Switch out my metal halides.... WHAT???

[silvernblackr35]

May I ask what size tank and what t5 fixture you went with?

180gallon tank, ATI Sunpower.

 

[Ashish Patel]

When i started out MH was the only way to grow SPS corals. I started with T5 only MH with PC, MH only, 2xGen4 radions solo, and finally arrived at 2x Gen 4 radion with 2 rows of T5 ATI Blue+ bulbs. Since MH are becoming less popular I rather have my tank lit with similar lighting as what other vendor/hobbyist are growing there frags in. There is no debate on MH performance but I could not justify the risk of overheating my tank at the mercy of my small fan and Large power ballast and wiring that comes with MH ballast. The shortcoming with my RadionLED alone was good majority of the PAR was centered in between both fixtures (hot spots). Also, the light was not reaching on the front underside of my corals so something had to change. I added t5 supplementation and now get good PAR distribution throughout my tank and running the radions 20% less than I was prior. Besides that I found branching or staghorn corals need T5 lighting to grow properly. I can't think of any coral that can't grow under multiple T5 so this is probably the best overall. Ill never run a tank without T5/LED and best part my fan never turns on.

 

[Bpb]

Heat can be a real challenge and issue depending on where you are. I know some folks in a cooler climate say “you guys are crazy the warmth is a blessing.” But here in central Texas, when humidity regularly hangs out in the 60-80% range in the summer, and temperatures often are sustained in the 90-100 degree range for 5 months of the year, it becomes brutal to keep the house cool. AC runs basically nonstop 24/7 just to keep the house at 75-76 degrees and utilities an climb up to $500+ a month for my little 1600 sqft house. I love halides and am not making an argument against them. I realize if you’re able to tap into an acro sales market and your tank is humming, you can make enough money back to cover those costs, but that’s a very small percentage of hobbyists that reach that skill and success level. Even with t5ho 12” above the water I have two cooling fans that have to run the entire time they’re on to keep the tank at 79 degrees

 

[Scorpius]

If you want shimmer and the benefits of a nice blanket of light then T5/LED hybrid is the way to go. Pick your LED poison and get an ATI Sunpower or retrofits and start baking those coral. lol

 

[ReefSTX]

I went from LED hybrid to metal halides supplemented with LED actinics, and from my observations the difference it light intensity and coverage is night and day. As long as metal halides are around, I would not revert back to LED or T5's despite their incredible ability to iridesce corals. I achieve that by running a ReefBrite actinic strip, the results of 20k MH and the LED actinic are simply stunning. Not to mention the noticable positive response from corals both in coloration and growth.