T5 vs. MH - Interesting

[wiszmaster]

I've been doing some research on MH vs. T5 vs. VHO prior to purchasing my new lights ... T5's it ended up being.

the follwoing is a good read:
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=968850

I was speaking with Ryan - coralfarmer84 a few days ago & discourages from using T5's if clams were to be kept in the tank.


My new light setup is as follows:
2 x IceCap 660 Ballasts
6 x 80w 60" bulbs
-> 1 x Giesemann 6,000K Midday Sun
-> 2 x ATI 12,000K AquaBlue SPecial
-> 3 x ATI Blue Plus

1 x Triad Ballast
2 x 54w 48" bulbs
-> 1 x ATI Blue Plus
-> 1 x UVL Super Actinic

= 588 watts

...discuss...

[Hobster]

Discuss??:)

Probably the most discussed, controversial, debated and argued subject in all of Reef Keeping.:lol:

Ask 5 people and get 10 answers. How about something easy like Politics, Religon or Capital Punshiment.

What's wrong with T5's for clams?

[jdhuyvetter]

Do what I did. MH, VHO and power compacts all on the same tank!

[coralfarmer84]

thats the way to go lol. A lot of people keep clams with T-5's I just personally think that metal halide is the only light you can keep maximas and croceas successfully for a long period of time (years) otherwise deresa and squamosa will do fine under T5. Its all a matter of preference but halides can't be beat when it comes to light output. Sure they run hot but they get the job done lol

[wiszmaster]

after about 3 months - I'm still happy i chose the T5's!

I have a pink piece of acro - that is growing, and looking fine. The other SPS that we picked up this week look fine as well - they are starting to turn back to its color again after browning out from shipping.



Scott switched to T5's a few weeks ago - maybe he'll post up how he likes them.


--mp

[keinreis]

yea love them, and the whole t5 halide debate should end. therre is alot of people keeping clams (all kind) acros and everything else under t-5's. par seems to be pretty much equal on both. so you like heat, and shimmer lines go halide, you want nice colors with less heat go t-5. I am open to all the sarcasm I will get over this but like someone said ask 5 peole and get 10 answers. Many people with halides and clams and SPS have switched to t-5's, and I have yet to read of anyone losing anything. There are those halide freaks, just like there are the "you have to have the deltec or h&s to keep a reef tank" freaks. who is right and who is wrong? I think both setus are for the most part capiable of the same results.

[wiszmaster]

I believe the main advantage that MH have over T5's, or any other flourescant bulb is that it will penetrate the water deeper.

I cannot remember seeing any tanks deeper than 30"+ running on T5's ... but that just means i cannot remember - i'm not claiming that there aren't any succesful tanks setup with this.



I'm always open to new ideas ... and i'm one to try them before others will ... MH's have a rock solid proven SPS track record ... i'm not one to deny that ... but i do believe that there are other options and alternative.

If the LED lights weren't so damn expensive - I'd love to try one. I'm also very interested how LEDs will work with deeper tanks 36" +.

T5's get HOT - i'll be the first to tell you! but i do not believe they get nearly as hot as the MHs .. but if someone has a IR temp gauge i'd be happy to offer my canopy for testing. I'd actually love to find out just HOT hot my T5's run, how hot scotts T5's run, and how hot the MHs run (150s and 250s) - my T5's are overdriven ... 80w bulbs to about 100w.

[TeresaQ]

how far above the water are your t5s. i just sold my mh (3 x 250 wtt) and purchased t5s for my 150. I hated the heat and it just wasnt bright enough for me and all my zoo looked like they were reaching for light. I got 2 units that have 8 - 36 inch bulbs each. I am wondering if i should install a 1x2 strip then the lights so the hang a little lower. my canopy sits 14 inch above tank. I will still have room to add a couple more if i think i need it.

[wiszmaster]

Teresa,

My lights sit only about 4" above water surface ... I'd prefer about 10" - but my canopy is a shorty (5") - SCOTT - NO NEED TO COMMENT HERE!

what dimention is your tank? is it a 72" x 24" x 20" ?
Mine is a 60" x 24" x 24"

My 5ft bulbs with endcaps are just about at 58.75" (reefgeek specs)
http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5_Fluorescent/IceCap/Retrofit_Kits/60_inch__Retrofit:_2-80W_T5_HO_Fluorescents_by_IceCap

the 3ft bulbs w/ endcaps should by right at 35.13" (reefgeek specs)
http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5_Fluorescent/IceCap/Retrofit_Kits/36_inch__Retrofit:_2-39W_T5_HO_Fluorescents_by_IceCap


I personally would probably bring the lights down a few inches - but leave about 10-12" of clearance ... also plan for a few fans - the cooler you can keep the bulbs the better obviously. What kind of ballasts are these lights on? are they overdriven?

[wiszmaster]

wow .. that is 624w of T5 in non-overdriven mode ... thats a pretty good amount of light.

[TeresaQ]

my tank is 72l x 28 h x 17 wide
not sure what overridden is?
ballest that comes with light is a workhorse

[Dawn II]

I have (4) 10,000K 65w comp. fl. & (4) 65w actinics (60x24x24 tank). My lights are 20" above the tank- perhaps this is why I have trouble with certain corals and algae. Should I slowly lower- say 2" at a time? I see you all have your bulbs much lower.

Thank you, Dawn.

[wiszmaster]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9155329#post9155329 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Dawn II
I have trouble with certain corals and algae

20" is a bit high off the tank i'd think.

Are the reflectors any good?
What kind of problems are you having?

Scott started to grow alot of nuisance algae on his previous lights - the bulbs were old. Once he changed the bulbs i believe he said his algae quit growing.

[keinreis]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9155985#post9155985 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wiszmaster
20" is a bit high off the tank i'd think.

Are the reflectors any good?
What kind of problems are you having?

Scott started to grow alot of nuisance algae on his previous lights - the bulbs were old. Once he changed the bulbs i believe he said his algae quit growing.

I agree 20" is kinda high, especially since they are PC's

I had 6 65w pc's over my tank and it was ok, but then switched to 6 54w t-5's with individual reflectors, and it is a night and day differance. soooooooooooooo much brighter now.

[wiszmaster]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9155329#post9155329 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Dawn II
I have (60x24x24 tank).
Thank you, Dawn.

Dawn,

just a quick question .. in your sig it says you have a 160g tank ... but the 60x24x24 dimentions makes it a 150g .. and if its a 3/8" thickness - then it would be more like 132g of inside volume ... was just wondering.... the following are the outside dimentions of my tank as well ...

Outside Dimentions:
60 x 24 x 24 = 34560 /230 = 150

Rough Inside Dimentions:
59 1/4 x 23 1/4 x 22 1/2 = 30995 /230 = 134



My question has always been about the '230' value ... does that take some account for the fact that there are walls ... somewhere between 1/4" - 1" on average that needs to be subtracted for each measurement.

[Dawn II]

rough measures- is 155 g- custom made for my counters

[wiszmaster]

Oh ok. who made it? Is it glass or acrylic?

[Saddler]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8535127#post8535127 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Hobster
Discuss??:)

Probably the most discussed, controversial, debated and argued subject in all of Reef Keeping.:lol:

Ask 5 people and get 10 answers. How about something easy like Politics, Religon or Capital Punshiment.

What's wrong with T5's for clams?

THAT'S RICH!

[Saddler]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9153450#post9153450 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TeresaQ
how far above the water are your t5s. i just sold my mh (3 x 250 wtt) and purchased t5s for my 150. I hated the heat and it just wasnt bright enough for me and all my zoo looked like they were reaching for light. I got 2 units that have 8 - 36 inch bulbs each. I am wondering if i should install a 1x2 strip then the lights so the hang a little lower. my canopy sits 14 inch above tank. I will still have room to add a couple more if i think i need it.

Wow, I'm surprised to hear that 3 250s seemed too dim for you. Was that MH only, or supplemented? I'm on the fence about whether to go with MHs supplemented w/ T5 for my 60" long 18" wide acrylic tank, or T5 only. My canopy is 10" above the tank which I thought would be too high for T5s, but it seems like alot of you are suggesting having T5s at that height, is that an ideal height?

[Dawn II]

I'm interested in the lighting- not the make of my tank!

Regards, Dawn

[keinreis]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9161824#post9161824 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Saddler
Wow, I'm surprised to hear that 3 250s seemed too dim for you. Was that MH only, or supplemented? I'm on the fence about whether to go with MHs supplemented w/ T5 for my 60" long 18" wide acrylic tank, or T5 only. My canopy is 10" above the tank which I thought would be too high for T5s, but it seems like alot of you are suggesting having T5s at that height, is that an ideal height?
I think that 10" is a bit high for t-5 lights. mine are more like 6" from the water surface.

[Dawn II]

I lowered one set 2" last night. I will continue to do this slowly. Dawn.

[keinreis]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9162333#post9162333 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Dawn II
I lowered one set 2" last night. I will continue to do this slowly. Dawn.

I would think you would be OK to just move them to where you are going to put them. I know when I switched from PC's to t-5's the light increase was great, but it did not seem to shock the corals at all.

[wiszmaster]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9162148#post9162148 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Dawn II
I'm interested in the lighting- not the make of my tank!

Regards, Dawn

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