Help me please tight it up.

[Saveafish]

8ft X 30" X 32"
I was looking at MH with led.
Now with looking at all the cheaper LEDs out there I'm torn. If I go LEDs than I want cheap ones that's good.
Side effects on this, if I go all LEDs I'll have to run more heaters. Running MH I can use the heat to help heat my tank. The unheated running is 70deg.

 

[theMeat]

70 degrees with all pumps/equipment running?
Most times when people run mh the concern is having to run a chiller, rather than less heaters.

 

[Saveafish]

My basement runs 68 my house runs 72deg. I have geothermal heating and cooling. So do I go MH and use them as help for heat or LEDs and run heavy heaters.

 

[T-5unsystem]

My basement runs 68 my house runs 72deg. I have geothermal heating and cooling. So do I go MH and use them as help for heat or LEDs and run heavy heaters.

IMO you still can't be halides for growth, color and aesthetics (shimmer is unbeatable). I would totally go Halide if space and heat was not a concern.

 

[Jay Norris]

My basement runs 68 my house runs 72deg. I have geothermal heating and cooling. So do I go MH and use them as help for heat or LEDs and run heavy heaters.

I your case I would use the M/H's as they would help with the lower temps, but you will still need heaters. As for the shimmer, I have used M/H-VHO lights forever, but since I live in Miami Fl. I need to run a chiller, so I switched to the Mitra LX 7206 lights, and they are amazing lights, you still get the shimmer, and their is no disco ball effect at all. Have not had these lights for a very longtime so I will keep the chiller hooked up so I can see if it will still be needed in the Spring, Summer, and parts of the Fall.

 

[jda]

You still need some heaters. Mine heaters run at night. The MH only help to heat when they are running... and if you turn the fans off - my heaters will still need to run during the day in the fall, winter and spring if I leave my fans running over my tank.

MH with some Orhpek Light Bars would be a good choice.

Cheap LEDs can be OK. I do not personally think that any LED can match a Halide, but among the LEDs, some seem to do just as well with a $99 black box as people do with Radions (with less apps and channels and stuff). If you do decide on cheap LEDs, then I would cover nearly the whole top with them and keep the intensity lower. Buy a few extra ones because when they die, they die and you can never find the exact same ones again unless you get really lucky.