T5's ,LEDS or metal halides?

bluwtr · Mar 31, 2014

To stir this pot more I'm going to add my .01 (economy sucks so I'm cheap!). I started off with 4 T5's (DIY Hagen Glo system). I liked the color but not having to change bulbs about every 9 months or so and slow growth. I tried several brands of bulbs and the ATI were the best by far. I moved up to dual 250w HQI Phoenix 14k's with a couple of T5's. Color was okay, but everything looked kind of washed out to me. I did have pretty descent growth but nothing spectacular. I saved and earned some extra $$ and built my own LED's from Rapid LED. I am running 30 3w Cree--10 UV, 12 RB and 8 CW. I love them! I have much better growth and color. I have a green slimer that has basically sat on it's plug from the time I got it through the T5's and MH and nothing. Since I began running the LED's it has "sprouts" everywhere. I have a couple of Monti caps that where growing but nothing great--now they are beginning to "swirl" and their colors are great. My tank is a non-RR 55g with a hang on overflow and custom sump. I run a no-name skimmer, ATO with kalk and supp. daily with 2-part.

Another example of coloration and growth is a friends tank. He switched from MH (3 250w HQI on a 125) to AI Sol's. His new tank is a 250DD (I think the gallons are right) and he has three of the AI's. He buys high end corals only, and has GREAT coloration and growth. I just have to say that I think that, like everything else, that each tank is different and that it boils down to one thing--IF YOU LIKE IT, that is what matters, regardless of what anyone else thinks.

Reef Pets · Mar 31, 2014

mdbannister said:
Oh you're just saying that cuz you think they're better... :nerd:

Nooo! Cause I know they are better. Its amazing how they work.... You put them over your tank and BaaaaM you're good to go!

Daniel@R2R · Mar 31, 2014

Reef Pets said:
Nooo! Cause I know they are better. Its amazing how they work.... You put them over your tank and BaaaaM you're good to go!

LOL I was just picking on you, bro. I'll have to send you pics of your SPS under my new LED setup once I get it. Then you can do a comparison.

Feel free to include any extras you want to put in a trial run.

ha ha ha

bct15 · Mar 31, 2014

Below is a link to a scientific article comparing the growth rate of corals under different types of light at different heights. Cliff notes for anybody who does not want to read it, mh had the fastest average growth rate, t5 had the second fastest, and led had the slowest average growth rate.

They uses a whole bunch of pieces of coral under each light type and took the average growth rate of all the pieces underneath that type of light.

http://www.horniman.ac.uk/media/_so...e_coral_Montipora_capricornis-HFitzgerald.pdf

SloppyJ · Mar 31, 2014

Cliff notes ver. 2:

They only tested it on monti caps. And they used a 10k bulb which isn't practical in our application. They also healed all of the caps under the halide for 9 weeks before the experiment which could have affected the results. The LED unit also only had 10 LEDs. The halide also had the best and worst growth based on tank position. Very cool paper though. However, I don't think it's definitive.

bluwtr · Apr 1, 2014

bct15 what are you doing here?! I thought I was the only Just Fish member who ventured to other sites outside RC!!!!

sesegaL99 · Apr 1, 2014

Led. Ocean Revive Arctic S026.

Marksreef · Jan 17, 2015

Did you ever get the fixture? I want to know how you like it and how it's doing if you would do something different because I'm thinking about getting one? Thanks.

scoobysnack77 · Jan 18, 2015

Marksreef said:
Did you ever get the fixture? I want to know how you like it and how it's doing if you would do something different because I'm thinking about getting one? Thanks.

well I just got the Hamilton Cebu sun metal halide /t5 combo and I must say I'm done searching for lighting. This fixture looks gorgeous and my Acros literally started showing thier Floresence colors in 2 weeks after having them up. And In my opinion the actinics of t5's let the corals show off thier own colors instead of an LED light show. I've had led's, t5's and halides over my tank in a period of 2 years. And as an Acro lover I'm never leaving my halides again. No more falling for marketing schemes on overpriced LED's. Any acro reefer will tell you halides are the best and all the reefers I've learned from and looked up to are still using them. T5's are great for supplement blue and actinic to sweeten up your white halide bulbs. Right now I'm running 14k pheonix halides with 3 blue plus's and an actinic and everything is gorgeous looking. I've never been happier