5 ft tank. AI blades or t5 aquatic hybrid with xr15s

[Kzang]

I’m trying to get some more coverage. What do you think? 5 for peninsula with 5 xr15s on it already.

T5 aquatic life hybrid or ai blade (grow or glow?)

T5 has great coverage but 4x bulbs at 80w is a lot of electricity for 61 inch. I could possibly do the 4 ft so it’s only 54w, but that’s still a lot. I’d only only run them 2-4 hours maybe. $700ish for bulbs and fixture. Might need spacers.

Ai blade has mixed reviews and dang two 60 inch is almost 1k. Would need the 3d printer holders for them at like $200 plus 15% off.

 

[Troylee]

I’d personally go with the hybrid t5…. Blanket lights and proven over and over! Lots of complaints with the blades changing colors over the span.. basically brighter one the side the power comes in.. it might be fixed today idk but when they came out everyone was returning them to only get a new one that did the same thing.

 

[nereefpat]

The tank is 5 feet long with 5 XR15s on it already?

How wide is the tank?

 

[Kzang]

The tank is 5 feet long with 5 XR15s on it already?

How wide is the tank?

25 inch

 

[Kzang]

I’d personally go with the hybrid t5…. Blanket lights and proven over and over! Lots of complaints with the blades changing colors over the span.. basically brighter one the side the power comes in.. it might be fixed today idk but when they came out everyone was returning them to only get a new one that did the same thing.

The t5/s are 4x 8w bulbs. That’s a lot of electricity cost though

 

[X-37B]

You should be fine with the 5. I was going to do 5 with an aquaticlife hybrid. I decided to use the xr15's on a frag system and went with 2 RB50's on my 60×30×22.
This is the 5 mounted in the fixture.

 

[Troylee]

The t5/s are 4x 8w bulbs. That’s a lot of electricity cost though

Reefbrite or quanta bars are a option if you’d like to stay led.. I run reefbrites with ny halides for supplements and they can hang without getting over powered.

 

[Kzang]

Reefbrite or quanta bars are a option if you’d like to stay led.. I run reefbrites with ny halides for supplements and they can hang without getting over powered.

Well it’d cost me about $4-10 a month running for 4 hours depending if peak hour or not for the 4x 80w 61 inch

 

[oreo54]

I’m trying to get some more coverage. What do you think? 5 for peninsula with 5 xr15s on it already.

T5 aquatic life hybrid or ai blade (grow or glow?)

T5 has great coverage but 4x bulbs at 80w is a lot of electricity for 61 inch. I could possibly do the 4 ft so it’s only 54w, but that’s still a lot. I’d only only run them 2-4 hours maybe. $700ish for bulbs and fixture. Might need spacers.

Ai blade has mixed reviews and dang two 60 inch is almost 1k. Would need the 3d printer holders for them at like $200 plus 15% off.

There are a bunch of less expensive light bars for supplements.
Poplargrow, led21 ect..

44" ReefBar Pro Ultra Actinic Blue/Red/UV Aquarium LED Light 42 x 3W Bridgelux LED reef saltwater salt water

44" ReefBar Pro Ultra Actinic Blue/Red/UV Aquarium LED Light 42 x 3W Bridgelux LED For saltwater coral reef

21ledusa.com

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832261088194.html?src=google&src=google&albch=shopping&acnt=708-803-3821&slnk=&plac=&mtctp=&albbt=Google_7_shopping&albagn=888888&isSmbAutoCall=false&needSmbHouyi=false&albcp=19108228023&albag=&trgt=&crea=en2251832261088194&netw=x&device=c&albpg=&albpd=en2251832261088194&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAzc2tBhA6EiwArv-i6YDCAA8ozoiGQKHtOlyuLvXh9ylLLAPf__16Dlt5-hTRHU4NHyc4HBoChaEQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&aff_fcid=b6adf788f0b343f3b1c47c0c9f4b0a84-1706287517288-00775-UneMJZVf&aff_fsk=UneMJZVf&aff_platform=aaf&sk=UneMJZVf&aff_trace_key=b6adf788f0b343f3b1c47c0c9f4b0a84-1706287517288-00775-UneMJZVf&terminal_id=c58d8f7da92845f199b3c0713d25d183&afSmartRedirect=y&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa

Unfortunately most do not come in 5ft lengths.

For interest, the "cheapest" t5 hybrid 61" fixture I could find.
Unfortunately there is no inside/outside type of t5 arrangement.. Just front or back if you want to run less than 4 bulbs.

61" G2 T5HO Hybrid LED T5 Mounting System WHITE w/End Caps - Aquatic Life

Shop The Best Saltwater Aquarium Equipment & Supplies at Saltwater Aquarium. We Carry Everything you will Need for your Fish Tank.

www.saltwateraquarium.com

Makes a nice rack for $450-ish. There is a "G3" but looks to be more a matter of what the endcaps look like.
Also need to like white..

Not sure you "need" more coverage with using 5 radions..

 

[nereefpat]

Full disclosure...I run T5s only. I don't run LEDs.

A 4 bulb T5 would be able to handle most of your lighting needs by itself. You could run the T5s for 6 hrs per day, then use your Radions during the morning/evening and some during the full-sun part of the day. Just an option.

 

[piranhaman00]

I run a total of 18x 54 watt t5 bulbs in my house haha! T5s are life

 

[Kzang]

Full disclosure...I run T5s only. I don't run LEDs.

A 4 bulb T5 would be able to handle most of your lighting needs by itself. You could run the T5s for 6 hrs per day, then use your Radions during the morning/evening and some during the full-sun part of the day. Just an option.

I ended up finding a refurb 61 x18 hybrid off the manufact website for half off so I went with that.

 

[nereefpat]

I ended up finding a refurb 61 x18 hybrid off the manufact website for half off so I went with that.

Can't go wrong there. I bet you'll be happy. They are a nice way to mount the lights if anything.

I forget, can you switch 2 bulbs on separately with those? Anyone know?

 

[oreo54]

Can't go wrong there. I bet you'll be happy. They are a nice way to mount the lights if anything.

I forget, can you switch 2 bulbs on separately with those? Anyone know?

AFAICT there is a ballast in each "wing" so yes you probably can run either the 2 in front or the 2 in back.
but like I said above no "inside" outside" type arrangement


Ballasts also have a safety feature so you need 2 good bulbs or it wont fire the one.

 

[nereefpat]

AFAICT there is a ballast in each "wing" so yes you probably can run either the 2 in front or the 2 in back.
but like I said above no "inside" outside" type arrangement

Looks like you're right. There are 2 cords.

That sure is a silly design, if the back is one switch and the front is the other. I suppose the 2 halves are isolated from each other which makes running wires impossible.

Ballasts also have a safety feature so you need 2 good bulbs or it wont fire the one.

Depends on the ballast. Some fluorescent fixtures can be wired in parallel.

 

[Kzang]

Can't go wrong there. I bet you'll be happy. They are a nice way to mount the lights if anything.

I forget, can you switch 2 bulbs on separately with those? Anyone know?

I had the other version on my old 150g. It’s easy to swap out bulbs. They just pop out

 

[nereefpat]

I had the other version on my old 150g. It’s easy to swap out bulbs. They just pop out

I meant - "can you turn on 2 bulbs and leave 2 bulbs off"?

 

[oreo54]

Depends on the ballast. Some fluorescent fixtures can be wired in parallel.T

That was taken from the ATI G3 manual and yea specific to the Hybrids.
So the assumption was a missing bulb will not allow it to fire either..but you are right it is ballast dependent.

.