opinions please

[ThatPhillyReefer]

So i’ve always wanted to use metal halides for my acros because I heard they are very good for them.

I have a mixed reef right now and I was wondering if I switched to halides how would my soft corals (zoa, toadstool, and bounce shrooms) do to the new strong lights? I currently use Radions G3 pros.

Would they lose color, melt, or not be effected?

 

[blaxsun]

Why? LEDs are the future.

 

[ThatPhillyReefer]

Why? LEDs are the future.

ive been running the radions for some time and I seem to not be getting a ton of growth in all my corals. All my parameters are always in the range I want and I also feed the corals 2-3 times a week

 

[blaxsun]

ive been running the radions for some time and I seem to not be getting a ton of growth in all my corals. All my parameters are always in the range I want and I also feed the corals 2-3 times a week

You can always accent with something like ReefBrites.

 

[ThatPhillyReefer]

You can always accent with something like ReefBrites.

i was thinking of doing the halides with orphek strips on each side?

 

[gbroadbridge]

So i’ve always wanted to use metal halides for my acros because I heard they are very good for them.

I have a mixed reef right now and I was wondering if I switched to halides how would my soft corals (zoa, toadstool, and bounce shrooms) do to the new strong lights? I currently use Radions G3 pros.

Would they lose color, melt, or not be effected?

I think you'll be wasting your money.

There is nothing a metal halide can provide that the latest LED lighting cannot. Except a ton of extra heat, which will probably mean your next purchase will need to be a chiller. And extra cost for electricity.

Just don't

 

[blaxsun]

I think you'll be wasting your money.

There is nothing a metal halide can provide that the latest LED lighting cannot. Except a ton of extra heat, which will probably mean your next purchase will need to be a chiller. And extra cost for electricity.

Just don't

+1 All of this.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I think you'll be wasting your money.

There is nothing a metal halide can provide that the latest LED lighting cannot. Except a ton of extra heat, which will probably mean your next purchase will need to be a chiller. And extra cost for electricity.

Just don't

halides produce beautiful light, its like a ray of sunshine in my living room spot-lighting my tank, compared to the dull dark blue that LED tanks have. It makes a world of difference that LED cannot produce

 

[Waters]

LEDs produce a dark blue spectrum only if you have them set that way....the spectrum can be changed to as white as you want it to be? That being said, Halides are definitely much easier to use since LEDs offer much more in the way of spectrum changes and intensities. Switching to Halides probably isn't going to automatically give you the explosion of growth you are looking for. If you already have the Radions, I would stick to those.....LEDS have been used successfully for coral growth in millions of tanks.... they just have to be used correctly.

 

[LiamPM]

If you are currently running Radion gen3 and are not getting any growth i would not assume its your lighting being the issue here - Radions have a proven track record of growing coral - What settings are you running them at?

halides produce beautiful light, its like a ray of sunshine in my living room spot-lighting my tank, compared to the dull dark blue that LED tanks have. It makes a world of difference that LED cannot produce

LED produce a dark blue dull look if you set them there of course - I use Radions and use A LOT of white - Not sure anybody would describe them as dull or even blue.

 

[gbroadbridge]

halides produce beautiful light, its like a ray of sunshine in my living room spot-lighting my tank, compared to the dull dark blue that LED tanks have. It makes a world of difference that LED cannot produce

I'd check how you setup the LED lights

As I live in Australia, last thing I want is a blow torch of white light in my lounge room in the middle of summer.
It gets to almost 115 degrees in the shade some days and this summer will possibly be hotter.

Keeping the tank cool is my aim mid summer and LED is the best thing ever

Electricity is also expensive here at around 40 cents per kw/h, and the A/C already costs a fortune in summer.

 

[MaxTremors]

I agree with most of the posters here, if you’re not seeing growth under your radions, your not going to see growth under halides. Now, if you just want the aesthetic of halides and are prepared to deal with the potential downsides (mostly the heat and bulb replacements), then go for it.