Changing from Leds to MH for 36x36x20 cube, need help

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ardeus
  • Start date Start date
  • Tagged users None
Coral Websites
Jump to Last
Jeepguy242 said:
metal halide is going to be more "shimmer" than a led fixture....

that is unless you are talking about the "disco ball" effect that some of the cheap led's put out because the colors dont mix well...

Disco ball



Halide shimmer from my tank
Click to expand...
Agreed, but disco and shimmer are bit different in a kessil.
Runs more along the lines of a MH actualy. Small compact source. The sharp edges are faked a bit though because if the lens.
And no. Not a fan just a light geek.

In my black box , it took about 4 minutes before I took it down and pulled most of the lenses. Bleh.
 
www.dinkinsaquaticgardens.com
saltyfilmfolks said:
Agreed, but disco and shimmer are bit different in a kessil.
Runs more along the lines of a MH actualy. Small compact source. The sharp edges are faked a bit though because if the lens.
And no. Not a fan just a light geek.

In my black box , it took about 4 minutes before I took it down and pulled most of the lenses. Bleh.
Click to expand...

i will agree that kessil seems to have just about zero disco ball effect... my H380 has none that i can see... they seem to have it figured out and are doing it well....

i was talking about the black box style lights... i didn't like them either...
 
I had the previous generation of maxspect and the light bouncing off the water surface to the ceilling turned my living room into a 70's club.

When I upgraded to the 180Watt with the 120 degrees lenses, the colors finally blended. Still it casts that epileptic fit inducing shimmer.

Kessil got the shimmer right, but they still need fill lights.

Correct shimmer is especially important for me because I recreate it for a living.
 
Tidal Gardens
Ardeus said:
Everybody knows that the MH T5 combo with full controllability is the standard...
Click to expand...

If only this were true. I do agree with you, BTW, but most believe what a manufacturer or BRS videos says*. Many new reefers have never seen a tank lit with MH and think that they were used by the cavemen while shining the way to club a tetradactyl for dinner. I have had too many people come to my house for frags and never seen a MH lit acropora tank... they are usually in wonder of the non-windex water, the gentle shimmer and the pop.

Those that know, and I mean REALLY KNOW, what MH or MH/T5 can do, already have lights and are willing to live without nearly all conveniences to have that performance. I am totally fine with light timers turning my lights on a 3 and off at 11.

Out of curiosity, what kind of "full control-ability" would you want from a MH/T5 fixture? Integrated timers, ramping of the T5s or what? I am trying to talk a local manufacturer to dabble in this in addition to the LEDs that they make... basically put a WiFi/Bluetooth controller onto a MH/T5 or MH/LED unit with a phone app.

*a lot of BRS videos actually flat-out say that MH is the gold standard for performance, but people oft do not remember this.
 
Last edited:
Hello,

Okay wait everyone just stop and hold the phone! Barbie has a reef, no way! Does she take her little Ken doll and dress him in scuba gear and make him clean the glass! I’m dying to see this Barbies reef, I have waited my whole life for this. :)

I’m so sorry I had to, it was just killing me. Barbies reef lol I won’t be able to forget that one.
 
I had 3 x 250watt MH + 2xT5... on an african cichlid tank.

Then I had a 150MH + 2xT5 over a nano reef. And then I went with the led trend and I really enjoyed being able to see the tank change along the day, but I never forgot what the MH T5 looked like, how natural it looked.

I want that look back, but I also want to be able to see the light changing throughout the day.

I saw the Kessils with T5 and it works. I saw the Maxspect recurve diffuse led strips on the wings and it's a good starting point to replace the T5's. It's time some chinese knockoff steals all these good ideas and put them all in a single fixture :)
 
Tidal Gardens
Ardeus said:
I had the previous generation of maxspect and the light bouncing off the water surface to the ceilling turned my living room into a 70's club.

When I upgraded to the 180Watt with the 120 degrees lenses, the colors finally blended. Still it casts that epileptic fit inducing shimmer.

Kessil got the shimmer right, but they still need fill lights.

Correct shimmer is especially important for me because I recreate it for a living.
Click to expand...
I pulled lenses and cut it a ton.
Stuck thick diffusion in the other tank. That tank is pretty close to my MH in shimmer. Lotta wrap like t5 to.
Thought about trying some diffent diffusion but honestly got bored w the debate. And I ran out of half opal.

Gaffer.
 
Sarah: Yeah, and I'm Barbie. Seriously, this 15000k maxspect fixture makes the sand pink.
 
Ardeus said:
I had 3 x 250watt MH + 2xT5... on an african cichlid tank.

Then I had a 150MH + 2xT5 over a nano reef. And then I went with the led trend and I really enjoyed being able to see the tank change along the day, but I never forgot what the MH T5 looked like, how natural it looked.

I want that look back, but I also want to be able to see the light changing throughout the day.

I saw the Kessils with T5 and it works. I saw the Maxspect recurve diffuse led strips on the wings and it's a good starting point to replace the T5's. It's time some chinese knockoff steals all these good ideas and put them all in a single fixture :)
Click to expand...
Geissman yo.

Or any B/W bar and a MH.
I do like a good cross fade.
 
Nutramar Foods
lol I’m sorry my parents tried and tried and still try to make me like Barbie, and they are just so not me. But there has always been something with Barbie in it. Barbie having a reef was just like light bulb. I could just see her now, hey look at this cute fish, he looks like a lion. Let’s comb and pet his pretty mane, ouch! Ken oh Ken, KEN!

Sorry didn’t mean to hijack your post, but it made me laugh a lot.
 
AS
saltyfilmfolks said:
Geissman yo.

Or any B/W bar and a MH.
I do like a good cross fade.
Click to expand...

Geissmann Aurura got 2 things wrong: leds pads instead of dense matrix and too much T5 for Led ratio
 
...so the ReefBrite MH/LED combo too much MH and not enough control for altering the daytime viewing?
 
Deltec
jda said:
...so the ReefBrite MH/LED combo too much MH and not enough control for altering the daytime viewing?
Click to expand...
Depends on the intensity of both.
A 250 or 150? What size bar?

Be seen a couple done right and a couple done not so good.

I donta agree a 20k mh “needs” a narrow band blast of blue. It works but....
 
Deltec
saltyfilmfolks said:
Depends on the intensity of both.
A 250 or 150? What size bar?

Be seen a couple done right and a couple done not so good.

I donta agree a 20k mh “needs” a narrow band blast of blue. It works but....
Click to expand...

i have that narrow band blast of blue your talking about.... LOVE IT...
 
Jeepguy242 said:
i have that narrow band blast of blue your talking about.... LOVE IT...
Click to expand...
See it works!!!!

“Need “ I “need” ramping. Lol.

Me , if I went MH again, Id go a W/b. Led Long low ramp, MH big par push mid day.
 

IF YOU HAD TO TAKE A REEFING EXAM, WOULD YOU PASS?

  • Yes!

    Votes: 32 45.7%

  • Not yet, but I have one that I want to buy in mind!

    Votes: 9 12.9%

  • No.

    Votes: 26 37.1%

  • Other (please explain).

    Votes: 3 4.3%
See comments…

New Posts

Tidal Gardens
Dinkins Aquatic Gardens
Nutramar Foods
Top Shelf Aquatics
TCK Corals
World Wide Corals
Chewy.com
Deltec
New Posts
Back
Top