T-5's vs Metal Halides?

[scoobysnack77]

so far I've been running two 250watt metal halides (20k reef brits bulbs)with XHO blue LED's built in 12inches above my SPS dominated 75 gallon tank. so far all the best colors I've seen from acros of friends they were grown under t-5's. its it me or do t-5s do a better job of coloring up SPS's than metal halide? i was told that it might be my bulbs. so far I'm running 20k reef brite twin arc bulbs. are radiums better than reef brite when it comes to getting my acros to pop? reason why I'm asking is because I'm getting a larger tank soon and i wanted to kno if i should stick with metal halides or go t-5?

 

[Reefing Madness]

I'd stick with the Halides, but ya gotta get rid of the twin arcs, those things aren't the best in the world. Radium or Phoenix are good choices, or better yet, LED.:wink:

 

[Rockhead]

I have 2 250 Phoenix on my dt and 1 250 Radium on my frag and I must say that the frag tank has better color, not saying the Phoenix is bad at all I still love the color of my dt.

 

[Fishbone]

If you are going to stick with MH I'd run the radiums. Great bulbs that have stood the test of time. T5 are awesome for coloring corals throughout the entire piece, not just the top. Less shaded areas with T5. Also SPS tend to grow more bushy with T5

 

[scoobysnack77]

I'd stick with the Halides, but ya gotta get rid of the twin arcs, those things aren't the best in the world. Radium or Phoenix are good choices, or better yet, LED.:wink:

ok thnx, just ordered the radiums as for LED's i used to have 2 AI VEGA's but they were so spotty and didnt give light to my whole tank. metal halide's seem to cover my whole tank with light. i do miss all the colors of the vega's though but i like the way t5 antinics make corals look bright and colorful. im trying to get that same effect with my halides so im praying the radiums are as awesome as everyone says they are

 

[scoobysnack77]

If you are going to stick with MH I'd run the radiums. Great bulbs that have stood the test of time. T5 are awesome for coloring corals throughout the entire piece, not just the top. Less shaded areas with T5. Also SPS tend to grow more bushy with T5

yea i really like t5 but i know very little about them. where can i find out how to figure out wattage and color schemes? if these radiums dont impress me then im goin to make the switch to t5's on my new 150 gallon in a few months

 

[Fishbone]

I have ran virtually every type of lighting over the last 20 years and like T5 the best, although good results can be produced with all. With T5 the fixture has a Huge impact on light output and bulb longevity. I did a lot of testing on various T5 systems. ATI is the best and worth the money. If your tank is only 18" wide you can use an ATI 6 bulb fixture close to the water or 8 bulb if you want SPS on the bottom. I run a 24" wide tank with SPS on the bottom with a 6 bulb fixture but my tank is only 20" deep and I don't have corals stacked to the glass.

Keep an eye on the used market, with the led craze people have been selling these cheaply.

 

[jackson6745]

If you are going to stick with MH I'd run the radiums. Great bulbs that have stood the test of time. T5 are awesome for coloring corals throughout the entire piece, not just the top. Less shaded areas with T5. Also SPS tend to grow more bushy with T5

Couldn't agree more.


FWIW I wouldn't run halide without T5. Best combination of growth, color, spectrum, and coverage.

 

[Rockhead]

I concur

 

[scoobysnack77]

I have ran virtually every type of lighting over the last 20 years and like T5 the best, although good results can be produced with all. With T5 the fixture has a Huge impact on light output and bulb longevity. I did a lot of testing on various T5 systems. ATI is the best and worth the money. If your tank is only 18" wide you can use an ATI 6 bulb fixture close to the water or 8 bulb if you want SPS on the bottom. I run a 24" wide tank with SPS on the bottom with a 6 bulb fixture but my tank is only 20" deep and I don't have corals stacked to the glass.

Keep an eye on the used market, with the led craze people have been selling these cheaply.

Ok thanx so much for the info. i do love the colors T5's produce. my next question is which color bulbs will give me the best colors in my SPS? i see so many kinds and im not sure which ones to get. i have a 75 gallon now but im upgrading to a 125 or a 150 in less than a year. i also see the bulbs are different watts. should i go with less bulbs and more watts or more bulbs and less watts?

 

[scoobysnack77]

.i agree as well. but i have these fixtures so im screwed til i save up enough to get a t5 fixture ReefBrite HALIDE HYBRID | ReefBrite.com what fixtures do you recommend that are t5 and metal halide?

 

[scoobysnack77]

I concur
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Could you guys reccomend some really good metal halide fixtures with t5's in them that have high quality reflectors in them? or a really good t5 fixture with great reflectors?

 

[Rockhead]

As you can see from the pic is that I use to run all t5 and now I just use to of them and cut out an opening to fit the halide's in.

 

[shred5]

Halides should give you the best colors for sps with correct bulbs and reflectors.. Halides produce the most uv which causes coloration in some sps. Some of the pigments we see in corals are actually sunscreens used to block uv light.
With any type of lighting there is give and take.. Halides also waste the most energy..