Why not go with T5 or MH?

[BrooksReef]

Hi R2R,

I have been debating the past few weeks, on whether I should go with T5, MH or LED. Way back when, I always had the best growth from MH and T5 fixtures, but the heat was grounds to get a chiller while using either of the two. I am very wary of spending the money on going with a full-out LED tank, or a MH tank.

Why go with LED? I mean, I've seen tanks with good growth from various LED fixtures, but back in the old days, MH and T5 provided such great growth and color on ALL corals. So aside from the heat and less money replacing bulbs, etc. Why go with LED?

Also have to add in that MH are a lot cheaper...

 

[cymaster007]

You can do a hybrid. Run LED lights for certain hours of the day and halides for only a couple hours to prevent having to change the bulbs as often and generating too much heat.

 

[jedimasterben]

Also have to add in that MH are a lot cheaper...

If halides are ever cheaper, I'm the Queen of England.

 

[BrooksReef]

If halides are ever cheaper, I'm the Queen of England.

*bows*

 

[jedimasterben]

*bows*

You ever figured out what your yearly cost is for running halides?

 

[Troylee]

Go with a triple threat.. I have great results with mine... Mh,t5,led lol...

 

[WesF]

You ever figured out what your yearly cost is for running halides?

Not bad for me.

500w of halide covers my 60 x 36 x 27 SPS tank. Good reflectors allow me to get excellent coverage and PAR and hang the halides high enough above the tank where heat transfer to the water is minimal.

If have to get about 4 120w fixtures to get the same coverage. Granted I wouldn't have to run them at 100% but its only about 200w less at the most.

8hrs a day comes out to be about 1.6kW/h a day of savings... So pennies a day.

It would take several years to see any savings.

 

[BrooksReef]

You ever figured out what your yearly cost is for running halides?

Similar to this...

Not bad for me.

500w of halide covers my 60 x 36 x 27 SPS tank.

If have to get about 4 120w fixtures to get the same coverage. Granted I wouldn't have to run them at 100% but its only about 200w less at the most.

8hrs a day comes out to be about 1.6kW/h a day of savings... So pennies a day.

It would take several years to see any savings.

 

[jedimasterben]

You forgot bulbs and electricity to keep your tank cool.

In addition, I don't see a 250w bulb covering a 30"x36"x27 section of your tank.

 

[WesF]

You forgot bulbs and electricity to keep your tank cool.

No I considered that. 500w of MH hanging 16" above the water dies not transfer much heat to a 250 gallon tank.

Even with annual bulb replacement at $120 a year it would take several years to recoup the difference in cost between the two lighting options.

 

[BrooksReef]

You forgot bulbs and electricity to keep your tank cool.

In addition, I don't see a 250w bulb covering a 30"x36"x27 section of your tank.

That is true, too. But the real question for me is not cost. It is seeing growth and seeing good color. I've run LEDs before, heck I'm running them on my 40g now. But I've never seen really good results. Perhaps I am using the wrong fixture or something, but I've just seen the results and the proof in other methods of lighting.

If I WAS to end up with LED, what fixtures would you recommend? I don't want a Radion or AI fixture. Reef Breeders, Evolution, etc. are the brands I'm considering.

 

[WesF]

In addition, I don't see a 250w bulb covering a 30"x36"x27 section of your tank.

Check out my build thread.
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42803

 

[jedimasterben]

That is true, too. But the real question for me is not cost. It is seeing growth and seeing good color. I've run LEDs before, heck I'm running them on my 40g now. But I've never seen really good results. Perhaps I am using the wrong fixture or something, but I've just seen the results and the proof in other methods of lighting.

If I WAS to end up with LED, what fixtures would you recommend? I don't want a Radion or AI fixture. Reef Breeders, Evolution, etc. are the brands I'm considering.

Halides and T5 cannot be compared to LEDs for growth, it is very simple to surpass them greatly in that respect, with half the wattage or less.

Like I said earlier, to have a fixture with great color rendition and actinic response, the fixture absolutely needs to be based on a neutral white, high-CRI, name-brand white LED.

My recommendation at this time is the Maxspect R420R. It's not perfect, but it's sleek and has better color rendition than any other commercial fixture I've seen yet. Reefbreeders fixtures can get close to that level, but using more power and having less output because they use knockoff LEDs. Their new fixtures will be based on brand LEDs and should be much better, but it's still off in the distance.

 

[jedimasterben]

Check out my build thread.
WesF's In-Wall 250g DD

I find it interesting you only use 250w bulbs. You've got good coverage, but you aren't in what I would consider high lighting except for under the bulbs.

 

[WesF]

I find it interesting you only use 250w bulbs. You've got good coverage, but you aren't in what I would consider high lighting except for under the bulbs.

It's enough to grow the sunset Monti, red dragon, and green Slimer quite rapidly. They are located on the bottom of a 27" tall tank in the center portion of the tank underneath a big 3-4" cross brace. I haven't measured but I would suspect this area receives the lowest amount of light because it is on the outer edge of the 30x36x27 area each light covers and has the big brace directly above.

 

[chort55]

You say the cost isn't the issue for you yet you throw in that (you think) MH are cheaper......

Guess it depends on what your comparing.... yeah sure if you have the MH set-up now of course LEDs are going to be much more expensive then a new bulb.... but if you figure in the cost of fixtures, and say 5 yrs of usage/bulb replacement (with good bulbs, not the supposedly $12 ones you can get on ebay LOL) etc which one is cheaper

I've ran MH,T5, and LED... I won't go backwards from LED. I have 2 tanks with DIY fixtures, and one with a radion. The Radion has the best color possibilities as it has the added colors and the other 2 are RB/CW and RB/NW. I recently took the radion system apart, but they all get great growth even my basic DIY systems.... which could have the extra colors added but I don't feel like messing with a good thing. I have good color and great growth on all my acros (which is pretty much all I keep).

 

[BrooksReef]

Well, I'd be getting the ballasts new (to me -- lightly used), and the reflectors new (2 x LumenBright large). Total, it'll cost me about $500. Where as it'd be $1000 with LED.

 

[roblox84]

No I considered that. 500w of MH hanging 16" above the water dies not transfer much heat to a 250 gallon tank.

Even with annual bulb replacement at $120 a year it would take several years to recoup the difference in cost between the two lighting options.

Depends how expensive of led fixture you buy. I built mine for under 400 and it paid off in less than a year. I was running 500 watts of halides no chiller and when I switched over to led my bill dropped about a hundred a month.

Now if you go with those ridiculous fixtures like eco tech then yeah you will take years to recoup that 5 grand you just put in for lighting.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

[BrooksReef]

Ended up going with 2 x 250w Metal Halides.

Thanks for the great input, everyone!