How do you light your SPS tank?

[Duality]

That just makes me feel good. All this hassle about what programs to run when you can just switch it on and off for great results. How many units are you running and on what size tank?

I was running 5 gen1's on a 300g peninsula

But know I'm beta testing 4 ethereal's on the same tank

 

[deputydog95]

Is anyone using the Kessil 360w's?

 

[SkullV]

I have run several types of lighting over the last decade. MH, VHO, PC, T5, LED, and combinations of each. Both high end fixtures and budget fixtures, as well as DIY. In the end, my best results with SPS always came from a MH hybrid (added VHO or T5) or a T5 Hybrid (added LEDs).

I am in the camp that believes that LEDs alone CAN grow very colorful/healthy SPS coral but T5/MH simply do it better. I have had more than one SPS tank where I replaced an LED fixture with a T5 or T5 hybrid and improvements in color and growth (keep in mind color/growth were already good) got even better within a matter of weeks.

 

[Bpb]

Agree with the above 100%. This has also been my experience.

I'll take it a step further for my personal experience. I'll say LEDs do work. I won't say "there not there". I think the technology is there. And it can work with different types, from ultra cheap, ultra expensive, custom, widely spread diodes, to just a couple dense array multichips. Evidence is there that you can be successful with any.

I sure wasn't though. I'll fully admit it was likely my own user error. But that's what I love about T5HO And MH. little to no risk of user error. After close to a year of LEDs And not one millimeter of growth, I had to call it quits and go back to T5HO. As predicted, sps growth off to the races. I can't explain it, I just know it works better in my hands. Every tank is different. Probably my own experience level and faulty tuning of spectrum that was my downfall with LEDs. I'd rather spent my time and money buying coral, fraggjng, and trading corals than worrying about why my lights aren't performing.


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[kutcha]

I feel like T-5/LED combo is one of the best combos on the market.

 

[hkgar]

I recently switched from a combo of 3 250W radiums plus 4 80W t5's to 8 80 W t5's. I had asked about different lighting combinations i this thread.

I use a calcium reactor and was at 25ml/min of 17dKh effluent. My dosing requirements have drop significantly. I am now at 15/ml/min of 17dKh effluent.

That seems to indicate a considerable drop in growth rate.

Is this to be expected with the change? Anyone see anything similar?

 

[Bpb]

Well. That is a good bit less light. You're essentially comparing 4x80 watt t5ho to 3x250 watt radiums.


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[tigersmith]

Here's my 300g 96"X24"X30"tall. Lighted with 4 Radion Pro G3.
Currently taking it apart and redoing it. Got bored.

 

[Piper27]

Well. That is a good bit less light. You're essentially comparing 4x80 watt t5ho to 3x250 watt radiums.


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Right I agree! What made you switch to only t5s? The halides and t5 setup probably doubled your par compared to the t5's.


There is no category for people that use halide, t5, and LEDs.
I run this combo on all my sps displays, I like to use a lower Kelvin bulb with blue and actinic t5s plus a good amount of leds. My 3' marine land cube I am running now has...
Two 400w reflux on electronic hqi setting in modified large reflectors
Four t5s and 60 blue leds

I think this is by far the best combo I have used because it gives you serious par, compleetly full coverage and a really nice color on the corals when you use enough leds with the other two lights.

I have had a good tank run with t5s and a bunch of blue leds. This is fun because you can get away with more white bulbs and still keep a crisp blue tint on the tank. Corals loved this combo but not as much as when I use all three lights.

 

[hkgar]

Right I agree! What made you switch to only t5s? The halides and t5 setup probably doubled your par compared to the t5's.

I started this thread because I was considering making the switch and wanted to see what else people were doing. If you look at the poll results, 1/3 of the respondents reported using t5 only and most of the comments from those using just t5 were very reassuring about their tanks with t5 only.

I made the switch because of energy costs created by the heat. In the summertime in order to keep my tank below 82 i needed to run the home AC at about 72 and the cooling cost, combined with the 750 watts of MH were approaching $100/month.

I was running the MH at 9 hours/ and as of today I am setting the T5 to 12 hours/day. I am very satisfied with the color. I am using 1 Giesemann Tropic ( a 6700k bulb) and 7 ATI: 4 Blue plus,1 Actinic, 1 Purple Plus, 1 Aquablue +.

Those of you running only t5, what is your photo period?

 

[phenom5]

Blues on @ 11am
Full lights on @ 1pm
Full lights off @ 7pm
Blues off @ 9:30pm

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[Bpb]

That's a good bulb combo and a good photoperiod but I think to start getting better growth you'd need to go with a 10-12 bulb setup if it would fit over your tank. Having done all forms of light, pure t5ho has given me the best growth and color, but to compete with 3 radiums is a tall order for only 4 extra bulbs. No other way to put it. I think you can expect your growth to definitely slow down a bit. Maybe not stall out entirely, but slow some. I would expect your colors to be fine though. What size tank are we talking here?


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[Bpb]

Btw I run an 8x54 watt ATI sunpower over a 90 gallon (standard 48x18x24) with 2 bulbs running from 10a-10p, and all 8 from 12p-8p.

Bulb combo is giesemann tropic, purple+, coral+, 3 blue+, 2 true actinics


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[hkgar]

I'll be honest I was never crazy about any of ATI's stock bulb recommendations and I've tried them all. After a boatload of experimenting the bulb combo i finally settled on from front to back is a little unorthodox and I don't know anyone else running it, but my bulbs are placed in order based on what is under them in each region. My aquascape is a low lying gently upward sloping stack straight across. Going for the grocery store fruit display look with acro colonies. No fancy towers or caves or suspended rock pieces. Just maximum horizontal space for mounting acros. I left only about 3" of sand space in front and sides to hold some of my favorite Zoa and Lps colonies over the years. The rocks are 100% sps/acros. So my order of bulbs was placed accordingly to hit certain corals with certain colors to bring them out best. I've been floored with how fast everything has responded. Newly glued acro frags encrusting over the glue, plugs, and epoxy in just over two weeks time. Combo is as follows front to back:

ATI Blue+
ATI Blue+
ATI True Actinic
ATI Purple+
Giesemann Tropic 6500k
ATI Blue+
ATI True Actinic
ATI Coral+

Looking at it objectively the three front blue and actinic combo give the more colorful fluorescent pigments the ability to really shine, the back half over the rocks where the sps lie is very much white in color. 12k at most I'd say. Warm colors a lot of natural pigments and if you look the spectrum is 100% covered from deep violet up to red with the 6500k bulb parked directly in the middle above the acros. Coral response has been phenomenal running it like this in even a short period of time. Here's an end down shot to illustrate how/why they're arranged like that.

I have used pretty much the same except subbing a Aquablue for the Coral +
front to back:
Blue+
Purple+
Blue+
AB Special
Tropic 6500
Actinic
Blue+
Blue+

 

[hkgar]

That's a good bulb combo and a good photoperiod but I think to start getting better growth you'd need to go with a 10-12 bulb setup if it would fit over your tank. Having done all forms of light, pure t5ho has given me the best growth and color, but to compete with 3 radiums is a tall order for only 4 extra bulbs. No other way to put it. I think you can expect your growth to definitely slow down a bit. Maybe not stall out entirely, but slow some. I would expect your colors to be fine though. What size tank are we talking here?


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My tank is a 180 and 8 bulbs is all that will go in front to back (24 inches). I am using 80 watt bulbs. You are one of the posts that convinced me to make the change and now maybe I just need to be patient as the corals make the necessary adjustments.

I am very pleased with the color and the brightness. Par at the tops of the higher placed SPS is about 350 - 370

 

[Bpb]

I think in this case just give it some time. Maybe drop another tropic in place of the ABS for a slight more boost in par. You were running a ton of light before so there will be an adjustment period.


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[Piper27]

On our t5 tanks we run full light for 9 hours.

Heat and energy is a consideration you definatly have to take when using all three lights together, but I am willing to run a big chiller and pay to provide corals with the best and most light I can give them. A lot of people can't do this. I would say t5s are the best way to give great light and avoid heat and energy costs.

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[reefrf]

I run a Giesemann Infiniti fixture. 3x 250w metal halides with 4xT5 80watt bulbs. This is over a 250. 72" by 30" deep. Energy is not a factor since we run solar.


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[reefrf]

Here's my 300g 96"X24"X30"tall. Lighted with 4 Radion Pro G3.

Currently taking it apart and redoing it. Got bored.

Nice job! Beautiful


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[tommyboynj]

After playing around with LEDs for a few years I went back to all t5 about 3 weeks ago. My current tank has been up since February and iv started it with all frags so its going to be a real test to t5 for growing everything from scratch my last tank did well under led but as corals grew they shifter colors and had strange growth patterns. I went back to t5 for the consistency. And, after just three weeks I'm already see better growth and improvement in color. Right now I'm running an 8 bulb ati 39w fixture over a 4ft tank. Par is a solid 250/350 in my coral placement areas. Bulb combo is two ati actinic, four blue+ and two coral+. Actinic on for 10hrs, all bulbs for 6hrs in the middle.

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