t5 or leds
- Thread starter reefndude
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Reef_a_holiks
Well-Known Member
LED all the way, i had T5s and upgraded to LEDs and wow! world of difference in growth, colors, health. Also noticed my electricity bill go down. Another thing i was tired of swapping out T5 bulbs every six month to , it gets pricy. Now with LEDs never gotta change any bulbs. They give close to zero heat. Definitley go LED you wont regret!
If u go LEDs just b sure u spend the money for a nice fixture. I went to radions from t5 on my acro tank, best decision I have ever made. Amazing colors, growth, and a lower elec bill not too hard of a decision IMO 
Alabamareef
Well-Known Member
Let’s ask two important questions, What is your budget and how long is your tank? Money is always a consideration in this hobby and the length of the tank matters because of the number of fixtures or length of blubs. I started with T5s. I had a 6 blub fixture over a 180 gallon tank. Also had MH, I’ve since moved to a 5 foot Vertex Illumina fixture and I’m happy with it as well. It seems the European’s are always ahead of us in this hobby and if you read on the Ultimatereef.com and see the TOM photos most people have t5s. Seems most of them are using an 8 blub fixture and they have amazing growth. You’ll find LED of all price ranges, Marine land fixtures starting around $300.00 to Vertex Illumina $3500.00 to the DIY and Chinese LEDs. I’ve been around my local area and measured PAR on all types of lighting and of course the MH is still the industry standard and puts out great PAR and they have been proven in this hobby for years. MH can probably be purchased for the best price to get your bang for your buck. I think the big disadvantage is they heat up the water but this can be combated in several inexpensive ways. Also you hear about the power bill and myself and a few friends never saw that much difference. T5 are also proven. Personally on a 6 foot tank every six months I was having to change 12 blubs, the longest length they come in are 36”, and at around $25 each this adds up. So I went with LED’s. LED’s are expensive but remember you get what you pay for. While going around measuring PAR I saw lots of LED fixtures, Vertex Illumina, Radions, MaxSpecs, DIY, Chinese and honestly at the upper levels I saw little difference in PAR readings. You have to remember PAR and PUR. PUR is usable light but a hard reading to get outside a lab. I think this is the big disconnect between MH and LEDs. The biggest difference was light spread. Seemed the more expensive lights had a better reading outside the light cone than the less expensive ones. Some may argue this point and yes you can get good coverage but it means elevating your light to great heights and this can be annoying when your looking at the tank because LED’s are blinding as well as a loss of PAR and PUR at lower levels. The Vertex Illumina has a manufacture recommendation of 3-6 inches off the water surface. So if you have an open tank this is something to consider. My friend has the Radions at about 9 inches off the water surface and has amazing growth and color. Also tech support needs to be considered when you buy LED’s because most of them can be upgraded via internet and tech support can trouble shoot via the internet. Your going to get several opinions on lighting but remember sometimes its best to spend upfront and not constantly think of upgrading. Best of Luck
ronnie
Acro addict
I switched back from a Radion G2 because the colors of a majority of my SPS were lacking. A friend of mine took six frags and put them in his tank with a halide over it (14k Phoenix) and then sent me pics. It was unbelievable the amount of color regained from just moving them to a different lighting system.
But I do like LEDs, and I wanted that blue glow, so I went with a hybrid fixture to get the best of both worlds. I'm really happy with it,too.
But I do like LEDs, and I wanted that blue glow, so I went with a hybrid fixture to get the best of both worlds. I'm really happy with it,too.
Alabamareef
Well-Known Member
Also if you decide on LED’s remember to start out on a low setting, like around 30-40% and gradually move your settings up. Most people never get the whites over around 50% before they see coral bleaching. It’s easier to kill coral with to much lighting than not enough.
Alabamareef
Well-Known Member
I've seen this as with MH. I think that's where you'll get your best color but my friend went from MH to Radion and has maintained the same color with better growth.
OP
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reefndude
Valuable Member
Im not the type of person that constantly changes things. I like to stick with what is working. so whatever I decide on I want to make sure its foing to work. Thats why im having a tough time making a desicion.
