When I put my Vegas in, I left a couple T5 slots in my canopy in the event I find the Vegas aren't "enough" somehow, but I'd really prefer to not have to run the T5s at all. We'll see!
Anyone Thinking of Dumping LEDS and going back to Halides
- Thread starter Goldcoastreefs
- Start date
When I put my Vegas in, I left a couple T5 slots in my canopy in the event I find the Vegas aren't "enough" somehow, but I'd really prefer to not have to run the T5s at all. We'll see!
power boat jim
Well-known member
I use the T5s a couple hrs a day just to run the tru actinics for the 420nm kick. The tank looks better with just the LEDs on. I have had the LEDs a year and a half and I dont mind running the T5s. The bulbs will last years at running them a couple hrs a day. My tank looks the best it ever has with this combination and it cost me 40.00 bucks a month less in electricty then when I ran MH/T5.
I didnt buy these (LEDs) expecting miracles as some may have. I was happy with the energy savings and the reduced heat in the family room during the summer. I think LEDs are such a different animal that it takes alot of tweaking and patience to get it right.
So, you suplement your LED's with T5's? What T5's do you use over that 6' tank?
Like I said previously, I use 5 AI Sol Blus over each of my 225's. I have some corals with great growth and color and some with not so much. I don't really have any brown, but my colors could be better, I guess. I have a few pieces though that really look great.
I have been thinking about doing exactly what you appear to be doing, adding a couple of T5's for a time during the day.
What t5's are you using and what are your AI settings?
Like I said previously, I use 5 AI Sol Blus over each of my 225's. I have some corals with great growth and color and some with not so much. I don't really have any brown, but my colors could be better, I guess. I have a few pieces though that really look great.
I have been thinking about doing exactly what you appear to be doing, adding a couple of T5's for a time during the day.
What t5's are you using and what are your AI settings?
power boat jim
Well-known member
IM using the fiji pink and geisman 420nm tru actinic. THe LED settings max out at 66%W 70%b and 72%RB. They spend most of the day at 50-60% and stay at the max setting for about 3 hrs and slowly ramp down. The t5s are on a couple hrs before and a couple hrs after the max setting. I also have the LEDs 14" above the water. It seems the higher I put them the better things get so thats still a work in progress.
kmu
New member
I have a 48x48x24 240g cube, Ive tried several set ups including ATI T5 fixtures, 4 AI Sol Blues and so far the best color/spread/growth has been with the single 250 watt Radium Halide on a Hamilton reflector.
Im running 250 watts of metal halide and getting much better color, growth and light spread VS the 250 watts consumed by the 4 Led fixtures...
Im gonna switch back to LEDs next year when I find the right LEDs for color & growth
Heres the 250 Radium halide on a Hamilton Pendant that I got for $240
Here are 250 watts of LEDs with the 4 AI Sol Blues that I got for $1,600
psusocr
Active member
Well Said Jim,
I agree there are too many variables and its all about patience, i didnt throw LED's on my tank and expect a miracle , i still do daily maintenance, water changes, testing etc. etc. all in combo with LEDS to acheive results..i love my LED's with my VHo's actinics, i have great growth and color, thers not one point i regret or wish i hadnt switched or would think about going back..
mussel and hate
New member
I like the dimensions of your tank kmu. That's a very efficient use of 250W.
From the pictures you've supplied it looks to me as though you are achieving more even lighting with the MH than you did with the AIs. There's some extreme spotlighting evident on the sand at the center of the second pic. Perhaps that contibuted to the growth differences you observed.
From the pictures you've supplied it looks to me as though you are achieving more even lighting with the MH than you did with the AIs. There's some extreme spotlighting evident on the sand at the center of the second pic. Perhaps that contibuted to the growth differences you observed.
biocube14g
New member
I'm a die- hard believer in metal halide.... I have a nanocube 28 with a 14k metal halide, and my tank hasn't even finished cycling yet, but my corals are all loving it... Unfortunately it grows algae like crazy.
power boat jim
Well-known member
You have a tank that isnt finished cycling and you have coral in it? The algea is part of the cycle.Oh there is so much wrong with this picture.
BigAl2007
Active member
grcforce327
New member
You guys are all crazy!!! You can buy a case of these and it puts the cost @ .80 cents each!
http://www.ckbproducts.com/cheap-flashlights-p-12182.html
http://www.ckbproducts.com/cheap-flashlights-p-12182.html
power boat jim
Well-known member
Does this seem about right?
yep
deepseadan
New member
What mh reflectors are those
James77
Team RC
Those are LumenMax 2 reflectors
chadfarmer
Premium Member
this may sound stupid but i was on the fence about going back to t5s and did sonmething that changed everything, i turned my appollos running at 90% for 5 hours to 70% for 5 hours and made a difference in about 3 weeks. I ramp up in 2 hours and than ramp down in 2
Interesting that you are using T5's for 420nm. I just built a DIY LED for a recent tank and went with all LED including some 420nm LEDs.
I wanted to avoid the whole T5/MH area and jump straight to LED so I went with 10 x 10W 450-460nm/10K-16K hybrid, 10 x 10W 460-470nm, 2 x 20W 430nm and 2 x 20W 420nm. So 280W of LEDs in total.
All the blue are easily overpowered by the white in the hybrids, but there is still plenty of fluorescence due to the blues.
All LEDs are running without lenses and are mounted about 4" above the tank and using egg crating as light channels. Not sure of the PAR yet, but I plan on measuring it this weekend.
I am slowly ramping them up and have them at 49% as of this week. I am increasing 3% a week.
Dennis
Jonny Roks
New member
I ran LEDs for 2.5 years and recently upgraded. I went back to an ATI 6 bulb t5 fixture and I'm happier then I have been in the past 2.5 years
Colors are so much better to me.
Colors are so much better to me.
What problems were you having when you thought about switching back to the T5s?
nikunjpatel
New member
Earlier in the thread there was cost issue raised with initial cost of LEDs. While there are alot of companies out there and DIY's I's like to point out an experience I'e been having with my Radions. I have 6 running for the past 5 month and within that time 3 have had to be replaced and my concerns over reliability over the long haul of these fixture has me mildly anxious. The Ecotech team has been wonderful at handling my issues and have stated that they would honor my fixtures even past the warranty if needed. At this point however I wish I had gone with a halide set up because I do think growth with them would be better. I like the software aspect of LEDs, being able to ramp up and play around with different color temperatures is nice and also not having my office turn into sauna is great too but at the end of the day I'm willing to sweat and use timers for the better growth. I may end up using the radions as supplemental lighting to the halides but now the trick is getting my wife to go along with that idea. just my two cents
-nik
-nik
Similar threads
