TEK or ATI
- Thread starter jones02
- Start date
Froggy
Reef "Hobbyist"...right!?
My guess is the OP is comparing the regular/original Tek to the ATI.
This is just my opinion but I really think it depends on the size of your tank and what your focus is on as far as the type of corals you would like to keep.
Yes, ATI seems to be the best and from my reading before buying a T5 fixture this is due to better ballasts inside, better performing reflectors, and great cooling which increases bulb life and output/PAR. The Original Tek has no active cooling but you can add an exterior fan to at least help a bit. This of course is no where as effective as ATI's active cooling. T5's are meant to run around 90 degrees I believe.
I have a 120 gallon mixed reef that is SPS dominant and I weighed the pricing options. I wanted an 8 bulb unit for tailoring color combinations and the Tek is much more cost effective than an 8 bulb ATI. I was thinking about getting a 6 bulb Sunpower instead of the 8 bulb Tek on black friday as the price ended up only about $30 more after having to buy the mounting kit and two extra bulbs on the Tek.
I decided on the Tek for my tank and I honestly have not been disappointed at all with it. I have noticed very positive changes in my SPS over the last few weeks including a Mille/Prostrata 2" off the bottom.
ATI is the best that is true but depending on tank size ( depth especially ) a very successful SPS dominant tank can be achieved using both the Tek and the ATI. I would definitely choose the ATI if the tank was deeper than 24 " as they penetrate better. If money was no concern I would always choose ATI. Money was a concern for me and I went with the Tek. I feel I will achieve my goals with my 120 and have no near plans to upgrade tank size anytime soon. I would have no problems recommending Tek as a very good fixture. It is recommended to not use the splash guard on the regular Tek to not overheat the bulbs even more. Just search for tanks using Tek's. Mark1234 had a great 120 using Tek before he went LED. The current tank of the month is also using Tek now too.
Joe
This is just my opinion but I really think it depends on the size of your tank and what your focus is on as far as the type of corals you would like to keep.
Yes, ATI seems to be the best and from my reading before buying a T5 fixture this is due to better ballasts inside, better performing reflectors, and great cooling which increases bulb life and output/PAR. The Original Tek has no active cooling but you can add an exterior fan to at least help a bit. This of course is no where as effective as ATI's active cooling. T5's are meant to run around 90 degrees I believe.
I have a 120 gallon mixed reef that is SPS dominant and I weighed the pricing options. I wanted an 8 bulb unit for tailoring color combinations and the Tek is much more cost effective than an 8 bulb ATI. I was thinking about getting a 6 bulb Sunpower instead of the 8 bulb Tek on black friday as the price ended up only about $30 more after having to buy the mounting kit and two extra bulbs on the Tek.
I decided on the Tek for my tank and I honestly have not been disappointed at all with it. I have noticed very positive changes in my SPS over the last few weeks including a Mille/Prostrata 2" off the bottom.
ATI is the best that is true but depending on tank size ( depth especially ) a very successful SPS dominant tank can be achieved using both the Tek and the ATI. I would definitely choose the ATI if the tank was deeper than 24 " as they penetrate better. If money was no concern I would always choose ATI. Money was a concern for me and I went with the Tek. I feel I will achieve my goals with my 120 and have no near plans to upgrade tank size anytime soon. I would have no problems recommending Tek as a very good fixture. It is recommended to not use the splash guard on the regular Tek to not overheat the bulbs even more. Just search for tanks using Tek's. Mark1234 had a great 120 using Tek before he went LED. The current tank of the month is also using Tek now too.
Joe
Last edited:
GvineReefer
New member
I agree with Froggy. TEK's will get the job done very well, as can be evidenced by a ton of successful tanks posted here on RC. ATI's have better active cooling, ballasts and reflectors, so they of course are a better fixture. It all depends on personal preference and how empty you want your wallet to be. Don't be afraid of the TEK fixtures, they are proven fixtures.
Bretts05jeep
New member
I got a tek eliet 6 bulb about a year ago and thought it was great. Than my brother upgraded this tank to metal halide and his coral grows twice as fast as mine. Now Im trying to up grade to LED to catch up.
Froggy
Reef "Hobbyist"...right!?
Light is only one variable. There are many factors that go into coral growth rate and color. T5's have proven to grow and color corals effectively. I do not think the only difference in growth between you and your brother was T5 and Halide personally. Many types of lighting will work. A lot of it comes down to your tastes. Some like the look of halides and some like T5's and others like LED. I have used Halides for years and recently switched to T5. It took some time to adjust to the look of the new lighting but now I do not think I will be going away from T5's anytime soon. I am not saying they are better, just my current preference.
Joe
Froggy
Reef "Hobbyist"...right!?
What size tank are you planning on lighting?
For what it is worth, I have read tested accounts that say a 6 bulb sunpower will put out more PAR than an 8 bulb Tek. The reason for this is the cooling and the reflector. The reflector may be the most important aspect of using T5's. Tek has a very good reflector but the ATI is better. The Tek's reflector design also spreads the light out more than the ATI which is more focused ( part of the reason for more intensity I suppose ). Depending on tank width, you may have to raise the 6 bulb sunpower a bit to get the spread and coverage you want.
Again, my tank is 24 " width so I wanted 8 bulbs for better spread as well as more bulbs to color tweak what is appealing for me to look at. ATI is the best T5 fixture you can buy. That is not debatable. It is not however the only fixture you have to have if you are lighting a tank with T5. It seems like some people preach if it isnt ATI then it isnt worth getting. I do not believe that. ATI the best.....yes but the best does not always mean the best for what you are looking for. Do not discount the Tek. It is a well built fixture that performs very well in most applications. If you are looking to save some money go with a Tek. You will be happy with it IMO. If money is not the concern for you get the ATI.
If you tank is 18" wide the 6 bulb fixture will work. If 24" go with the 8 bulb Tek. If going ATI, a 6 bulb fixture will work either way. You need to know what you are looking to do with the tank to make an accurate lighting decision.
Joe
Froggy
Reef "Hobbyist"...right!?
I am glad you mentioned this as this was one of the things I liked about the Tek. On the 8 bulb that I have it is split 4 and 4. I actually like having 4 bulbs on the dawn/dusk cycle as this allows me a great combination of 3 Blue Plus and 1 Purple Plus for the dawn/dusk. This is a great looking combo that is very nice viewing. I prefer that over the two bulb dawn/dusk. 2 blue plus masks some colors for tank viewing like pinks etc. 1 blue plus and 1 purple plus looks a bit odd to me. The 3 blue plus and 1 purple plus is subdued but still allows for viewing of the different coral shades because of the daylight properties in the purple plus bulb.
I believe the 6 bulb Tek is divided 2 and 4 and not 50/50 like the 8 bulb.
Joe
Froggy
Reef "Hobbyist"...right!?
on a standard 90 that is 18" wide a 6 bulb fixture is all you will need. The ATI and TEK will both work with the ATI being the best of the options. You will have to decide what you are willing to spend and if an upgrade is in your future. The ATI would still work on a larger tank and the 6 bulb TEK may be a bit underpowered on a much bigger tank.
Joe
I'm in the market and have been following along here. I do like the sunpowers; the only problem is that hanging them from the ceiling is NOT an option. And the fixture hangers that I've seen must be attached to the back of the stand, which would require me to take the tank down in order to get to the back. Unless these brackets can be attached to the side I am SOL as far as ATI goes.
I have a 75. Will ATI really make THAT much of a difference over Tek? And when comparing brands, are ATI and Tek the only real players when talking about top of the line lighting?
I have a 75. Will ATI really make THAT much of a difference over Tek? And when comparing brands, are ATI and Tek the only real players when talking about top of the line lighting?
I'm in the market and have been following along here. I do like the sunpowers; the only problem is that hanging them from the ceiling is NOT an option. And the fixture hangers that I've seen must be attached to the back of the stand, which would require me to take the tank down in order to get to the back. Unless these brackets can be attached to the side I am SOL as far as ATI goes.
I have a 75. Will ATI really make THAT much of a difference over Tek? And when comparing brands, are ATI and Tek the only real players when talking about top of the line lighting?
I have a 75. Will ATI really make THAT much of a difference over Tek? And when comparing brands, are ATI and Tek the only real players when talking about top of the line lighting?
From what I have read the difference is in the ballasts, ati uses advanced ballasts and tek uses workhoarse. The work hoarse ballasts under drive the bulb and the advance runs them to spec, you get a 25 percent more light using the advanced ballasts. The vue/icecap ballasts overdrive the bulbs.
Similar threads
