What Lights Do You Use?

Masterpiece Corals · Aug 29, 2013

Hey guys, I know most of you have some pretty amazing and prospering tanks. I'm upgrading tanks soon and just wondering what you'd use for an SPS and LPS dominant tank. It would be awsome if you could maybe just say what you use and what you think I should use! Thanks guys. :bigsmile:

cpsbooks · Aug 29, 2013

Man, this could spark quite the debate! I personally favor a combination of T-5s for optimal colors and even light spread and supplemental LEDs for that cool shimmer effect.

dwilliams87 · Aug 29, 2013

cpsbooks said:
Man, this could spark quite the debate! I personally favor a combination of T-5s for optimal colors and even light spread and supplemental LEDs for that cool shimmer effect.

+1. I have built 4 led setups and then best color and growth was the T5 Led Combo

Palting · Aug 29, 2013

I have a 27" tall tank and wanted and SPS dominated tank, and that somewhat limited my choices. T5's were considered good only up to 24 " for SPS, LED's are hyped quite a bit but IMO still unproven, and DE MH were the only ones proven to penetrate that water height. So, I have a fixture with DE MH 150W 10K for the main light source with actinic T5's for color balance, and moonlights for what I have no idea LOL!. Very happy with m choice, as I can grow SPS almost up to the substrate, and have clams sitting on the substrate, and all doing well and growing.

trido · Aug 29, 2013

Im having great results with a DIY LED fixture over my 30" deep SPS tank.

mike007 · Aug 29, 2013

Leds all the way.

bct15 · Aug 29, 2013

Sps dominated tank go with metal halides, lps dominated go with whatever you want.

I use 250w mh.

nater · Aug 29, 2013

first off , what size tank are you going with? i am a halide guy at heart , but went with ecotech radion pro's on my new 200gal deep dimension 48x36x27 and so far i must say i am pretty impressed. i am growing and coloring up frags on the sand. so as far as led goes, they work. i had two 250watt se halide with vho acentic on my old 220 72 x 30 x 24 and i will say that i did love them. after seeing led first hand now i can tell you they grow and color sps just fine. my tank is 97% sps right now and i am going to give the led a true shot. i will say that you won't regret the no heat and high electric cost if your going with a bigger tank.

jaa1456 · Aug 30, 2013

I went back to MH/T5 combo. They seem to give the best growth and color. I had AI Sols, AI Vegas, Radions and razors. I got rid of all of them and went back to the tried and true system. I run 4 T5's and 2 150 DE MH over a standard 120. My other tanks are smaller and have a mix and match of T5 and MH. Any LEDs I have left happen to be 4 moonlights on my 120, which I don't even run.

bucksfan1976 · Aug 30, 2013

I had been using LEDs for about two years. I went back to halide and t5 to give it a try again. I was amazed by how much of a algea bloom it caused. I mean algea everywhere. So I went back to LEDs and I have a Reef Breeders Photon 48

Reefing Madness · Aug 30, 2013

250w Halides 15 or 20k

jonny · Aug 30, 2013

2x 250watt 14k phoenix MH..considering getting supplemental LED for actinics only..

stylaster · Aug 30, 2013

Running four ecotech radion gen1 with tir lens and a kessil 350w tuna blue over a 312 gallon sps dominated system

ak_reefer · Aug 30, 2013

I run 120watt Helios LEDs over both my tanks they are both mixed reefs. I use to run Halide over one and T5's over the other.

Sent from the great beyond via Tapatalk 2.5!!

Shadow1 · Aug 30, 2013

Radion Gen2 LEDs with t5 supplemental on a 300DD 72x36x27 SPS dominate added the t5,s and colors popped.

DSP · Aug 30, 2013

Leds debating going back to halides right now.Been happy with the sol blue but Halides are king

3dpilot · Aug 30, 2013

Had Kessil 360w and had decent growth with my sps, replaced with the Ocean Revive Arctic S026 and growth rate seemed to have doubled!! Im sure it was due to the coverage, kessil being a single point source didn't give me a whole lot of it, color looks good on both the kessil and the S026. HTH