DIY T5

[Slick Fork]

I have a pair of reefbrite LED strips that are 24" that I'm selling

Short version is $300 for the pair, I would include shipping for you at that price.

Here's the thread:

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=83763

They would probably both fit into your hood and would allow you to keep just about everything you wanted in there, with proper placement.

If that's not something your interested in, check out ModularLED... they are a sponsor here and specialize in DIY kits

[t-rex]

For 300 probably wont work but thanks

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[Slick Fork]

No worries,

Narrowing down your budget and deciding what kind of life you want in the tank will really help people point you in the right direction.

Something really cheap like this
http://www.jlaquatics.com/product/sl...4+Watt%29.html
would work if you just want fish and inverts, maybe a couple of mushrooms or something that doesn't need a lot of light.

If you want to keep corals, then unfortunately you'll be looking at a much bigger investment.

[t-rex]

For hose t5ho just buy more than one? I'm seriously considering the leds now however they are more pricey
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[Slick Fork]

You could buy as many of those as will fit, the JL site says they can be daisy chained together. To keep any kind of Coral though you would need 4+ of those plus individual reflectors for each so you'd be looking at $120ish for the lights, $120ish for reflectors and you'd probably want to change the colour of some of the bulbs so say another $40 if you replace half the bulbs right off the bat.

With an AIO heat will also become an issue which is another advantage LED's have over both T5's and MH's.

Ultimately I think you will find LED's more cost-effective but it also depends on your goals with this tank.

[t-rex]

Could you measure the exact length of the leds you offered me. And would those be enough for corals?

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[Slick Fork]

They are 24 1/8" long including the mounting brackets, 2 inches wide each. I have these with 2 T5's with really crummy reflectors and can keep high-light SPS down to 8" in my tank.

I have not tried them alone although I was running on only 1 LED strip plus the T5's for about 6 months while I dealt with a warranty issue on the other and most of my coral did OK. Since I have them both up and running everything is looking good!

I have seen other hobbiests make comparisons that a reefbrite strip is about the same usable light as 1.5-2 T5 bulbs but that is very anecdotal. I would guess that you should be fine keeping most beginner SPS near the top of the tank and corals with lower requirements further down.

Here's another thread about the reefbrite strips
http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=66116

Also check out the link in my "for sale thread" that I linked to you for pictures of the exact lights so you can see what kind of colour you would be getting.

[sphelps]

If you're now considering LEDs don't rush into anything without doing your homework. There are many options for new products in the $300-$400 range, never mind used. The reef brights wouldn't be my first pick for a few reasons but I've also have heard a few issues regarding reliability.

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/sho...t=67874&page=2

[Slick Fork]

Yep, that one is linked to in my for sale thread that I provided above. The new one replaced by Reefwholesale is doing fine and the other one is still problem free.

[t-rex]

Ok well those wont really work. The tank is exactly 24 " from outside trim. Don't want it to look messy

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