Brand New 8 gallon bio cube

[Hemmdog]

Those Orphek LED bars aren't really all that expensive. I thought about solely doing them but not sure if it was enough. The MH combo would be nice though

Oh really? I haven’t even looked just from knowing the big Atlantic v4 panels are like $1000 lol.

 

[JoshH]

Oh really? I haven’t even looked just from knowing the big Atlantic v4 panels are like $1000 lol.

The 48" bars are $160 a pop, which I don't think is all that bad considering there V4 and even the V4 compact.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Nicee. I’d do MH with orphek bars to blast UV if money and heat wasn’t an issue.

Ooooo, I really like this idea.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Could put a bar between the MHs and then front and back. Sides too maybe since we are dreaming.

 

[JoshH]

Ooooo, I really like this idea.

Me too actually, wonder what a good blend would be for the bars.

 

[Katrina71]

Ideally for ours, MH in the middle, Led on each side of that running longways, and 2 T5 in the front and back. Wish list.

 

[crusso1993]

Today has been rough. I wake up to no power in my dining room meaning my 75 gallon freshwater planted tank had no power. Had to run an extension cord to it from the living room until I could get off work. Ended up moving the tank into the living room this evening...then found the problem was a loose wire in the breaker box.
And the compressor went out on the a.c. in my SUV on my way to work...big problem considering I live in the South and it's August.

I need some cheering up. Show me some pretty pictures of your tanks please?

Sending good MoJo! I also hope you have a trustworthy and reliable mechanic. How do you know the compressor went out?

You think it's that much electricity? Some LEDs even get up there in wattage. Do you think a basement sump would really help compensate for the heat? It's very cold down there...

Do you think if I went the MH route, 2 of these would suffice for my tank?

And I am aware I would need a ballast and the bulb as well, is there anything else I'd be missing?

If you're seriously considering going MH, which I ran from 1989 through 2004 and am a HUGE fan of, I strongly recommend looking for used ballasts and reflectors. You can pick them up for a song and a dance. Oh, if you can find them, go with M80 (HQI) ballasts. If you haven't already, you may also want to research the difference between 14k and 20k bulbs.

 

[NY_Caveman]

@Katrina71 remind me, your tank dimensions are 30 x 30” ? The AI Sol is roughly 12 x 5.5” ?

 

[sfin52]

Ask your LFSs if any of their tanks are lit this way.

they dont. All fluval led. Only light they sell for saltwater. They do have some t5ho bilbs. I don't know why.

They have great fish. Coral is not great.

 

[Katrina71]

None of our LFS sell lights. Too expensive to stock.

 

[Katrina71]

Am I crazy to consider a Tribrid?

 

[Katrina71]

MH would obviously be the shortest light period.

 

[Katrina71]

Dual fans pulling air across of course.

 

[Katrina71]

@crusso1993 tell me the difference between 20k and 14k

 

[Fin]

Do you think if I went the MH route, 2 of these would suffice for my tank?

And I am aware I would need a ballast and the bulb as well, is there anything else I'd be missing?

That should be it. Remember that if you use the HQI, you will need a glass UV shield. The mogul base bulbs, which I prefer has a shield built in to the bulb.

so is the hobby going back to mh. I see a lot of talk about mh lately. Also t5ho have made a huge come back. What's the deal. I thought led was it.

I don't think MH will ever go away entirely. With all of their drawbacks, they are very good for reef tank lighting.

Honestly, all other considerations aside, nothing beats the look of Metal Halide on a reef tank.

I agree with this. The first aquarium I saw with MH was a 58 gallon Oceanic that was set up by Albert Thiel when he worked for Dupla. I watched him set it up. To me, there is just nothing like it. I actually have that old Sunpower Dupla fixture that Thiel installed on that tank. It needs to be reworked (ballasts are bad), but it was a cool fixture for the day.

I don't think ive seen a mh tank in person

Honestly, seeing that first tank as described above, the lighting is what impressed me the most.

@crusso1993 tell me the difference between 20k and 14k

20k is bluer.

Remember also that I am not using MH on my "new" build. LED & T5 this time around. Heat is the issue for me, but if I don't get the results I expect, it is back to MH & T5 for me.

 

[dantimdad]

I am gonna chime in here on lighting.

First, when running MH, I would tend to go with M80(HQI) ballasts if I could BUT, there are instances where you don't want them. Some bulbs burn whiter on HQI than on magnetic. Also, some bulbs require the pulse to be able to start (this is getting less common but the coralvue 20K don't work well on electronic ballasts) so know your bulbs.

Second, a complicated light setup spread across all genres may seem like the best of all worlds but... Let's use an example system here:

250 watt MH 6500K (best growth hands down)
T5 retrofit 2x24" running actinic/blue plus (best at reducing shadows and adding some pop and lots of color)
LED actinic supplemental bars (great for growth and pop)

Now, you would think "Great! I have all bases covered. I will grow anything" While this might be true, look at the cost of the system up front, the power usage and if you can even use this much power without frying your livestock.

You might say "Steven, I can just turn them down and then they won't use as much electricity and last longer" Really? Are your T5 and MH dimmable? MH, no. T5, yes if you spent a lot of money on them.

The current wisdom is T5/LED hybrid which I am just now testing out and will get back to you with findings but it does make sense that it would work.

I still think that, for the money, right now the best thing is a simple programmable LED setup. You can tune them to your specific needs and aesthetics and the ongoing cost is much lower compared to other forms of lighting.

Also, compare brands and USEFUL features. See if you can find PAR/PUR numbers and at least anecdotal real world spread numbers.

I think you will find your money is best spent on a mid to lower price range lighting system and the rest of the money spent on livestock. There have been many, many proven cases of the longevity and low cost maintenance on these less expensive systems so that saying long term they aren't worth it, isn't a valid argument anymore.

This is my experience and you may know better than I.

 

[JoshH]

Sending good MoJo! I also hope you have a trustworthy and reliable mechanic. How do you know the compressor went out?




If you're seriously considering going MH, which I ran from 1989 through 2004 and am a HUGE fan of, I strongly recommend looking for used ballasts and reflectors. You can pick them up for a song and a dance. Oh, if you can find them, go with M80 (HQI) ballasts. If you haven't already, you may also want to research the difference between 14k and 20k bulbs.

@Katrina71 remind me, your tank dimensions are 30 x 30” ? The AI Sol is roughly 12 x 5.5” ?

That should be it. Remember that if you use the HQI, you will need a glass UV shield. The mogul base bulbs, which I prefer has a shield built in to the bulb.

I don't think MH will ever go away entirely. With all of their drawbacks, they are very good for reef tank lighting.

I agree with this. The first aquarium I saw with MH was a 58 gallon Oceanic that was set up by Albert Thiel when he worked for Dupla. I watched him set it up. To me, there is just nothing like it. I actually have that old Sunpower Dupla fixture that Thiel installed on that tank. It needs to be reworked (ballasts are bad), but it was a cool fixture for the day.

Honestly, seeing that first tank as described above, the lighting is what impressed me the most.

20k is bluer.

Remember also that I am not using MH on my "new" build. LED & T5 this time around. Heat is the issue for me, but if I don't get the results I expect, it is back to MH & T5 for me.

Interesting in the description it says it comes with a glass UV shield. Maybe I misread it

I am gonna chime in here on lighting.

First, when running MH, I would tend to go with M80(HQI) ballasts if I could BUT, there are instances where you don't want them. Some bulbs burn whiter on HQI than on magnetic. Also, some bulbs require the pulse to be able to start (this is getting less common but the coralvue 20K don't work well on electronic ballasts) so know your bulbs.

Second, a complicated light setup spread across all genres may seem like the best of all worlds but... Let's use an example system here:

250 watt MH 6500K (best growth hands down)
T5 retrofit 2x24" running actinic/blue plus (best at reducing shadows and adding some pop and lots of color)
LED actinic supplemental bars (great for growth and pop)

Now, you would think "Great! I have all bases covered. I will grow anything" While this might be true, look at the cost of the system up front, the power usage and if you can even use this much power without frying your livestock.

You might say "Steven, I can just turn them down and then they won't use as much electricity and last longer" Really? Are your T5 and MH dimmable? MH, no. T5, yes if you spent a lot of money on them.

The current wisdom is T5/LED hybrid which I am just now testing out and will get back to you with findings but it does make sense that it would work.

I still think that, for the money, right now the best thing is a simple programmable LED setup. You can tune them to your specific needs and aesthetics and the ongoing cost is much lower compared to other forms of lighting.

Also, compare brands and USEFUL features. See if you can find PAR/PUR numbers and at least anecdotal real world spread numbers.

I think you will find your money is best spent on a mid to lower price range lighting system and the rest of the money spent on livestock. There have been many, many proven cases of the longevity and low cost maintenance on these less expensive systems so that saying long term they aren't worth it, isn't a valid argument anymore.

This is my experience and you may know better than I.

I gotta say I'm loving all the info here and I really appreciate all of you sharing it. The different methods of lighting I'm not very familiar with and this helps out a ton. I don't think blending all three would be cheap now or in the long term and it would definitely be complicated which is not what I'd like anyway. As much as everyone loves T5 it is a very expensive option for myself and I was thinking maybe going the MH/LED route mentioned earlier. How long do the MH bulbs last when properly cooled? From everything I've read they are usually only run 4-6 hours a day so the bulb time should last a while no?

 

[Katrina71]

@dantimdad I don't know better than you. That's why I brainstorm with you guys to educate me. I wouldn't want all of those lights on together unless I want a tan. I was thinking about free MH to toy with, and the LEDs I have. T5 is not terribly expensive to add. Having all 3 already mounted would buy me some time in the event of an oh crap. At least Andrew would have adequate lighting to limp through until I could financially make it right. Thoughts?

 

[Katrina71]

@JoshH I was told MH last about as long as a Compact Florescent. About 9/10 months. Not sure how accurate it is, but...

 

[NY_Caveman]

@dantimdad I don't know better than you. That's why I brainstorm with you guys to educate me. I wouldn't want all of those lights on together unless I want a tan. I was thinking about free MH to toy with, and the LEDs I have. T5 is not terribly expensive to add. Having all 3 already mounted would buy me some time in the event of an oh crap. At least Andrew would have adequate lighting to limp through until I could financially make it right. Thoughts?

Something like this

Or