Are LED Strips the New T5 Bulb? BRStv Investigates Reef Brite LumiLite LED Strips

[randyBRS]

The conversation thickens with our first of three BRStv Investigates covering the Reef Brite LED Strips.

This week we're talking the lower cost option of the three, the Reef Brite LumilLite LEDs and how they wound up performing BETTER than T5s!

 

[Yevoc]

So and i think this maybe be a good video for the BRS Investigates series.

General consensus in most circles early on was that cheaper LED fixtures featuring only blue and white LEDs had issues with washing out coral colors in the long term. Not that it didn't pop on day 1 but that you lose the pop and color 6 months in.

@randyBRS I happened to watch just about every video in the lighting series (good job BTW) but you even made mention of this in the Red Sea ReefLED video.

You guys have had a pretty substantial opinion shift here in the Reef Brites. With Ryan even including them in the upcoming build. AKA the platinum standard.

It would be interesting to get a box of neon from WWC and split the frags between a system that shared water but split lighting between the Radeon's that WWC use and a Reef Brite set up and see where the color is in 6 months.

 

[Scorpius]

Good marketing. Reef Brite is now out of stock on your website.

 

[Travis Warren]

I added 1 reefbrite to my T5/AI 52 hydra combo. This was because of BRS program above and also because Jason Fox stated in one of his seminars that he uses Reefbrite on all of his tanks. Hopefully in 6 months, it does not change.

 

[minus9]

You should seriously consider the Orphek bars too. I use them with my Kessil's and it's a great combo.

 

[Travis Warren]

You should seriously consider the Orphek bars too. I use them with my Kessil's and it's a great combo.

I think i got it covered. I love the look and addition of the Reefbrite. No more lights, got great coverage now. Thanks and if I get ready to change will definitely look at Orphek.

 

[minus9]

I think i got it covered. I love the look and addition of the Reefbrite. No more lights, got great coverage now. Thanks and if I get ready to change will definitely look at Orphek.

Nice! It was more of a suggestion to BRS directly, guess I should've did the whole quote thing?
@Travis Warren your tank looks great with that combo!

 

[Biff0rz]

I wish you guys tested more than 2" off the water. Yea I know you test the pro's @ 9", but those cost more.

 

[Tuffyyyyy]

The answer to the title of this question is yes. LED bar supplement >>>>>>>>>>>>> T5 hybrid.

 

[Ef4life]

I watched the video earlier, I’m looking forward to the pro tests coming next week.

I really hope to see the 8” bars tested. I have a cheap petco 5.5g pico tank that those might work good on.

 

[spschiebel]

I think using separate LED solutions for fill lighting and "spot" lighting would be great, but we need more industry solutions for mounting these. I do not like the looks of a hood over my tank, so for me it will be the T5 hybrid until other options become available.

 

[MJ in Boise]

What is the input power per 24" strip at 100%? Doesn't say on either the BRS site or the reef brite site.

 

[ingchr1]

Looking forward to the video on the XHO. I have an actinic on my 4-bulb Sunpower, and the thought has crossed my mind on what just having XHOs could do. For my tank I would probably just need three, two actinic and a 50/50. In the evening I run the XHO alone at 100%, and the pop/colors are really good. Much better than I was able to ever achieve with the multi-channel LED fixture that used to have.

 

[randyBRS]

Good marketing. Reef Brite is now out of stock on your website.

To be fair, there were only less than a handful of them to begin with. But...we are expecting more very soon.

 

[randyBRS]

So and i think this maybe be a good video for the BRS Investigates series.
General consensus in most circles early on was that cheaper LED fixtures featuring only blue and white LEDs had issues with washing out coral colors in the long term. Not that it didn't pop on day 1 but that you lose the pop and color 6 months in.
@randyBRS I happened to watch just about every video in the lighting series (good job BTW) but you even made mention of this in the Red Sea ReefLED video.
You guys have had a pretty substantial opinion shift here in the Reef Brites. With Ryan even including them in the upcoming build. AKA the platinum standard.
It would be interesting to get a box of neon from WWC and split the frags between a system that shared water but split lighting between the Radeon's that WWC use and a Reef Brite set up and see where the color is in 6 months.

True, we really can only speculate as to color morphs or changes that can come from the wide range of available spectrum from any given light. This is actually something that we hope to explore in the future. I think there's no doubt that thus far that the ReefLEDs are capable of growing corals. In that same breath I also don't think there's any doubt that Reef Brites on their own will also grow corals.

That said, I don't think there is a general consensus that ATI T5 Blue Plus bulb spectrum creates the most stunning coral colors and color morphs and comparing the spectrum of the B+ bulb to other lights we test is less of a comparison for what coral colors they will produce and more geared towards having some sort of standard that has been historically proven to grow corals.

I think that unless you mimic a very similar lighting setup and settings of where you purchase your corals from, to some degree there will be color changes in your corals. Maybe some more dramatic than others. This is for sure one area where we have SO much more to learn and experiment with! Actually it's pretty exciting to think about.

 

[randyBRS]

I wish you guys tested more than 2" off the water. Yea I know you test the pro's @ 9", but those cost more.

To be honest, that 2"inch mounting height is what allows the LumiLites to hit those SPS dominated PAR numbers with them set to 100%. I would suspect that, just like T5 fixtures that don't dim, raising the fixture would simply reduce PAR. (specifically PAR reductions due to higher percent of light spilling out of the tank.

The challenge here with the LumiLite standards was testing them with mounting options currently available to the reefing community. Right now the included mounting legs are all we have, but certainly there's DIY options out there that allow you to bring them off the top of the water.

 

[Miller535]

Reef brites have been used in this way for a very long time, and by a lot of well known reefers like Mark Levinson. Its a little surprising that brs is just now finding out about this especially when they sell the lights.

 

[Mono]

HEY BRS Investigates team, Of course you've guys have put together the best lighting series ever. Where were you ten years ago when I started out!?

That said, Where's your Kill-a-Watt? Why not give us a Watt/Amp reading at the suggested setting for each light. I think it would a pretty interesting piece of information and pretty easy to do.

Just a suggestion of things we'd like to see for 2021!

 

[thefez510]

hey guys i know im late here but i was wondering can i have a 50/50 and a actinic lumilite 24 inches for a 20 gallon tall tank for mostly softies and lps maybe even an easy sps like montipora my tank dimension is 24" x 12" x 16" thanks guys

 

[Ef4life]

To be honest, that 2"inch mounting height is what allows the LumiLites to hit those SPS dominated PAR numbers with them set to 100%. I would suspect that, just like T5 fixtures that don't dim, raising the fixture would simply reduce PAR. (specifically PAR reductions due to higher percent of light spilling out of the tank.

The challenge here with the LumiLite standards was testing them with mounting options currently available to the reefing community. Right now the included mounting legs are all we have, but certainly there's DIY options out there that allow you to bring them off the top of the water.

I have 2 12” lumi lites on my biocube. I had to do a diy mounting option to attach them to the sunpod metal halide. I absolutely love the extra color they give the tank. Still mounted fairly close to the water, I’d say 3-4” above the surface

very simple and cheap - thin 1” aluminum angle.