t5 to led systems
- Thread starter lunacris
- Start date
I used to have a set of LED's on a 90 I used to have, to be honest I saw no real difference in the corals from the T5's I replaced. I did see lower temps and elec usage so those were positive but not enough to offset the cost difference. Just my experience though I know others that swear by LED's so like everyhing there will be different opinions.
scotty
Member
Really when I did my research, I went with the conclusion of t5>led>mh. Really to replace a t5 on an established tank, you just won't get your money back. From how the led kits work, and look, they are a replacement for halides, not really t5. You will get plenty of growth from a 4-6 bulb array for about the total cost of a new led setup.
Now if were talking about a brand new setup, there seriusly is nothing better than led, if you can build a setup or want to...
8 bulb unit just isn't worth replacing imo
Now if were talking about a brand new setup, there seriusly is nothing better than led, if you can build a setup or want to...
8 bulb unit just isn't worth replacing imo
Smitty
Premium member
Led's are still too new for me, so I'd stay clear of the for awhile. The good thing about them is low running cost, low heat. But they're expensive right now, and i think overpriced at the time. I love my metal halide fixture, it just gives off too much heat. And I would have preferred a T-5 system, due to various color bulb combinations, low heat and long bulb life. Honestly, the type of fixture will vary on the type of tank(inhabitants)you plan to keep.
mr_z
New member
ive heard ok things about them i think aquatica in tinley park is gonna put in a really nice system on one of their main frag tanks to see how it goes. i just know that itll be less heat and less power consumption so maybe a lower electricity bill and more equipment for you tank lol. they do have that shimmering effect like the mh lights. lets see how it turns out tho.
labas39
Active member
On Sunday, I bought a 120 watt LED light on ebay for $249 plus $19 shipping. It will arrive later this week. Living Sea sells their 120's for $599 so I'll be able to compare the quality of this cheap light with theirs. I run 2 250 watt HQI's on my 60 gal and instead of replacing them right away, I decided to try LED over my new frag tank. Depending on how the frags do, I'm going to replace the HQI's. I'll keep you posted.
polska123
New member
go to rapidled.com they have diy kits that will replace a 150watt hqi for 250bucks.
imbuggin
Member
well, I am not the norm here. I have all LED's on my 300 gallon. I do not use the same leds as the rest. My are Cree 5.06 watts each. I have 40 blue / 40 white and 10 reds for night viewing. I replaced 1600 watts of metal haldie. Everything grows and no heat or noise! Never going back.
as far as shimmer. Ther is so much it can make you dizzy
as far as shimmer. Ther is so much it can make you dizzy
scotty
Member
Watts mean nothing. There is a ton of info on nano-reef.com if you think their too new these guys have been running system for years with growth that is comparable. What brand of light did you get because those that know what they are talking about warn against the quality of some of the fixtures on eBay.
imbuggin
Member
correct "watts" mean little except how fast your electric meter spinns. The point is I replaced 1600-1800 watts of light with 800 watts of led's. I think the tank is actually brighter. I don't have par readings or lux, BUT I can tell you sps will grow at the bottom of my 36inch deep tank the same if not faster than with the halides. and NO I do not use lenses to focus the leds.
I am actually running a heater on my system for the first time in 20-25 years!