HALIDES vs LEDs vs T5s: SPS PICTURES ONLY!

Centerline

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Leds with T5s, leds alone, MH alone, MH’s with leds, T5s alone...have done them all.
MH’s with Leds have given me the best results. Here are pics of my tanks throughout the years. Cheers

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Love the way that tank looks.
 

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I used just cheep reefbreeders value black boxes at 1st then AI hydras 26s.

For feeding I use various size appropriate foods. Baby brine shimp is the most studied and cheapest option to drastically enhance growth. BRS reef chilli was also featured in a study and statically enhanced growth. I also feed small size golden pearls.
Ever tried the de-capsulated eggs?
 

Centerline

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If you look in my signature I won the acro growout contest here on reef2reef with LEDs and It was open to all lighting types. So plenty fast. Although that being said i have found lighting is a minor when comes to growth with feeding being the real key.

Ime thin branches are from flow not light.


Edit. Added couple contest pics for anyone who can't see link.

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You know LEDs don't work, right?
 

Bpb

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You know LEDs don't work, right?

I’ve been so tempted to give LEDs another go. Evidence is overwhelmingly obvious that they get the job done. But my last attempt was such a painful crash and burn its hard to fix what isn’t broken. T5ho is just so easy to use.
 

Christopher Davis

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90 dollar homedepot T5HO fixture that’s been running for 2 1/2 years with ATI bulbs, also running a single kessil 160 tuna blue 10 inches off the water peaking at 90% intensity! Love love love it! And it really all is in the water chemistry! Adding a doser changed my life!
Snuck in a few anemones!

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Centerline

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I’ve been so tempted to give LEDs another go. Evidence is overwhelmingly obvious that they get the job done. But my last attempt was such a painful crash and burn its hard to fix what isn’t broken. T5ho is just so easy to use.
I absolutely feel your pain. I CLOBBERED a perfectly healthy SPS tank early on and have been very cautious. I own Radion G4 Pros and Hydra 52 HDs and have had some amazing growth from "test subjects" but I'm loth to give up my MH or T5s. Just scored some diffusers for the G4 Pros and I'm hopeful Ill get great results with no weirdness. I really believe that the problem many people run into with LEDs starts with a lack of a good par meter that can deal with LEDs and hot spots from the LEDs / lenses. I go by WWC all of the time and I can tell you they are having amazing results with them. But they are not a foot over the tank like many common fixtures. They are at least a couple of feet up - better distribution I assume.
 

srad750c

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I absolutely feel your pain. I CLOBBERED a perfectly healthy SPS tank early on and have been very cautious. I own Radion G4 Pros and Hydra 52 HDs and have had some amazing growth from "test subjects" but I'm loth to give up my MH or T5s. Just scored some diffusers for the G4 Pros and I'm hopeful Ill get great results with no weirdness. I really believe that the problem many people run into with LEDs starts with a lack of a good par meter that can deal with LEDs and hot spots from the LEDs / lenses. I go by WWC all of the time and I can tell you they are having amazing results with them. But they are not a foot over the tank like many common fixtures. They are at least a couple of feet up - better distribution I assume.

I had the same experience with Kessils, I burned a number SPS until I figured out how strong they were. I have since learned not to exceed 65% intensity on my tank even though they’re 12” from water on 24” deep tank. I start everything at bottom and on outer edges of lit area. And move up gradually.
 
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A. grandis

A. grandis

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Very nice pictures, everyone! Thanks for sharing!
I've been very busy but coming here to check 'em out once a day. I'm enjoying very much this thread!
Gotta love Acros!! Thanks again everyone for being part of this. Please feel free to post as many images as you want. Party time!
This thread is to bring us all together no matter how different is the taste for lights we have. Please keep 'em coming!!!
Aloha,
Grandis.
 

hart24601

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Ever tried the de-capsulated eggs?

I used decapped eggs to hatch BBS so I'm sure unhatched eggs get fed. along with ocean nutrition instant brine shimp and docs brew but really BBS is wher it's at for acros. Monti could use a bit smaller like reef chilli and golden pearls small size.

One nice thing with goose necks or rail kits of various mounts is if you're that worried about shading, just slide the lights around every week or two. Generally takes about 30 seconds. Of course harder if have them fixed mount.
 

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