Help with an age old debate - MH or T5?

[JCOLE]

This question is for the SPS junkies.

Just as the title states, this is another one of those which light is better threads. I have a 150 gallon Acro dominate tank currently running (4) Mars Aqua black boxes with upgraded LED's for better spectrum and (2) 80W ATI Blue+ T5's. I am getting good color and ok growth. However, I feel it just isn't the same as MH or T5's.

I plan on upgrading my lights around OCT/NOV this year. When it comes time then I am not going primary LED anymore. It will be either MH with supplemental LED, MH with supplemental T5, or an 8 bulb T5 fixture.

What would you recommend for this size tank and for an Acro dominate system?

Recent FTS for reference.

 

[alton]

Find Farmer Ty’s thread. He went from led to t5 on his display tank

 

[Bpb]

Find Farmer Ty’s thread. He went from led to t5 on his display tank

And now to t5/radion hybrid

 

[oreo54]

First thing is to understand what you currently run. W / out par measurements you need to guess at what is an " upgrade" is. Currently max power is 600 watts not subtracting for dimming the white channel.

 

[mitch91175]

Lol, I was just thinking this exact same post about MH vs T5 vs LED. Not that I have a ton of experience or scientific backing, but lighting to me is in that order. I've been through each (although most MH experience was years ago until recently).

I have a 75G frag system that now runs T5. Tank is lagoon style and has mostly softies. Was running an LED strip and now run 2 T5 bulbs. I've noticed bigger polyps on zoas and better growth.

Also switch my display from LED based to MH based with supplementing T5/LED. This time on display just using ReefBrite LED bars so no monkeying with any spectrum besides dimming.

Switching from the LED to the MH I haven't noticed any detrimental affects to the coral. In fact the softies in the tank are fatter and the SPS all look happy.

All the types of lighting will grow coral though. It just comes down to what you want for your system. Also maybe that's why now on my display I have all 3

 

[JCOLE]

First thing is to understand what you currently run. W / out par measurements you need to guess at what is an " upgrade" is. Currently max power is 600 watts not subtracting for dimming the white channel.

I run both blue and white channels at 100%. I am currently talking to Seneye about my PAR meter. I received their PAR meter last week and I am getting 1500+ par at the tops of my rocks and 500+ par at the sand bed. Seems a little much.

 

[JCOLE]

Lol, I was just thinking this exact same post about MH vs T5 vs LED. Not that I have a ton of experience or scientific backing, but lighting to me is in that order. I've been through each (although most MH experience was years ago until recently).

I have a 75G frag system that now runs T5. Tank is lagoon style and has mostly softies. Was running an LED strip and now run 2 T5 bulbs. I've noticed bigger polyps on zoas and better growth.

Also switch my display from LED based to MH based with supplementing T5/LED. This time on display just using ReefBrite LED bars so no monkeying with any spectrum besides dimming.

Switching from the LED to the MH I haven't noticed any detrimental affects to the coral. In fact the softies in the tank are fatter and the SPS all look happy.

All the types of lighting will grow coral though. It just comes down to what you want for your system. Also maybe that's why now on my display I have all 3

I want to take out the guess work. I feel that with my current LED's I am guessing on the spectrum. I want a plug and play tried and true system that gives the corals what they need for 100% health. Maybe my new LED's are giving the right spectrum and only time will tell. I want to give it until around OCT to make up my mind.

I am really leaning towards the 8 bulb ATI Sunpower fixture. However, the MH/T5 combo of the Hamilton Cebu system looks appealing as well.

 

[oreo54]

Metal Halide - Lighting - Bulk Reef Supply

Bulk Reef Supply - Saltwater Aquarium Supplies for Reef Tanks

www.marinedepot.com

Pushes 1070W...

 

[oreo54]

I run both blue and white channels at 100%. I am currently talking to Seneye about my PAR meter. I received their PAR meter last week and I am getting 1500+ par at the tops of my rocks and 500+ par at the sand bed. Seems a little much.

Others would agree..sort of.

 

[JCOLE]

Others would agree..sort of.

If it's true then my corals are not complaining. Nothing has bleached or looked stressed so far.

 

[mitch91175]

I want to take out the guess work. I feel that with my current LED's I am guessing on the spectrum. I want a plug and play tried and true system that gives the corals what they need for 100% health. Maybe my new LED's are giving the right spectrum and only time will tell. I want to give it until around OCT to make up my mind.

I am really leaning towards the 8 bulb ATI Sunpower fixture. However, the MH/T5 combo of the Hamilton Cebu system looks appealing as well.

Changed up mine when I got this fixture in a build I recently purchased:

Infiniti DE 250w 72" Metal Halide T5 Fixture

6 Foot Giesemann Infiniti 3x 250w Double Ended 4x80w Metal Halide T5 Fixture Metal halide ballast sold separately. BRS suggests the Luxcore Electronic 250w or 400w Ballast. Giesemann has been known for making high-quality light fixtures that use the highest quality parts available, with a...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Although discontinued, doesn't mean light doesn't work

That Hamilton looks like it will put out some light.

 

[oreo54]

Recent FTS for reference.

Not sure too many people would complain about that tank

 

[JCOLE]

Not sure too many people would complain about that tank

Thank you! Dont get me wrong, no complaints over here. Tank is doing great for just a little over a year. I just dont see the LEDs I replaced lasting more than a year at most before needing to replace them again. Not looking forward to soldering another 220 of them when it comes time for that. I have already made my mind up that when these LEDs need to be swapped then I will be looking for a less of a hassle fixture. Changing bulbs once a year is a lot more reasonable to me.

 

[oreo54]

Thank you! Dont get me wrong, no complaints over here. Tank is doing great for just a little over a year. I just dont see the LEDs I replaced lasting more than a year at most before needing to replace them again. Not looking forward to soldering another 220 of them when it comes time for that. I have already made my mind up that when these LEDs need to be swapped then I will be looking for a less of a hassle fixture. Changing bulbs once a year is a lot more reasonable to me.

Don't blame you for that.

 

[Camaro Show Corals]

Black box leds and Radions are a whole different ball game. I went from a black box to G4 radions which was a major upgrade in color, health and growth. I then went to G5 pros which spread wide was a huge improvement but I just got a par meter today and my par was lower then I expected compared to G4 assuming from all the diffusion in G5

 

[Scorpius]

LED's grow coral just as well as any other light source. The problem is setting the correct spectrum and intensity and then never touching it ever again.

 

[JCOLE]

LED's grow coral just as well as any other light source. The problem is setting the correct spectrum and intensity and then never touching it ever again.

I am not doubting that. This is more for T5 and MH. I am leaning back towards all T5 once it's time to replace the LEDs

 

[JCOLE]

Black box leds and Radions are a whole different ball game. I went from a black box to G4 radions which was a major upgrade in color, health and growth. I then went to G5 pros which spread wide was a huge improvement but I just got a par meter today and my par was lower then I expected compared to G4 assuming from all the diffusion in G5

I can imagine. Its like going from a pinto to a Ferrari. Unfortunately I dont want to drop $5k on lights when I can grab a full T5 or MH fixture for around $1k.

 

[Chibils]

Why not both?
All the positives (full full spectrum, shimmer, even coverage, tuneable spectrum with T5s, good growth) with none of the guesswork.

Giesemann, Sfiligoi, etc. made beautiful MH/T5 combos. If you search around, you can find them for sale sometimes. Hamilton still makes them, as do a few other brands. There are also other options, depending on your setup and personal tolerances. Large reflectors like Lumenbrights with retrofitted T5s in a canopy is one option. Lumenmax pendants with something like a Giesemann Razor suspended on each side is another.

As @oreo5457 will tell you there's not much power difference in equivalent strength MH and LED, but adding T5s may change that equation. You're looking at 215w for a 24 x 24 for Radions, or 250w for a halide.

Are you still running the 125? You'd need at least 2 Radions to do 48 x 24, or without T5s maybe 3. That's 645w of Radion for 3 pucks, or 430w+216w=646w for 2 pucks and 4 T5s. 2 x 250w MH and 4 x 54w T5 would put you at 608w. Just something to think about.

 

[Fin]

You may need to factor in the cost of a chiller if you go with the MH. 20 years ago, I used a combination of 2 MH + 4 VHO bulbs over a 75. It is nice to have a light source that you just turn on and off without getting into all of the adjustments and expensive fixtures.