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RMD17 
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 Topic: MH vs. T5
Posted: January 16 2007 at 5:33pm |
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I have a 75 gallon tank and I have heard 2-175 w MH or 6-54 w T5 would be great to help me grow both low light softies and high light sps. However which is better or recommeneded the MH or T5? Thanks
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Richard & Mistie
Morgan, UT
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RMD17
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Posted: January 16 2007 at 5:34pm |
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oh and if I went with MH would 10,000k be best?
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Richard & Mistie
Morgan, UT
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Mike Savage
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Posted: January 16 2007 at 8:04pm |
For a mixed reef MH is best. You have high light and lower light areas. With T5s you have very even coverage.
Would 10K be best? Yes, best for growth, but produces a lot of heat. Not the best for color. You could add supplemental florescent lighting for color or use a bluer bulb for more color.
Edited by Mike Savage - January 16 2007 at 8:06pm
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RMD17
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Posted: January 16 2007 at 10:42pm |
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thanks.....Right now I have a Current Power Compact with 2-65 w actincs and 2-65 daylights. I would like to continue using them along with the MH or T5 would that be ok and add color if so would i still need as much wattage in the MH or T5?
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Richard & Mistie
Morgan, UT
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Mike Savage
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Posted: January 16 2007 at 11:03pm |
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You could use the Power compact actinics to supplement the MH. I got good growth from 10K MH on my 120 and actinic lighting helped the color as well as giving a good sunrise/sunset effect. On my 60 gallon cube I am going with all T5s as I like the way the colors of the corals look, the even light coverage, and don't want to deal with all the heat from the MH.
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pickensw
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Posted: January 17 2007 at 3:40pm |
Mike,
How many T-5 are you putting over your 60 cube? What color of bulbs have you decided on? I am going T-5 on my 55 gallon.
Thanks,
Will
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Mike Savage
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Posted: January 17 2007 at 5:46pm |
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I am going with 8 bubs and I haven't decided on color yet. I really want all the colors to show well. Have you checked out the T5 thread on RC?
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GARFVolunteer
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Posted: January 17 2007 at 6:26pm |
I personally would go with VHO. Wait, I always go with VHO...
I have never been a fan of T5s. I think the MH would be an adequate supplementation for your power compacts. I use a 14K 250 watt MH on my sump and although it does not look as good as it would with VHO, it is adequate. It use to have a 20K bulb but when it died, it was replaced with the 14K.
Thanks,
Scott
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President Idaho Marine Aquarium Society
A fair and biased reef hobbyist
"How do you make poor people rich by making rich people poor" Rush Limbaugh on Obama taxes
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pickensw
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Posted: January 18 2007 at 12:50pm |
Scott...
Yes I know....but changing them out every 6 months. The wife would kill me!! Plus the IC ballast and bulbs...to much of a start up cost right now. But I do love VHO look. I hope T-5 will be close. I have also heard that VHO might be on there way out. I hope not!
Mike..
I have.. Thanks for the link! I can't make up my mind on what to do. I picked up a set of 4 from a guy here in Idaho. 2 ATI blue + and 2 GE 6500K (I think). I also have 3 ballast but I just found out that one is dead and out of warranty. No reflectors but I did get some polished aluminum from Mark until I can afford reflectors. I did notice that Grim said he wasn't running reflectors(might just be a miss read on my part) So I am installing them today except the aluminum because I need to do a mod on my hood.
I will keep you posted!
Thanks,
Will
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sshm
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Posted: January 18 2007 at 2:49pm |
Will, great choice of bulbs 
Grim also did some tests on bulb temperature and PAR output, which I found a little overboard but it does make sense. In fact, there is a german company now that offers a T5 hood with a temperature controller that keeps the light hood at the optimum temperature supposedly. I didnt know that he wasnt using reflectors.
I'm using a Finnex hood which does not have individual reflectors, it just has a single bent aluminium piece. My present bulb combination is 3 aquablue+ and 1 10000k, the 10000k bulb is a jalli bulb which is a POC, but it still puts out more PAR than a pure actinic, so I switched out the actinic for the 10000k. Although I'm sure with better reflectors I would get more out of the setup, for now I'm fine since all the light loving corals are at the top half of the tank.
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pickensw
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Posted: January 18 2007 at 4:23pm |
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I just put the other set in and I like it. I will have to post a few picture tomorrow.
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GARFVolunteer
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Posted: January 19 2007 at 2:26pm |
Will,
Which bulbs need replacing every 6 months. With IceCap ballasts, I change the bulbs out every 18 months without noticable difference. Due to moving tanks and finances I went 24 months last time and there was a large noticable difference.
With the tar ballasts I would see a big difference after only 9 months.
I am cheap/frugal and I still think VHO are the biggest bang for the buck...
Thanks,
Scott
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President Idaho Marine Aquarium Society
A fair and biased reef hobbyist
"How do you make poor people rich by making rich people poor" Rush Limbaugh on Obama taxes
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pickensw
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Posted: January 19 2007 at 2:37pm |
Scott,
WOW..I heard that they need to be replaced every 6~8 months. So with the IceCap ballast they will last longer? But (lets say Workhorse or ARO) standard ballast will only last the 6~8 months. This is all VHO we are talking about?...Right??
Thanks,
Will
Edited by pickensw - January 19 2007 at 2:38pm
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GARFVolunteer
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Posted: January 19 2007 at 2:43pm |
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I do not know much about the workhorse ballast other than it is electronic... Could be they last longer but I have never used them.
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President Idaho Marine Aquarium Society
A fair and biased reef hobbyist
"How do you make poor people rich by making rich people poor" Rush Limbaugh on Obama taxes
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sshm
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Posted: January 19 2007 at 2:45pm |
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Will, it is only the actinic VHOs that are known to degrade quickly, i.e. abvout 9-12 months. The phosphors degrade more rapidly and this is a problem of not only the VHOs but also any fluoroscent actinic bulb which uses similar phosphors, including T5HOs.
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