29G Lighting: Aquaticlife T5 x4 vs ReefBreeders LED?? (1 Viewer)

[Andrewr2488]

Upgrading my system slowly but surely, lighting is just about my last upgrade needed for a nice reef setup. So here we go, Reef Breeders Photon 24 or Aquaticlife T5HO 4 bulb setup with timer and lunars? Led would be cool but I'd have to do a custom setup to either hang it or make a canopy that it can rest on top of. I live in an apt so I don't want to put holes in the ceiling. Good thing would be that I don't need to replace bulbs but with led tech always advancing I don't know if its wise to invest 300 bucks into a system that would be outdated within 12-18 months. T5HO is cool because its able to be mounted with legs, and I could still keep sps with it. I'd be running ATI bulbs on the T5 fixture, what are y'all's opinions?? I'll be getting a bigger yank during first quarter of 2014 and using this as a frag/grow out tank.

 

[inigomontoya]

Think about it this way. If outdated in 18 months you will have replaced your 4 bulbs twice at $20 a bulb or $160. So you have spent the price of the T5 fixture (appx $200) + 160 in bulbs totalling $360 at that point. So even if "outdated" you are ahead of the curve. Plus just because they are improving them doesn't mean the Reefbreeders isn't still good. I don't expect mine to last the 10 years advertised but I figure everything after 3 years is cake.

 

[inigomontoya]

You can also do a cheap bracket kit with conduit painted black and screwed onto your stand to hang the lights from- cheap and looks ok.

 

[steveb]

You can also customize the colors on the reef breeders if you want and I actually used the AI mounting bracket for mine. See my frag tank build thread.

 

[Andrewr2488]

You can also customize the colors on the reef breeders if you want and I actually used the AI mounting bracket for mine. See my frag tank build thread.

First off your tank build looks great! Let me ask you, as I've only ever seen one tank that had led lighting (radion) would you say that all led fixtures put off the same shimmer? When I saw the radion lit tank the shimmer wasn't all white but looked as off all the colors from the radion were dancing along the sandbed, now is that to be expected with all fixtures because that is the look I am interested in obtaining.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X_t84zGuxCw
this is the RapidLED Onyx fixture and it displays the shimmer I am speaking of, would you say the reefbreeders shimmer is comparable to that?

 

[Andrewr2488]

Would you say the reef breeders puts off the same shimmer as a radion? I'm not planning to pay 600+ bucks for leds, I'm just comparing because the radion is the only led lighting I've ever seen in person, and the shimmer seems to reflect the individual colors of the led's.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X_t84zGuxCw
this is the rapid led onyx fixture, which displays the shimmer I'm speaking of.

 

[Salty Sonny]

I'm interested in seeing what you ended up with. I'm in the market to up grade my lights on my 29 gallon Coral Life bio cube and wondering if I should do a retro fit kit set up or go with a Kessil.

 

[CCrescini]

I'm running the Kessil A150 (Ocean Blue) on my daughter's 29 biocube. I really like the look. I think it has a better "shimmer" than the Reefbreeder I'm using on my 120. Of course, I can't have the lights gradually come up and down like I do on my tank, nor can I adjust the color, but that doesn't matter to me for the small tank. I like the little Kessil on that biocube so much that I'm looking into them for my new 90 set-up.

 

[Salty Sonny]

That's exactly what I was wanting to go for and run it on a timer. Do you get more evaporation over all with out the canopy? Heck I might need to get a screen as well because I do have a dart fish.

 

[CCrescini]

I use less than 5 gallons a week without the canopy, even in the winter when it's dry.

 

[fishcraze_1]

Reef Breeders is coming out with a nano style fixture based on the value series. Full spectrum , dimmable and sized to cover most nanos. I'll be carrying these lights pretty soon as well.

 

[Salty Sonny]

If that's the redesigned Nuvo4 ,I would like more info once you get them in.

 

[bpb]

I'll be the oddball here and say stick with the T5. That's a good fixture and with the right ATI bulb combo you can grow anything anywhere. I personally am of the camp that believes bulb replacement costs of t5 and mh are worth it based on their performance.

 

[dayton]

Ill chime in on this one, I dont personally have the reef breeders I do hear people like them. I have the maxspec razor over my 29 bio cube and I believe I will be switching to T5. I have a 6 bulb fixture over another tank and I am not that impressed with the colors I am getting out of my LED fixture.