T5's or LED

[b-ridge]

opinion and advice
Debating between 8 bulb 80 watt 60 inch ati fixture with 2 LED strips or 4-6 LED lights like SB reef lights

 

[reefiness]

depends what you're growing. if you're going SPS, and the t5 you're talking about is ATI, then i would go with that over the SBs

Also depends on your budget, and what you want your operating costs to be. LEDs higher cost up front, T5s higher operating costs and generally higher "cost to own"

 

[b-ridge]

Yes I'm talking about ati lights.
I don't plan on doing hard sps
Sps I plan on doing are birdsnest. Pocillopora. Monti caps. Digitata. Branching montipora

 

[arnaldolex]

bro do like i did i have a video up on youtube. i got the 6 bulb and i added 2 euroquatics e5 bulbs on it and its amazing i had 2 regular whites on actinic and 3 blues on it and didnt like it cuz i had no pop on my corals but the corals loved it. once i went to t5 from 4 hydras my tank has changed for the better. i got the e5 like 2 weeks ago and have that blue pop back am gonna look for the video and post a thread on it but in my opinion ati is the way to go

 

[arnaldolex]

just put the video up check it out you will get the led feel and the t5 growth

 

[Cvaughn1062]

t5 led combo is the way to go

 

[b-ridge]

That's the route I'm going. Ati with some sort of LED strips

 

[homegrowncichlid]

@arnaldolex
In regards to the LED strip housed inside a T5 bulb, is the light output 360 from the bulb or just 180 downwards? I'm thinking this E5 bulb would not be using the fixture's reflectors? If so, would one then install the E5 upside down so that light shines upwards into the reflector then bounce downwards for better spread/coverage?