MH gonna disappear soon??

kris2001 · Apr 3, 2018

Are MH going to get phased out? That's what I'm hearing...

I use 2 radium 14kSE bulbs in my 75 DT....

My corals love it....

Should i stock pile these bulbs?

vegamedic · Apr 3, 2018

kris2001 said:
That's what I'm hearing...

hearing from who?

ca1ore · Apr 3, 2018

Hearing from whom .....

There are already less choices than during MH heyday, but it will be a while before they disappear completely. Too many hobbyists still use it.

maroun.c · Apr 4, 2018

Phoenix restarted producing bulbs and Ushio is still there. Those rumors have been out fornthe last years...
Regardless i just make sure to have 3 years worth bulbs stocked up

HB AL · Apr 4, 2018

As long as the companies making them are making a profit they won't be going away. Supply and demand

TaylorPilot · Apr 4, 2018

Until they improve LED to where they look as good, no...

becks · Apr 4, 2018

I’m contemplating going to T5 from LED

ZaneTer · Apr 4, 2018

becks said:
I’m contemplating going to T5 from LED

Why on earth would you consider doing that?

Syed123 · Apr 4, 2018

Once they perfect LED's then maybe. When I mean perfect, I mean taking any LED fixture, tuning it to the manufacturers recommendations and it works. Just like how you can put any metal halide or T5 fixture over a tank and it will just work as intended. No messing around with spectrum, intensity etc.

ca1ore · Apr 4, 2018

Syed123 said:
Once they perfect LED's then maybe. When I mean perfect, I mean taking any LED fixture, tuning it to the manufacturers recommendations and it works. Just like how you can put any metal halide or T5 fixture over a tank and it will just work as intended. No messing around with spectrum, intensity etc.

LOL, MH is hardly perfect ....

I'd actually judge the tunability of LED to be a plus, even if it can prove a bit overwhelming to the novice. MH is tunable as well, just not as easily, requiring swapping of bulbs and fixtures. Anyone long-tenured in the hobby will recall those early MH days.

Syed123 · Apr 4, 2018

ca1ore said:
LOL, MH is hardly perfect ....

I'd actually judge the tunability of LED to be a plus, even if it can prove a bit overwhelming to the novice. MH is tunable as well, just not as easily, requiring swapping of bulbs and fixtures. Anyone long-tenured in the hobby will recall those early MH days.

That's my point though. Current Halide fixtures don't need to be tuned. They can just be plopped over a tank and they will work as intended. You have Radium and Phenoix bulbs which have proved their worth and have been prefected. Yes tunability of an LED fixture can be a plus, but I measure success as anyone, whether novice to veteren, can successfully use a fixture and not have to change a balast, or lens, or spectrum or dial in and change any parameter.

cilyjr · Apr 4, 2018

Radium has no intention of stopping production of the aquastar blue bulb and Hamilton (who imports them) has no intention of stopping importation.

When I called Hamilton about a year ago they said they are seeing a surge in mh sales. Both because people are returning to metal halide and there are less manufacturers of bulbs. In short, the companies making a good product are doing well with mh sales.

ca1ore · Apr 4, 2018

Syed123 said:
That's my point though. Current Halide fixtures don't need to be tuned. They can just be plopped over a tank and they will work as intended. You have Radium and Phenoix bulbs which have proved their worth and have been prefected. Yes tunability of an LED fixture can be a plus, but I measure success as anyone, whether novice to veteren, can successfully use a fixture and not have to change a balast, or lens, or spectrum or dial in and change any parameter.

Fair enough, though I'd rather not take the 'lowest common denominator' approach myself; it's inherently limiting. So, you're suggesting that novice reefers, or folks that aren't that bright, should go with MH?

RichReef · Apr 4, 2018

With all the Hydroponic companies out there, MH aren't going anywhere unless LED makes huge leaps and bounds.

It all depends on what you want to do. Show off, LED. Grow, MH. EPA is going to crush T5 sooner or later.

I was MH, then T5, then LED, then LED-T5, then back to MH with LED actinic. Staying where I am for a long time.

Nothing compares to MH, for growth, yet, and that's what I'm looking for. Love the shimmer too.

P.S. LED users aren't smarter or more experienced. It's all about what you want to get out of your tank.