generate heat as well and the main way to save is if you can match output using less wattage.
Some say one can't. Some say you can with 1/2 the wattage or so.
Currently the best leds have efficiencies if almost 2x a t5 so for each watt you get 2x the photons.
Also means less heat generated for equal watts.
This doesn't even take delivery losses or gains into account.
If heat is your only reason I can't see it making a huge difference at least not compared to tubes.
Now a bit about the Spanish Inquisition part.
Take a shallow tank and your t5. Probably the easiest way to light it with an even spread
Take the 30" deep tank and a led with efficient optics and you will punch more par to the substrate level than a t5.
Secondly is more visual. Do you want more "depth" in your tank?
The flat even light of a t5 vs the shadow textures ( even with some of the better diffusers) of leds are 2 completely different looks.
You can argue all day of what is " better" but it boils down to a personal choice inc. accepting any err " warts".
Then there is which led? Buying one and handicapping it by dimming 30% of it ( just an example) to match what you had is costly, either from loss of par or loss of $'s because you need to buy more units to make up for it
This is getting too long but I think you get what I mean.
You did ask for any thoughts.
Oh what " color" tubes are you running?
I'll leave coloring corals and growth for others to argue about. Both have more than one factor anyways.
I would suggest you buy an led with a more " white" baseline if you aren't anxious for a drastic " makeover". Unless you are running a lot of actinic tubes.
Will help in the $/actual watt used.
Changing any living things environment has inherent risks.
Consider this a " hmm got to think about that" more than a " how to"
One last big warning.. going from t5 to led is probably visually more shocking than say mh to led.
Probably one of the reasons led would like to emulate t5's. Visual acceptance.
Also sneaky marketing. Probably more t5 only tanks out there than mh only left.
From shimmer to shadows. Just basic physics.
Your best " consultants " will be those that actually switched over and succeeded. Lean on them.
Honestly and even from a non- coral guy as me if it's just heat I would be hard pressed to recommend switching BUT again someone with real experience is your best bet.
In theory you should decrease btus and a bit of cost. In practice it seems hit or miss.
