Time for new lights led or new t5

[zaireguy]

Hi all

Its time for new lights on my 300 now i run t5 so its almost time for new bulbs i run two 48 inch (6)bulbs fixtures.i got them off ebay so they are nothing like ati tho i do run ati bulbs just straight on off t 5 fixtures no bells or whistles
Now i was thinking of something like reefbreeders v2 leds or going with a ati fixture i think my ebay fixtures are a little under powered since i gave a bout 200 a piece for the fixture not sure
I love t5 but read alot of good things on the reefbreeders v2
I keep lps and am just getting in to sps thats what i really want to keep
So give me some advice on which way you would go i bout the cheap fixtures when i was just starting to keep coral now i can go a little bigger and better
Thanks
Ron

 

[Ron Reefman]

There is probably nothing wrong with your inexpensive t5 fixtures in terms of how much light they produce. You stated "i know my t5 has the power i want i think my ebay fixtures are a little under powered since i gave a bout 200 a piece for the fixture." I don't know what makes you think they are "under powered"? You could save a lot of money by borrowing or renting a PAR meter and getting some real data rather than just thinking because the t5 fixtures were 'cheap' they aren't putting out as much light. IMHO that's a very poor assumption.

That said I use RB Photon V2 over 2 of my tanks and I think they are the best bang for you buck if you want leds that can do sunrise/sunset and have 6 channels of color control. But if you don't need or want those features (and your corals really don't care that much) why pay for them? There are less expensive led fixtures.

If your lights will be out in the open (ie. not in a canopy) and what they look like is an issue, then the V2's are really good looking IMHO. Very slim and modern looking.

I had a 125g tank with 75% sps corals and there was more than enough PAR with the V2 fixtures. BTW, I lost most of my sps due to a chiller that turned on and didn't turn off over night and my tank went down below 60F. All my zoas and anemones survived. But the point is, the V2's will run at roughly 75% and provide more than enough PAR for even acros sps corals.

BTW, how are things in Ohio? I lived just outside of Columbus for 20 years before moving to SW Florida. And I spent a lot of time in Mansfield, Ohio at the Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course.

 

[dz6t]

Time for new lights led or new t5

I compare an 8 bulb generic t5 with an 8 bulb ATI t5, both with same group of ATI bulbs, the ATI fixture produce about 25% more par. Go figure.


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[jda]

Some cheaper T5 fixtures can have less output... some do not. I got a 4 bulb Hydroponics fixture with Phillips ballasts and individual reflectors and it is within one percent of T5 measurements that I found online (I do not have a 4 bulb ATI fixture of my own to test). The only way to know is to measure them, but if you do round up a PAR meter, then take a look at the output of the bulbs to compensate for the downfalls of the meter... which is failing to capture enough spectrum below 440/450nm and nearly anything below 400... some T5 bulbs like True Actinic show very little par on a Apogee Meter, but with a real tool like a Spectrometer, they are just as much output as a BluePlus that has more of the spectrum in the Apogee Measurable range.

If your fixture has good reflectors, then it might be pretty good. My only worry with mine is that if it will rust out in a handful of years.

The choice on whether to switch is totally up to you. Your tank will be different. You might love it, you might hate it or more likely you will like some things and hate others. Lots of folks add back a few T5s to their LEDs once they have had them for a while - not all, but a lot. Some folks really love the shimmer that they did not have with their T5s.

There are two types of SPS and their requirements are a bit different. Your Montis, Birdsnest, Pocilipora and Stylophora have less light demands in both quality and quantity as well as can handle some parameter swings better. Most acropora are much more difficult than MBP&S in both illumination and care. If you do some research and see where you might want to settle in. If you think that you might want a big chunk of acropora, then work for these... the MBP&S will be fine... whereas the inverse does not always work.

I really believe that you will get better help if you do not use the term "SPS" and be a bit more precise. Saying SPS in the stony world is just like saying "coral" when you walk into Petco... the next question from the folks who are good enough to help you will be "what kind?"

 

[zaireguy]

Hello

Thanks for all the info i do not have a par meter.a buddy has a ati t5 fixture and even when i put brand new bulbs in mine everyone says it seems a little dim i thought i was just me
I like the idea of not buying new bulbs every 9 months or so and i want to be able to keepthe higher acros like walt disney and home wrecker etc
My lfs uses black boxes and grows just about anything

 

[dz6t]

First of all, you can replace ATI bulbs every 18 month. Sooner than that is a waste of money.
They have little par lost over time and the spectrum wont change.

Second, many reputable blackboxes led can grow coral just fine.



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[DesertReefT4r]

Reef Breeders V2 is a great choice for controllable budget LEDs. Radion XR30 Pro is the best out there imo if you afford the high price.

 

[zaireguy]

Yeah the black boxes seemed to work well in the store the owener said he had no problems with them except the bulky size