Why I love my Metal Halide

[Elton20]

I've used all the lighting out there, T-5, halides, good led's and bad led's. Personally I've found the new radion pros to be more successful due to the way ecotech effectively incorporates the necessary spectrums in each LED to maximize the chlorophyll A and B and carotenoids in zooxanthellae. You guys can look up the charts on that, I know Orphek has a zooxanthellae analysis chart floating out there somewhere. People want to mimic the ocean but it's an aquarium, not an ocean. Same reason why sand isnt always a good idea in an aquarium. My LFS, Reef Systems Coral Farm, has a 900 gallon display, 6 1500 gallon grow out tanks, 6 80s a 125, a 300, and a 180. All of these are lit by LEDs, even with the grow out tanks utilizing sunlight from a greenhouse. Do you think the owner would jeopardize all that because LEDs are "not as effective?" Just my two cents, and every tank is different. I've just found LEDs, at least the quality kinds, keep corals healthier. We do have to consider water quality, amount of flow, dissolved organics, buffer, calcium, and all that so I would only believe someone who has done a study with two tanks plumbed together with great water quality and stable conditions, but with the different lights.

 

[jackson6745]

Giesemann Spectra 250w MH/T5 combo for me!

Get the 400w

 

[WilRams]

Get the 400w

I have the 250w from a previous setup that will now be going on a frag tank. For my new display ill have to decide 250 or 400.

 

[timkenagy]

You can't compare that 90w led to a couple 250w mh. A single 250w mh in a proper reflector will give wayyyy better coverage/spread.
That's the problem is people don't compare apples to apples.
I had 4 radions pros over a 7' tank and it wasn't near enough for sps. I really needed at least two more. That would be 6 total.
Instead, I replaced them with three 250w mh and four 80w T5. That's 1020w in led vs 1070w in mh/t5. Negligible difference.

It's a better coverage and spread..(but different lenses would change that) Wouldn't say waaay better. As far as par/intensity I'll know as soon as can get the clubs meters.. But can see just from the cell pics the LEDs are more intense.. It would take 3 of the LED fixtures to light a 180 gallon tank vs 2 of the 250w MH with the huge Luminarc reflectors to light the same. (I know this for fact because it's exactly what I did with the 180 you see behind the tub in the 2nd photo.

 

[bobman]

. We do have to consider water quality, amount of flow, dissolved organics, buffer, calcium, and all that so I would only believe someone who has done a study with two tanks plumbed together with great water quality and stable conditions, but with the different lights.

This is actually a good idea. I have a couple small tank I could plumb to the same sump. Will be a while before I set it up as I need to get mh lighting but I might do this 3 tanks 1 all LED 1 T5 and one mh keep reasonably the same corals rock and everything in each and see what happens

 

[Elton20]

Well the question is would you be willing to spend $750 or more on quality LEDs to make a good comparison? Lol or get a grant

 

[timkenagy]

I have considered going back to MH with LED atinics and probably will when this fixture kicks the bucket or I find a good deal on a used mh setup.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/f...ballast-and-2-big-luminarc-reflectors.230084/

 

[timkenagy]

You can't compare that 90w led to a couple 250w mh. A single 250w mh in a proper reflector will give wayyyy better coverage/spread.
That's the problem is people don't compare apples to apples.
I had 4 radions pros over a 7' tank and it wasn't near enough for sps. I really needed at least two more. That would be 6 total.
Instead, I replaced them with three 250w mh and four 80w T5. That's 1020w in led vs 1070w in mh/t5. Negligible difference.

But you're right.. A proper reflector is EVERYTHING with MH. But expect to pay over $100 just for 1 of them.

 

[d2mini]

But you're right.. A proper reflector is EVERYTHING with MH. But expect to pay over $100 just for 1 of them.

You say that like it's expensive.
This is one of the best you can get...
http://hamiltontechnology.com/item/Cayman-Sun---250-Watt-HQI-Reflector--1801
Pair that with a bulb and ballast and you've got a kick butt light that will grow anything and blow away any similarly sized led unit.

 

[d2mini]

It would take 3 of the LED fixtures to light a 180 gallon tank vs 2 of the 250w MH with the huge Luminarc reflectors to light the same. (I know this for fact because it's exactly what I did with the 180 you see behind the tub in the 2nd photo.

Yeah, that sounds about right. About 30% more led.
Intensity isn't the issue, LED have plenty of intensity. It's all about spread.

 

[timkenagy]

You say that like it's expensive.
This is one of the best you can get...
http://hamiltontechnology.com/item/Cayman-Sun---250-Watt-HQI-Reflector--1801
Pair that with a bulb and ballast and you've got a kick butt light that will grow anything and blow away any similarly sized led unit.

Yes! It is! $139.00 + $200 for a good ballast and another $80 (reoccurring) and you're way over the price of the fixtures I have over my display.. Growing SPS like crazy right now.

http://www.rapidled.com/dimmable-onyx-by-rapid-led/

And for a $100 less you can get a refurbished unit.

 

[timkenagy]

Yeah, that sounds about right. About 30% more led.
Intensity isn't the issue, LED have plenty of intensity. It's all about spread.

And like I said.. The spread can be altered by changing lenses or even flat out removing them all together..

 

[d2mini]

And like I said.. The spread can be altered by changing lenses or even flat out removing them all together..

There are no lenses that will give you the spread of mh or t5.
Also, most cost comparisons are not against the cheap chinese leds. The good thing about those, is you can afford to buy a ton to give you the proper light coverage.
Nothing wrong with led, you just need a lot more of them. Cover the tank in them and you are good to go.

 

[Ocho Cinco]

Yes! It is! $139.00 + $200 for a good ballast and another $80 (reoccurring) and you're way over the price of the fixtures I have over my display.. Growing SPS like crazy right now.

http://www.rapidled.com/dimmable-onyx-by-rapid-led/

And for a $100 less you can get a refurbished unit.

I have 3 over my 180 and it does not seem to be enough. I cant remember what lenses as to bought them off of someone local.

 

[timkenagy]

There are no lenses that will give you the spread of mh or t5.
Also, most cost comparisons are not against the cheap chinese leds. The good thing about those, is you can afford to buy a ton to give you the proper light coverage.
Nothing wrong with led, you just need a lot more of them. Cover the tank in them and you are good to go.

3 of the onyx fixtures I just linked.. you don't need a ton of them. I'm experimenting with a cheap Chinese fixture now. But if it rings true as with any lighting of the past you get what you pay for.. But I digress.. I'm just repeating myself at this point. But this is only 3 quality Cree technology LED fixtures that is lighting this 180 better than the 250w(x2) did.

 

[timkenagy]

I have 3 over my 180 and it does not seem to be enough. I cant remember what lenses as to bought them off of someone local.

I would guess you have 80 or 100 degree lenses?

 

[Ontheway]

Hey ppl, I want to try mh along with my two 350w kessils, but I wonder how long do you run them, or, If I want to use them just to give support to kessils, what is the advisable-short duration for mh lamps? I do not want to pay a fortune to electric company.

 

[Tab28]

LEDs are better every year. MH are great, don't get me wrong, but are not the future.

The future seems to be flawed. Every year or two they have to add a new colors or some technology missing in the previous led system. I rather wait till they get to a point where, like t5 or mh, they can say this is it. It grows great corals without needing a book on how to adjust the system. Plug and play is still the future and led is not there.

I know several lfs that gave up on the led systems. Use it only for display tank. But still have to rotate pieces to grow tanks that have mh. One die hard led guy has in the upper thousands worth of led's on a system that 3-400 mh would have worked. The coverage area of led is far less than t5 or mh. But he still agrees they are not superior, yet. But he is young and like many his age. Still things since it is technical, it must be better.

 

[d2mini]

3 of the onyx fixtures I just linked.. you don't need a ton of them. I'm experimenting with a cheap Chinese fixture now. But if it rings true as with any lighting of the past you get what you pay for.. But I digress.. I'm just repeating myself at this point. But this is only 3 quality Cree technology LED fixtures that is lighting this 180 better than the 250w(x2) did.

Good luck, bro. If you are happy with them, that's all that matters!

 

[FL_Reefer]

Hey ppl, I want to try mh along with my two 350w kessils, but I wonder how long do you run them, or, If I want to use them just to give support to kessils, what is the advisable-short duration for mh lamps? I do not want to pay a fortune to electric company.

I only run mine for 4hrs a day