LED or T5 ?

[Paul195]

I am looking to purchase a luminaire for my new 36x19x20" braceless tank.

I was wondering if LED technology has progressed to a stage where it is worth considering over the conventional T5 setups ?

I can see there are quite a few pro's to having LED units such as:-

No requirement to change bulbs regularly
Initial costs offset over time (because of above)
Less heat generated
Lower running costs
Shimmer effect (not sure if this is desirable or not in a planted tank)

Anybody have any experience or thoughts on this?

Thanks!

Paul

 

[mr. luke]

If you go with tmc tiles or similar they are dimmable too.
I would recommend led over t5 having recently taken the plunge myself for all the reasons you mention.

 

[Edvet]

T5's are stil feasable though, and no need to change bulbs unless they fail. Easier DIY, hanging over a tank heat is no problem.
I like LED's but i think the market is still far away from solid. There still is a lot of room for prices coming down, more info on quality, less bovine manure claims.

 

[John P Coates]

...less bovine manure claims.

I love it!

JPC[DOUBLEPOST=1408998550][/DOUBLEPOST]Hello Paul,

One other major advantage of LED lighting is that it makes it possible to control the intensity of the lighting. This is one of the many advantages of LED lighting. Many manufacturers are cashing in on this latest technology but if you shop around, there are a few companies who are not intent on lining their pockets. See some of my other posts on this subject.

JPC