Thoughts on using a tube bulb 2 ft long t5 fixture?

[Jorda320]

Hi,

I have a 36 gallon bow front which is about 2 years old and it is my first reef tank. I have mostly medium light LPS with one pavona frag about 6 in from the water surface. I was using a fluval 3.0 LED and had slow growth with the LPS however the pavona has not shown any growth in about half a year. I'm assuming this is an issue of not enough lighting and was considering replacing the fluval led with a low cost t5 fixture and putting in two ATI bulbs. I don't have my mind set yet but I was thinking that a blue plus and a purple or a blue plus and a coral plus would give me the look I'm after. I've never worked with t5s and was wondering if these two bulbs would be a decent upgrade for a smaller footprint yet taller tank like a 36-gal bow front. Any thoughts would be appreciated

And for anyone who is interested my nitrates are around 10 ppm with phosphates somewhere around 0.1. calcium is typically in between 420 and 430 and Alk is kept at 9.1 (this is the number I get straight from the live ocean salt). I'm somewhat lazier on mag and do not dose unless I see it get below 1250 to raise it back up to 1350.

 

[Spare time]

I think the fluval LED may a little weak when it comes to depth ( have to double check the blue channel par) and so the t5's would work better. Alternatively, you could easily get a better LED for not too much. If you are wanting to see some bulbs compared, BRS just put out a new video. If you are interested in LED's I can link some that won't run you several hundred.

 

[Jorda320]

I was looking at the inexpensive argobrite fixtures that I saw on tidal gardens's channel. It would be $60 for the fixture with shipping included. On top of that the two bulbs would be about 50 from BRS. I was hoping to keep that as cheap as possible because I know the wife is not too thrilled about me upgrading right now. My biggest concern is I was worried the t fives would not have that much of a higher power than the fluval LED. I was able to easily find par values for 48-in bulbs but I could not find anything for 2-ft bulbs.

 

[Crustaceon]

A two t5 bulb fixture is a great choice for a 36 bowfront. Most of these tend to sit mount on top of the tank with plastic feet. If you keep it at that installed height, I think you could probably keep most corals without a problem. I’d run either two blue plus bulbs or one blue plus and a coral plus bulbs. People will tell you to go led, but you really don’t have to. It’s just a newer thing and people like new. The power and dollar savings are similar between t5 and led, especially if you have a smaller t5 fixture using only two bulbs. The biggest difference between the two is appearance. Led lit tanks have their look as do t5 or mh lit tanks. All can grow coral.

 

[Crustaceon]

I think if you’re looking to see lps growth, you should expect to pay around $100-150 for a fixture that’ll actually make you tank look good too. A chinese black box led will cost between $80-120. You priced a t5 out at around $120. I can tell you from personal experience on a 36 gallon bowfront tank (my first saltwater system) that both will work fine when it comes to growing lps. Don’t obsess over par when you can control photoperiod. All of this was grown with two finnex led strips which probably had less wattage combined than your fluval light before trying other lights. I probably paid around $100 for the pair and i’m sure their par rating was nowhere as high as you’d expect they would have to be. My growth rate was decent with a new torch head popping up every month or so.

 

[Jorda320]

I think if you’re looking to see lps growth, you should expect to pay around $100-150 for a fixture that’ll actually make you tank look good too. A chinese black box led will cost between $80-120. You priced a t5 out at around $120. I can tell you from personal experience on a 36 gallon bowfront tank (my first saltwater system) that both will work fine when it comes to growing lps. Don’t obsess over par when you can control photoperiod. All of this was grown with two finnex led strips which probably had less wattage combined than your fluval light before trying other lights. I probably paid around $100 for the pair and i’m sure their par rating was nowhere as high as you’d expect they would have to be. My growth rate was decent with a new torch head popping up every month or so.

That's definitely a great looking tank. I'd love to have something like that in the future. The only reason I was looking at a cheaper t5 fixture over something like the coral life t5 fixture with legs that mount on is that this tank is 30 inches across and if I do get the coralife fixture I have not been able to find ATI bulbs in 30 in, only 24 in. If I went with the coralife fixture I would have to stick with their brand of bulbs, or another brand that comes in 30 in. If I can find ATI bulbs in 30 in I would definitely get a coralife fixture. I was planning on building a small aluminum mounting arm that would attach on both sides of the tank to hold a 24-in fixture. I would definitely prefer legs but I would prefer to find something that I could install ATI bulbs in

 

[Crustaceon]

That's definitely a great looking tank. I'd love to have something like that in the future. The only reason I was looking at a cheaper t5 fixture over something like the coral life t5 fixture with legs that mount on is that this tank is 30 inches across and if I do get the coralife fixture I have not been able to find ATI bulbs in 30 in, only 24 in. If I went with the coralife fixture I would have to stick with their brand of bulbs, or another brand that comes in 30 in. If I can find ATI bulbs in 30 in I would definitely get a coralife fixture. I was planning on building a small aluminum mounting arm that would attach on both sides of the tank to hold a 24-in fixture. I would definitely prefer legs but I would prefer to find something that I could install ATI bulbs in

You could always get an odyssea 4-bulb in 24” They’re not too pricey.