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View Full Version : Cheap MH vs Quality T5ho

r341ity
11/06/2007, 10:23 PM
What would be considered the better buy for a mixed reef in the 40g-75g range? Metal halide fixtures that from what I've read are "decent" but not that great such as current usa's sunpod/outer orbit and Coralife's aqualight pro both running dual 150w hqi vs a quality T5HO fixture like Aquactinics or SLS 6 bulb TEK
demonsp
11/06/2007, 10:26 PM
If the MH is rated for your tank , cheap or not is the better choice. But high end T-5 with individual reflectors are great lights for a mixed coral tank.
fatrip
11/06/2007, 10:27 PM
well if you can aford the Aquatinic's TEK, i would go with that. but if you are looking for a shimmer from the MH's i would go with a more quality MH light and run between 1 or 2 250w MH. i prefer SE to the DE HQI, just because with the DE you need a UV protective glass over the light. JMO
zma21
11/06/2007, 11:34 PM
I just got a hamilton reefstar 250w pendant for $200, but the price has now gone back up to $350. I jumped on that deal.
NeveSSL
11/06/2007, 11:34 PM
You're going to get a ton of opinions on this one. :)

MHs and T5HOs both have different attributes with neither one being better than the other.

Me? I'm going with T5s because I don't want the heat issues with MH. If you want shimmer, you can always add a point-source light bulb of some sort to get it. There was a recent thread on using a halogen light bulb to get shimmer.

Brandon
cazzy
11/07/2007, 12:47 AM
2 250w 10,000k MH w/ 2 TRU Actinic T5's here :)
NeveSSL
11/07/2007, 02:37 AM
Or you can always do as cazzy has done and use both! :D

Brandon
InsaneClownFish
11/07/2007, 03:36 AM
I recently visited a local store that used all Current Outer Orbits on their tanks except for two tanks with Aquactinics- one a single ended MH system, the other being an Aquactinics Solar Flare with T5s. Both systems showcased corals much better than the HQI units- with the single ended MH unit being superior to them all.

Since you are keeping a mixed reef, you'll be happy with an Aquactinics(The Tek has its advantages and disadvantages when matched up against the Aquactinics- I would encourage you to research both in detail before making a purchase).