Help, Please: Repair of Replace my T5 Lighting

[EBR]

Up Front: I'm looking for some advice to either repair/replace the T5 lighting on a 125g LPS tank.

 

Long form:  I've got a 125g that's on about 14 years now with the original T5 VHO lights (bulbs have been replaced, but the wiring and sockets are original).  Pretty simple set up, the LPS love 'em, no heat problems, etc.  One bulb recently went out, only to find that it wasn't the bulb, but the socket on one end burned out and partially  melted (lucky!).  The ballasts are from 2011.

 

So I'm faced with either re-doing a similar retro kit, replacing all of the sockets, or perhaps looking into something more up to date.  LEDs didn't have a long track record when I set this system up, but it seems they've come a long way since then, although I really don't know what sets one apart from another.

 

Any recommendations?  Stick with T5s, go with LEDs (and what to look out for), or something entirely different?  It's a 6' LPS tank, and I can modify the canopy easily enough to accommodate really just about anything whether it's bare bulbs like the T5 retro kit, or a single unit that sits on top.  

 

Thanks, Everyone, and Happy New Year!
Matt

 

[VA Reefdog]

For what it's worth-- I am currently using standard black box LED's with T5 retro kit (2 bulb front and 2 bulb back) and love the hybrid system.  The mix gives good coverage and allows me to adjust colors/schedule.  

Can take a look at my build thread--  I just used the LET T5 kit from BRS and used 2 older blackbox reefbreeder LED's I had from a prior build.  I know there are many options of cheap LED that work well that could be used this way.

 

 

[YHSublime]

We had an old time reefer on WAMAS that dropped this little nugget of wisdom all the time: "It's light, it grows things." 

 

Either of those will work, at this stage, you can light that tank up like a Christmas tree with LED's for a great price. And you don't have to worry about replacing bulbs, less heat, lower electric bill. You might spend a little bit more up front, but I think it will be less work, and you'll see the savings in a short period of time. We recently built a grow out station for seedlings and are using this model from Amazon. Prior to that, we used Kessil H350 Magenta fuge lights to take our tomatoes to almost producing inside. I realize I'm giving you a bunch of plant references here, but I also have used LED primarily for Reef Tanks, and you can spend as much or as little as you want, but this is how I break it down:

 

LEDs- Energy efficient, less heat, great growth, better control. The biggest downside I've found to LED's is that you will have 'shaded' underbellies of corals.

T5- Slightly less  energy efficient, more heat, frequent bulb replacement, can have control, but with a price, beautiful crisp color. 

Metal Halides - Not energy efficient, most heat, best growth, least control. 

 

IMO, the best tanks I've ever seen were a combination of all of the above. I've found that my personal preference (as in what I think looks the best) is a T5/LED combo. 

[EBR]

Hey Guys, thanks.  Right after New Years, I wound up sticking with the T5s, because, honestly, I just like them and the coverage is great for the 125g. The canopy's got five 60" bulbs, three on an Icecap 660 and two on a 440.  I replaced all of the sockets while I was at it, but kept the original wire and ballasts.  That was four weeks ago, lit 'em up slowly over a couple of weeks to avoid shocking the corals, and all's been fine since.

 

Until tonight when one bulb went "Fzzzztttz: and in the two minutes it took me to drop what I was doing and get over there, the rest went "Fzzzzttzz... pop".  darn.

 

Question: These were brand new bulbs and sockets, so what's a typical life span of ballasts?  These are about 10 years old.  Is there some best practice with T5s that I missed, like changing the out with the bulbs or some such thing?  Or do you just run them until they give and you replace them as needed?

 

I have a spare ballast that I'll try out tomorrow, to see if the bulbs are ruined.  

 

If new ballasts are needed, any recommendation on brands?  Until now, these Icecaps have been doing fine, just wondering what you all think.

 

Thanks!

Matt

 

[EBR]

Eh, all's well after all.  Went through a few fuses to narrow down the culprit, while taking the time to tidy up the wire harness, but in the end it wound up being the ballast itself.  Luckily, I had a spare and all is now back to normal.