T5 LED Tube Lights

[Reefomeez]

Are there tubes of LEDs that will fit into T5 fixtures without frankensteining the fixture? I have a 10 bulb fixture and would love to add LEDs. They make them for growing plants but I haven't seen them for reef spectrums. It seems like Orphek was coming out with some in 2011 but I cant find any anywhere. Did they just suck? I think if some company was able to execute this well it would be big bucks now that LED/T5 combos are all the rage (even ATI is doing it).

 

[SchnitzelReef]

Are there tubes of LEDs that will fit into T5 fixtures without frankensteining the fixture? I have a 10 bulb fixture and would love to add LEDs. They make them for growing plants but I haven't seen them for reef spectrums. It seems like Orphek was coming out with some in 2011 but I cant find any anywhere. Did they just suck? I think if some company was able to execute this well it would be big bucks now that LED/T5 combos are all the rage (even ATI is doing it).

I remember seeing them. They sucked. It's really hard to make a tube of LEDs with a legit heat sink. The LEDs were really low wattage.

Let me know when ur ready to DIY that fixture. We can do it legit this time. Make it a 6 bulb with 4 rows of LEDs. SICKKKKK


Hot Dogs are GOOD!

 

[Reefomeez]

I remember seeing them. They sucked. It's really hard to make a tube of LEDs with a legit heat sink. The LEDs were really low wattage.

Let me know when ur ready to DIY that fixture. We can do it legit this time. Make it a 6 bulb with 4 rows of LEDs. SICKKKKK

What kind of cash do you think that would cost me? I want to do it....just thought if LED tubes really existed that'd be easier.

 

[reefes pieces]

Prob a couple of those conspiracy theory hundred dollar bills! Just depends on how many LEDs you want to load up.

 

[SchnitzelReef]

What kind of cash do you think that would cost me? I want to do it....just thought if LED tubes really existed that'd be easier.

Ya I got ya. Depends what u wanna do.

On my ati fixture, I did it like this
T5
Led
T5
T5
Led
T5

And its a little bit of diso ball. It would have been better If I had done
T5
T5
Led
Led
T5
T5

That way the LEDs would blend better. That's the way I did it on my 180. Works great. All LEDs in the middle and t5s in the front and the back.
On a 10 bulb, I would maybe try

T5
T5
Led
T5
Led
Led
T5
T5
T5

A 10 bulb is gunna be a bit trickier if u wanna use all the spots


Hot Dogs are GOOD!

 

[Reefomeez]

Well, I think I'd stick to blues & whites since the T5 will bring the full spectrum needed. All I really care about is having some shimmer during the day and a couple blues on at night at a very low setting for moonlight.

So maybe 3 channels,: 1 Blue, 1 White & 1 Moonlights. The moonlights could be a few 1 watt LEDs since I don't want them to really provide par. The Blues & Whites I'd love to have dimmable/controllable and enough to give me some shimmer.

 

[SchnitzelReef]

The more t5s u have, the more LEDs u will need to get shimmer. Or just look at the reef brite LEDs and attach it to the outside of the tank


Hot Dogs are GOOD!

 

[Reefomeez]

The more t5s u have, the more LEDs u will need to get shimmer. Or just look at the reef brite LEDs and attach it to the outside of the tank


Hot Dogs are GOOD!

I'm looking into it but it doesn't solve my moonlight needs...

 

[SchnitzelReef]

I'm looking into it but it doesn't solve my moonlight needs...

U can get a cheap moonlight setup. Rapid sells a cheap driver just for moonlights. I would get something like that. Run a few 3w cheap LEDs and it will look clean. if u go the DIY route


Hot Dogs are GOOD!

 

[Reefomeez]

U can get a cheap moonlight setup. Rapid sells a cheap driver just for moonlights. I would get something like that. Run a few 3w cheap LEDs and it will look clean. if u go the DIY route


Hot Dogs are GOOD!

We should talk.


BTW- I hate your signature. So much, lol. It's irrational; I know.

 

[SchnitzelReef]

It was my dad's thing.

Everything we have in life is because of hot dogs. Therefore "hot dogs are good". Lol

It's actually painted on the back of my mom and dad's boat. Lol


Hot Dogs are GOOD!

 

[Reefomeez]

It was my dad's thing.

Everything we have in life is because of hot dogs. Therefore "hot dogs are good". Lol

It's actually painted on the back of my mom and dad's boat. Lol


Hot Dogs are GOOD!

You have access to a boat?! If you fish we should be best friends, lol.

 

[Ddavies564]

If you are not worried about having an over the top super controllable light it wouldnt cost much.

 

[Reefomeez]

If you are not worried about having an over the top super controllable light it wouldnt cost much.

I'm all about value. So I'll spend more if what I get out of it justifies the increase. If the value I'm getting for the extra cost is justifiable I'll pull the trigger.

I want to be able to slowly ramp up/down the lights to simulate a sunset. But I'm all ears to all suggestions. I'm just ignorant on the topic so it helps to hear educated opinions.

 

[Ddavies564]

I'm all about value. So I'll spend more if what I get out of it justifies the increase. If the value I'm getting for the extra cost is justifiable I'll pull the trigger.

I want to be able to slowly ramp up/down the lights to simulate a sunset. But I'm all ears to all suggestions. I'm just ignorant on the topic so it helps to hear educated opinions.

I heard your the apex master, so I assume you want to control it by one?

 

[Reefomeez]

I heard your the apex master, so I assume you want to control it by one?

Lol, ideally.

 

[Ddavies564]

Lol, ideally.

Cool maybe we can help each other then. In a couple weeks meanwell will have ldds available that can be dimmed by pwm and analog. Which is awesome cuz apex is 0-10 analog and typhoons are pwm. The only bummer is the ldd analog dimming circuit is only .5 to 2.5 v which is whack idk what happened there. But if there was a way to limit how much the apex ramps up to by resetting the max value of the apex from 10 to 2.5 it could work. And it would lessen the cost to build by allot. I am unfamiliar with the apex and it's dimming ports, what kinda of adjustments are you able to make for them?

 

[Reefomeez]

Cool maybe we can help each other then. In a couple weeks meanwell will have ldds available that can be dimmed by pwm and analog. Which is awesome cuz apex is 0-10 analog and typhoons are pwm. The only bummer is the ldd analog dimming circuit is only .5 to 2.5 v which is whack idk what happened there. But if there was a way to limit how much the apex ramps up to by resetting the max value of the apex from 10 to 2.5 it could work. And it would lessen the cost to build by allot. I am unfamiliar with the apex and it's dimming ports, what kinda of adjustments are you able to make for them?

I haven't researched it but it sounds like I should. Let me take that piece and do some research. Thanks for the input!

 

[BluRocket3]

T5/LED, best way to go

 

[SchnitzelReef]

Cool maybe we can help each other then. In a couple weeks meanwell will have ldds available that can be dimmed by pwm and analog. Which is awesome cuz apex is 0-10 analog and typhoons are pwm. The only bummer is the ldd analog dimming circuit is only .5 to 2.5 v which is whack idk what happened there. But if there was a way to limit how much the apex ramps up to by resetting the max value of the apex from 10 to 2.5 it could work. And it would lessen the cost to build by allot. I am unfamiliar with the apex and it's dimming ports, what kinda of adjustments are you able to make for them?

Not gunna happen with apex. There's no way to tell the apex how many volts to dimm.

Bummer. Guess I have to stick with my ELN drivers. Which still work great...two years later.


Hot Dogs are GOOD!