LPS light

[paradisecave]

What's the best lighting for euphyllia lps corals for color, growth, and long term health? Seems like t5's always work well and distributes the light nice and evenly. Can the newer LED's be too intense for these corals? There's a lot of variables like optics. T5's are pretty straight forward as you don't have to continually ramp them up and down and tinker with them.

 

[Dendrobates]

I too would like to know what most LPS keepers prefer. I have access to a 6 bulb t5 fixture or could go for a reef breeders LED light. I know with t5s you can dial in a color pretty accurately with different bulbs, but LEDs seem to be the future. Maybe a better question would be, would anyone choose t5s over LEDs?

 

[usmc121581]

On one tank I run 3-250w 20 K Mh with 2-96w Power compacts, and another I have one T5 HO fixture and get good color with both. Now for LED I will not put them on my tank, I forbid to go out spend a butt loqd of money to take a chance like that.

 

[mfinn]

I have been using a gen 1 Radion over my lps/sps tank for just about a year now and everything is doing great.
I started out with the lights at 35% for a week, then I learned how to setup the acclimation program which I ran for another 4 weeks starting at 40%. The program gradually ramped up the intensity over 4 weeks to a maximum of 65%.
Now that it is running at a 18k look ( which I like ), the lights come on at 9 am and slowly ramp up to a max at around 11 am and stay that way until 4pm and start ramping down and go off at 8:30 at night.
This is all done without any extra timers or controllers.

No extra tinkering or fussing.
Once set, it's done.

I replaced a ATI 6 x 24 watt Sunpower with the Radions and I'm glad I did.
I was afraid at first to pull the T5's and hung on to the fixture for 4-5 months before I sold it.

If I had to buy a new fixture and had never tried the Radion and was dead set on getting a T5 fixture, then I would get a ATI fixture.

 

[Fish Biscuit]

I have mine under a 10k pc in the cube, the new tank has an AI Hydra & I probably won't run it at more than 70% being about 12 inches above the water.

 

[Dendrobates]

When it comes to the LED fixtures, are you guys running full spectrum units or blue/white only? I'm still torn between 6 x t5 bulbs or a reefbreeders full spectrum LED unit over my 24" tall aquarium

 

[chrisfont23]

ReefBreeders Photon 48 full spectrum lights at 50% intensity.

 

[baldbean]

I run 12,000K white, 460nm Blue, 440nm Dark Blue dimmable 120W LEDs. Both the whites and blues are ran at 50%. They also have 70 degree optics and are run about a foot above the water. My tank is an 18" cube.

 

[BobbyV]

I have been using a gen 1 Radion over my lps/sps tank for just about a year now and everything is doing great.
I started out with the lights at 35% for a week, then I learned how to setup the acclimation program which I ran for another 4 weeks starting at 40%. The program gradually ramped up the intensity over 4 weeks to a maximum of 65%.
Now that it is running at a 18k look ( which I like ), the lights come on at 9 am and slowly ramp up to a max at around 11 am and stay that way until 4pm and start ramping down and go off at 8:30 at night.
This is all done without any extra timers or controllers.

No extra tinkering or fussing.
Once set, it's done.

I replaced a ATI 6 x 24 watt Sunpower with the Radions and I'm glad I did.
I was afraid at first to pull the T5's and hung on to the fixture for 4-5 months before I sold it.

If I had to buy a new fixture and had never tried the Radion and was dead set on getting a T5 fixture, then I would get a ATI fixture.

Are you running TIR lenses on your Radions?

 

[mfinn]

Are you running TIR lenses on your Radions?

No I'm not and I really don't think it would help the corals.
I'm only running the Radion at 65% now.

 

[charliet21]

Went back to mh. Dont like leds. If isnt broke dont fix it. Mh tired and true along with t5. And there are other ppk going back to mh and t5 from led

 

[hart24601]

Reefbreeders all the way, full spectrum. I see no reason to ever buy another replacement bulb with LEDs now. Spectrum shifts and dimming? No thanks.

 

[njdevilsfan]

I wasn't aware people are still skeptical about leds
just look at the last 3 macnas that's all every booth uses
few more years and mh bulbs will go the way of power compacts
I have ran every type of light and combo of lights and simply put until someone masters those plasma bulbs ,leds are hands down the greatest lights

 

[njdevilsfan]

oh yea and be careful with slowly ramping them up at first

 

[s2nhle]

No I'm not and I really don't think it would help the corals.
I'm only running the Radion at 65% now.

That is what I am currently running with my mix reef. 90% sps

 

[rapture]

ai sol superblues 20in above my tank , running at 100%
lps in different spots. some in caves some at the top. it all depends on each coral. move them until happy and then leave it !