Are you switching to T5

[Joe Reefer]

It seems a lot of people are running or switching to all T5's lately.
Are you planning on running just T5 lighting on any of your tanks in the future.

[mark]

Love to replace the NO fluorescents I'm using for dawn/dusk (with actinic) with a mix of T5s.

See no advantage to get rid of the MHs though.

Since first missed the JUST part, didn't vote.

[Joe Reefer]

I just noticed there was a typo in the poll title. Is there anyway to change that?

[michika]

I wanted to change, but the initial start up cost is so prohibitive at this point in time.

[andresont]

I switched about 3.5 moth ago and like it so far.
SPS color is very good. I can see the difference from 2x96Watt PC i had before.
I had brown miliporah SPS frag for long time it turned back to pink (very nice strong bright pink)
The other one (SPS frag) that was brown is dark green now, i also have bright red SPS frag that i got about two month ago and i already fragged it.

So i can say Yes to T5 (I got 36" long TEK T5 x6 bulbs , 39Watts each).
Bulbs are:
two pink "ProColor" K color unknown i think 6k but maight be even 3K.
one white 14 K ATI
two 60%blue 40%actinic bulbs ATI.

Overall coral growth is good i had to sell leather coral and some other because of space issues, SPS growth is not fast but noticeble good enough to enjoy it without a lot of fragging.
I also have light green with teal polyps leather and it had very hard time adjusting to that much more light compare to PC's. I had to move it few times and it is happy now in the corner where is less light.

Mushrooms do Not like that much light; open but not as wide. Rics OK but i think too much light also had to relocate to the side.

The only LPS i have is green torch and green frog spawn both, but i think i have too much flow for them in my tank and might be selling these corals soon..

I am not good with photography , but if anyone wants to come over and see this light fixture you are welcome.

[Delphinus]

I voted "no" but ... it's more of a "not completely". I will be running T5's in addition to halides. I hope for the best of both worlds this way.

I actually would consider going all T5 but at 30" depth I think I'll be happier with a combo.

I'll tell you one thing, I don't think that the costs of T5's are really that much less than halides, once you consider that by the time you add up all the watts and the replacement lamps, they're only marginally cheaper. However have you looked at the costs of T5's versus PC's? Wow, if nothing else, T5's will totally take over PC's in the marketplace, no question. That's my prediction anyhow

[Snappy]

I like the MH look but I did recently add a T5 fixture into the mix. I thus answered no to the question as I am not switching but just using them as a supplemental light source.

[Snappy]

Lando,
here's a couple of links on the T5 vs MH debate that also touch on some other interesting aspects of the coral colour equation.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...readid=1252186
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...5&pagenumber=1
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...5&pagenumber=1

[Doug]

Although a successful aquarists for a long time, sps have never been good to me, so my relating to their progress may be somewhat tainted.

I wonder if all the encrusting and lack of vertical growth, has something to do with less intense lights or is this just the natural progression.

I,m happy with the T-5,s over my 4ft. tank and as mentioned may add another set. Also as I mentioned before, if I went back larger, like a 6ft. I would go back to halides, likely a pair of 400,s or a single 400 over a 180 cube or something. I still own my 45g cube and if I went back to it for some reason, I would also run a single halide there, likely a 175w Iwasaki 14K or Ushio 10K.

Likely all my sps would then crap out or something though.

[danny zubot]

Although I've seen a clear improvement in my corals by adding T5 actinics, I will not switch completely. I understand there are some really successful tanks out there that run soley on T5's, but I can't give up MH because of the shimmer they give in the water.