Why I love my Metal Halide

That's funny.. But in all seriousness @jetmaker i did start a thread a few weeks back for old school tanks if you do happen to have some old pictures you could upload? Here's a link to the thread.. I was hoping some more old timers would do it.. It would be neat to get a collection going.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/old-school-tank-thread.228661/
This is a thread about halides if you don't like them that's up to you. I would not trade them for your cheap point of sale leds so do what you feel is good for you but that's not this post or thread.
 
This is a thread about halides if you don't like them that's up to you. I would not trade them for your cheap point of sale leds so do what you feel is good for you but that's not this post or thread.
Did you read the post you just quoted? It was an invitation for you to join a thread of old school tanks! Why so hostile? I wasn't hostile towards you sir!
 
Giesemann Spectra, 4 t5, Lumatek adjustable ballast 400w SL setting, 400w Aqua Connect (usually use radium bulb).
All Halide setups are not created equal. I personally hate most MH bulbs and find 175 SE bulbs completely useless. I don't like the spread of DE bulbs, or the bulb selection. It would cost me a fortune to light my tank with LED so that is not an option.
DSC_0009 by rich colombo, on Flickr
Sick fixture!
 
Did you read the post you just quoted? It was an invitation for you to join a thread of old school tanks! Why so hostile? I wasn't hostile towards you sir!
I'd say you have to qt and probably had disease I've never had.
 
Did you read the post you just quoted? It was an invitation for you to join a thread of old school tanks! Why so hostile? I wasn't hostile towards you sir!
Plus you are still off the toppic of what we are talking about if you like led cool thats what I use for my bathroom lighting.
 
Actually
1. you're not making any sense..
2. No I haven't (but what does fish disease have to do with MH?)
3. The link I posted was to a thread trying to get older guys to upload pics from pre 1990, but you'd rather get all upset with me instead.
4. Since you've gotten all grumpy and snapped on me.. Yet have no pictures of your tank, after I did.. My best guess my 10 years and point of sale LEDs are smoking whatever you call a tank.. Thank you and good day!
 
Actually
1. you're not making any sense..
2. No I haven't (but what does fish disease have to do with MH?)
3. The link I posted was to a thread trying to get older guys to upload pics from pre 1990, but you'd rather get all upset with me instead.
4. Since you've gotten all grumpy and snapped on me.. Yet have no pictures of your tank, after I did.. My best guess my 10 years and point of sale LEDs are smoking whatever you call a tank.. Thank you and good day!
You don't know anything good luck but you are out of this topic and I will put up a pick
 
You don't know anything good luck but you are out of this topic and I will put up a pick

I was trying to correct your grammar just to try and make sense of that, but no such luck.. I'm still at a loss.. I don't know anything about what? What's a pick? I'm not picking up, what you're throwing down. I do know I started off a conversation saying I used to use MH but because of costs and having to start completely over I went with LEDs and my experience was better with the LEDs. Then I invited you to a thread I had created for old fish tanks and to be honest you've been quite a jerk since. Basically saying I'm stupid (In improper grammar, ironic?) saying my lights are "point of sale" .. Heck my MH I have for sale could be better than yours for all I know since you're being all secretive about this grand magic 30+ year old system.

In case you missed it the first time here's my 1.5 year old tank that I had to start over.. ;)
Would love to see yours... Still

 
I've been in this hobby off and on for the past 18 years. I've seen my ups and downs with tank setups. I've run MH, T5, LED, combos, etc... IMO there isn't anyone that's 100% better than the other. Every tech has its advantages and disadvantages.

IMO this is how I see the reefing community as a whole -

There are members who will stick behind what they know, love, and what is proven to work. When you've been in the hobby a long time like some of us have you see that companies are always coming up with new ideas to make a buck. Lets use "CONE SKIMMERS" as an example. Was there ever any real evidence that "cone skimmers" were any better than regular skimmers? NO! But that didn't stop every company from making cone skimmers because they were a hot item. Right now LEDs are a hot item because they promise savings of energy and bulb cost. The thing they don't say is that your light will be outdated in a year or two and there will be a better model that is better for your tank. This gets people into a buy and sell frenzy or makes you upgrade every time something new and better comes out. Its the "keep up with the jones' " mentality.

I personally don't think LEDs are anywhere they should be. There is a lot of research that needs to be done and while some people have success too many are having massive problems. It could be user error. But there are just too many people that are having complete and total shutdowns to warrant the savings in bulbs and energy.

Another way to think about it is this. Plasma lighting has been out for a while. Why aren't people rushing to plasma? If I post a thread of how beautiful my tank is and it gets ROTM and I run plasma, I guarantee people will go out and buy plasma because I was successful.

To wrap up, use what you have been successful using. If LED is your thing, use it. Same goes for MH or T5. But don't get caught up in the FADs and Keep up with the Jones.

Just my 2 cents.

Jared
 
Actually
1. you're not making any sense..
2. No I haven't (but what does fish disease have to do with MH?)
3. The link I posted was to a thread trying to get older guys to upload pics from pre 1990, but you'd rather get all upset with me instead.
4. Since you've gotten all grumpy and snapped on me.. Yet have no pictures of your tank, after I did.. My best guess my 10 years and point of sale LEDs are smoking whatever you call a tank.. Thank you and good day!
OK meet me anywhere
I was trying to correct your grammar just to try and make sense of that, but no such luck.. I'm still at a loss.. I don't know anything about what? What's a pick? I'm not picking up, what you're throwing down. I do know I started off a conversation saying I used to use MH but because of costs and having to start completely over I went with LEDs and my experience was better with the LEDs. Then I invited you to a thread I had created for old fish tanks and to be honest you've been quite a jerk since. Basically saying I'm stupid (In improper grammar, ironic?) saying my lights are "point of sale" .. Heck my MH I have for sale could be better than yours for all I know since you're being all secretive about this grand magic 30+ year old system.

In case you missed it the first time here's my 1.5 year old tank that I had to start over.. ;)
Would love to see yours... Still

You're still out of toppic for this thread set up your own topic
 
I was trying to correct your grammar just to try and make sense of that, but no such luck.. I'm still at a loss.. I don't know anything about what? What's a pick? I'm not picking up, what you're throwing down. I do know I started off a conversation saying I used to use MH but because of costs and having to start completely over I went with LEDs and my experience was better with the LEDs. Then I invited you to a thread I had created for old fish tanks and to be honest you've been quite a jerk since. Basically saying I'm stupid (In improper grammar, ironic?) saying my lights are "point of sale" .. Heck my MH I have for sale could be better than yours for all I know since you're being all secretive about this grand magic 30+ year old system.

In case you missed it the first time here's my 1.5 year old tank that I had to start over.. ;)
Would love to see yours... Still

OK I agree you have a nice tank but lighting is to blue
 
I was trying to correct your grammar just to try and make sense of that, but no such luck.. I'm still at a loss.. I don't know anything about what? What's a pick? I'm not picking up, what you're throwing down. I do know I started off a conversation saying I used to use MH but because of costs and having to start completely over I went with LEDs and my experience was better with the LEDs. Then I invited you to a thread I had created for old fish tanks and to be honest you've been quite a jerk since. Basically saying I'm stupid (In improper grammar, ironic?) saying my lights are "point of sale" .. Heck my MH I have for sale could be better than yours for all I know since you're being all secretive about this grand magic 30+ year old system.

In case you missed it the first time here's my 1.5 year old tank that I had to start over.. ;)
Would love to see yours... Still

OK I like
I was trying to correct your grammar just to try and make sense of that, but no such luck.. I'm still at a loss.. I don't know anything about what? What's a pick? I'm not picking up, what you're throwing down. I do know I started off a conversation saying I used to use MH but because of costs and having to start completely over I went with LEDs and my experience was better with the LEDs. Then I invited you to a thread I had created for old fish tanks and to be honest you've been quite a jerk since. Basically saying I'm stupid (In improper grammar, ironic?) saying my lights are "point of sale" .. Heck my MH I have for sale could be better than yours for all I know since you're being all secretive about this grand magic 30+ year old system.

In case you missed it the first time here's my 1.5 year old tank that I had to start over.. ;)
Would love to see yours... Still

OK I like you're tank but I didn't see no fish that makes a big difference in a reef tank must have fish.
 
OK I like

OK I like you're tank but I didn't see no fish that makes a big difference in a reef tank must have fish.
You're still going? There's plenty of fish? I don't overstock my tanks like some people do. It's just not responsible. But 15 or so fish in a 180 is plenty (btw not one has died in 3 years)
 
;) That's just it. Nobody's right or wrong.. Some have success with one while some don't.. My first set of LEDs were called Apollo 8s from a Chinese mfg called Cidly. They looked better then the average Chinese light and were super bright. They killed everything I put under them.. So I think it's also a you get what pay for kind of thing.. At least it was in the early days of LEDs.. So I think many got a sour taste because of that.
 
01ff5d12be32ffd3c6a9116c595ea338.jpg


Easy choice for me.

Where on earth did this come from? I personally went through this exercise using all lighting technologies and that is WAY off.
Initial set up of LED is MUCH higher than MH. And the energy usage between the two is no where near that different.
In my case, even with bulb changes, I could go several years before I would start saving money by using led, and by that time i'd probably be looking to upgrade my led fixtures.
This has nothing to do with which is better, just pointing out a problem with the math in that chart.
Also... 50,000 hours? Where did that number come from? I would have to run a mh fixture for 16 years to get that many hours on it. I guarantee you that the avg person will upgrade their led fixtures 3-4x in that amount of time, if they can even last past the avg 18 months in the hobby.
 
My bad taste was from a single Radion g2 over my deep blue 30 frag tank, seeing several dim looking SPS reefs in my area follow mfg recommendations, and a good buddy (very experienced) with poor results using Mitras over his 300g. The best results that I have seen with LED is when user incorporate T5 into the lighting scheme, or grossly "over-light" with LED, which I believe to be the actual amount needed to avoid shadowing i.e. my buddy had 8 AI figures over a 200g with great SPS success, and Pieces of the Ocean (vendor) had a 75g long with 5 kessil and awesome SPS color/growth. I simply cannot afford the amount of LED fixtures that I believe would be needed over my 32x32x26 cube, especially since I would just be trying to replicate what I already have with my giesman spectra at a much higher cost with little increase in efficiency.
 
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IF YOU HAD TO TAKE A REEFING EXAM, WOULD YOU PASS?

  • Yes!

    Votes: 32 45.7%
  • Not yet, but I have one that I want to buy in mind!

    Votes: 9 12.9%
  • No.

    Votes: 26 37.1%
  • Other (please explain).

    Votes: 3 4.3%
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