Looking for opinions - thinking of switching from LED to T5

[mich2599]

Mine are not a 6 bulb but rather x2 4 bulb fixtures. I have from front to back BP, PP, Actinic, CP, Actinic, BP, CP, BP. I love how it looks. Looks darker towards the back because of the aquascape but in person the difference is not so drastic.

 

[Brandon McHenry]

Mine are not a 6 bulb but rather x2 4 bulb fixtures. I have from front to back BP, PP, Actinic, CP, Actinic, BP, CP, BP. I love how it looks. Looks darker towards the back because of the aquascape but in person the difference is not so drastic.

Well they definitely seem to reduce the shadows which is a plus for me! Nice tank btw! I like the deeper dimensions.

 

[nickkohrn]

That’s great to hear! I am really hoping for more even lighting around the coral for hopefully better growth/coloration. Glad to hear the bulb combo sounds good too. How long do you run your lights and how far off the water?

I’m currently running them about 10”‘ above the water. They turn on at 3:00PM and turn off at 10:00PM.

 

[Brandon McHenry]

I’m currently running them about 10”‘ above the water. They turn on at 3:00PM and turn off at 10:00PM.

Thanks for the info! What are you PAR numbers at that height?

 

[nickkohrn]

Thanks for the info! What are you PAR numbers at that height?

My tank is 22” tall, and I’m getting 250 at ~4” from the bottom.

 

[mfinn]

I switched from Radions to ATI T5's last year on both my tanks,and I'm very happy.
I did miss the led pop so I added Reef Brite XHO fixtures too.
I hung both fixtures at 10" over the tank.
I have found I need to really shade some of my chalices. The lighting is pretty intense for them.

 

[Brandon McHenry]

My tank is 22” tall, and I’m getting 250 at ~4” from the bottom.

That’s good to know! My tank is only 18 inches deep so I should be good throughout then!

I switched from Radions to ATI T5's last year on both my tanks,and I'm very happy.
I did miss the led pop so I added Reef Brite XHO fixtures too.
I hung both fixtures at 10" over the tank.
I have found I need to really shade some of my chalices. The lighting is pretty intense for them.

I’m sure I will miss the pop a little bit but I think for overall health/growth/color I’m going to be able to get over it. I’m glad to know people are happy after making the same switch as I am. And it seems like 10 inches above is popular, any particular reason why?

 

[mfinn]

That’s good to know! My tank is only 18 inches deep so I should be good throughout then!



I’m sure I will miss the pop a little bit but I think for overall health/growth/color I’m going to be able to get over it. I’m glad to know people are happy after making the same switch as I am. And it seems like 10 inches above is popular, any particular reason why?

Years ago when I first tried the ATI fixture I asked a ton of people on reef central who already had the ATI fixture what height they had theres and 10" was about the lowest. I had many say that 12"-14" was their preferred height.
So, in order to try and keep some of the glare down, I went with 10". Just used previous owners use.
Also because there is no way to adjust the intensity of the sunpower fixture I had to use much shorter light periods and I used the old method of using window screen material ( 3-4 layers and remove a layer every 4-5 days)over the tank to bring the corals up to the final par they were going to be subjected to.

 

[Brandon McHenry]

Years ago when I first tried the ATI fixture I asked a ton of people on reef central who already had the ATI fixture what height they had theres and 10" was about the lowest. I had many say that 12"-14" was their preferred height.
So, in order to try and keep some of the glare down, I went with 10". Just used previous owners use.
Also because there is no way to adjust the intensity of the sunpower fixture I had to use much shorter light periods and I used the old method of using window screen material ( 3-4 layers and remove a layer every 4-5 days)over the tank to bring the corals up to the final par they were going to be subjected to.

Do you have a canopy or an open top? I’d love to concentrate as much of the light into the tank as possible. I will have to try the PAR meter again to see how comparable it is to my current lighting setup.

 

[mfinn]

Do you have a canopy or an open top? I’d love to concentrate as much of the light into the tank as possible. I will have to try the PAR meter again to see how comparable it is to my current lighting setup.

Open top.
For years I had canopies and when the open top style started gaining traction I started liking it.
My first open top tank was when I went from MH and VHO to Radions. I'd already been thinking how nice it would be to not have that big clunky, heavy canopy that took 2 people to move.

I've been looking into ( again) a floating canopy of somesort, but haven't liked anything I've seen that I could make.

 

[Brandon McHenry]

Open top.
For years I had canopies and when the open top style started gaining traction I started liking it.
My first open top tank was when I went from MH and VHO to Radions. I'd already been thinking how nice it would be to not have that big clunky, heavy canopy that took 2 people to move.

I've been looking into ( again) a floating canopy of somesort, but haven't liked anything I've seen that I could make.

Gotcha. Mine will be in a canopy so I wanted to make sure there is even space above and below the fixture for good air flow. Do you see any reason to worry about 6-8 inches above the water as opposed to 10?

 

[nickkohrn]

If you want to see what corals look like with an ATI fixture and a 50/50-split bulb combination of ATI Blue Plus bulbs and ATI Coral Plus bulbs, then @Big E’s thread filled with gorgeous photos may give you an idea of what’s possible.

 

[Brandon McHenry]

If you want to see what corals look like with an ATI fixture and a 50/50-split bulb combination of ATI Blue Plus bulbs and ATI Coral Plus bulbs, then @Big E’s thread filled with gorgeous photos may give you an idea of what’s possible.

That’s exactly where I got the idea! I was originally going to follow something similar to the suggestion on the ATI website for 6bulb but then I found his thread and it changed my mind!

 

[nickkohrn]

That’s exactly where I got the idea! I was originally going to follow something similar to the suggestion on the ATI website for 6bulb but then I found his thread and it changed my mind!

That’s the thread that inspired me to replace my Radions with T5s, and it’s at the top of my web browser’s bookmarks.

I do miss some of the fluorescence that the Radions brought, so I may add a couple of Reefbrite strips in the future, but I will try to wait for one year before doing so.

 

[PooseReefer]

I run two primes and two hydra 24's on a 90 gallon tank. (had the extra lights would have gone with a different setup starting from scratch). Love the LED's from AI but didnt like the shadows. I added a simple T5 to the front of the tank and am considering adding a second to the back. Found a very cheap setup via Amazon/BRS. Run the light for 5 hrs mid day and it really just helps fill in the whole tank and smooth out the LED's especially when they are running on the higher end midday. Wish they had a dual bulb model but are so cheap and come in every size is a flexible option.

Sunblaster 904297 NanoTech T5 High Output Fixture Reflector Combo (Amazon)
And got a T5 Blue Plus from BRS.

 

[Brandon McHenry]

That’s the thread that inspired me to replace my Radions with T5s, and it’s at the top of my web browser’s bookmarks.

I do miss some of the fluorescence that the Radions brought, so I may add a couple of Reefbrite strips in the future, but I will try to wait for one year before doing so.

He definitely has some amazing coral! For me I came from T5 (never an ATI fixture) and had good long term success. After moving to a smaller tank (14 biocube) I had no T5 options so I went Radion. Now being up to an IM40 I can fit the ATI which is what made me want to switch. I will also miss the pop from LEDs but if the daytime viewing is better then I can live without the pop. This fixture will blanket the entire tank so I’m hoping for no more shadows and good growth everywhere.

 

[Brandon McHenry]

I run two primes and two hydra 24's on a 90 gallon tank. (had the extra lights would have gone with a different setup starting from scratch). Love the LED's from AI but didnt like the shadows. I added a simple T5 to the front of the tank and am considering adding a second to the back. Found a very cheap setup via Amazon/BRS. Run the light for 5 hrs mid day and it really just helps fill in the whole tank and smooth out the LED's especially when they are running on the higher end midday. Wish they had a dual bulb model but are so cheap and come in every size is a flexible option.

Sunblaster 904297 NanoTech T5 High Output Fixture Reflector Combo (Amazon)
And got a T5 Blue Plus from BRS.

That’s where I was at, supplementing my Radion with T5s. In my tank I felt like I never really eliminated the shadows with one small square LED over a cube. That’s ultimately why I went back to T5s and I’m really looking forward to seeing what the tank looks like with this fixture.

 

[mfinn]

Gotcha. Mine will be in a canopy so I wanted to make sure there is even space above and below the fixture for good air flow. Do you see any reason to worry about 6-8 inches above the water as opposed to 10?

Everything I read from the first time I got a ATI fixture is the amount of par these fixtures have. Everybody said you really need to raise them up to help lower the par numbers.
Another thing is these fixtures produce alot of heat.
I really notice it when I walk past my tank. The vent end of the fixture is next to a doorway I use all the time and it's really like walking past a forced air heater.
Heat is a bulb killer.

 

[Brandon McHenry]

Everything I read from the first time I got a ATI fixture is the amount of par these fixtures have. Everybody said you really need to raise them up to help lower the par numbers.
Another thing is these fixtures produce alot of heat.
I really notice it when I walk past my tank. The vent end of the fixture is next to a doorway I use all the time and it's really like walking past a forced air heater.
Heat is a bulb killer.

I’ve heard that too. My canopy is not super high so I want to find the right balance between PAR and airflow for the fixture. I guess trying to match the PAR to my current lighting would be the safest bet to see mounting height. Do the built in fans provide enough cooling to keep the bulbs in good shape? I also have a hole in the back of the canopy that I could try to make bigger to allow more cool air to come in.

 

[mfinn]

I’ve heard that too. My canopy is not super high so I want to find the right balance between PAR and airflow for the fixture. I guess trying to match the PAR to my current lighting would be the safest bet to see mounting height. Do the built in fans provide enough cooling to keep the bulbs in good shape? I also have a hole in the back of the canopy that I could try to make bigger to allow more cool air to come in.

The power supplies that come with ATI fixtures are adjustable. From 3 volts to 12 volts. I think they come set at 9 volts.
The higher the air flow, the longer the bulbs will last, and probably the ballasts in the fixture. But also with higher fan speed, there is more fan noise. Heat is a killer.
If I were you, I would look to open up your canopy just as much as you can.
I would put major vent holes in the canopy on the end your fixture has it's vents. ( the end where the acrylic shield is open)
I would also put vent holes in the top to help vent heat out. The ATI fixture has it's fans in the top to suck air in, so if hot air is trapped in the canopy, it just recycles hot air in the fixture.
I've seen people need chillers with T5's because they have their tops too enclosed.