What lighting should I use?

[Sycoticrealm]

Left hobby after about 5 years into it had to sell everything due to back and neck problems. Doing better now learned to manage my pain and I've been dying to get back into the hobby so I decided to start small and go from there. 40 breeder was my choice.
I use to use T5HO but LED seems to have been taking over lately and I decided to try a cheap black box...
IMO they aren't for me they seem to lack something just too bright and overwhelming with a haze/foggy blur kinda radiating off my rocks. My tank is new only a month old, it cycled in about two weeks then I decided to start adding some fish.
1 small lawnmower blenny, 1 med Falcon Hawkfish "He bad so he in the refuge part of my sump", 2 misbared Clowns I grabbed a green brittle sea star and a Turbo snail just to start off with to establish my tank more.
I wanna get some lights and wait until some coralline starts growing before adding any corals. LPS, Zoas, Paly, Shrooms, Softies I'm not into many SPS they're like Crayon Sticks to me not very impress for all the work they ask of you.
Just my preference please don't take offense SPS guys/gals.
So I just need a light that can cover a 40b I was looking at 2 Kessil a160we would that work and do they look as bad as black box led?
So many say Par is Par but my eyes just don't like the 55 led flash lights shinning straight down into my tank picking up every particle in my water and it seems to make it look like crap.
My water clear when it off and I put my CFL sump lights back on it just to light it up and grow some algae on the rocks for my blenny.
I supplement him with algae strips but he like peeking at the rocks.
I've also came across some info that LED's do not grow coralline as fast as MH or T5 is this true?
Idk what to do I do not want to buy another light hook them up and be dissatisfied again and have to return it.

 

[jason2459]

Well, LED, MH, and T5 are totally different kinds of lights and do look different. I think you already answered your own question and looks like T5s are what you like and are a great option.

I personally like LED with T5s. I like the softness and colors of T5s and the shimmer provided by the LED but dulled a bit by the T5s.

 

[Sycoticrealm]

You didn't answer any of my questions about LED's...
And if I answered my own question I wouldn't be asking one in the first place lol.
Are all LED's like black box LED's do all LED's give off the same lighting effects?
The Kessil I seen seem to give a shimmer, but the black boxes were giving me a disco ball effect off the sand and haze/foggy appearance off the rocks.
I was hoping for some input on LED users experiences.
Would you like to share yours like what lights you use?
Or are all LED's regardless of brand just illuminate your aquarium in my previously description of what I was experiencing visually.
I'm asking these question because it may help me pin down if it the lights or just my water quality.

 

[jason2459]

You didn't answer any of my questions about LED's...
And if I answered my own question I wouldn't be asking one in the first place lol.
Are all LED's like black box LED's do all LED's give off the same lighting effects?
The Kessil I seen seem to give a shimmer, but the black boxes were giving me a disco ball effect off the sand and haze/foggy appearance off the rocks.
I was hoping for some input on LED users experiences.
Would you like to share yours like what lights you use?
Or are all LED's regardless of brand just illuminate your aquarium in my previously description of what I was experiencing visually.
I'm asking these question because it may help me pin down if it the lights or just my water quality.

Nice...

All LEDs are different from T5 yes. I said that above. People and manufacturers keep trying to make them look like MH or T5 but they aren't. Philips seems to be trying to make them look like T5s and Kessil trying to make them look like MH.

Then I told you my preference in combining. Its all about personal preference. Everyone will like something different. You stated your preference and I called that out. So, I think I did give input to your question even if its not what you wanted to hear. Nothing wrong at all wanting to use and using T5 only.

All you have to do is read many of the threads in this section and the LED section to get user reviews and input on what lights they are using.

Best thing is, if you can, go to different local fish stores and see what they have over their tanks and see if you like the look. Only problem with that is usually its over shallow tanks and not adjusted to a spectrum you may like. Look at their main displays.

If you want to see mine its here
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/r...nd-t5-installation-testing-and-review.292314/

 

[MaiReef]

LEDs shimmer. Try removing the lenses on the LEDs from the black box. It will change quite a bit. Kessils and AI Prime/Hydras and Halos still are LEDs, but are more programmable so colors can be changed dramatically. They all look different, but none look like T5s. I particularly like the shimmer, but many do not.
I have used different settings on mine and I personally like them better than black boxes, but the quality of my Aquatic Life XS-UVs are far superior. As far as coralline algae. My tank is covered. Many go with a T5 / LED combo and get fantastic results. It really is opinion based. I particularly like LEDs because I don't like the expense of replacing bulbs, but if money was not a factor I would do a Hybrid T5 /LED setup as I think it looks the best. Not sure if this helps, but I have a few pictures of my tank in the thread below for LED reference. They are all taken with a phone camera so the colors are not as real life. The second to last photo is the closest because the last is a duplicate that sneaked in there.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/maireef-100g.292924/#post-3587601

 

[Zack K]

I prefer LED. That is just me. By what I have seen in LEDs is the cheap black boxes give a disco and the super fancy ones (Radions, Hydras,Primes) all have a TON of control and beautiful spectrum. If you are willing to spend the money it will be rewarding. Also the fact that the bulbs do not need replacing every 6mo to a yr. With them being "Too bright" you can turn down the brightness. Corals do NOT need 100% White and 100% blues to grow. Any other questions feel free to shout[emoji1360] Lots of good guys here.

**Edit** No disco effects on the Higher quality lights

 

[Sycoticrealm]

Thank you MaiReef! Tbh I like the shimmering effect I was wondering if you still had to t5 supplement to get nice coralline growth. My pervious tanks seem to take off quickly with t5's rock would turn green then purple spots would start but that was with live rock from the start I'm doing the cure my own rock thing this time to prevent any unwanted creatures/pest hopefully lol.
So does anyone else notice the glare/haze/fog I'm describing off the rocks with LED's in general or could that just be the black box LED's I had issue?

 

[Sycoticrealm]

Jason2459 I never said T5 was what I preferred I'm still determining that I said I used them only in my pervious tanks.
And I notice LED's are taking over before you could buy a good t5 fixture for a good price $200 give or take range 36" x4 or x6 fixture.
Now all I can find is $400 plus fixtures.
I really don't like the idea that LED's could bleach out any of my corals and it kind of moving me away from LED's.
But I'm not completely swayed way from them.
But on the other hand I want LED's to satisfy me because it always nice to save $$$ on bulb replacement's so you can use it somewhere else. IE more corals new tank build [emoji23] [emoji13] [emoji39]

 

[Sycoticrealm]

I prefer LED. That is just me. By what I have seen in LEDs is the cheap black boxes give a disco and the super fancy ones (Radions, Hydras,Primes) all have a TON of control and beautiful spectrum. If you are willing to spend the money it will be rewarding. Also the fact that the bulbs do not need replacing every 6mo to a yr. With them being "Too bright" you can turn down the brightness. Corals do NOT need 100% White and 100% blues to grow. Any other questions feel free to shout[emoji1360] Lots of good guys here.

**Edit** No disco effects on the Higher quality lights

At %1 both the glare was there still it just hurts my eyes too look at it.
It was the Vipar Spectrum LEDs on amazon.

 

[Zack K]

At %1 both the glare was there still it just hurts my eyes too look at it.
It was the Vipar Spectrum LEDs on amazon.

With that being said, if you are willing to drop a few bucks it is sounding like you would really be happy with a T5 LED combo. The T5 will dampen the brightness that you are seeing off the LED but you will still have a LED color pop. I think their are a few threads here talking about the Mixture. Also, how high are your LEDs off the water? Are your eyes hurting when looking inside your tank or the light coming off the top of the tank?

 

[Sycoticrealm]

With that being said, if you are willing to drop a few bucks it is sounding like you would really be happy with a T5 LED combo. The T5 will dampen the brightness that you are seeing off the LED but you will still have a LED color pop. I think their are a few threads here talking about the Mixture. Also, how high are your LEDs off the water? Are your eyes hurting when looking inside your tank or the light coming off the top of the tank?

I've tried all recommended heights and up and down between %30 max both to many different variation.
Nothing seemed to look right.
My next question would be could a bacteria bloom from a new tank be the reason for that haze or blur off the rocks? This is a fish with live rock tank for now until I figure out lighting.
It been a few years since I left the hobby I'm trying to reeducate myself on things again is all.

 

[MaiReef]

Are your eyes hurting when looking inside your tank or the light coming off the top of the tank?

For this I actually velcroed a black ribbon from a hobby store to the front of the light so when I look at the tank I just see the tank lit and not the lights above. Usually and inch or two works well and doesn't block the tank. Or of course a cabinet top.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

My next question would be could a bacteria bloom from a new tank be the reason for that haze or blur off the rocks?

yes.
you can test this by turning off the light ansd shining a flashlight from the side or back. it will "backlight" particles and make them easy to see. Most all led lights do have a characteristic "look", your correct.

A lens is typically 40 to 90 degrees. no lens is 180. Make a V with your thumb and index finger.

The visual quality of the light is from the lenses used to create enough power to reach a deep tank from a long distance. Its a one size fits all problem. You can use two of those to light a 48x60 frag tank. the higher you go you more mixing and less disco OR like myself and other I pulled the lenses mounted them lower and then adjusted the intensity with a meter to compensate and still have enough power to grow anything.
http://www.viparspectra.com/goods.php?id=62 specs.

As far as coralline goes, the common purple seems to prefer par ranges in the 0 to 250 par range. If you look at the specs that light can pretty much destroy that number. A 4 bulb t5 is probably half the power.
So a meter is good thing to have. A par meter or a lux meter.
And yes there is some theory that led (price) don't contain the best spectrum too.

 

[Sycoticrealm]

yes.
you can test this by turning off the light ansd shining a flashlight from the side or back. it will "backlight" particles and make them easy to see. Most all led lights do have a characteristic "look", your correct.

A lens is typically 40 to 90 degrees. no lens is 180. Make a V with your thumb and index finger.

The visual quality of the light is from the lenses used to create enough power to reach a deep tank from a long distance. Its a one size fits all problem. You can use two of those to light a 48x60 frag tank. the higher you go you more mixing and less disco OR like myself and other I pulled the lenses mounted them lower and then adjusted the intensity with a meter to compensate and still have enough power to grow anything.
http://www.viparspectra.com/goods.php?id=62 specs.

As far as coralline goes, the common purple seems to prefer par ranges in the 0 to 250 par range. If you look at the specs that light can pretty much destroy that number. A 4 bulb t5 is probably half the power.
So a meter is good thing to have. A par meter or a lux meter.
And yes there is some theory that led (price) don't contain the best spectrum too.

Just got a skimmer and it breaking in so hopefully when it starts pulling I can compare and know for sure thanks for your replies I got a idea what imma do next now.