What are some good actinic LED supplimentation options?

leveldrummer

New member
Im buying equipment for a future upgrade. I just picked up some MH ballasts and reflectors that I plan on running, I will either have radiums or pheonix 14k, Id like to do some LED actinic suppliments along with the mh's to give a bit more pop to the corals and to have a dusk/dawn effect. What are your favorite led setups? Something that wont need a 2nd mortgage to use too.
 
You want the best lighting setup money can buy today? Run T5 actinics with your halides and forget about LED.
 
You want the best lighting setup money can buy today? Run T5 actinics with your halides and forget about LED.

T-5 actinics with halides are a waste in my opinion. the halides will provide everything the corals need to thrive, anything else is just suppliment for asthetic reasons. Why would you waste the power or the cost of bulb replacement on t-5s?
 
T-5 actinics with halides are a waste in my opinion. the halides will provide everything the corals need to thrive, anything else is just suppliment for asthetic reasons. Why would you waste the power or the cost of bulb replacement on t-5s?

The MH/T5 combo is the best imho.
The T5 will give you the extra light wrap that you won't get from two pinpoint light sources, they'll let you fine tune the color, and they'll let you extend your viewing period without running the MH too much. My setup has 4 t5 bulbs. My two blues come on first, then my other blue and a white, then my Radiums. And reverse at night.

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You could get some cheap LEDs for moonlights if you want.
If I was dead set on using LED as part of my main lighting, they would be a supplement to T5.
 
Build my leds will give real PAR.. Not a lot compared to your main lights but more than the cheap trulumen types. They will also penetrate deep. If you want some real pop thats the way to go. T5 won't pop colors that well but still good enough.. adding the BMLEd is like putting it on roids for pop. BMled you get 405nm if you wish on their actinic model or custom make what you want. Reefbrites are comparable but cost more and LED layout is proprietary. I do prefer the reefbrite housing if it will be seen.
T5 ATI blue plus would probably give you some real growth and plenty of color pop. I wouldn't waste money time on T5 actinics. WHen I have one blue plus on with one actinic it's much darker than two blue +. Seems color pop is about the same.
 
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