Am I crazy for thinking MH + t5 ?

[BoomCorals]

Yes, there is a difference between "can grow corals" and "can grow corals very similar to what we see in the ocean".

Funny... I just came from a local store and was talking with the owner about the only tank they have Radions on.
I asked him: How is the fixture's performance for your zoas? He said: "They are using that fixture in all USA and it's supposed to do good for the zoas, but that light is only for looks."
One kid at the store said right there: "Are those Christmas lights?"
I couldn't hold myself and just LOL!
Many can say it's a matter of taste. My taste is for healthy flourishing corals, offering the max we could for their health.
that's why I aways recommend MHs/T5s.

I thank you for posting your experience here.

Grandis.

And yet people grow Corals just like in the ocean and grow like crazy using LED. Myself included. MH are easier because they are more simple. But to say LED can't grow coral the same is simply not correct.

 

[BoomCorals]

Corals don't see light like we do.
Your statement is mostly about looks than to be concerned with the best you could offer to the tank.
Same is when people try to justify the use of LEDs with their electric bill.
This is only my opinion.
Grandis.

Edit:

The best you can offer your tank isn't dependent upon LED or halide or T5. They can all offer "the best". LED require more ability and are not as simple though.

We get it. You don't like LED.

 

[A. grandis]

The best you can offer your tank isn't dependent upon LED or halide or T5. They can all offer "the best". LED require more ability and are not as simple though.

We get it. You don't like LED.

There is a thread running with an experiment. We'll see...
All other people that I spoke around the world told me the halides are the best.
Many coral farmers and professionals went back to their MH/T5s... so.. you keep thinking whatever you want.
I gave credit to LEDs, but went back fast!! No comparison. 90% of my friends went back to their T5s...

You're right! I don't like LEDs. It's ridiculous the differences of shape and shades. No mater what.
Any kind of LED fixture in the US market isn't even close to a good T5 spread. Period. MHs... billion times better...
Even to keep zoanthids only.
Everyone that actually had experiences with all the lights know the differences and it comes down to personal preferences of liking the:

1) Disco.
2) The supposed saved money with electricity.
3) Those computer/wifi features that people think only LEDs can provide.

Go ask Sanjay... ask him privately... Ask people who really cares about the corals, not the money.
I do respect all of the LED people, but you guys just can't come in a thread like this and try to push your disco visions.

But you know what? I get it! You don't like MHs/T5s.

 

[A. grandis]

And yet people grow Corals just like in the ocean and grow like crazy using LED. Myself included. MH are easier because they are more simple. But to say LED can't grow coral the same is simply not correct.

Well.. excuse us please. This thread isn't to discuss about LEDs. It's already out of discussion to many, I would say.
I'm actually avoiding any LED threads in respect of them, so they can talk about their interests.
I would hope we could keep the subject of this thread instead hitting the same button.
Perhaps I made a mistake replying to your message.
Peace.
Grandis.

 

[A. grandis]

If you were going with a floating canopy. I would do 3 large reflectors. And some reef Brite strips.

I did halide-t5-led on my 180

60 inch t5 front and back. And 12 inch blue reef brites each side of halides.

Man, those corals will grow!!!
Great lights!
Grandis.

 

[A. grandis]

Personally I would blast my tank with MH but living in a tropic where daily temperature average is above 35 degree celcius, running LED will be the best solution (overall tank running cost). If your room temperature is cool enough, and the addition of MH doesn't turn your room into a sauna, go ahead and invest on MH.

I live in the tropics too and when I had my halides was really hot summer time!!
I had fans and if you need chiller just get one...
Your electric bill will be higher than with the T5s only, but that's part of the deal too.
The corals just love the cool water with the halide radiation.
I feel like setting up a bigger new system with halides now!!
Too bad we would have to move to a bigger place for that to happen!
One of my friends will get a bigger tank with Giesemann halides and I'm already going crazy for him!!
Grandis.

 

[A. grandis]

well, as it turns out the spectra is only available in 48 or 72.

since I am spending a truly stupid amount of money to have a 6' rimless tank built, I really don't want to build a floating canopy... but I may end up building one anyways.

I'm concerned that the 72" spectra will just blast the entire room with light. no?

in terms of aquascape in my tank I probably won't gave much on the ends of the tank anyways.

So I guess the question is... how is the light spillage on the spectra? does it throw much light lengthwise..?

I'm not sure about the light spillage on the Spectra, hope someone that has the fixture could chime in, but I do know that we think we're not going to fill up the tank and after couple of years we're out of room.. LOL! Please make sure you plan well. It' very nice to see a tank with the light illuminating the whole system, not with shades on the sides...
Keep in mind that the tendency of all of us is to get more and more into our tanks.
Keep in mind that a nice looking system needs space between the corals, so they can grow.
I know that after you get the fixture with the 3 MHs you won't regret.
But with the 2 MHs you could regret down the line. Up to you.
If you can keep up with a tank like that the electricity to run should be just part of the deal, like gasoline to run the car you can afford.
That shouldn't be too much light if you are running the right photoperiod.
I know you will find a way to make it nice and keep the light in the canopy.
I'm happy for you man!
Grandis.

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

thanks for the encouragement. it's kind of like a crack addict saying... get the big pipe, you won't regret it... but its still nice to hear.

 

[A. grandis]

thanks for the encouragement. it's kind of like a crack addict saying... get the big pipe, you won't regret it... but its still nice to hear.

Believe it or not but every time I've set up a system in the past my kids or my friends (not my wife!!) tell me to get the biggest I could afford with the best equipment and stronger lights for the zoas. They all like snorkeling and want me to provide the best to the little polyps.
We all know that you won't want stop buying corals if you still have room in the system. I wouldn't! Haha!
It would be a shame to invest in a nice fixture just to have it upgraded in a year or 2 to the 3 MHs.
But it's really up to you and on the budget too...
And please don't forget to talk o your wife. I aways do that before I get what I want for the tanks.
Grandis.

 

[BoomCorals]

Well.. excuse us please. This thread isn't to discuss about LEDs. It's already out of discussion to many, I would say.
I'm actually avoiding any LED threads in respect of them, so they can talk about their interests.
I would hope we could keep the subject of this thread instead hitting the same button.
Perhaps I made a mistake replying to your message.
Peace.
Grandis.

You are the one who brought up LED and went off about how terrible they are.

I don't hate halide T5. In fact I used them for years. And I still think they are great. I even sell bulbs and MH T5 units. I just like the look of LED better. And my coral grow just as fast and healthy as they did with MH. People like @crabs_mcjones who have seen my tanks in person can attest to how healthy and beautiful the colors are on my coral. Or just ask many of my customers. In fact the reason I'm using kessils now is because they look a lot like the natural shimmering halides did.

But sure agree to disagree. I wasn't here to derail the thread but merely offer counterpoint information regarding your LED post. We can still be friends.

 

[aabjones888]

You will love your halides and t-5's. there's been many people go from led than back to what they had. I'd do the 3 halide fixture so it's not even a question if you would have to upgrade or not in the future. My opinion is that The cost difference is not much neither based on several factors. You'll love the look of your tank, your corals will love it, and you will be happy. But again this is my opinion.

 

[Crabs McJones]

You are the one who brought up LED and went off about how terrible they are.

I don't hate halide T5. In fact I used them for years. And I still think they are great. I even sell bulbs and MH T5 units. I just like the look of LED better. And my coral grow just as fast and healthy as they did with MH. People like @crabs_mcjones who have seen my tanks in person can attest to how healthy and beautiful the colors are on my coral. Or just ask many of my customers. In fact the reason I'm using kessils now is because they look a lot like the natural shimmering halides did.

But sure agree to disagree. I wasn't here to derail the thread but merely offer counterpoint information regarding your LED post. We can still be friends.

Yes I have, and the corals look amazing! The pictures you see on @BoomCorals website is exactly what it looks like in his frag tanks. And those are kept under Kessil (formerly SB Reef lights) which are both LEDS, and the corals are doing and looking great! So much so that I purchased a brand new Kessil AP700 from him. Now that he's carrying clowns and anemones (also being kept under led kessils) i've got to make another trip down there and see the new set up And snap some pictures to make a thread about it

 

[jda]

Get the 6 foot fixture. I have a 7 foot tank and a 6 foot fixture leaves a lot to be desired for the 6" on each end - I ended up having to bolt little Hamilton Bimini Sun 150W HQI onto the end so that I could use the space as well as before. The ends of any fixture are already weak since they only have light from one side and not from above or the other side.

It will not spill light into the roof if you keep it near the top - the great thing about Mh and T5 is that you can have them as close as you want without hurting the coral. I have some AquaMedic ones about 4" off of the water to keep the light spill down.

 

[Servillius]

hey there,
I just ordered a 72" x 36" x 24" rimless tank so I'm trying to decide which fixture would work best. I am mostly SPS and i am not a fan of tons of rock work.

I also do NOT like the disco ball look of many of the LED I have viewed.

i have a giesemann aurora on my 48x24 but it is not going to have enough oomph to light a 3 foot wide tank.

sooo.. i have been looking at the 60" giesemann MH and t5 fixtures. i am just really nervous about going with MH as man they can be hot and I keep thinking.. maybe I should be chasing the latest LED technology??

I wasn't really thinking MH until I watched a BRS video lately and man they light was sooo even and so powerful. One phrase stuck with me for sure.. "no amount of phone apps, programming choices or complex light cycles is going to grow coral"

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

System will be 300 gallon display.. 130 gallon fuge/sump in basement. thank you!!

I loved me my Geisemann Spectra. Wouldn’t do anything else. Wife had stadiums and we switched and are much happier. Not hating on LED. Just love what I see.

 

[Crabs McJones]

I loved me my Geisemann Spectra. Wouldn’t do anything else. Wife had stadiums and we switched and are much happier. Not hating on LED. Just love what I see.

|Just love what I see

It's all personal preference, couldn't agree more

 

[10Seconds]

I am new to all this and keep thinking I need to upgrade my lighting. Just when I get close to shelling out for a Radion I see threads like this.

 

[BoomCorals]

I am new to all this and keep thinking I need to upgrade my lighting. Just when I get close to shelling out for a Radion I see threads like this.

If you are happy with what you have I wouldn't change it!

 

[nervousmonkey]

I am in agreement with everyone here in re: to going MH and T5. I switched back to halides on one of my tanks, with AI Hydra 26's to tweak the color of the tank to what I like, but that can be done just as well with T5's. I was surprised at how well the corals did when I switched back to halides. It wasn't overnight like everything in reef keeping, but it was noticeable after a month, and by 6 months, corals were growing like weeds. I'm running Reef Brite Reef Tech pendants with 250W 14K bulbs, and in retrospect, would have gone with the 20K Radiums, just because I love the color of those bulbs, and the Reef Brite pendant really lives up to its' advertising about running cool; I can put my hand on the top of the fixture after running it all day and it's warm but doesn't burn. The bulbs are hot of course, so whatever fixture you get, I'd recommend getting a fan you can mount on the sump to help cool the water temp. You'll be incredibly happy that you switched to halides as primary light source, because they just work. T5's, same thing. I love LED's, but don't ever use them as primary source, only to adjust the color of the tank to my liking. My other tank is running ATI T5's, with LED supplementation.
I don't think I'll ever go back to just LED's, unless I have a pico tank at work or something. I can't recommend halides and T5's enough. Light spillage is not an issue, and that can also be corrected with some DIY additions to the reflector.
Have fun and watch your corals fall in love with you!

 

[nervousmonkey]

If you are happy with what you have I wouldn't change it!

Yeah, agree with BoomCorals on this. The most important thing in reef keeping is stability; light source is pretty far down the list as long as PAR and PUR are sufficient, and the color of your tank is to your liking. If you want to switch light source, make sure it's because you really want to, and your tank needs it. Otherwise, setting the lights up and then leaving them alone for at least 6 months will produce better results than switching. It takes corals at least a month to acclimate to new lighting, most take longer. Why are you thinking of switching @10Seconds ? Create a new post and maybe do a poll. I'd love to hear what your current lights are, etc. etc.

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

I am new to all this and keep thinking I need to upgrade my lighting. Just when I get close to shelling out for a Radion I see threads like this.

you have to remember that like most industries there are advancements in technology and there are also advancements in marketing.

There are a LOT of reefers that love gadgets. blue tooth this.. android app that. At times i feel that people just get caught up in all the hype. Same thing with the radion G4. All new, best ever!! Well, they still don't shine as even as MH and T5 do.

But the draw is strong, they do look slick as hell, and you can adjust them exactly to your liking. But at the end of the day, they still look like LEDs and that is something that i dont personally like. I really really don't like the disco ball look on my rocks and sand bed. It's not that its a bad thing, i just don't like it.

So I would suggest looking at a tank with the radions and see if you like they way it looks. After all, its not a business it's a hobby and enjoyment is the end goal.