How Do You Get Lighting Right The First Time?

[56longroof]

I didn’t think anyone was using Halides and T5 anymore. I used exactly that when I got out of the hobby 7 years ago. I really liked that set up except for the heat, though I do have a chiller. I haven’t bought anything for my reef in 2 days so maybe it’s time for new lights…

I run a cheap hang on fan. It works surprisingly well. With 2x250 watt halides and 4-54 watt T5's I never see tank temps over 80°. And that's only when the windows are open with the temps at 80 outside.

 

[MasterClassReefs]

Good quastion! But to many variables in my opinion, but if you have to stick to the light throughout tanks life, I'd imagine you need to get stronger light incase you decide to go full sps in future. But you not going to use this same answer for someone who is for sure will decide that he will stick to fish only or softies tank.
But im following along, as im curious as someone who switched lights 3 times over 9 years and thinking of switching again....

When a question has a lot of variables and a lot of ways to be right or wrong, I’ve found the best way to get to a solid answer is to rephrase the question.

So here it is...

“Your wicked smart grandma just set up a tank. She calls and asks, how do I get these lights right the first time? Get it right and I’ll double your inheritance.”

What do you say? :)

Plan for the inhabitants needs you will keep. Deep water species more blue light. Shallow water? More full spectrum or white light mixed in with higher par values similar to conditions in nature. Plan ahead for growth and shading as it can help save you headaches down the road. Leds can be tuned to whatever intensity and nearly any spectrum you desire. No two tanks will ever be the same and there is no silver bullet option to magically make everything thrive. These are animals from very specific niches of nature and certain requirements to thrive. Cryptic species may not even be photosynthetic at all and then its what looks nice without farming algae? Same can be said for plants, what works for one fries another. Different niche, different needs.

 

[rtparty]

Halides with T5 supplementation. Problem solved.

While great, you’ve introduced a multitude of new problems. Just finding decent halide and T5 equipment is a major struggle for those knowing what they need let alone someone brand new.

There is also no halide/T5 combo for 20g tanks and the majority of new reefers are certainly starting with nanos.

If MH/T5 is the future of the hobby, we’re screwed because both are dead technologies.

 

[tzabor10]

Since 2011 I had a cheap Petco light setup. Mushrooms were amazing.
Now that my business has grown, I went with the “Randy’s SPS bundle “ from BRS. I still don’t know who Randy is, but it has been amazing. 2 Reefbrite XHO and two Kessil Tuna blues. I have since expanded to 4 of each on both my tanks. Love the shimmer and coverage.
Thanks Ryan! See you at RAPNY?

 

[56longroof]

While great, you’ve introduced a multitude of new problems. Just finding decent halide and T5 equipment is a major struggle for those knowing what they need let alone someone brand new.

There is also no halide/T5 combo for 20g tanks and the majority of new reefers are certainly starting with nanos.

If MH/T5 is the future of the hobby, we’re screwed because both are dead technologies.

My comment was mostly tongue in cheek. But,I love all the LED fan boys pounding their chest telling everyone how superior LED lighting is. Especially when Im getting as good and most cases better results from the "dead technology " as you called it. And there are 24" halide/T5 lights available or if you are so inclined Reefbrite makes a 15" halide/LED light.

 

[Nor'easter Reefer]

I'm yet to do anything right the first time. So.... ask me, and do the opposite

 

[rtparty]

My comment was mostly tongue in cheek. But,I love all the LED fan boys pounding their chest telling everyone how superior LED lighting is. Especially when Im getting as good and most cases better results from the "dead technology " as you called it. And there are 24" halide/T5 lights available or if you are so inclined Reefbrite makes a 15" halide/LED light.

LED being superior or inferior is irrelevant. It is the choice for 99% of tanks and likely 99.9% of all new reefers.

Halides and T5 are dead. This isn't an opinion. Many retailers are no longer ordering or bringing T5s in. Only a couple are carrying good halide bulbs. None carry good halide reflectors or ballasts. Reef Brite stuff is mediocre at best and would never compete with the good stuff of the past. My Giesemann Spectra with M80 ballasts (can't get any longer) and Radium bulbs blows anything Reef Brite away.

 

[Reefering1]

 

[Spot On]

Went through a couple of different setups being thrifty and somewhat new to the hobby. Started with current usa lights on the 180 until i got some corals. Put red sea 50's over the 125...works great. Went to t5's on the 180. Needed more blue so added some inexpensive navareef 135's and corals are loving them. Will stay with the t5's and nicrews until i hit the lottery

 

[Nor'easter Reefer]

Went through a couple of different setups being thrifty and somewhat new to the hobby. Started with current usa lights on the 180 until i got some corals. Put red sea 50's over the 125...works great. Went to t5's on the 180. Needed more blue so added some inexpensive navareef 135's and corals are loving them. Will stay with the t5's and nicrews until i hit the lottery

I'm running a t5 hybrid with 2 nicrew hyperreefs and a ai hydra and it works great.

 

[Spot On]

Went through a couple of different setups being thrifty and somewhat new to the hobby. Started with current usa lights on the 180 until i got some corals. Put red sea 50's over the 125...works great. Went to t5's on the 180. Needed more blue so added some inexpensive navareef 135's and corals are loving them. Will stay with the t5's and nicrews until i hit the lottery

I'm running a t5 hybrid with 2 nicrew hyperreefs and a ai hydra and it works great.

Yeah...im digging the navareefs...working better then the red seas

 

[Nor'easter Reefer]

Yeah...im digging the navareefs...working better then the red seas

I swapped up from viparspectra so a vast improvement. Nicrew seems to make a decent budget light.

 

[mcarroll]

You know that’s exactly what I did and I’ve the same question nonetheless. How bright and what spectrum. I can frame the requirements a bit more: I have a Red Sea 170 43 gallon AIO, Red Sea LED 90.

Look at the manual for the BioCube light:
https://www.coralifeproducts.com/instructions-set-up
Now look at the manual for the Reef LED:
https://g1.redseafish.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/7029_ReefLED-Manual_EN_-v19A.pdf
The ReefLED is a custom light more or less like the rest...it may or may not be balanced for proper use "out of the box", it needs to be connected to your WiFI, requires an app, requires an online service, etc. Nice light, but not uncomplicated.

The Bio-Cube lights (and similar) are uncomplicated.

 

[MasterClassReefs]

While great, you’ve introduced a multitude of new problems. Just finding decent halide and T5 equipment is a major struggle for those knowing what they need let alone someone brand new.

There is also no halide/T5 combo for 20g tanks and the majority of new reefers are certainly starting with nanos.

If MH/T5 is the future of the hobby, we’re screwed because both are dead technologies.

My comment was mostly tongue in cheek. But,I love all the LED fan boys pounding their chest telling everyone how superior LED lighting is. Especially when Im getting as good and most cases better results from the "dead technology " as you called it. And there are 24" halide/T5 lights available or if you are so inclined Reefbrite makes a 15" halide/LED light.

I imported T5s for my new build. They will have to be pried from my cold dead hands.

 

[Ryan - Serious Reefs]

My comment was mostly tongue in cheek. But,I love all the LED fan boys pounding their chest telling everyone how superior LED lighting is. Especially when Im getting as good and most cases better results from the "dead technology " as you called it. And there are 24" halide/T5 lights available or if you are so inclined Reefbrite makes a 15" halide/LED light.

I am a T5 fan boy, I'd still use them today. From a coral biology perspective they will outperform a vast majority of LED installations at a fraction of the cost and none of the effort. However they are absolutely dead tech that only dinosaurs like me want to use :)

Part of giving council means considering what's relevant to the person asking.

 

[rtparty]

I imported T5s for my new build. They will have to be pried from my cold dead hands.

Cool story

 

[sjfishguy]

MH are the best but like others have said, getting harder and harder to use them. So for LEDs, a common error I see across this forum is people pick a light for xyz reason without thinking of where all the power is in the fixture. I like blue so I will just turn down the white or vise versa. Well if all the power of that fixture is in the white spectrum chips, you are gonna have lot of problems running it blue. Most LEDs these days can grow most corals, SPS are little more demanding obviously

 

[gkprevite]

I am a T5 fan boy, I'd still use them today. From a coral biology perspective they will outperform a vast majority of LED installations at a fraction of the cost and none of the effort. However they are absolutely dead tech that only dinosaurs like me want to use :)

Part of giving council means considering what's relevant to the person asking.

Me too man. T5’s all the way! The perfect reef light

 

[MasterClassReefs]

My comment was mostly tongue in cheek. But,I love all the LED fan boys pounding their chest telling everyone how superior LED lighting is. Especially when Im getting as good and most cases better results from the "dead technology " as you called it. And there are 24" halide/T5 lights available or if you are so inclined Reefbrite makes a 15" halide/LED light.

I am a T5 fan boy, I'd still use them today. From a coral biology perspective they will outperform a vast majority of LED installations at a fraction of the cost and none of the effort. However they are absolutely dead tech that only dinosaurs like me want to use :)

Part of giving council means considering what's relevant to the person asking.

I had to. Im right there with you man.

 

[MasterClassReefs]

I imported T5s for my new build. They will have to be pried from my cold dead hands.

Cool story