T5 vs LED Questions

150 Gallon Reef · Mar 20, 2016

Yup I did it....yee 'ol famous T5 vs led debate. I currently have 3 reef breeder photons over my 150 gallon reef (72 inch by 18 inch wide by 29 inch high). Although I loved these light's at first, they seem to be losing power after a few years of use. I've already replaced one ballast in a fixture and now the one fixture seems more blue than the other two, even running at the same percentages. So I opened my mind up to possibly changing to t5. I have a nice mixed reef with sps in the upper two thirds while mostly chalices are on the Bottom. I feel that I am not getting the color that I desire and wonder if my lights are playing a role in that. I do have a very short canopy on my tank so if I were to go with t5 such as the ATI sun power, I would have to take off the lid and leave the rim of the canopy so I can hang the light from the ceiling. So all in all, do you think it would be a bad idea to go to t5 from LED and would a 6 bulb X 80 watt fixture be enough for my tank? Let me hear your opinions and let the led vs T5 battle begin!

Kershaw · Mar 20, 2016

I love my LEDs but t5s just work. As long as the cost dose not bother you changing bulbs. IMO I'd go with a 8 bulb. Or even MH with that depth of tank.

AlexStinson · Mar 20, 2016

I still don't think LED's are up to par with some of the more tried and true lighting systems. That said, for me the cost of upkeep on LED's is so much better, and the downsides so minor that I doubt I will run any other system.

LostInTheDark · Mar 21, 2016

I posted this on the other site but will repeat it here as I think its something for Black Box LED users to look out for:

I had the exact same issue with my Ocean Revive. They shifted spectrum and lost par very slowly over time. I was losing SPS and couldn't figure out why. OR replaced the lights and growth took off again. Unfortunately, the same scenario happened again just over a year later. I went with an ATI 8x80 over a 225. Coral that I thought were long dead are showing signs of life. Color and growth with the new lights are outstanding. I'm sorry I just didn't do T5s all this time. Cost me a small fortune in SPS.

150 Gallon Reef · Mar 21, 2016

Do you think I would be OK with a 6 bulb t5 as opposed to the 8 bulb? The width of the unit is still somewhat of a concern for Me

LostInTheDark · Mar 21, 2016

If your thinking SPS you can't go wrong with the 8 bulb. If its too much just take 2 bulbs out or replace 2 with the new LED replacements for T5s to add some POP. You can always take 2 bulbs out but you can't add 2 in to a 6 bulb unit.