"Upgrading" to LED!

I'm going to start off by saying I feel like I make a LOT of threads!

Anyway, I got my lights in april, before I knew much about the different types. My model is ATI Sunpower T5 6x54W (48").

The bulb setup is:

Bulb 1: ATI Actinic
Bulb 2: ATI Aquablue Special
Bulb 3: ATI Blue Plus
Bulb 4: ATI Blue Plus
Bulb 5: ATI Purple Plus
Bulb 6: ATI Aquablue Special

There's nothing exactly "wrong" with it, but I feel like I would be getting more out of a LED fixture. This one has great color, but gets very warm, even with the fans on. And being LED, has to have its bulbs changed often enough (that time being very soon, which is why I'm posting this topic), which can get expensive!

I was wondering if it would be worth it to upgrade to an equivalent (or maybe a better) LED fixture. What I want out of the fixture is: good color, good growth (and a secondary concern being low heat).

I know some reefers see certain types of lighting as better than another, but that's why I'm here!

 

Best Bang for the buck.

Multple color and 2 dimmer channels.

Get mutiples of it for your tank size.

Evergrow Dimmable Full Spectrum D120 120W LED Light for Reef Saltwater Aquarium | eBay

anI dunno, probably less the 6 T5's. NO bulbs for like what 10 years?

 

Honestly, your current light is about as good as it gets. If energy/bulb costs aren't a concern, your best bet for color and growth is with what you have. Living in Canada, that extra heat may not be such a terrible thing.;D

I know people bring up bulb costs often, but is $120 a year really that expensive? That's $10 a month or $0.32 a day. To me, that's a pretty cheap expense in this hobby.

You're looking at:

T5: 336 watts
LED: 240 watts

That's 7 cents difference in energy costs per day. So basically, you're saving $25 a year in energy and $120 a year in bulbs. To me, even on my limited budget, that's not a huge expense. I can save $0.39 a day no problem.

Now I am not insinuating that LEDs don't grow or color up coral; they do. I am just saying, all being equal (which they aren't), 6x T5 and halide will probably do so a little bit better, just not as efficiently.

 

All so true,

But after 2 years of bulb costs? The 3rd year? ... the 9th year? Etc.
You get the point.

 

I have 2 kessil a150w ocean blue over my 75 gal. They look great, cover the whole tank with light and my corals are growing. Even my SPS.

 

I see I'm getting mixed answers, like I knew I would!

 

You could buy an LED fixture (or a few, if needed) and sell your T5 unit to make back the initial cost of the LED's, but if you like the fixture you have now, and don't mind the cost of bulbs, then I wouldn't change.

 

Keep in mind you will likely not run the LEDs at 100%; more like 75% max. So somewhere around 175 watts

 

LOL,yeah it's a tough call since you already have very good lighting and making the switch would be a little bit more of an exspense if you go with value fixtures or a large exspense for high end ones.

 

I DO mind the cost of bulbs, though. Well, not yet, but a few years from now I feel like I'll regret not getting LED