T5 vs. AI BLADE for Coral farm.

[emireefs]

Hey guys need some feedback since maybe I'm overthinking this.
Tank is 8ft long, 30 in wide and 2ft deep.
Going to be a mixed grow out tank.
It was initially a lps, softy display running on 2 ai grow blades. Did good but salt creep has been a big issue with our blades and ive had to talk to ai more than I like to admit. One of the blades went out this week and since we are transitioning this tank anyways I'm thinking of going to t5s since we plan on housing acros in the top third of the tank and reliability seems to be a factor.
Long story short I want to do 2 48' 6 bulb t5s, does anyone even make that? And if not what would you do if you were me. Budget is somewhat a concern since we are a small business and want to be able to grow beautiful coral without spending insane amounts. Thanks guys

 

[oreo54]

Hey guys need some feedback since maybe I'm overthinking this.
Tank is 8ft long, 30 in wide and 2ft deep.
I want to do 2 48' 6 bulb t5s, does anyone even make that? And if not what would you do if you were me. Budget is somewhat a concern since we are a small business and want to be able to grow beautiful coral without spending insane amounts. Thanks guys

Sure...

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Add approx $20 per bulb.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

GrowBright 4 Foot 6 Lamp High Output T5 Fluorescent Grow Light Fixture, (6) 6400K Bulbs Included https://a.co/d/hV6wXtP
Iv been using these for two years with no issues. If course you need to change out the bulbs

 

[Northern Flicker]

That would be a really nice set up. I think you could go more frugal though with T5 retrofit kits if you wanted to.

I recently watched the reef builders video at the Top Shelf coral farm and they had one really nice acro area that was retrofit T5 with what I believe were Orpheus Blue LED strips to make the colours pop.

 

[emireefs]

Thanks for the advice! I'll add photos once I get the bulbs set up to show the blend we end up going with

 

[djf91]

Have you considered metal halide?

 

[emireefs]

Have you considered metal halide?

I haven't yet but I'll look into it today, is there a specific product you recommend in that category?

 

[rtparty]

No matter what you use, I would fix why you’re having that bad of salt creep issues on your lights

 

[emireefs]

No matter what you use, I would fix why you’re having that bad of salt creep issues on your lights

I think it was because we used elevated tank mounts and had the lights directly on the glass so as the water evaporated salt had gotten into the unit. Light is about 1 yr old and I had it looked at by a friend and he thinks that it might have been sealed incorrectly to withstand the conditions.

 

[rtparty]

I think it was because we used elevated tank mounts and had the lights directly on the glass so as the water evaporated salt had gotten into the unit. Light is about 1 yr old and I had it looked at by a friend and he thinks that it might have been sealed incorrectly to withstand the conditions.

I see. The new lights will be higher up though so you shouldn't have this issue. Salt creep wrecks T5 reflectors so keep them elevated 8-12"

 

[minus9]

Have you considered Quanta lights?
Quanta Lights

 

[emireefs]

Have you considered Quanta lights?
Quanta Lights

I haven't but I'll look into them, thank you!

 

[piranhaman00]

What’s with the fascination of the blades?

I would also look into quanta

 

[emireefs]

What’s with the fascination of the blades?

I would also look into quanta

I purchased them the day they released since the tank has a 4-inch glass lip, and traditional "clip-on" mounting wouldn't work. Doing a ceiling mount since this room has a pitched vaulted ceiling of around 12 feet didnt feel like a problem I wanted to face at the time. So I don't actually have any fascination with blades but they were the only thing in my scope that would be strong enough for our inhabitants yet still be able to sit on the lip of the tank using an elevated tank mount. Hope that brings clarity. I refuse to be a blade junkie

 

[slogan315]

+1 on the Quanta atlas. I really want to get some for a new build because of their cost/coverage seems so great. My 20” depth makes their 3’x3, coverage have too much spill. But for your farming use with 30” depth, I can’t see a cheaper way to effectively light the tank. 2 fixtures might cover 8ft of softies/lps. 3 would have you covered for anything. $450 for 3x3 sps or 4x4 lps/softies. Can’t beat it. Also, there are discounts for multiple lights.

They just came out so there’s not much info on them. But like t5’s they have a set spectrum, on/off and dimming. You’re not paying for extra frills of timers, spectrum control, or special effects.

Disclaimer: I don’t actually own them, but would like to. Do your own research before buying.

 

[emireefs]

+1 on the Quanta atlas. I really want to get some for a new build because of their cost/coverage seems so great. My 20” depth makes their 3’x3, coverage have too much spill. But for your farming use with 30” depth, I can’t see a cheaper way to effectively light the tank. 2 fixtures might cover 8ft of softies/lps. 3 would have you covered for anything. $450 for 3x3 sps or 4x4 lps/softies. Can’t beat it. Also, there are discounts for multiple lights.

They just came out so there’s not much info on them. But like t5’s they have a set spectrum, on/off and dimming. You’re not paying for extra frills of timers, spectrum control, or special effects.

Disclaimer: I don’t actually own them, but would like to. Do your own research before buying.

They honestly seem like the best option currently and I'll look into it more. If I end up biting the bullet on them I'll keep you guys posted on the info and long term use growth etc. Frills have honestly only ever let me down

 

[14 foot reef]

Think Atlas by Quanta Lights - My first of 5 new farm flats is 72" x 48' x 20" They are unbelievable !!!!

Atlas

Designed for simplicity, reliability, and easy installation, this industry-leading light features 720 LED chips along with both primary and secondary optics to optimize light output, spectral blending, and efficiency. The unique, science-based spectrum design incorporates the correct ratios of...

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[emireefs]

I'm so surprised at the quality for the price considering the range of everything else. Really glad I reached out on the forum since I would have never discovered these otherwise. Everyone I knew in person was recommending I buy radions...... yeah that's not happening. Nothing against them but price wise for a business super difficult to justify.

 

[minus9]

I'm so surprised at the quality for the price considering the range of everything else. Really glad I reached out on the forum since I would have never discovered these otherwise. Everyone I knew in person was recommending I buy radions...... yeah that's not happening. Nothing against them but price wise for a business super difficult to justify.

Yeah, most LEDs on the market are overpriced.

 

[ReefinIt]

T5 hydroponic fixture if you want to go budget. Can't get any cheaper than that.