How do I pick the right light?

[Jerad81]

8 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

Not a bad option if you can find one used cheap.

 

The catch is to consider the ongoing costs from excessive power usage and bulb replacements -- they can be a killer in the long run. 

 

Plus, if you have to get into dealing with heat issues with your tank thanks to all the extra power-usage and IR wavelengths heating up the tank water, then costs go up even more.

 

LED strips are a better replacement for T5HO at least IMO. 

 

The look is close to T5HO.  (You can add light diffusers to get the look even closer if that's your preference.)   Plus, costs up front aren't bad.  And at least once that money is spent, there aren't any other mandatory costs for 5-10 years (depending on the unit you buy) until the unit wears out and needs to be repaired or replaced....and recurring costs for power will be less for LED than T5HO by as much as 50%, depending on the exact installation.

 

For example, a Current USA Marine Orbit IC Pro (w/Bluetooth) -- Model 4335 -- is two LED strips and costs around $250 or maybe less. 

(Hey, right on budget, and even comes with a warranty!)

 

For Comparison
That's $25 a year for the Current USA setup presuming it lasts the 10 year lifetime of the emitters...and there's no reason to assume it wouldn't. 

 

You might spend $40-$80 a year just on new bulbs for a comparable 2-bulb T5HO system, depending how frequently you need to change them.

 

T5HO bulbs are $20-$25 a piece and have a limited lifespan that dictates replacement every 6-12 months, depending on usage.  So what if it's a  4-, or 6-tube T5HO fixture??  Eek!  That could be as much as $240 a year just on new bulbs if you end up selecting the 6-month plan....no less than $120 a year for the 6-bulb fixture!

 

(You could almost buy a new LED system every couple of years if you just saved up the bulb money from the T5HO system you don't buy.  👀)

Oh wow, I would have never dreamed replacement bulbs would be so expensive, that is insane! I think I'll keep leaning toward the led lights now lol.

[Clown79]

45 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

Not a bad option if you can find one used cheap.

 

The catch is to consider the ongoing costs from excessive power usage and bulb replacements -- they can be a killer in the long run. 

 

Plus, if you have to get into dealing with heat issues with your tank thanks to all the extra power-usage and IR wavelengths heating up the tank water, then costs go up even more.

 

LED strips are a better replacement for T5HO at least IMO. 

 

The look is close to T5HO.  (You can add light diffusers to get the look even closer if that's your preference.)   Plus, costs up front aren't bad.  And at least once that money is spent, there aren't any other mandatory costs for 5-10 years (depending on the unit you buy) until the unit wears out and needs to be repaired or replaced....and recurring costs for power will be less for LED than T5HO by as much as 50%, depending on the exact installation.

 

For example, a Current USA Marine Orbit IC Pro (w/Bluetooth) -- Model 4335 -- is two LED strips and costs around $250 or maybe less. 

(Hey, right on budget, and even comes with a warranty!)

 

For Comparison
That's $25 a year for the Current USA setup presuming it lasts the 10 year lifetime of the emitters...and there's no reason to assume it wouldn't. 

 

You might spend $40-$80 a year just on new bulbs for a comparable 2-bulb T5HO system, depending how frequently you need to change them.

 

T5HO bulbs are $20-$25 a piece and have a limited lifespan that dictates replacement every 6-12 months, depending on usage.  So what if it's a  4-, or 6-tube T5HO fixture??  Eek!  That could be as much as $240 a year just on new bulbs if you end up selecting the 6-month plan....no less than $120 a year for the 6-bulb fixture!

 

(You could almost buy a new LED system every couple of years if you just saved up the bulb money from the T5HO system you don't buy.  👀)

I don't know what hydro costs in the US but I don't want to know what my bill would be like if I ran t5's or halides. It's expensive here. 

 

Thank goodness for LEDs.

 

My hydro didn't really go up by much running even while I've had 4 tanks going. 

[Garf]

18 hours ago, Jerad81 said:

 

I was actually just looking at the Red Sea LED50 and was about to ask if anyone knew about the interface on their lights. That one is at the top of my list right now.

 

Thanks for the info on corals. I'm the type of person who likes variety so I will definitely look at a broader range now. I will probably try to find 2 or 3 to make my "primary" corals and design the rest of them around those. I know 1 of them will be a mushroom though because I just think they're pretty cool.

The interface is pretty simple, they have 4 presets that you can choose from, 12k-23k. You can adjust the intensity of their reef spec blue, or white, there are only two channels.  Of course, you can change the schedule, and select the moon lights. I will say that I have had trouble syncing a couple of times, resulting in me resetting the LED. Not sure if it is my wireless router or the LED at fault, probably my setup as the router renews IP addresses. The light has good shimmer effect, excellent coverage with the single lens, dispersion is amazing. 

 

I wonder about the coverage at the edges on your 20g though. Would be a good are to place low light corals.