T5 Lighting

brickwood · #1 01-19-2009, 06:29 AM

So here is one for everyone. I have asked a lot of people the same question. I am still undecided. T5 lighting. Should you be able to grow SPS? I have only recently gone up to T5's from PC's. 48" 4 bulb. I have noticed a huge difference in my softies. Has anyone had success with SPS under T5's?

Keri · #2 01-19-2009, 06:42 AM

Yup, you can keep some sps under the right kind of t5 lighting (how many bulbs? is it HO? what kind of reflectors? How deep is the tank?)

I was keeping quite a few montis, millis and acros under 8xt5HO before I recently switched to MH because I wanted to keep some of the higher-light demanding pieces

Monti's are a good starter sps, a little more forgiving than some. (particularily the digitatas)

some softies, like leather and zoas have been thought to inhibit the growth of sps, which is why some reefers don't do mixed reefs... I do, but I run carbon, and maybe my sps suffers for it but I like my softies so I keep 'em.

lorenz0 · #3 01-19-2009, 07:19 AM

You can keep any type of SPS under t5's. BUT it all comes down to the fixture and your bulb choice. If your fixture is a cheaper t5ho one with a single reflector i would say no, but individual reflectors i would say yes. Than with bulbs you need to run a higher end bulb. cheaper bulbs don't give off the same light as a higher end bulb.

Thats a quick some up of the answer. you could literally write a book on T5 lighting and growing coral and how it compares to MH.

Stones · #4 01-19-2009, 12:48 PM

I rely soley on a T5 fixture to light my 90 gallon SPS reef. After switching from metal halides, I haven't noticed any adverse effects and most of my acros are improving in colour since I made the switch. Like the previous posts stated, so long as the fixture has individual reflectors you should be able to keep any type of SPS coral. Active cooling makes a big difference as well and improves light output and bulb longevity.

fishytime · #5 01-19-2009, 03:09 PM

Short answer....yes. 16 bulbs total mind you.

Colors faded a bit when I switched from MH but are coming back now.

digital-audiophile · #6 01-19-2009, 03:26 PM

The T5 vs. MH debate brings me much pleasure

I run a 6 bulb tek on my 90 and have been more than happy with it. After using MH I just prefer the T5 and I would have a hard time going back to MH.

I have kept SPS under them just fine - growth and colour (allthough I am out of the SPS game, after my last tank crash) I have three clams that are very happy at the bottom of my tank.. and these are cretures that I had always read needed at least 250W of MH to thrive.

Red Coral Aquariums · #7 01-20-2009, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lorenz0

You can keep any type of SPS under t5's. BUT it all comes down to the fixture and your bulb choice. If your fixture is a cheaper t5ho one with a single reflector i would say no, but individual reflectors i would say yes. Than with bulbs you need to run a higher end bulb. cheaper bulbs don't give off the same light as a higher end bulb.

I agree with lorenz0 here and my answer would also be yes to your question. But in my opinion a combination of the two is the perfect choice giving you punch and color. One other observation I have noticed that when customers have T5 lighting and they are looking at large clams or acros I am constantly asked if their lighting will sustain these. Now on the other hand customers running MH 250 + that question never comes to mind.
Kevin

FlamesFan · #8 01-20-2009, 03:27 PM

T5 is becoming the dominate choice in SPS reef systems. One glance at any tank on the zeovit website (which is dominated by T5 reefs) will prove my comment.

The main thing that every agree's on, it's all dependent on your fixture. Some people figure they can save money by going T5 and still get the same results. This can be very untrue when you can spend just as much on a proper fixture to support SPS under T5's. This includes High output and overdriven fixtures with INDIVIDUAL reflectors.

Another big choice for people going T5 over MH is the color selections you can get from the variety of bulbs. The right selection of bulbs can make SPS look gorgeous.

Stones · #9 01-20-2009, 06:29 PM

I've noticed a few comments now that most people using T5s and keeping SPS seem to limit keeping their higher light corals within the top few inches of the tank. I'd just like to mention that I keep acros all the way from the top of the tank down to the sandbed and they all seem to do just fine. Growth rate may be slightly slower for the corals lower down but I'm finding that the corals lower down in the tank are often the ones to achieve better colouration than the corals located at a higher level in the tank. As previously posted too, most of the people on the zeovit forums run all T5s and you would be hard pressed to find a tank that kept all their SPS in the top portion of the tank.

daddy01 · #10 01-20-2009, 06:32 PM

Hi,
Interesting thread..I have a chance to obtain 36" T5 housing and was curious bout t5's myself . So if you get T5 housing with individual relfectors and good quality bulbs they are as efficient as Halide? or am I misunderstanding something?
My tank is 36"X18"X18" and am running Coralife 36" 2X96W bulbs the T5 fixture would be better?
Jim