Keep T5 or get led instead

dedragon · Feb 15, 2023

The Deaf Reefer said:
yeah I'm new to the hobby ... it my first tank ... display dimension is 23.5" wide, 11.5" depth and 13" height

@dedragon thats alot of different lighting options lol

lol true but all are a bit different looking and different prices, so might as well give you a few options that could work. I say stick with the t5 if you already have new bulbs in the fixture. In 18 months when you go to replace bulbs you might have a better idea of what type of lighting you want. Preferences can change easily in another year and a half

The Deaf Reefer · Feb 15, 2023

dedragon said:
lol true but all are a bit different looking and different prices, so might as well give you a few options that could work. I say stick with the t5 if you already have new bulbs in the fixture. In 18 months when you go to replace bulbs you might have a better idea of what type of lighting you want. Preferences can change easily in another year and a half

I haven't bought new bulbs yet ... the fixture came with 3 bulbs but not sure how old they are

1 - glo life glo
2 - glo power glo
3 - I can't tell... the words are underneath, hard to read in the reflective material.. it got blue colour at both ends so I assumed it the blue light ... I don't know how to pull out the bulbs, don't want to make a mistake and damage it lol

Blue Spot Octopus · Feb 15, 2023

You usually have to rotate the bulb to remove it.
Can you post a picture where the bulb connects to the fixture?

The Deaf Reefer · Feb 15, 2023

Blue Spot Octopus said:
You usually have to rotate the bulb to remove it.
Can you post a picture where the bulb connects to the fixture?

fishface NJ · Feb 15, 2023

riveradaniel said:
18 month T5 replacement? I have been told 9 months, no more than a year. Has anyone run into any problems running t5 bulbs that long ?

90% of my corals are SPS

srobertb · Feb 15, 2023

The Deaf Reefer said:
I have a IM 20g fusion.. I was thinking of doing a mixed reef

I recently got a used aquaticlife T5 - 4 bulbs 24" for $150 cdn

What I didn't expect how pricey the bulbs are ...4 bulbs for $100 cdn and gotta change it every 12-14 months.

What do you guys think? Should I keep it or sell it and get a led?

View attachment 3022145 View attachment 3022146

Nice light to be sure. Will grow stuff. I was in the same boat but with a 6’ hybrid fixture. What I found was that it just wasn’t worth it (as you mentioned about the bulb cost). The T5 hybrid fixture sits in my basement of misfit toys.

I have a 20g IM NUVO but it’s a planted freshwater. I ran a Kessil 160 over it but found it to be under lit. I now run a Radion XR15 FW and it works very well. It has some shading at the sides but plants still grow well even “in the shade”. It’s actually kind of a dramatic effect.

The light is only on at 10% right now.

piranhaman00 · Feb 15, 2023

riveradaniel said:
18 month T5 replacement? I have been told 9 months, no more than a year. Has anyone run into any problems running t5 bulbs that long ?

I do 18-24 months

Midrats · Feb 15, 2023

Unless you are overdriving the bulbs with a vho ballast you are wasting your money replacing bulbs that often.

Someone also said that T5 fixtures are prone to failure, ballasts, fans, etc. This is simply not true. I've got 10 year old Sunpowers that are still going strong. One can expect fans and ballasts not to last as long in commercial environments, but the nice thing about T5, ATI anyway, is that all the parts are available and can be easily replaced. I like my lights as easy to work on as a '69 VW.

The Deaf Reefer · Feb 15, 2023

Does anybody have site link to see different 4 light bulbs combinations and see which one is more appealing to me

Crustaceon · Feb 15, 2023

piranhaman00 said:
Led fixtures last 3-5 years, they cost more overtime than t5, t5 is superior

It really depends on the fixture. I'd agree if we're talking a Radion XR30 Pro Black Edition Plus with Self-disconnecting WiFi and Auto-reordering and Apex Connectivity. I think what we pay too much for is the little features that we don't really need like precise color control, ramping and connectivity. For example, I could get a bare bones Viparspectra led fixture every 2-3 years for $150 and not pay $200 for bulbs and a lot more in electricity cost. I literally switched from a 6-bulb 48" t5ho to two viparspectra's over my anemone tank measuring 550 par at the surface for this reason.

fishface NJ · Feb 15, 2023

The Deaf Reefer · Feb 15, 2023

Crustaceon said:
viparspectra

yeah got no vipar in canada

fishface NJ said:

have seen these video... was hoping to find other bulb combinations like 50/50 blue plus and coral plus for example to see what they look like

piranhaman00 · Feb 15, 2023

Crustaceon said:
It really depends on the fixture. I'd agree if we're talking a Radion XR30 Pro Black Edition Plus with Self-disconnecting WiFi and Auto-reordering and Apex Connectivity. I think what we pay too much for is the little features that we don't really need like precise color control, ramping and connectivity. For example, I could get a bare bones Viparspectra led fixture every 2-3 years for $150 and not pay $200 for bulbs and a lot more in electricity cost. I literally switched from a 6-bulb 48" t5ho to two viparspectra's over my anemone tank measuring 550 par at the surface for this reason.

Sure but PAR is so meaningless, BRS brainwashed everyone thinking PAR is a magical measurement. It’s all about spectrum , sure PAR is useful but people put way too much stock in it. How can the sun give corals 2000+ PAR with no issue but your viper would bleach anything at 550 PAR?

Sun>Halide>T5>led*

spectrum (blending)> PAR

*Edit- not saying T5 are overall better than led just spectrum/color blending. LEDs are much better is most other areas.

Crustaceon · Feb 15, 2023

piranhaman00 said:
Sure but PAR is so meaningless, BRS brainwashed everyone thinking PAR is a magical measurement. It’s all about spectrum , sure PAR is useful but people put way too much stock in it. How can the sun give corals 2000+ PAR with no issue but your viper would bleach anything at 550 PAR?

Sun>Halide>T5>led*

spectrum (blending)> PAR

*Edit- not saying T5 are overall better than led just spectrum/color blending. LEDs are much better is most other areas.

Yes, spectrum is important, but I can't run one t5 bulb and get the same results as two led fixtures which my anemones are thriving under. Spectrum is nothing without intensity to get it to the organism in a sufficient amount. In all honesty, my anemones weren't doing any better under 6 t5 bulbs than they are now, prompting the change to leds between that, power consumption and bulb replacement costs, which raises the question of how important that spectrum difference really is. My nems are obviously getting what they need right now, so?.. Yes, if money weren't an option, I'd go with halide or a house designed around a tank that used natural sunlight.

Crustaceon · Feb 15, 2023

The Deaf Reefer said:
yeah got no vipar in canada

have seen these video... was hoping to find other bulb combinations like 50/50 blue plus and coral plus for example to see what they look like

That's rough. Personally, I ran two coral plus and four blue plus on my 6-bulb setup. I tried purple plus but didn't really see anything special and while aquablue special is fantastic for FOWLR, I not a fan of it in reef tanks unless you're going for a super "white" tank.

Midrats · Feb 15, 2023

Too bad you aren't closer. I have a whole bunch of old bulbs, you could try every combo.

Pictures of illuminated tanks never look the same as with your own eyes.

The Deaf Reefer · Feb 15, 2023

Lol you guys are like pulling me back and forth.. one side T5 and other side LED with your pros/cons discussion lol

piranhaman00 · Feb 15, 2023

Crustaceon said:
That's rough. Personally, I ran two coral plus and four blue plus on my 6-bulb setup. I tried purple plus but didn't really see anything special and while aquablue special is fantastic for FOWLR, I not a fan of it in reef tanks unless you're going for a super "white" tank.

White? I run 4 Blue plus and 4 6500k in my 8 bulb, that’s white.