Halides?

[JoshH]

I'd go halide all the way. It's unfortunate none of the nice looking systems from Giesemann, Sfilligoi, etc, aren't available anymore.

I agree Giesemann had a beautiful MH fixture.

FWIW I did some digging and Giesemann fixtures are still being made and sold, just not in the North American market anymore. You can still order directly from Giesemann the only downside is you can either order a fixture with no ballasts (And pay full price for it) to use 120V ballasts, or you purchase the fixture with 240v ballasts and us a step up converter.

I'm still undecided on my lighting right now ;Bored

 

[Vette67]

I currently have a 180, 6 foot long, 24” deep. I run a 250 watt halide in my center, and 2-175 watt on each end. I can grow anything. I am considering having a custom tank built, but my living room won’t allow me more than a 7 foot tank, at either 30 or 36” depth. If I build this tank. I will put a 400 watt halide in the center and 2-250’s on either side. That way you can put your super light hungry corals towards the center (or your clams) and the less light hungry corals towards the outside edges of the tank. This is just what I plan on doing. I don’t think you need to hit the whole tank with the 400’s and could save a little on electricity. I use Hamilton 14,000k bulbs and love them. And no. Halide is in no way obsolete. In my mind it is superior to other lighting and just grows coral (not to start a LED vs. halide war).

 

[YankeeTankee]

3 Cozumel Sun with 400 W Radium on electronic ballast.

 

[NitrateKillah]

I would go with MH. The shimmer and brightness is extraordinary.

When I started out in this hobby in early 2000, I did all MH 400 and 1 250. To bad I didn't know what I was doing, I fired Radium bulbs up with PFO Dual HQI ballast, people were in awe.

I sold off all my equipment, all but my ballast, as it was too heavy to ship, glad I didn't sell it. The crisp blue was amazes anyone.

I just started backup again, off and on. But this time for good.

 

[Thaxxx]

I currently have a 180, 6 foot long, 24” deep. I run a 250 watt halide in my center, and 2-175 watt on each end. I can grow anything. I am considering having a custom tank built, but my living room won’t allow me more than a 7 foot tank, at either 30 or 36” depth. If I build this tank. I will put a 400 watt halide in the center and 2-250’s on either side. That way you can put your super light hungry corals towards the center (or your clams) and the less light hungry corals towards the outside edges of the tank. This is just what I plan on doing. I don’t think you need to hit the whole tank with the 400’s and could save a little on electricity. I use Hamilton 14,000k bulbs and love them. And no. Halide is in no way obsolete. In my mind it is superior to other lighting and just grows coral (not to start a LED vs. halide war).

You need to check this out.
Exactly what your looking for....

400W Reefbrite Digital Ballast (Dimmable & Apex Controllable) Metal Halide (best light on the market) $150

2 250W Reefbrite Digital Ballast (Dimmable & Apex Controllable) Metal Halide (best light on the market) $100ea

2 Hamilton Cayman Reflector 250W Double-ended with 20K bulbs 2month $100

Hamilton Cayman Reflector 400W Double-ended with 20K bulbs 2month $100 Florida - Lighting - Skimmers - Sumps - Salt FS: Selling everything, breaking down my 192gal Rimless, Lights, Skimmer, Pumps, Sumps, etc ALL PRICES INCLUDE SHIPPING UNLESS MARKED LOCAL PICKUP ONLY 3 EB8 Apex $100 ea 61" HYBRID T5HO 4X80W FIXTURE $299 Tropic Marin Pro-reef 200gal $90ea Local Pick Only 4 Tropic Marin Pro-reef salt 80gal $35 Local Pick Only TDS-3 Handheld TDS/Temperature meter (used once) $20... www.reef2reef.com

 

[X-37B]

I just switched 3 days ago from 8 T5's 4" from the surface to 2 250 watt de 14k phoenix 14" off the surface, running on m80 ballasts in lumen bright mini's.
My tank ran 79-81° with the T5's and is the same with the MH.
I really like the shimmer and overall look.
All colors look good.
I ran the T5's for the 14 months the tank has been up.
Currently running 8 hours.
It is much whiter looking in person as this pic makes it look blue on my phone.

 

[Chessmanmark]

Still attached to my old school LumenBrights.

 

[Ike]

If my display wasn't in my family room where it gets warmer in summer, it would have 3x250w radiums in LB 3 minis and select a watt ballasts in HQI setting instead of Radions over my tank... I've been hanging onto my MH setup for no good reason other than it's my favorite setup.

 

[JohnGP]

I love Halides, was thinking of putting them on my current tank but I just don't have the room for the ballasts and only one accessible outlet near my tank. I found these Blueline fixtures on closeout at Champion Lighting and am soooo tempted; Halide Close out...

 

[lavoisier]

My tank is 96x48x30 and I use 3 400w 20k Radium bulbs with Ice Cap electronic ballasts. I supplement between the MH with leds and t5s.

 

[NitrateKillah]

I love Halides, was thinking of putting them on my current tank but I just don't have the room for the ballasts and only one accessible outlet near my tank. I found these Blueline fixtures on closeout at Champion Lighting and am soooo tempted; Halide Close out...

It's only 150 watt....bummer.

 

[NitrateKillah]

I love Halides, was thinking of putting them on my current tank but I just don't have the room for the ballasts and only one accessible outlet near my tank. I found these Blueline fixtures on closeout at Champion Lighting and am soooo tempted; Halide Close out...

DO NOT BUY!

Its the same maker as Odyssey, google search it, its known to catch fire!!!

 

[92Miata]

Hey guys, with my new build, I’m going to need a lot of LED lights, this for me shrinking, I can get the same coverage with half the lights if I went metal halide.

a hydra 64, or radion xr30 is around 195 watts , I would need 6-8 of them on my new build, but only need 3 400 watt halides. So around the same wattage.

am I over thinking this? Should I still go led? Are halides obsolete?

Just a comment on your wattage numbers and calculations - this is what my XR30 Gen 3 looks like right now - It's the radiant color profile with the red/white/green turned down a little bit.

Its running at 56 watts. I bleach out montipora 2 feet down if they're in the middle section of the tank. I can grow most acros anywhere as long as they're not shaded/occluded, and I need to hide a lot of lps. Those 200w numbers are all channels 100% and 100% intensity. I'd be very surprised if at those settings you couldn't put it 2 feed above the tank and it couldn't cover just as much space as a 400w mh.

I don't know what the Gen5s are really like (I know theyre better spread, lower intensity), but I wouldn't sleep on them.



I've got a 250w DE Geissman Nova II fixture in the closet if you do go MH.

 

[JohnGP]

DO NOT BUY!

Its the same maker as Odyssey, google search it, its known to catch fire!!!

Crap, I didn't know that! It was hard to pass up, a 72" fixture with T5, LED and Halides for $175 but I guess it's a good thing I did. Thank you!