New poll: What lighting type(s) do you use over your primary coral tank?

WHAT LIGHTS DO YOU USE OVER YOUR CORALS?

  • Metal Halide

    Votes: 4 3.1%
  • Fluorescent (e.g., T-5)

    Votes: 6 4.7%
  • LED

    Votes: 80 62.5%
  • LED and T-5

    Votes: 24 18.8%
  • LED, T-5 and Metal Halide

    Votes: 1 0.8%
  • T-5 and Metal Halide

    Votes: 4 3.1%
  • LED and Metal Halide

    Votes: 9 7.0%

  • Total voters
    128
  • Poll closed .

Nonya

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This poll is to determine just how popular each lighting type or types are at the moment. I realize there are diehard fans of halides, T-5s and/or LEDs out there. I don't want to start a debate or argument. I'm just curious about numbers in this survey.

Please answer this poll based on your PRIMARY coral tank.
 

CasperOe

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LEDs only for now. Contemplating supplementary lighting on the sides of my radions- either a couple of T5s or a blade-style LED.
 
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Nonya

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4x Radion XR-30 G3 Pros (bought used for $250 each) running blue/violet only over a 4-foot SPS-only tank.
 
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Nonya

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Just MH. Larger tank. Would need 10-12x Radions with no less wattage to cover the same area, so no interest in spending 10K on lights every 3-5 years.

I might use LED if I set up a nano or smaller tank.
Dimensions?
 

Bpb

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LED only. Combination of reef breeders photon panels and kessil a360x units over a 150 gallon. I’ve used each available tech before be it tubes, halides, and diodes. Each have their benefits and setbacks.

Ultimately I went with full led, not because I believe they provide superior spectrum and coverage, but because the warmth generated by bulbs just heated the room and house too much and really made the humidity skyrocket. That ultimately became the dealbreaker. Mold growing in the windowsills, rust all over all the air vents, and just a generally muggy feeling in the house all the time with humidity being over 80% is just not something I could tolerate any longer.
 

Troylee

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71650947963__1B955C5D-B158-4262-88AC-539A307B73A5.jpeg
 

exnisstech

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I voted led and t5 because technically that is correct but only because I have one tank that I run a 4 bulb t5 hybrid with a reefbreeder photon. Another tank has a photon only, another 6 Noopsyche K7, a frag section an xr15 gen4, and a spare tank has a black box led. So I'm heavy on led use.
 

nereefpat

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At the moment, I'm the lone fluorescent user.

12 year old 6 bulb Tek T5 fixture over a standard 72x18 125 gallon. I did have to replace one of the two ballasts about 4 years ago for 35 bucks.
 
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Nonya

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From past discussions I remember people saying they use MH/T-5 combo units. Where are those people?
 

jda

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From past discussions I remember people saying they use MH/T-5 combo units. Where are those people?

I used to use VHO T12 with my MH, which would be T5 now, but the MH bulbs are so good that I just run the MH since they need no supplement to look good or grow stuff... just save the electricity.

There are plenty of folks who run T5 with MH but likely did not see this thread. One of the locals around me who grows SPS like crazy runs MH for like 6 hours, T5s for 2 hours on either side for a 10 hour photoperiod and he has some ReefBrite XHOs that he can turn on if people want to see some trick light stuff.

If people were only using T5 for a supplement, then some XHOs or the like probably have gotten mixed in.
 

biecacka

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Orphek only for me. But I have halides for a “just in case” and I sure do miss them. Haha

corey
 

Reefing threads: Do you wear gear from reef brands?

  • I wear reef gear everywhere.

    Votes: 33 16.3%
  • I wear reef gear primarily at fish events and my LFS.

    Votes: 11 5.4%
  • I wear reef gear primarily for water changes and tank maintenance.

    Votes: 1 0.5%
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