Led, MH, T5

[txg8gxp]

Ok I need some input on this. I want to get my new tank up and running. I love my cree led's, they run great, look great, and stuff is growing. But is the coral as happy as it could be? Maybe t5's or MH would produce faster growth. With that said we could battle led's versus MH/t5 all day, but no one knows for sure. So lets just compare MH versus t5. Well, are MH's better than t5's or the other way around? Do you need both? Would a t5/MH combo be much better than just MH or just T5? Too many choices, and too much money to buy something then rebuy something different. So far I'm leaning towards all led, or MH/T5 combo. Just not sure on the best buy. Sure led's last, but it I can have better coral with something different I'm willing to put in the extra money on bulb replacement.

[alton]

T5HO is great for 20-24" tanks, because of a million and one lamp types you can get any color spectrum you desire. I use 4 different lamp types on my 29. MH can be used for any application, color choices are less. I have 12K reeflux with VHO actinic to get the color I want. Some use 20K Radium which looks good. Some use 10K with Actinic to achieve there choice. As far as heat if you use 400 watts of MH or 400 watts of T5HO the heat will be the same except the T5HO heat will be spread along the entire length of the fixture and not in an 8" area. In closing if you go with T5HO use seperate reflectors or a fixture that has a reflector that breaks after each lamp, and for MH use electronic ballast with pulse start lamps.

[FireWater]

Way too many variables for a specific answer. I can tell you I went with t-5 over MH for heat and cost of running (electricity) issues. There have been numerous articles on benefits of running one over the other - I still can't remember the final outcome. I ran a dual 250W MH over my 90 and then switched to the 6 light t-5 set up - what I noticed was the room itself ran cooler and the tank in turn ran cooler with out turning down the a/c.

What about a t-5/led fixture? You get shimmer and color choice that way.

Hope this helps in anyway, it is just hard to answer a preference decision. Kind of like asking what is better - Associated, Losi, or MS?

[txg8gxp]

Thanks for the input everyone. On a 2' cube tank would you wanna run 4 or 6 t5's? At this point I think I will be going mainly LPS, but who knows I may change my mind and go all SPS. It seems to be alot less choice on 24" 6 bulb fixtures.

[FireWater]

Always go for more if you can. The 6 light fixture will give you more color choices. It will be more expensive on the front end, but you will be happier in the long run I believe.

What fixtures/price range are you looking at?

[txg8gxp]

I have seen some nice current MH/t5 combo's but not many good 24" 6 bulb t5 fixtures. I would like the keep the fixture at $500 or less.. Led build will run me around $600 so that is about the max I'm willing to spend on anything else.

[FireWater]

http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5_Fluorescent/ATI/SunPower_Fixtures/

How about something like this?
Or how about retros so you can also incorporate led's?

[txg8gxp]

Nice fixture... If I go led, it will be all led.

[sharkboy]

may have missed it but how deep is tank?

[txg8gxp]

25" and I will run around a 1.5-2" sand bed.

[epicfish]

On a 60 gallon cube (24" cube) tank, I would actually use 1x250W MH + 4x24W T5 or 1x150W + 4x24W T5.

[alton]

Ace not Hobogoto is using a 250 watt MH Reeflux lamp in a lumen bright mini pendant from Reef Specialty http://www.reefspecialty.com/Lighting-Complete-Retro-Kits-and-Pendants/c14_29/p215/CoralVue-SE-250W-Finished-Pendant-Complete-Retro-Kit/product_info.html
I had one on my neo nano with a 12 Reeflux lamp and it looked good. And if you add $10 you can get the dimming ballast.

[ACE]

I have a 60G cube and 250W MH lights it perfectly. It has grown any coral I attempted. I currently use the 20K Reeflux.

[txg8gxp]

Is the 250w MH the only lighting you run?


I have a 60G cube and 250W MH lights it perfectly. It has grown any coral I attempted. I currently use the 20K Reeflux.

[ACE]

Is the 250w MH the only lighting you run?


Yup....the only light I run is the 250MH. It works well for me, I have SPS growing on the bottom...

[ErikH]

I was running a 250w SE with a reeflux and a lumenarc mini pendant on that tank and could grow SPS on the sand, just so you know :) I have that dang top piece if you can come by sometime and grab it!

[txg8gxp]

What does everyone think about this? Good stuff, or is there better for the money?
http://www.aquacave.com/detail.aspx?ID=2026
http://www.aquacave.com/icecap-250w-metal-halidebr-electronic-ballast-870.html

[Paul28]

Icecap to me is by far insane would not change, with Lumenarc 3 reflectors if it was me this reflector http://www.aquacave.com/luminarc-stealth-250w--brhqi-double-ended-brreflector-by-pacific-garden-brsupply-1209.html i run the same set up but like many dont like XM bulbs i have no clue why ive been running them for years and would never change

[txg8gxp]

So the lumenarc with icecap ballast and what about these bulbs.
http://www.aquacave.com/reeflux-250w-hqi-metal-halidebrlamp-double-ended-by-coralvue-390.html

[Paul28]

I run XM but im probly the only person here that does been running them for years now and would never change others will tell you defent no clue why more then half the Tank of the months on RC run them to :) Ive lived by this for years im shur there are new ones but im old school haha http://www.cnidarianreef.com/lamps.cfm only reson i dont youse Iwasaki its way to yellow tryed them 1 time

[Paul28]

This is were i buy bulbs great prices all types http://www.hellolights.com/ FREE shipping right now on MH lamps to :)

[txg8gxp]

Nice link, it looks like the XM bulbs have good PAR ratings.

[corruption]

XM and ReefLux tend to be the recommendations of the day -- XM has great PAR, ReefLux has great color definition... I ended up going with Phoenix 14k's, cuz thats what came free with my hood :D

I'll prolly try out the ReefLux 12k's next -- seems like it would be in line with my color tastes.. I worry less about the PAR, and more about getting a color level I appreciate in the tank -- the intensity from just about any bulb you add will be plenty for great growth..

-Justin

[Paul28]

I love the crisp white color i dont like it to blue everyone will be defrent to there color taste :)

[corruption]

Indeed -- different strokes, different folks :D

I like a nice clean white, with just a hint of the blue available -- essentially enough to highlight the fluorescence of corals :)

-Justin