Metal Halide

[Yanir34]

I bought a used cebu sun metal halide fixutre. The bulbs are of unknown age. It has 3x 400 watt Radiums.

How can i tell when its time to change them? Does anyone know what sort if lux I should be getting 8" below the bulb in air? So far i get about 22000 lux with my phone.

simply buy 3 new bulbs .
The cost is relatively low.

 

[Yanir34]

How about this math for you. Blackbox for $150 lasts several years and grows coral and looks just fine. Just bulb replacement alone is significantly higher cost vs led over that period. As I said in my original post I loved MH and just dont use based off the cost... no reason for a snarky comment insinuating I just dont understand the math.

I know that I will light fire with that :
MH grows corals much healthier and much faster then any led/t5.
I've been using different brands of leds over the last 15 years .
The halides defently win in this category , big time.

 

[A. grandis]

I know that I will light fire with that :
MH grows corals much healthier and much faster then any led/t5.
I've been using different brands of leds over the last 15 years .
The halides defently win in this category , big time.

I've been saying that for more than a decade here... They know.. LOL!
I'm so happy for you! Enjoy your tank! Cheers!

 

[Yanir34]

I've been saying that for more than a decade here... They know.. LOL!
I'm so happy for you! Enjoy your tank! Cheers!

it seems to be that the big companies have very powerful interests to promote led's over the halide's....
"it generate a lot of haet"
"the bulbs are expensive "
"it consuming a lot of electricity"

well guys....I'm using halides for 1.5 month....the electricity bill is exactly the same like It where before with the Hybrid led's/t5.
the reflectors is covered with very nice wooden canopy.....the heat is disposable with 2 fans ...
And the results is phenomenal..my corals simply in love with MH.

Don't be sheep's that is leaded to the butcher (sheep = your wallet) ...be a race horse !

 

[A. grandis]

it seems to be that the big companies have very powerful interests to promote led's over the halide's....
"it generate a lot of haet"
"the bulbs are expensive "
"it consuming a lot of electricity"

well guys....I'm using halides for 1.5 month....the electricity bill is exactly the same like It where before with the Hybrid led's/t5.
the reflectors is covered with very nice wooden canopy.....the heat is disposable with 2 fans ...
And the results is phenomenal..my corals simply in love with MH.

Don't be sheep's that is leaded to the butcher (sheep = your wallet) ...be a race horse !

That's funny... I noticed exactly the same thing here...
Finally somebody that explodes with truth like I do.
Right on!

 

[Cory]

I would prefer to leave the tempered glass on the fixture and let the tank breath freely. Gas exchange is really important to saltwater aquariums.

Id prefer to keep it on too. But in my case the glass lid is so i can pump outside air into the tank top to raise ph. Also to prevent jumping fish. I was just was concerned about uv protection.

 

[Cory]

simply buy 3 new bulbs .
The cost is relatively low.

Already did and four 6 foot t5s.

 

[oreo54]

I have become very conscious on how the things around me affect me. Now there is a potential cost to LEDs that nobody talks about…

Dangers from blue light exposure worsen with age: 'Detrimental to human health'

Researchers from Oregon State University say the damaging effects of daily, lifelong exposure to blue light worsen as a person ages.

studyfinds.org

I try to stick with incandescent anytime I can. I spend hours looking into my tanks. It’s hard to buy our health back.
Besides, imo, LEDS look like crap anyway.

Will blue light from electronic devices increase my risk of macular degeneration and blindness? - Harvard Health

...

www.health.harvard.edu

Also:

In the visible spectrum, short-wave blue light with wavelength between 415 nm and 455 nm is closely related to eye light damage.

If one believes in blue light effects you do know one if " the worst" lights you could have is a 400 w radium 20000k
Peaks at 450nm

Technically all reef lighting is bad.
Not to mention bad UV..

 

[A. grandis]

Will blue light from electronic devices increase my risk of macular degeneration and blindness? - Harvard Health

...

www.health.harvard.edu

Also:


If one believes in blue light effects you do know one if " the worst" lights you could have is a 400 w radium 20000k
Peaks at 450nm

Technically all reef lighting is bad.
Not to mention bad UV..

If you've ever had a reef tank and tried the lights yourself you would see the results people are talking about, practically, Oreo. We are talking about the practice of reefing, growing corals, not collecting a bunch of online content. We are reefers, not online surfers. Sorry... Just let us express our results and preferences without have to debate with you about that stuff. facts can't be contested.

 

[Cory]

Im more worried about my tank bursting into my living room than the blue light it has lol.

 

[oreo54]

If you've ever had a reef tank and tried the lights yourself you would see the results people are talking about, practically, Oreo. We are talking about the practice of reefing, growing corals, not collecting a bunch of online content. We are reefers, not online surfers. Sorry... Just let us express our results and preferences without have to debate with you about that stuff. facts can't be contested.

You can express your results without slamming other SUCCESSFUL technologies.

Soo when did YOU use Mitras, or Orpheks, or even Radions?
Last I know is you " tried" a black box for "awhile"
Since YOU didn't use them and according to your logic you have no business talking about them as in your blanket criticism of leds.

Yanur34 has more " right" to criticize them than you ever had.

Your facts are as much 3rd party as are mine .

 

[kenchilada]

I have become very conscious on how the things around me affect me. Now there is a potential cost to LEDs that nobody talks about…

Dangers from blue light exposure worsen with age: 'Detrimental to human health'

Researchers from Oregon State University say the damaging effects of daily, lifelong exposure to blue light worsen as a person ages.

studyfinds.org

I try to stick with incandescent anytime I can. I spend hours looking into my tanks. It’s hard to buy our health back.
Besides, imo, LEDS look like crap anyway.

I had a 135G lit with 3x 20K 400W MH in my living room for 8 years, then another 12 years of T5 including blues and actinics. Couch right by the tank. Somehow my eyesight has not changed since 1992. Guess I'm one of the lucky ones!

 

[A. grandis]

You can express your results without slamming other SUCCESSFUL technologies.

Soo when did YOU use Mitras, or Orpheks, or even Radions?
Last I know is you " tried" a black box for "awhile"
Since YOU didn't use them and according to your logic you have no business talking about them as in your blanket criticism of leds.

Yanur34 has more " right" to criticize them than you ever had.

Your facts are as much 3rd party as are mine .

As far as I know, please correct me if I'm wrong, never had a reef tank in your life, right?
I've worked/ seen LOTS of aquariums with many of these LED lights over them!
Leave the halide people alone, man. It's annoying!

 

[Cory]

The only thing i miss from my kessil ap700 was the dusk to dawn it did. But i thought if something breaks on this its unrepairable only by kessil and im out 1k canadian. So i sold it and got metal halides now and can replace bulbs, fans or ballasts for a fraction of a new led. However i do use a grow black box led for my ats and it grows it very well. Oh and the kessil had problems growing anything. The halides grew coral very well. And the colors are incredible with the radium bulbs.

 

[oreo54]

As far as I know, please correct me if I'm wrong, never had a reef tank in your life, right?
I've worked/ seen LOTS of aquariums with many of these LED lights over them!
Leave the halide people alone, man. It's annoying!

I've never said one bad word about metal halides. About the worst thing I criticized is when people switch out like a couple of 109w(at best)black boxes with a couple of 250 w mh's and blotivate in how much better it is...
Gee at least doubling the photons had nothing to do with it?
Or even 8 54w tubes (432w)
Efficiency is roughly similar ( arguable atm), leds "delivery" is better but overall and as some believe, one needs 1:1 wattage to be equal.
Not my " belief". Well designed and set up you should get equal par at .75w led/ 1w of the other.
Won't even get into channel dimming.
Again you parrot 3rd party as do I . You let it go man.

 

[xabo]

Does the orientation of bulb (nipple position) matter?

 

[Yanir34]

Does the orientation of bulb (nipple position) matter?

I haven't seen any difference in PAR and color of the bulbs ,with nipple down or up

 

[A. grandis]

I haven't seen any difference in PAR and color of the bulbs ,with nipple down or up

Nipple needs to be up.

"When using lamps in the horizontal position, it may be best to orient the lamp so that its exhaust tip (affectionately called the nipple) on the inner arc tube points up."
FROM:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-03/sj/index.php
The article has some other valuable information about halides.

That is the reason why there is a great difference of color produced by halide bulbs in most cases.

 

[Cory]

Nipple needs to be up.

"When using lamps in the horizontal position, it may be best to orient the lamp so that its exhaust tip (affectionately called the nipple) on the inner arc tube points up."
FROM:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-03/sj/index.php
The article has some other valuable information about halides.

That is the reason why there is a great difference of color produced by halide bulbs in most cases.

Ive often wondered, to get the nipple pointing up, what if it needs to be screwed in partially and doesnt make contact with the bottom, would it still work?

 

[A. grandis]

Ive often wondered, to get the nipple pointing up, what if it needs to be screwed in partially and doesnt make contact with the bottom, would it still work?

If there is a need to remove and reinstall the socket to make it work, we should. I do my best to have them at least passed from the middle of the bulb. Forcing too much can brake the bulb, so to move the socket is the best way, when possible. Every single mogul bulb will be different and will need adjustments. I love when I don't have to change anything!