The BEST light testing performance so far? What makes T5' the reef tank light Gold Standard?

[randyBRS]

Performance + Low Cost + Easy to use + Proof it works...It's the lighting success quad-fecta!

Who said lighting your reef tank had to be expensive? For T5 users, we already know it doesn't have to cost an arm and leg for it to work!

 

[glb]

I love my ATI 4-bulb fixture for my 40g breeder. Super easy to use and I’m finally successful with coral!

 

[jschultzbass]

@randyBRS what about the 36" fixture over the 48" tank? Most of the T5s I see are a foot short than the tank to prevent spillage. This was what I was most looking forward to as far as numbers on the ends.

 

[Reefing In Turkey]

Great video guys!

Just one question. What about photo period, what can you recommend there? I’ve got a mixed reef and the ATI 8 bulb with a bulb mix very close to what you recommend, but should they all turn on at the same time, and if not how long for peak lighting? Over the years I have to think y’all have covered it but I can’t seem to find this and I also wonder what your current thought is as we all learn more and more.

Thank you. Your recommendations are the ones I value most as they have lead me from reefing failure to reefing success.

 

[Mono]

Great video guys!

Just one question. What about photo period, what can you recommend there? I’ve got a mixed reef and the ATI 8 bulb with a bulb mix very close to what you recommend, but should they all turn on at the same time, and if not how long for peak lighting? Over the years I have to think y’all have covered it but I can’t seem to find this and I also wonder what your current thought is as we all learn more and more.

Thank you. Your recommendations are the ones I value most as they have lead me from reefing failure to reefing success.

Great question! I would be interested in guidelines for photo period as well.

 

[blstravler]

@randyBRS I would assume if I’m using a 6 bulb for all SPS I would stay at 6in instead of going up to 7in as you suggested for a mixed tank?

 

[dragon99]

The plug it in and win ability with T5 can't be overstated. They take so much of the guesswork out of the lighting.

I feel like led MFG's started out by trying to emulate MH, which resulted in mixed results for many reefers. Making led's more like T5 is a much better approach.

 

[Mono]

First off, I do want to thank BRS for doing this in-depth segment on T5's.

I think one interesting thing to think about is how boring T5's are.

That's a great reason to start off with them while your learning about lighting.

They are a very mature technology and manufacturers don't keep coming out with "newer" "bigger" "better" models. I think my grandfather had an ATI fixture. Look at how many people are agonizing over their purchase of a Radion G4 now that they came out with G5's. As soon as LED's become as boring as T5's, I will switch over.

Another consideration especially for beginners is the ease with which you can switch your configuration. I have two 125g tanks. One has always been a mixed reef. But the other tank has been, over the years, a cichlid tank, a planted community tank, a discus tank and a mixed reef. And all I had to do was switch bulbs. So, that's a pretty big plus in my book especially for someone just starting out.

Just my $0.02.

 

[X-37B]

Great video guys!

Just one question. What about photo period, what can you recommend there? I’ve got a mixed reef and the ATI 8 bulb with a bulb mix very close to what you recommend, but should they all turn on at the same time, and if not how long for peak lighting? Over the years I have to think y’all have covered it but I can’t seem to find this and I also wonder what your current thought is as we all learn more and more.

Thank you. Your recommendations are the ones I value most as they have lead me from reefing failure to reefing success.

8 bulbs on my 120 4" off the surface.
4c+ 4b+.
9 hrs on and off all at once.
10.5 month old tank.
Works well for growth and color for me.
Took this last night.

 

[ryshark]

Performance + Low Cost + Easy to use + Proof it works...It's the lighting success quad-fecta!

Who said lighting your reef tank had to be expensive? For T5 users, we already know it doesn't have to cost an arm and leg for it to work!

Thanks for another great video. I want to try your SPS 8-bulb combo but I’m trying to find a sequence that doesn’t put the “white” Coral+ bulbs in the dusk/dawn channel. Any suggestions? I suppose the Actinics could go in the 3 and 6 slots, but then it would be losing a little par during the longer photoperiod channel.

 

[randyBRS]

Thanks for another great video. I want to try your SPS 8-bulb combo but I’m trying to find a sequence that doesn’t put the “white” Coral+ bulbs in the dusk/dawn channel. Any suggestions? I suppose the Actinics could go in the 3 and 6 slots, but then it would be losing a little par during the longer photoperiod channel.

I think the spectrum blend performance we saw in this video would honestly allow you to position these bulbs really in any configuration you'd like. Here we focused on creating a mix of blue, white and actinic to get the spectrum right. I wouldn't be overly concerned with the PAR differences between the bulbs which we tested to be nearly identical between the B+ and Coral +....the actinics were about 20% less PAR (but not much of a concern if your channel 1 was only ON for 1hr or so before your full bank of light turns ON).

 

[AlainD]

Hi @randyBRS , i have à ATI hybrid with 4 t5. For a 120 gallons sps tank do you recommand de same t5 setup and lamp height ?

 

[randyBRS]

Hi @randyBRS , i have à ATI hybrid with 4 t5. For a 120 gallons sps tank do you recommand de same t5 setup and lamp height ?

Without having personally tested the spread and performance of the LEDs included in those T5 Hybrids, I would just be guessing in the dark at the optimal mounting height. My gut feeling says that they might need to be mounted slightly higher, however with a PAR meter and a couple hours of testing around the tank I think anyone can follow this type of testing procedure and dial in the right height in their own tank.

 

[AlainD]

@randyBRS , my question was mainly about the choice of T5, since my ATI hybrid lamp has only 4 T5, do you still recommand the same T5 as in your vidéo (b+, c+, actinic, b+) for an sps tank or would you change the actinic for another c+ to get more par ?

 

[randyBRS]

@randyBRS , my question was mainly about the choice of T5, since my ATI hybrid lamp has only 4 T5, do you still recommand the same T5 as in your vidéo (b+, c+, actinic, b+) for an sps tank or would you change the actinic for another c+ to get more par ?

Gotcha! Honestly there's not enough PAR difference between the bulbs where I would base PAR decisions on bulb combos, but rather in this case utilize the adjustability of the LED to make PAR adjustments.

We tested the PAR differences between a pair of all 16 bulbs we carry and found that (2x)-Actinic bulbs measured 41 PAR while (2x)-Coral Plus bulbs measured 55 PAR....I doubt the effects of changing a single Actinic bulb for a single Coral Plus bulb is really going to make a drastic, or even measurable, difference...especially when we're talking about a Hybrid option.

For reference, here are those PAR numbers for each pair of bulbs we tested. Measurements were taken in air at 24"inches below each bulb pair.

Bulb	PAR
ATI Actinic	41​
ATI Blue Plus	56​
ATI Aquablue Special	56​
ATI Purple Plus	52​
ATI Coral Plus	55​
Giesemann Aquablue Coral	46​
Giesemann Actinic Blue	54​
Giesemann Super Flora	43​
Giesemann Super Purple	50​
Giesemann Azure	49​
Giesemann Super Actinic	38​
Giesemann Tropic	45​
KZ New Gen	52​
KZ Fiji Purple	53​
KS Coral Light	56​
KS Superblue	54​

 

[AlainD]

Gotcha! Honestly there's not enough PAR difference between the bulbs where I would base PAR decisions on bulb combos, but rather in this case utilize the adjustability of the LED to make PAR adjustments.

We tested the PAR differences between a pair of all 16 bulbs we carry and found that (2x)-Actinic bulbs measured 41 PAR while (2x)-Coral Plus bulbs measured 55 PAR....I doubt the effects of changing a single Actinic bulb for a single Coral Plus bulb is really going to make a drastic, or even measurable, difference...especially when we're talking about a Hybrid option.

For reference, here are those PAR numbers for each pair of bulbs we tested. Measurements were taken in air at 24"inches below each bulb pair.

Bulb	PAR
ATI Actinic	41​
ATI Blue Plus	56​
ATI Aquablue Special	56​
ATI Purple Plus	52​
ATI Coral Plus	55​
Giesemann Aquablue Coral	46​
Giesemann Actinic Blue	54​
Giesemann Super Flora	43​
Giesemann Super Purple	50​
Giesemann Azure	49​
Giesemann Super Actinic	38​
Giesemann Tropic	45​
KZ New Gen	52​
KZ Fiji Purple	53​
KS Coral Light	56​
KS Superblue	54​

Thanks

 

[Koigula]

Putting cost aside, the 6 bulb seems Ok for SPS tanks. I don't mind having 8 bulbs dimmed however.