Poll: Lighting Preference

dbl · Mar 23, 2018

We've polled for different aspects of lighting, but not about your lighting preference. This is an often discussed and debated topic so this could get interesting. We may leave this poll up for a while to gather as many responses as possible.

So let us know your preference and feel free to discuss below.

smoothmove · Mar 23, 2018

MH/VHO I had used for years with great results. I switched to Kessil LEDs when I restarted my tanks. I prefer the MH, but the LED's are easier, less power and less heat.

SashimiTurtle · Mar 23, 2018

Kessil LED!

Antegon · Mar 23, 2018

Best results ever were from a single DIY MH/T5. It was an old end table with a metal sheet skin over the legs, and a cheap reflector and ballasts connected to the bottom of the table top. Looked terrible and was so long ago I really didn’t know what I was doing, much too bright and blue for my roommates taste at the time haha. But I’ve never seen softies grow at such a rate. It honestly ruined my level of expectation from coral growth in general lol.
I run two primes on my adopted rescue 55g. They do fine, not the optimal set up. Nothing on the tank is, (it’s a super diy long term plan of adventure and fun!) The 75g build I’m in right now is looking like 2 primes supplementing 4 48” T5s. But I haven’t bit the bullet on the money yet. Still researching and listening. So many love super blue plus. Am I the only one who doesn’t love it too blue?

Antegon · Mar 23, 2018

Robin Haselden said:
Kessil LED!

Sleek!

Eastlake · Mar 23, 2018

I've seen so many wonderful reefs under halides and T5s and were I a richer man I probably would've gone with a T5 fixture. With that being said, those 72" T5 fixtures don't come cheap nor do bulbs so, being a budget type reefer, I opted for the mars aqua LEDs (3) and I couldn't be happier. I've been able to grow pretty much everything and get good colors out of the acros that I have in there. I'm also a big fan of the power that they save in comparison to halides.

Antegon · Mar 23, 2018

Eastlake said:
I've seen so many wonderful reefs under halides and T5s and were I a richer man I probably would've gone with a T5 fixture. With that being said, those 72" T5 fixtures don't come cheap nor do bulbs so, being a budget type reefer, I opted for the mars aqua LEDs (3) and I couldn't be happier. I've been able to grow pretty much everything and get good colors out of the acros that I have in there. I'm also a big fan of the power that they save in comparison to halides.

I’ve seen people have great results with those, but I’ve heard reviews go sour on some of the functionality/customer service/etc. end of things. How has that been for you?
As an aspiring full on diy reefer, I as well love saving some cash, so I’m always interested to hear!

SashimiTurtle · Mar 23, 2018

Antegon said:
Sleek!

Thanks!

shred5 · Mar 23, 2018

I would like to see what people vote based on how long they were in the hobby!!!

tank o tang · Mar 23, 2018

smoothmove said:
MH/VHO I had used for years with great results. I switched to Kessil LEDs when I restarted my tanks. I prefer the MH, but the LED's are easier, less power and less heat.

+1 I still think MH/VHO had the best look over my tank. Still have my vho endcaps on my light rack. I've been wondering how they would look with the kessils.

shred5 · Mar 23, 2018

tank o tang said:
+1 I still think MH/VHO had the best look over my tank. Still have my vho endcaps on my light rack. I've been wondering how they would look with the kessils.

I liked VHO and Halides the best but I selected t-5 and led.

I am adding kessils and t-5 to my new tank, I think it is as close to halide vho combo you can get with newer technology. Kessils add great shimmer and the t-5 help with self shading... Plus the kessils can add pop if you want them too and have better control over the color.

rtparty · Mar 23, 2018

shred5 said:
I would like to see what people vote based on how long they were in the hobby!!!

This.

There are way too many reefers that never got to see a halide/VHO combo. All they know is LED and that's kind of sad IMO.

We've made this hobby far more complicated over the years

shred5 · Mar 23, 2018

rtparty said:
This.

There are way too many reefers that never got to see a halide/VHO combo. All they know is LED and that's kind of sad IMO.

We've made this hobby far more complicated over the years

That is funny... That is exactly why....

Simonsen · Mar 23, 2018

Hybrid lamp all the way!

Have been through diffrent of LED fictures but i got best coloration and growth by the ATI Hybrid.

GoVols · Mar 23, 2018

Well,
I'm ;Oldman school so I clicked on MH/T5 and still feel like it's the gold standard.

But... I'm running an Led / T5 hybird

jsker · Mar 23, 2018

Old school here, and went with all LED on my present build, I am quite happy with the results. No bulbs, not bulb changes and burn in's for the past two years and lower operating temperatures are a plus.

ca1ore · Mar 23, 2018

Just as background ...... I ran primarily HQI double-ended MH over my reef tanks from 1988 until the end of 2008. Took a break from the hobby, but when I returned in 2012, I used a combination of HQI MH and ReefBreeders LED. Since then I have gradually upgraded the LED lights and eliminated MH. I find very little difference in the ability to grow corals overall (though some individual species prefer one form of light over the other). While I like the appearance of MH better, the other benefits of LED make it my current preference overall.

Crabs McJones · Mar 23, 2018

T5 LED combo is my go to

Midrats · Mar 23, 2018

rtparty said:
This.

There are way too many reefers that never got to see a halide/VHO combo. All they know is LED and that's kind of sad IMO.

We've made this hobby far more complicated over the years

There was something about a URI VHO actinic that one has to behold with their own eyes. They kind of made your eyes go a little wonky when you looked right at the bulbs... am I crazy? You know what I mean?

rtparty · Mar 23, 2018

squareriggersailor said:
There was something about a URI VHO actinic that one has to behold with their own eyes. They kind of made your eyes go a little wonky when you looked right at the bulbs... am I crazy? You know what I mean?

Not crazy at all.

LEDs have been trying to COPY the MH/VHO (and later T5 even though actinic T5s never got to the VHO level) look for years. There is a reason for that.

I don't say that as a "this is better or that is better" debate. Actinic VHO was the original "pop" machine (from what I remember at least.) Royal blue LEDs came in and brought even more of that wow factor.

Some of the new violet/actinic LEDs look incredible and may even match the glow from a VHO. It has taken a while for them to be adopted though. I ran Ecoxotic's 403nm LEDs years ago on my Panorama fixture. It always reminded me of that VHO look.