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AgeDynasty
02/10/2016, 02:21 PM
Hello guys and gals, ive got a 40breeder sps dominant, I have a coralife 6 bulb t5 fixture over it, but the bulbs need replacing im torn should I replace the bulbs with new bulbs or should I get a reef breeders 24" photon led fixture any input would be appreciated

vhuang168
02/10/2016, 02:48 PM
Replace the bulbs.

If you switch to LEDs you will have to spend weeks if not months acclimating your sps to LEDs and there is no guarantee they will like it. Plus I don't think a single 24" Reefbreeders light is gonna be enough to reduce the shadowing like the T5s

Ron Reefman
02/11/2016, 01:08 AM
Replace the bulbs.

If you switch to LEDs you will have to spend weeks if not months acclimating your sps to LEDs and there is no guarantee they will like it. Plus I don't think a single 24" Reefbreeders light is gonna be enough to reduce the shadowing like the T5s

What?

I'm OK with telling the OP to stick with the t5 system. They need to know the differences between a t5 and an led fixture and make up their own mind.

But saying, "If you switch to LEDs you will have to spend weeks if not months acclimating your sps to LEDs and there is no guarantee they will like it." Seriously? Acclimating corals to leds is a breeze and shouldn't take but 3 or 4 bumps in over all power settings over a month. That's a once a week adjustment. You make it sound like it months of hard labor! And there's no guarantee they will like it? Really? I guess that's why only about half the reefers I know have switched to led fixtures, because the other half have corals that don't like leds!

And then you say,"Plus I don't think a single 24" Reefbreeders light is gonna be enough to reduce the shadowing like the T5s." In my opinion the Photon 24 is big enough to cover a 36" long 40 breeder tank. And it's got way more than enough PAR to grow sps. Shadowing is just something all led fixtures suffer from. Some people don't mind it and others don't like it. They either go back to t5 or MH or they add a t5 bulb or two along with their led fixture.

To the OP, t5 and leds both have pluses and minuses. You need to figure out which one is right for you. If you like the idea of sunrise & sunset as a feature, then the Photon 24 has an advantage over the t5. Just understand it's a feature for you to enjoy because your corals could care less! If you don't like spending what, $120 to $150 in new bulbs every 9 to 12 months, then the Photon 24 has an advantage. Two or three rounds of bulbs alone will buy you a Photon 24. Just be aware that the Photon 24, like almost all led fixtures, has focused light which shines almost straight down and does make for some real shadows. And most corals don't grow well underneath due to the directional nature of led light. That's where your t5 fixture has an advantage.

Hentz
02/11/2016, 01:54 AM
I'm going to speak up on this because I've dealt with both Reefbreeders and not ATI T5 over my SPS tanks.

I've had incredible success with Reefbreeders. While my colors weren't completely awesome, I still had decent color and almost exploding growth. Why I got rid of them and sold the tank? I have no idea...

Then I went to Radion Pro XR15 and semi-quickly realized T5 might be the better route. Sure enough, my ATI T5 6x24 blew my Radion Pro out of the water. Why you might ask? I probably didn't give the Radion enough time nor did I experiment with color enough. I'm being told today I included wayyyy too much red. Not saying I didn't have success with Radion, just not as much as my Reefbreeders or ATI T5.

Either way you go, YOU WILL GET GROWTH/COLOR!!! Trust me when I say this. When it comes down to it, it's what YOU like.

Want the shimmer, dusk/dawn effect, coral color pops, one-time payment? Go Reefbreeders.

Want little to no shadowing, great growth, much more of a color choice (than the reefbreeders)? Go your T5.

Either way, keep your parameters stable and you will achieve what you want.

Don't let these different pictures fool you. The ATI T5 lit tank that I'm currently running is SPS Dominant, but is also ZEOvit and young.

Here is the current tank; ATI 6x24 Dimmable w/ Kessil 150 Supplement:
http://i1350.photobucket.com/albums/p764/HentzReef/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsusckub2y.jpeg (http://s1350.photobucket.com/user/HentzReef/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsusckub2y.jpeg.html)

Here was my 75 Non-ZEOvit; Reefbreeder 24" x2:
http://i1350.photobucket.com/albums/p764/HentzReef/image_zpsdea80d04.jpg (http://s1350.photobucket.com/user/HentzReef/media/image_zpsdea80d04.jpg.html)

vhuang168
02/11/2016, 09:46 AM
What?

I'm OK with telling the OP to stick with the t5 system. They need to know the differences between a t5 and an led fixture and make up their own mind.

But saying, "If you switch to LEDs you will have to spend weeks if not months acclimating your sps to LEDs and there is no guarantee they will like it." Seriously? Acclimating corals to leds is a breeze and shouldn't take but 3 or 4 bumps in over all power settings over a month. That's a once a week adjustment. You make it sound like it months of hard labor! And there's no guarantee they will like it? Really? I guess that's why only about half the reefers I know have switched to led fixtures, because the other half have corals that don't like leds!

And then you say,"Plus I don't think a single 24" Reefbreeders light is gonna be enough to reduce the shadowing like the T5s." In my opinion the Photon 24 is big enough to cover a 36" long 40 breeder tank. And it's got way more than enough PAR to grow sps. Shadowing is just something all led fixtures suffer from. Some people don't mind it and others don't like it. They either go back to t5 or MH or they add a t5 bulb or two along with their led fixture.

To the OP, t5 and leds both have pluses and minuses. You need to figure out which one is right for you. If you like the idea of sunrise & sunset as a feature, then the Photon 24 has an advantage over the t5. Just understand it's a feature for you to enjoy because your corals could care less! If you don't like spending what, $120 to $150 in new bulbs every 9 to 12 months, then the Photon 24 has an advantage. Two or three rounds of bulbs alone will buy you a Photon 24. Just be aware that the Photon 24, like almost all led fixtures, has focused light which shines almost straight down and does make for some real shadows. And most corals don't grow well underneath due to the directional nature of led light. That's where your t5 fixture has an advantage.



Chill out.


I'm a fan of LEDs. I use Hydra 52s myself. I recommend them to as many reefers as I can. But sometimes LEDs can be the wrong choice. I look at what the person needs for his tank and not what my ego says he should run regardless.

1 month = 4 weeks. Did I say weeks if not months? Most do acclimation over a few weeks. Some do it over 6-8 weeks. Oh wait, that is ,2 months!

Some corals after being under mh or t5 just won't take to LEDs. Maybe it wasn't acclimated enough, maybe took too long. Maybe it just doesn't like the spectrum.

Are you going to guarantee to the OP that ALL his coral will survive the change? Remember that we are talking about an SPS dominant tank.

Did I say the photon 24 wasn't strong enough? Did I say it wasn't enough coverage? What I said was, a single 24 will give him shadowing. Funny, it looked like you said the same thing.

If you try to grow enough sps with a single led source, you'll notice the shadowing will cause bleaching in the shadowed area. Sometimes that causes stn, sometimes the sps doesn't care and just has white areas under the colored ends. If you like that look, more power to you.

You have to remember that the OP is SPS dominant AND he is already using T5s. Not starting from scratch. Do you really want to recommend a different light source that

1) Will burn his SPS if used too strong right from the start ( which many people who switch from MH/T5 to LEDs do because it doesn't look bright enough at 30-50% when acclimating)

2) WILL cause shadowing as compared to his T5s. Not a guess, a fact. Meaning his corals, depending on how they are positioned, will eventually have white bottom areas and possibly die?


OP, my recommendation stands, with a little adjustment.

If your tank is well established, I wouldn't risk the change. It could go well, but you will have to weigh that risk yourself.

If your tank is just starting out and/or you have colonies that are not pricey and easily replaced, LEDs are a good choice but just be aware of the shadowing problem with running only 1 fixture.

Hentz
02/11/2016, 12:38 PM
Here's actually a before and after. Top I was using 8bulb AquaticLife fixture.
Below, the 2 24" Photon's. Granted, tank after is a little more mature, corals exploded with Photon's compared to my T5.

Note: the picture I posted above of this tank was taken November, 3 months after the bottom picture.

http://i1350.photobucket.com/albums/p764/HentzReef/image_zps7043750d.jpg (http://s1350.photobucket.com/user/HentzReef/media/image_zps7043750d.jpg.html)

Wazzel
02/11/2016, 12:49 PM
Why do you want to change? From a cost standpoint replacing the bulbs is you best bet. It will take may years of bulb changes to recoup the cost of new fixtures.

If you do change lighting systems if is a good idea to acclimate you tank to the new one. If it were me I would take 2 moths to do it. Probably a bit on the conservative side, but corals will not die from not enough light over two months.

Be advised you corals will take on different shades under LED than under T-5. It is really not good or bad, just different.

I am not familiar with the reef breeders units. Some people do use them with good results.