Replace T5 fixture or move on to LED?
- Thread starter Logan killer
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I was all ati 5 with reef brite xho. I switched to aquatic life t5 with radion hybrid. I'm old skool, the colors I got from t5 was great. I wouldn't say I love the hybrid setup more, but I do like the electricity savings and I do like that my tank does run cooler. Good for summer, not as good for winter.
I had T5's (Fiji Sun x 2 fixtures) 12 bulbsx$20 = $400.00 per year bulb replacement....
Fiji Suns are available for sale BTW
I ended up buying this instead: https://www.coralvue.com/maxspect-razor-x-300w-led-lighting-fixture
Fiji Suns are available for sale BTW
I ended up buying this instead: https://www.coralvue.com/maxspect-razor-x-300w-led-lighting-fixture
For my 6' tank, I went with 3 used XR30 G4 Pro for ~$1000. The coverage is great and yes, I could have gone T5s but the ROI for LED is less than 3 years. I've switched to LED almost 9 years ago and I'm not going back to T5 (or MH). My softies & LPS don't really care much for lighting (they all will grow fine). As for SPS, yes -- it helps but I think that flow is more important.
One day when I finally hang up t5/mh, I plan to go with an assortment of QuantaPro bars. They pack a punch, great color appearance and spectrums and are cheap for what you get in coverage. My one gripe with LED is shadowing and I feel like a few bars would mimic t5 better. I'll probably add a couple kessils in the middle to mimic my MH shimmer and get ramp ups/downs. Not as sleek aesthetically as some LED setups but would be pretty close to LED/XHO or T5/LED hybrids in appearance.
They are pretty much Aliexpress style bars, but with better spectrum, wider lenses and higher wattage diodes which is worth the price difference for me.
https://www.quantareef.com/quanta-pro
They are pretty much Aliexpress style bars, but with better spectrum, wider lenses and higher wattage diodes which is worth the price difference for me.
https://www.quantareef.com/quanta-pro
If you already have the T5 fixture...then your cost is to replace the bulbs. You will have to spend ~4x more to go full LED's.
You pay a larger amount upfront with LEDs, and get the return over time as you keep using it. It all depends on how long you stay with the same LEDs as well. I see a lot of people are constantly upgrading their Radions as new generations come out like Iphones, so that's not saving any money.
If I was in your shoes and I'm happy with the T5's, I would probably just stick with buying the new 8 bulbs. Will probably cost you $200.
You pay a larger amount upfront with LEDs, and get the return over time as you keep using it. It all depends on how long you stay with the same LEDs as well. I see a lot of people are constantly upgrading their Radions as new generations come out like Iphones, so that's not saving any money.
If I was in your shoes and I'm happy with the T5's, I would probably just stick with buying the new 8 bulbs. Will probably cost you $200.
Quanta Pro's are no joke and you get a lot for the money. They're basic on/off, so no dimming, but honestly, it's not necessary at all. As @Smite mentioned, their spectrum, blending and number of diodes far exceed the closet competition's lights. If I would go all LED again, it would be a mix of Quanta Pro's, Kessil and Reefi Uno's. I think the ATI Straton is killer fixture, but no LED fixture is worth that much money, no matter how much you think you're saving with energy. It's a shame that there's no single fixture out there that does what the old school fixtures (mh/T5) do. You would think by now, that someone would figure out how to get it done, but they're all doing pretty much the same thing or sticking to their guns thinking they are good enough or worse, leading the pack. 
Why can't they give us coverage, spectrum and shimmer, all in one package? I do like the GHL Mitra's, but their software is the most ancient tech out there design by Commodore 64. I'm still using old school tech like @Smite, mh/quanta pro and couldn't be happier.
Why can't they give us coverage, spectrum and shimmer, all in one package? I do like the GHL Mitra's, but their software is the most ancient tech out there design by Commodore 64. I'm still using old school tech like @Smite, mh/quanta pro and couldn't be happier.
