Closest LED bar to T5

[Charley75]

Looks like the top contenders are Orphek and Quanta Pro…specifically looking at the Orphek Blue Plus and the Quanta Pro Meso Blue. Which one comes closest to replicating a T5 Blue Plus bulb?

 

[blaxsun]

My vote is Orphek.

 

[Miami Reef]

My vote is T5. ;)

 

[minus9]

Quanta Pro all the way! I was using Orpheks, which I really liked, but learned about Quanta’s. So I bought three 3’ meso blue bars and these things are legit! I was using two 3’ xho’s and three 2’ OR2 blue plus bars over my temp/holding tank. Just two meso blue bars replaced the xho’s and Orpheks. The amount of spread, spectrum and punch is incredible. The Orpheks are nice, but they are not the best at spread or spectrum blending. You can see the separation in the water, but the Quantas are so well blended that you just have a very well blended light with plenty of punch.

Two 3’ bars are covering a 48x29 area pretty well. Of course two 4’ would cover this perfectly, but these bars are meant for my main display.

Here’s a mock-up of my display (36x36x16). Sensor is 27” away from the lights and the outside bars are pointing straight down (when mounted, they’ll be angled in slightly). No filter pic. Luca has done his homework and created some really nice bars here. @Lousybreed

 

[Big E]

None of those bars are a replacement for a blue+ bulb. The blue+ bulb gives you a lot of blue for the corals but will not give you the overbearing blue color. The bars are nice blue/purple type supplement bars but if you want the look or spectral range of a ATI blue plus............not even close.

If you want that same visual look or spectrum you may be able to combine with one of these companies full spectrum bars if they mix well enough from bar to bar.

I couldn't locate Orphek blue plus chart but I believe it has a shift to violet/blue more so than the Sky.

 

[Charley75]

They would be paired with a Reef Brite XHO blue . Not sure if that matters. Recently I was just running 2 T5s and the Reef Brite, but the T5 ballast dies (at least I think that’s what happened). I jumped on a really good deal and picked up 2 of the XHO 50/50s . Way to white and now getting a lot of algae…assuming from the white, and other factors of course. Looking at options. BRS has the Orphek Blue Plus 36” open box for like just over 150 each. The Quanta Pros are like 160 new…..or there is a local guy selling a 4 bulb ATI fixture with 3 Blue + and 1 coral +, and a Reef Brite XHO blue. Could snag that and run that and attach an XHO on each side. Of course then I’m looking at cost of replacing bulbs again.

 

[minus9]

They would be paired with a Reef Brite XHO blue . Not sure if that matters. Recently I was just running 2 T5s and the Reef Brite, but the T5 ballast dies (at least I think that’s what happened). I jumped on a really good deal and picked up 2 of the XHO 50/50s . Way to white and now getting a lot of algae…assuming from the white, and other factors of course. Looking at options. BRS has the Orphek Blue Plus 36” open box for like just over 150 each. The Quanta Pros are like 160 new…..or there is a local guy selling a 4 bulb ATI fixture with 3 Blue + and 1 coral +, and a Reef Brite XHO blue. Could snag that and run that and attach an XHO on each side. Of course then I’m looking at cost of replacing bulbs again.

I own all three of these bars, Orphek, xho and quanta and replaced the Orpheks and xho’s with the quantas. You can easily light a reef with just the different quanta bars and not look back. The quanta outperformed the Orphek and xho combined. Xho’s are good at spread, but don’t have any intensity and for what they are, they’re way overpriced. The Orpheks have to be mounted higher to even out the spectrum blending, which comes at a cost of intensity. The quantas solve both of those issues/problems. This is my real world experience with all three bars.

 

[Charley75]

I own all three of these bars, Orphek, xho and quanta and replaced the Orpheks and xho’s with the quantas. You can easily light a reef with just the different quanta bars and not look back. The quanta outperformed the Orphek and xho combined. Xho’s are good at spread, but don’t have any intensity and for what they are, they’re way overpriced. The Orpheks have to be mounted higher to even out the spectrum blending, which comes at a cost of intensity. The quantas solve both of those issues/problems. This is my real world experience with all three bars.

So what is the Min. mounting height for the Quantas? Just curious as I do run. Full canopy and have a limited mounting height. TY.

 

[minus9]

So what is the Min. mounting height for the Quantas? Just curious as I do run. Full canopy and have a limited mounting height. TY.

I think you can mount them fairly close, you'll just get more punch out of them. The Orpheks need to be mounted 10" or higher to even out the spectrum blending, but if you have a deep tank, then a little closer works (but not really). Orpheks use 90 degree lenses, Quanta bars use 120 lenses, so you can mount them a lot closer. Usually, 120 means that the intensity is lower, but that's not the case with these bars. Quanta's have more diodes per bar length than Orpheks (or the cheaper alternatives).

 

[Charley75]

So I guess the question comes down to does the quanta pro bars work as well as T5s or not?

 

[minus9]

So I guess the question comes down to does the quanta pro bars work as well as T5s or not?

So far they’re doing the job for me. I wouldn’t hesitate to run these on their own paired with a Quanta daylight bar or two.

 

[Acroporaguy]

So I guess the question comes down to does the quanta pro bars work as well as T5s or not?

I believe T5 is significantly better than LED bars. Data talk is cool and all, but it really comes down to results. The nicest store I have ever seen in terms of acro health and colour uses T5 as a primary lighting source. The owner actually told me he doesn't like LEDs.

 

[Spare time]

Looks like the top contenders are Orphek and Quanta Pro…specifically looking at the Orphek Blue Plus and the Quanta Pro Meso Blue. Which one comes closest to replicating a T5 Blue Plus bulb?

Depends. Do you mean visual appearence in the tank or spectrum?

 

[Smite]

So I guess the question comes down to does the quanta pro bars work as well as T5s or not?

Tough one to answer.

I run an old powermodule ATI - all t5, 10 lamp. I'm currently supplementing with kessils but miss the blue's my radions had. For that reason I ordered 2 quanta OG Pop bars. They'll be mounted on both sides of my ATI fixture, replacing the kessils. I believe the 10 lamp PM is close to 22" wide? I run a very white spectrum with my fixture about 10" above tank. Once I get them mounted I'll run all 10 lamps with the OG pop on and take a picture from the side. I think how well it mixes in with the different spectrum lamps will tell me how well they'll actually replicate a t5's spread/blending. I run some tropic 6500k lamps so it should be pretty easy to see. If I see what I like I'll be replacing my PM with all Quantas next bulb change.

Ill update here once I get them mounted.

 

[minus9]

I believe T5 is significantly better than LED bars. Data talk is cool and all, but it really comes down to results. The nicest store I have ever seen in terms of acro health and colour uses T5 as a primary lighting source. The owner actually told me he doesn't like LED for acros.

I love T5’s for their ability to light the entire tank, but I think you would be surprised by the Quanta bars. I’m rocking them with my 14k hammies and they’re great!

 

[Big E]

They would be paired with a Reef Brite XHO blue . Not sure if that matters. Recently I was just running 2 T5s and the Reef Brite, but the T5 ballast dies (at least I think that’s what happened). I jumped on a really good deal and picked up 2 of the XHO 50/50s . Way to white and now getting a lot of algae…assuming from the white, and other factors of course. Looking at options. BRS has the Orphek Blue Plus 36” open box for like just over 150 each. The Quanta Pros are like 160 new…..or there is a local guy selling a 4 bulb ATI fixture with 3 Blue + and 1 coral +, and a Reef Brite XHO blue. Could snag that and run that and attach an XHO on each side. Of course then I’m looking at cost of replacing bulbs again.

Well you know T5 with some blue supplements regardless of brand, is a proven method.

All the other options are being a guinea pig. XHO 50/50 is going back to the future.......you need at least some 400-420 out of those bars if you're looking for substituting led bars for T5..............this is why the Quanta bars and the Orpheks are more attractive.

All the brands can work well as supplemental lighting but whether they can work on their own as a bank of bars is something I'm not willing to experiement or gamble with at this point. I'd prefer to let someone else take that plunge.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

T5 or bust

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Leds will provide shimmer though...

 

[Bpb]

So far they’re doing the job for me. I wouldn’t hesitate to run these on their own paired with a Quanta daylight bar or two.

I just wish the quanta bars had IR diodes like the Orpheks do.

 

[Charley75]

Visual appearance and coral growth
Opt 1: XHO blue
2 quanta pro meso blues
With or without 2 XHO 50/50s???
Opt 2: if the deal is Still available, grab a 4 bulb ATI with another blue XHO and run that with the XHOs bolted to each side of the T5 fixture.

any thoughts / opinions?
BTW…standard 90 gal mixed reef. No acros though at the moment