Switching to T5 Lighting

[Luke Schnabel]

Hey everyone! I have a 125G tank. 72"L x 18"w x 18"t. I currently have Four Ecotech Radions running on my tank. Its a mixed reef with lots of LPS/Soft and a handful of SPS. I really want to get into more of the SPS (Acropora) while also keeping a lot of current coral. Ive been doing some research and think that its my best bet to go all T5s. All my SPS would be at the top of the rock work and my Soft/LPS would be near bottom.

Ive kind of narrowed it down to two fixtures.

• ATI 60" SunPower T5HO 4x80 watt
• ATI 60" SunPower T5HO 6x80 watt

Two major questions I have would be:
1) Should I go with 4 or 6 bulbs since my tank is so narrow?
2) Will the 60" be big enough for my tank (6" on each side wouldn't be directly under light)

Also, if you do run T5 and keep Acropora what bulb combo do you use?

 

[Va_Reef]

Because of the depth, (18") I'd go with the 6 bulb so that way you still get good par down to the bottom. You will have some light "spilling" over but with T5 this is inevitable at any bulb size due to the nature in which the light spreads.

As far as being long enough, again the light spread is pretty strong, and while it won't be directly over the sides, you'll still get good lighting there.

Bulb combo is a very opinionated thing, I'd probably do 4 blue plus, 1 coral plus, and 1 purple plus, all by ATI.

 

[mcarroll]

I currently have Four Ecotech Radions running on my tank. [...]I really want to get into more of the SPS (Acropora) [....]. Ive been doing some research and think that its my best bet to go all T5s.

I'm definitely a neutral party on both of your choices, but there's no good reason the Radions can't grow you a tank full of SPS. T5's too, but that's not really a reason to switch for most folks.

What did your research uncover that made you want to switch wholesale?

 

[Reefnewb]

If youve narrowed it down to those two I would go with the 6 bulb... I have the 60" 8bulb ATI on my 72"x24"x24" tank and love it!

 

[mcarroll]

Ive kind of narrowed it down to two fixtures.

• ATI 60" SunPower T5HO 4x80 watt
• ATI 60" SunPower T5HO 6x80 watt

I saw you noted the 6" gap on each end....if you haven't looked at some 72" tanks with 60" fixtures, you should. (Pictures at least.)

It depends a lot on how you plan to mount the fixture too, so make sure comparison tanks are similar in that respect. Mounting the fixture higher will get you more spread on the ends, but it also wastes more photons over the front and back edges of the tank and kills intensity at the water surface – not an unlimited strategy and, if you go that route, probably good reason to go for the 6-bulb.

In general, the ends of the tank will be a little dark with the 60", but depending on your tastes and layout it may or may not be a big deal.

Why not consider two 36" fixtures?

 

[Luke Schnabel]

I'm definitely a neutral party on both of your choices, but there's no good reason the Radions can't grow you a tank full of SPS. T5's too, but that's not really a reason to switch for most folks.

What did your research uncover that made you want to switch wholesale?

When I first got my tank I thought LEDs were the best thing since sliced bread. The control and energy saving is awesome! I don't really like the flicker and the intense hot spots and sudden drop in PAR when not right under the pucks. I myself need something more steady that I can't mess around with color, intensity and what not. Also even on my LPS and Zoas I don't quite get great growth on the bottoms of my colonies. The T5 even coverage should eliminate the shading I'm having. I've seen some pretty sweet LED tanks but I just think a T5 fixture would be easier for me.

And 6 bulb is the largest I can go since my tank is framed into a wall I lost about 3.5" on the front of the tank. So I have about 15" to work with and the 6 bulb ATI is about 14" wide so perfect fit.

 

[Luke Schnabel]

I also thought two 36" fixtures but that's a whole lot of bulbs to replace every year as well and it won't look as sharp.
I was thinking of putting most of my low light corals on the sides in hopes they won't get too much with the increased lighting

 

[FugeTown]

If you end up getting t5's , stay away from the aquaticlife fixture , I have one which it works great and all until the power goes out and you have to reprogram the stupid thing again, trust me it's a royal pain in he butt.

 

[Luke Schnabel]

Good to know thank you!

 

[mcarroll]

It sounds to my like your complaints are against the spotlight format of your LED's, not against LED's per se. It seems like this is pretty common.

An LED avenue to consider which get's pretty unfairly ignored is LED strips. They eliminate virtually all of the downsides of the spotlight-type LED's while keeping the efficiency and have most of the benefits you're looking for from T5 light.

GHL's Lightbar2's look pretty sweet if you're apt to go top of the line, but there are a ton of options up and down the price range. (Current USA, Finnex, China, etc.)

Check them out: mitras-lightbar-2

Since they're flat against the top of the tank, they're pretty invisible.

 

[Va_Reef]

While I agree LEDs can grow SPS, I also think there is a reason most of the nicer SPS tanks use a T5 or T5 with LED supplement.

I'm not a band wagon person; I will acknowledge the success of single point light sources (LEDs and MH), however I believe a quality T5 fixture is simply the best lighting option for SPS.

 

[mcarroll]

I also think there is a reason most of the nicer SPS tanks use a T5 or T5 with LED supplement.

You may be noticing a parallel that T5/Hybrid fixtures are hyper expensive and so are most of the big, bad SPS tanks you'll see. Don't mistake coincidence for cause. :)

This is not the first time the topic has come up:
Can't decide whether to abandon LEDs

I still don't see what's changed from post #12 in that thread. It's not the LED's and it never was.

I think AI Sol's might be one of the most difficult LED's to use – especially so given how little people knew about using LED's back then – but I even knew folks with bomb stony corals tanks that used them. :rolleyes:

Blaming LED's is absurd.

May as well blame your salt or your flow pumps:

:eek::eek::eek: "How on earth could it be that I'm using them wrong??" :p:D

Well, it's not just noobs-at-work. There's the quote in my sig at work too....folks do too much comparison online.

That's a doomed project from the inception. When you compare like that you are pitting your real tank and real eyeballs up against hyper-real DSLR photographs that have very likely been altered purposefully and coincidentally from the original.

You'll never come away from that comparison thinking your tank rocks. Just that your tank isn't as bright or isn't as colorful or doesn't “Pop”. :rolleyes:

Anyway, check out that other thread and in particular post #12 that I linked. :)

 

[reefwiser]

You can always not use two bulbs. Just use the ends for corals that don't need as much light. Two 36" fixtures is what I see on friends would are heavy into SPS. I understand the part about managing the bulbs thou. It's tough size to deal with 72"

 

[LostInTheDark]

60" 8 bulb over a 72" 225g

 

[Luke Schnabel]

Thanks for all the input guys!

I think you guys are right. I mine as well get the 6 bulb fixture and if it's too much right off the bat I can always remove some bulbs.
I'll put most of my Lower lighting corals on the sides so it should enable me to bump up my PAR levels to grow some awesome SPS!

60" 8 bulb over a 72" 225g

Your tank is beautiful! What bulb combo are you using because I REALLY like the look!

 

[LostInTheDark]

It's 4 blue+ 2 coral + 1 actinic and 1 purple +

 

[reefsahoy]

To get an idea of Bulb combo. Just select the question.

http://www.atinorthamerica.com/faq.php

 

[Luke Schnabel]

To get an idea of Bulb combo. Just select the question.

That's awesome! I was thinking 3 Blue Plus, 1 Coral Plus, One Purple Plus, 1 Actinic. I was hoping to have 2 blue plus and Actinic on one channel to start and end my light cycle. Then have the Purple, Coral Plus and the last Blue Plus come on for my peak period.

 

[LostInTheDark]

I had 1 actinic and 1 blue + for my morning night down cycle. It was nice but a bit too bright. I just made a 6 foot led strip with 55 mixed blues and it just makes everything pop.

 

[Robert Vacchiano]

I never had radions but the cheaper leds never worked for me . T5 are great the 6 bulbs won't be to much. I went back to metal halide on my 300 gallon reef growth has never been better