Is T5 still one of the best choices in reef lighting.

[cilyjr]

It's the density of the coverage that makes the difference. I don't think you will find many guys with actual experience who will tell you that 3-xr30 will outgrow a 60" 8 bulb t5 fixture. Just like T5 won't make the color fluoresce like the led will.

I agree with this. You could put pretty much anything directly under an led and have success. My problem with LED is they are practically a laser (I joke, to emphasize the point) even with the wider angle lenses being used on newer fixtures. More fixtures at a lower intensity is best practice.

I have a 320 gallon aquarium with 8 hydra 32s and 4 t5 bulbs.

I ran metal halide when I was on the East Coast and never would have switched but I moved to California and temp and electric concerns prompted the switch.

It is doubtful I would ever run a tank with just LED. I will probably always keep a hybrid.

 

[buruskeee]

Although I agree that blades are a good alternative to T5, one blade 48 inch is 420.00. if it were even a 2 to 1 replacement meaning 3 blades for 6 t5, t5's run 30.00 per bulb. 6 bulb replacement per year is 180 dollars. I can replace All if my r5 for two and a half years for the cost of one blade. For the cost of three blades it would be 7 and a half years worth of replacement bulbs. Don't cost out to me.

Oh definitely didn’t say it was cheap lol. Was just pointing out the function of the blades.

An intangible missing in the comparison is the control over the spectrum versus the old T5s. T5 you have to swap out bulbs to change spectrum.

 

[jackson6745]

I agree with this. You could put pretty much anything directly under an led and have success. My problem with LED is they are practically a laser (I joke, to emphasize the point) even with the wider angle lenses being used on newer fixtures. More fixtures at a lower intensity is best practice.

I have a 320 gallon aquarium with 8 hydra 32s and 4 t5 bulbs.

I ran metal halide when I was on the East Coast and never would have switched but I moved to California and temp and electric concerns prompted the switch.

It is doubtful I would ever run a tank with just LED. I will probably always keep a hybrid.

I was hoping the ATI straton would be on a crazy Black Friday sale or something. I really wanted to go with 3 of them over my 200 but I'm not spending 6k on lighting. I ended up spending 2k on a 72" giesemann spectra, 2x reefbrites, 4 t5 bulbs, 12 radium bulbs, and a backup MH ballast. I guess I'll have to settle for the best lighting available

 

[buruskeee]

Yes, I've a tank that's 72 by 30 by 30....I've got and use 550 Par 24 inches down growing full acro colonies top to bottom. Show me three XR30'3 that can do that? Ecotech's own recommendations say 24 by 24...your comparison is factually wrong.

I've used Radions since the G4, I currently use two G5 XR15's that barely pump out enough light for half of a standard 75 gallon tank 8 inches deep. The corals on the other half lit by a 250 watt Radium outgrow and out color the two Radions easily. Wattage is similar, I don't need to run the Radium as long to make up for the anemic output.

As far as your comparison, even if you can only afford three XR30's (you're willing to keep acropora to the top half) you can still buy an 8 bulb, multiple replacement ballasts, and ten years of bulbs. Never mind the coverage is nowhere near as complete.

I have 3x 5th gen XR30 on a 5x2x2 tank. I have to run them at 50% because of too much PAR. At 50% I’m getting 350-400PAR at the top of my rock (9” below surface of water), 250-280PAR at my sand in the middle of the tank, and 180PAR at the corners of my tank on the sand. For a 7 foot tank, 4x XR30 would suffice until the colonies shade, at which either T5 or Blades would be needed to supplement.

I measured 700-800PAR at the top of my rocks and 400-500PAR in the middle of my sandbed when I cranked them at 100%. At 50% for all three lights at peak of my photoperiod, I’m right at 300W. Yes - PAR per watt, LEDs are highly efficient compared to arching bulbs which wastes tons of power in the form of heat.

 

[Spare time]

Why is it that everyone always brings up one of the most expensive LED options as a comparison? I have 2 LED fixtures that have been going for 5 ish years (?) and they costed me about $189 each.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Why is it that everyone always brings up one of the most expensive LED options as a comparison? I have 2 LED fixtures that have been going for 5 ish years (?) and they costed me about $189 each.

That's because it would blow everyone's minds that they didn't have to spend thousands of dollars on lightning! Jokes aside, my coral pusher, ah I mean supplier has more coral in her garage than any lfs I've been in, then she has two rooms and office space full to the point only two people can be in any areas at once. All grown with viparspectra lights.

 

[buruskeee]

That's because it would blow everyone's minds that they didn't have to spend thousands of dollars on lightning! Jokes aside, my coral pusher, ah I mean supplier has more coral in her garage than any lfs I've been in, then she has two rooms and office space full to the point only two people can be in any areas at once. All grown with viparspectra lights.

Yep all lights will grow. For me, I spend the money because of features and convenience. My first LED light were before even gen1 Radions, I did a DIY soldering stuff up. Worked fine, just had to manually adjust spectrums and intensity lol. Cheap lights are cool and will grow but very limited and sometime frustrating controllability.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

I have a xr15g6. I love the control, but when I switched to all LED, I found them lacking in spread. Went back to T5 and use the XR for my acro.

 

[CubsFan]

I use t5s. It’s a 24 inch 4 bulb ati sun power. I’m using it over a 40 breeder. Had it about 10 years. Early on I changed out the bulbs every1-1.5 years. Just changed out the bulbs after 2 years. I’ve had to replace the fan and a ballast during its life. Probably could have just cleaned the fan. I run a 24inch reefbrite blue strip with it.

My tank is mainly LPS. It’s the right tool for the job. I’m happy.

 

[Z Burn's Reefing]

I went back to metal halide and T5. I would not hesitate for even a second to go all T5. One of my past tanks lit by all T5s grew sps corals the fastest. Run the bulbs for 2 years and just lower the fixture after a year. You can’t beat the coverage. T5s are set and forget!

 

[delv2323]

It's been seen time and again halide /T5 PAR is not the same as LED, especially when it comes to high levels and rapid changes. The shallow water acros I keep (A.Digitiferra, A.Abrononoides, A.Hummilis) glow and thrive under 700-800 PAR. If I could easily provide more I would, as I am trying to recreate a specific area of the reef (I'm at 35,000 GPH flow, conservatively). If it was 1998 again I would be running 400 watt Iwisaki's to accomplish this. Sadly those are now gone.

The "Howdy Doody" beige tenuis that only look good under fruity blue light and "great" under fruity blue light with absurd orange glasses get to sit at the bottom serving as a reminder how great this hobby used to be.

Either way use what you like but the popularity of a more expensive, technologically finicky, and less powerful version as the standard exists due to a move away from DIY hobbyists to consumer hobbyists who just buy off the shelf. IMO, it's a change for the worse.

 

[buruskeee]

It's been seen time and again halide /T5 PAR is not the same as LED, especially when it comes to high levels and rapid changes.

evidence/data for this claim, or is this strictly your opinion?

PAR is a literal measurement of the rays. If the intensity and spectrum is exactly the same, how are you suggesting the “light” is different PAR for PAR?

Also, my buddy is known here and has blown out 7x4 tank using full LEDs and measured 700PAR at his top acros. Explain how he’s lying.

 

[Cthulukelele]

T5 is great imo in all areas but energy efficiency, heat generation, and visual appeal of tank (subjective). I like my tank a lot more since adding a few supplemental t5 bulbs a few years ago and all the semi shaded coral are much happier

 

[jmichaelh7]

The best tanks in 7 years I’ve grown SPS successfully were with T5 . They also had radions in the middle to be fair

 

[Cichlid Dad]

evidence/data for this claim, or is this strictly your opinion?

PAR is a literal measurement of the rays. If the intensity and spectrum is exactly the same, how are you suggesting the “light” is different PAR for PAR?

Also, my buddy is known here and has blown out 7x4 tank using full LEDs and measured 700PAR at his top acros. Explain how he’s lying.

 

[loyalsockreefer]

T5 is the most cost efficient way to light a high light tank today, specifically ATI fixtures. You can light a 6' tank with bulbs brand new for $850 (way cheaper used today). Par over 700 up high, 200+ on sand with blanket coverage. Bulbs will go 18 months with a little par reduction regardless of what regurgitation you read on here. Corals grow fast and extremely dense under t5. Only thing that I don't like about T5 is strictly appearance related. SPS florescence looks a little flat compared to 20k halide and LED. Adding some blue reefbrite or other led strips helps with this.

I knew I was reading your comment before I even saw your handle, lol

 

[loyalsockreefer]

I can light my 300 acro tank with an eight bulb ATI (running 640 watts...only at peak) and change out bulbs every year or so. A convincing equivalent would be six XR30 to get a similar spread (peak watts over 1200).

For the same $6.400 I can have three new ATI fixtures and almost twenty years of bulbs. Especially for a superior light that grows anything, frag to colony.

Changing bulbs takes ten minutes? Once every 12-18 months? Really?

Right lol, 10 mins is a drop in the bucket compared to all the other maintenance time.

 

[loyalsockreefer]

It's been seen time and again halide /T5 PAR is not the same as LED, especially when it comes to high levels and rapid changes. The shallow water acros I keep (A.Digitiferra, A.Abrononoides, A.Hummilis) glow and thrive under 700-800 PAR. If I could easily provide more I would, as I am trying to recreate a specific area of the reef (I'm at 35,000 GPH flow, conservatively). If it was 1998 again I would be running 400 watt Iwisaki's to accomplish this. Sadly those are now gone.

The "Howdy Doody" beige tenuis that only look good under fruity blue light and "great" under fruity blue light with absurd orange glasses get to sit at the bottom serving as a reminder how great this hobby used to be.

Either way use what you like but the popularity of a more expensive, technologically finicky, and less powerful version as the standard exists due to a move away from DIY hobbyists to consumer hobbyists who just buy off the shelf. IMO, it's a change for the worse.

The "Howdy Doody" beige tenuis that only look good under fruity blue light and "great" under fruity blue light with absurd orange glasses get to sit at the bottom serving as a reminder how great this hobby used to be.

This is great! lol

 

[Reefer Matt]

I think t5 is much easier to use. I just don’t like how “flat” it makes a tank look. Coupled with high intensity lights, they were the staple of reefing. I think they are being phased out because they are a very wasteful way to light a tank. But, if you enjoy them, that is all that matters.

 

[djf91]

It's been seen time and again halide /T5 PAR is not the same as LED, especially when it comes to high levels and rapid changes. The shallow water acros I keep (A.Digitiferra, A.Abrononoides, A.Hummilis) glow and thrive under 700-800 PAR. If I could easily provide more I would, as I am trying to recreate a specific area of the reef (I'm at 35,000 GPH flow, conservatively). If it was 1998 again I would be running 400 watt Iwisaki's to accomplish this. Sadly those are now gone.

The "Howdy Doody" beige tenuis that only look good under fruity blue light and "great" under fruity blue light with absurd orange glasses get to sit at the bottom serving as a reminder how great this hobby used to be.

Either way use what you like but the popularity of a more expensive, technologically finicky, and less powerful version as the standard exists due to a move away from DIY hobbyists to consumer hobbyists who just buy off the shelf. IMO, it's a change for the worse.

Bingo. This is spot on. lol.

I miss the golden age of SPS and reef aquariums.

And all of this BS about how Acropora/SPS only need 150 par of dim blue light….and then you see these sickly colored corals, with weird growth structures, bumpy skin, malformed growth tips.