Anyone using a T5 only Fixture?

[duncangweller]

Dammit Rich, now I have to come over and buy frags!

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[Bblinks]

Anytime bud. Lol

[Stones]

I've been running T5 only fixtures on my reef tanks for the last 5 years or so and I keep nothing but SPS corals.

I had a 8 x 54 watt Sfiligoi stealth on my 90 gallon reef and I now have a 12 x 80 watt Sfiligoi stealth on my 225 gallon reef. I had originally wanted an ATI powermodule but they were severely backorded at the time so I ended up going with Sfiligoi. After seeing the build quality of the first fixture, I'd have a tough time going back to anything else.

Previously I had been running metal halide and was unhappy with the excess heat as well as the general color of my tank. With a 12 bulb T5 fixture, I can now mix and match bulbs to get the tank looking exactly how I like without having to worry about sacrificing PAR. My current tank is 24" deep and I have no problem keeping SPS alive and happy on the sandbed so long as they aren't being shaded by the forrest of acros above.

The only drawback IMO to using a strictly T5 fixture is the cost of bulbs, especially if you are using 80 watt. I spend ~$400 to $450 every year on bulb changes and I need to order them in from the US as I've had a difficult time locating the 80 watt bulbs from Canadian retailers. ReefGeek has a good selection but you pay a premium for shipping. Luckily I work close to the US border so I get most of my equipment shipped to a border town that has a package holding facility for Canadians.

I am using a 6 bulb Tek fixture. I replace my bulbs every 6 months. That's $300 a year. I wish I bought ATI instead. I think that its important to use a fixture with active cooling vs passive cooling.

I would highly recommend t5s but leds are very nice.

[NIVLEM09]

OMG...can i buy some frags from you? +1 for t5s but +2 for LEDS

Originally Posted by Bblinks

Moppy, I run both led on the main tank and T5 on the frag tank. I agree that T5 lighting display a much vibrant color. I recently moved a few pieces from the maintank to the frag tank and vise versa, the color difference was astonishing. Some of the pink birdsnest and red spatulata that looked intense in the frag tank looks really washed out in the maintank and others more so of the blue color spectrum looks awsome in the maintank but just so so in the T5 tank. I think it all depends on what you are looking for in your fixture whether you want to get the best color out of your corals or scarfice a bit of the color for low maintenance, controllable lights. One thing I don't like about T5 is the life span of the bulbs, I have found once the spectrum shifts you better be ready to change you bulbs or get ready for some major algae out break. I have never had any issues with my AI sol. 9 month for replacement on 6-10 bulbs can be costly.

Here is the maintank


Frag tank with t5

[duncangweller]

Rich,

Seeing as my tank is currently fallow until March 15th, I will put $30 a paycheck aside until then.

After that I will visit your place and leave with lots (hopefully) of frags. Perhaps start thinking of a little SPS/LPS package for me

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[moppy]

Thanks everyone.

Any chance BBlinks that I can come by and see your set up sometime?

Always looking for new ideas. (and frags once the new tank is up and running)

I'm just in Abby

[Bblinks]

Anytime moppy.