17
Cheap LED strips vs. old school T5 bulbs for corals
I ran a cheap Amazon LED strip over my nano tank for 6 months and my zoas barely grew, then I swapped to a used T5 fixture I found for $40 and everything started popping in like 3 weeks. Has anyone else noticed a massive difference between budget LEDs and older fluorescent lights for coral health?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
wesleyburns14d ago
... honestly I've had way better luck with cheap LEDs than T5s, my $30 Amazon strip grew SPS like crazy once I got it dialed in and didn't have to worry about burning out bulbs every year.
2
price.tyler16d ago
Get a PAR meter or borrow one before you buy anything. Those cheap LED strips put out way less light than they claim, that's why your zoas stalled. T5's are honestly just more reliable for the money, you get even light spread and you know exactly what you're getting. I'd stick with the T5 honestly, maybe throw a single good LED like a Kessil over it if you want some shimmer.
1