Led vs t5

muffinman356

muffinman356

Reefing newb
I was wondering which lighting system is better for a 125g tank? LED or T5. Money isnt a problem. I know they both and pros and cons. I really do not know much about lighting so if you have any videos or website that are good that you could directed me to I would very much appreciate it.

Thanks.
 
If money is not an issue I would go with the LED. I am waiting to upgrade my T5 hopefully soon. Check out youtube there are all kinds of vids and reviews on aquarium lighting.
 
All I can tell you is from experience---- after swapping t-5's and MH's to LEDs the colors of corals pop more and if you have dimmable control the color spectrums you can produce are amazing.

As the others said if money is no object I would go LEDs all the way.
 
yup if money is not an issue LED's are the way to go, i just picked up a radion xr30w. a very good light, you can program it to the lighting you want it at through out the day.
 
I personally would pay the extra $50 and get the dimmable kit. That way you can not only adjust the intensity of the light but also the color spectrum (but I'm not 100% sure with the kit you can adjust all the colors individually).
 
Im going to go against the grain with what everyone else said, if money is not an option. Go with Metal Halide. You may have to invest in a chiller, and you will definitely have higher power bills. But with that being said, MH seems to still be the best for coral growth IMO, and I am one of those on this site with a DIY LED fixture. While I agree, they are less to have overall, the coral growth isnt up to what I would like to see. If it were a FOWLR system, LED definitely. If you want great coral growth and color, go with Halides. I think LED is the next step, and I will use LED on my 180 upgrade but only because its more affordable for me. I live in Alabama so my AC is always running anyways, no sense in adding more heat with halides. I look at it this way, I think what LED lacks is UV... Think of it this way, How many tanning beds have LED lights in them? You cant get a tan with Leds because there is no true UV bulbs (yet) and I thoroughly believe UV has a lot to do with the success of most tanks lit by T5 or MH. Just my 2 cents, you really cant go wrong either way as all 3 have proven to be suitable for reef tanks.
 
LEDs don't need to be expensive to operate well and have great service.

check out the evergrow LED units. they have proven themselves to be great coral growers, incredibly afffordable (as low as $105 a unit), and are 100% customizable to our LED layout option.

there is a nice review in comparison to the new radion pros ($900+) and the evergrow option faired much better overall.

check out the RC threads, specifically: Chinese LED Lights - Page 42 - Reef Central Online Community

fwiw, i've been running two units for six months with great results. i've put together two group buys for over 50+ units and not a single complaint from anyone using them.

good luck with your research and whatever you decide you want to use!
 
I mean money isn't a problem if i get good quality and I want to find a good price for what i am buying. I still don't understand which is better. Would it help if I named some corals that i would like to have in the tank?

thanks
 
It is just going to come down to personal preference and what you want out of your light. All three of the "BEST" bulbs (t-5, MH, LED) have proven they can sustain and even make corals thrive. I switched to LED because I liked having more control over the color spectrum and lighting intensity.
 
it sure will muffinman, list a few things you would like and i can compare how that coral does under my leds compared to a friends under t5 or mh
 

Similar threads

Mike
We're Back!
Replies
0
Views
726
Mike
Mike
Sashimi
75 gallon LPS 2.0 suggestions
Replies
0
Views
2K
Sashimi
Sashimi
Sashimi
75G LPS 2.0
Replies
2
Views
2K
Sashimi
Sashimi
R
Giving it a second try
Replies
0
Views
2K
Reefydude360
R
Hellybell80
Water quality advice needed.
Replies
4
Views
2K
Hellybell80
Hellybell80
Back
Top