T5 lighting vs. LED

[broderp]

Pros and cons anyone one?

Is there any benefit to T5? What type of light should I use if I go to live plants?

I've made some LED lights that blow the socks off my T5 lamps and are really low profile for a clean install, but not sure how they stack up over the other lights.

I'm also discussing general lighting, not the uv required light that Cham s need.

Thanks.

 

[Stinger]

Yes Led Full Spectrum for both vegetative and flowering cycles Are great and last a long time ,compared to a T5 HO plant bulb.

 

[Matt Vanilla Gorilla]

Do you have a bulb for the sake of the Chameleons needs already? Plants have much different needs for lighting than Chameleons do! I strongly recommend talking to Todd @Ventutus1 from light your reptiles. He is one of our sponsors here!

 

[broderp]

Do you have a bulb for the sake of the Chameleons needs already? Plants have much different needs for lighting than Chameleons do! I strongly recommend talking to Todd @Ventutus1 from light your reptiles. He is one of our sponsors here!

Yes, I have numerous dome lamps, UV bulbs, heat bulbs, T5 light fixtures, LED lighting (that I made). It gets very busy on top of the terrarium!

I use a ceramic heat source for heat.

I'm inquiring because I am completely redoing my terrarium after my Cham passed a few weeks ago. My baby left a big hole in my life that only another one of these little boogers can fill. I had him for over 4 years, so I have a ton of equipment. You change things and try new things and after a while you have a huge pile of "stuff" and you wonder what is really best.

I had made an LED light that really lighted the Terrarium much nicer than my T5 fixture did and it was very low profile and almost hidden. My new build I will want to incorporate live plants so I am rethinking every aspect of it. Thank you for your concern though. Cheers.

 

[nightanole]

LED is great for color profiles and keeping full sun plants alive. As long as you are not using it as a replacement for uv you are good to go. Any florescent is only going to have 3-6 phosphors that put out RGB that your brain interprets as white, just like a tv screen. Leds and halogens have a more broad color spectrum so they are actually emitting some orange and brown and yellow etc. if you hang out on the fish forums you will see a revolution on LEDS vs the previous use of T5 HO's from 5 years ago.

 

[broderp]

LED is great for color profiles and keeping full sun plants alive. As long as you are not using it as a replacement for uv you are good to go. Any florescent is only going to have 3-6 phosphors that put out RGB that your brain interprets as white, just like a tv screen. Leds and halogens have a more broad color spectrum so they are actually emitting some orange and brown and yellow etc. if you hang out on the fish forums you will see a revolution on LEDS vs the previous use of T5 HO's from 5 years ago.

I'll have to do some research. If I can light with LED and use it for both plants and daytime lighting, I'll tray that.

 

[RcManChild]

I'll have to do some research. If I can light with LED and use it for both plants and daytime lighting, I'll tray that.

Interesting you say this, I am looking into this as well, I know Zoo med makes a dual LED/T5 system that is supposed to be superb, low profile...

The link is: http://www.zoomed.com/db/products/E...Qcm9kdWN0Q2F0ZWdvcnkiO3M6ODoiTGlnaHRpbmciO30=

The other option that I really like is actually a marine light where you can add your own modules to help add more light more light to one area and less in the other. The modules can be moved to where ever you want along the track. Because these are marine lights they are meant to help develop plant growth and are far beyond the technology in reptile LED's in my mind...
http://elivepet.com/fish/products/led-lighting/led-module-track-light/

 

[acarrera]

Interesting you say this, I am looking into this as well, I know Zoo med makes a dual LED/T5 system that is supposed to be superb, low profile...

The link is: http://www.zoomed.com/db/products/E...Qcm9kdWN0Q2F0ZWdvcnkiO3M6ODoiTGlnaHRpbmciO30=

The other option that I really like is actually a marine light where you can add your own modules to help add more light more light to one area and less in the other. The modules can be moved to where ever you want along the track. Because these are marine lights they are meant to help develop plant growth and are far beyond the technology in reptile LED's in my mind...
http://elivepet.com/fish/products/led-lighting/led-module-track-light/

Very nice. What do you plan on using for heat/basking lamp?

 

[RcManChild]

Right now I am using 50 watt daylight bulb, although for a new setup I am thinking of using the exo terra sun ray.. thats all the zoo here apparently uses, so it provides UVB and heat...
Since I want to go with a glass terrarium I am gonna heat one side and leave the other side alone so that the heat creates airflow.

 

[broderp]

Interesting you say this, I am looking into this as well, I know Zoo med makes a dual LED/T5 system that is supposed to be superb, low profile...

The link is: http://www.zoomed.com/db/products/E...Qcm9kdWN0Q2F0ZWdvcnkiO3M6ODoiTGlnaHRpbmciO30=

The other option that I really like is actually a marine light where you can add your own modules to help add more light more light to one area and less in the other. The modules can be moved to where ever you want along the track. Because these are marine lights they are meant to help develop plant growth and are far beyond the technology in reptile LED's in my mind...
http://elivepet.com/fish/products/led-lighting/led-module-track-light/

Nice. Looks like the price isn't so bad either. (about $100 on amazon for the 24" LED/UVB version) I may need to look into this. Thanks!

My led light is even thinner and lighter, but does not have UVB built in. I have a fish tank hood I purchased with 3 21" T5 florescent bulbs and one Reptisun UVB bulb. It's "OK" bright, but it's bulky as well.

 

[jpowell86]

Both LED and T5 are great choices for plant growth. I use both and have had success with both. T5's produce more heat and are bulkier fixtures. But, they are relatively cheap and do well. LED's are my favorite. They put off amazing light and grow the crap out of plants. They still put off some heat, but not near what the T5's do. What is really cool about LED's is all the choices you have. I have Finnex fixtures, Jungle Dawn fixtures, Current fixtures and my most recent pickup..the Jungle Hobbies LED Fixture.

I have a lot of chameleons and a lot of cages. I use only live plants and I don't like settling on low light/low maintenance species. So, LED's have helped me a ton. Most of the units are streamlined and very nice visually. If you have ceramic dome fixtures, you could buy the Jungle Dawn LED Spotlight. It gives off amazing light and is self venting/cooling by an internal fan. I use that light as well and love it. Todd, @Venutus1, could help you with that.

I have played around a lot with lighting over the last year to see what really grows plants the best. I have duplicates in many scenarios to see if LED or T5 works the best. As of right now, LED's stand above the T5's.

 

[broderp]

Both LED and T5 are great choices for plant growth. I use both and have had success with both. T5's produce more heat and are bulkier fixtures. But, they are relatively cheap and do well. LED's are my favorite. They put off amazing light and grow the crap out of plants. They still put off some heat, but not near what the T5's do. What is really cool about LED's is all the choices you have. I have Finnex fixtures, Jungle Dawn fixtures, Current fixtures and my most recent pickup..the Jungle Hobbies LED Fixture.

I have a lot of chameleons and a lot of cages. I use only live plants and I don't like settling on low light/low maintenance species. So, LED's have helped me a ton. Most of the units are streamlined and very nice visually. If you have ceramic dome fixtures, you could buy the Jungle Dawn LED Spotlight. It gives off amazing light and is self venting/cooling by an internal fan. I use that light as well and love it. Todd, @Venutus1, could help you with that.

I have played around a lot with lighting over the last year to see what really grows plants the best. I have duplicates in many scenarios to see if LED or T5 works the best. As of right now, LED's stand above the T5's.

When you mention LEDs, are you referring to a special type or do LED's in general high output (such as SMD2835 White 6000K, 15LM/LED's) by default have this characteristic? As an Engineer, and a electrical hobbyist, I have access to and have made some very bright LED lights using LEDs. My last set was very, very bright given the size was much brighter than the lighting I was using. I would to make a newer, larger set if LED's for my Terrarium if they can be also used as main lighting and for good plant growth.

 

[Matt Vanilla Gorilla]

LED's sure create a well lit beautiful display! Too bad we do not yet have them producing UVB!

 

[Extensionofgreen]

After returning to the chameleon keeping arena, after being away for 10 years, I've spent quite a bit of $$ on the latest and greatest. For me, a lot seconds on the plants and species your are keeping, but on my larger cage, I wish I'd have saved $1000s ( yes I have over $2k in lights on it ) and stick a $90, 6 tube, with reflector, T8 fixture on either side, added a basking halogen and few LED spots towards the front and save a lot of clutter and had better coverage/ spectral output.
T8s put out a ton less heat and if you're keeping montane species or want a lot of light without the heat, T8s will do just great for many enclosures, large and small alike.