i was having a convo little debate with my boy and he told me i am still reefing in the dino age i need to upgrade to led .. and i was thinking does this fool not see my tank and i had to remind him that its not the upfront cost y i dont have led i just like mh/t5 i like the way they look and i also like how fast my coral grow running them .. who still running mh/t5 for similar reason ??
Am I the only reefer still running metal halides ??
- Thread starter dubs
- Start date
So instead of Renegade Reefer you want to be called Caveman Reefer?
- Location
- Far Rockaway 11691
i went from an AI sol blue back to my outer orbit pro and couldnt be happier. I really wanted to like Leds but the color just was not the same as i was used to.
I still run MHs.
I do have some trouble with the upfront pricing, even though the cost of MHs at this wattage is still quite high (exp bulbs, electricity).
Also, i have not done enough research on LEDs yet.
Has anyone had good performance out of the SAME LED system for 3+ years?
When i first started reefing, I had 1 MH kit for 2 years and then used that light system at work where it still works (just bulb changes). THat's 5 years of solid performance, with little effort on my part.
If I pay $400-600 for 1 unit of light (I am sure to need 2 units for my 48" tank) I want to be able to reap the benefits for more than 1-2 years. My MH will cost me less than $500 total for that same amount of time (2x2 sets of bulbs, unit itself at today's lower prices, electricity estimate)
BUUUUUT, because i can only stand to be without the newest toys for so long, i am going to see if i can get a lower price but good unit for one side of my tank and have the other with the MH (though I have to figure out what I need to do with my canopy unless I just put the LED over my nano tank).
I do have some trouble with the upfront pricing, even though the cost of MHs at this wattage is still quite high (exp bulbs, electricity).
Also, i have not done enough research on LEDs yet.
Has anyone had good performance out of the SAME LED system for 3+ years?
When i first started reefing, I had 1 MH kit for 2 years and then used that light system at work where it still works (just bulb changes). THat's 5 years of solid performance, with little effort on my part.
If I pay $400-600 for 1 unit of light (I am sure to need 2 units for my 48" tank) I want to be able to reap the benefits for more than 1-2 years. My MH will cost me less than $500 total for that same amount of time (2x2 sets of bulbs, unit itself at today's lower prices, electricity estimate)
BUUUUUT, because i can only stand to be without the newest toys for so long, i am going to see if i can get a lower price but good unit for one side of my tank and have the other with the MH (though I have to figure out what I need to do with my canopy unless I just put the LED over my nano tank).
You aren't alone Dubs..I still run MH's on my 45G anemone tank..can you say Glitter lines? 
I rarely see them referred to anymore
I will admit that my 120 has T5's and my little 6G nano has a Par38 on it. If I could afford to run the MH's on my 120, I'd switch back in a heartbeat.
LED's..pffft, all that blue is just too much, it gives me a headache.
I rarely see them referred to anymore I will admit that my 120 has T5's and my little 6G nano has a Par38 on it. If I could afford to run the MH's on my 120, I'd switch back in a heartbeat.
LED's..pffft, all that blue is just too much, it gives me a headache.
- Location
- Kings Park, NY
Setting up my new 60 Cube I went back and forth till I had a headache. Had a AI Vega sitting in the cart. Looked into an 8 bulb ATI and in the end I couldn't get away from the color and shimmer of good 'Ole MH's.
My Lumenbrite Reflector, 250W ballast and 20K bulb should be here Saturday
My Lumenbrite Reflector, 250W ballast and 20K bulb should be here Saturday
- Location
- north jersey
on the main display (48x36x27 200g sps dominated mixed reef), i'm running 2x400w halides, 2x110w vho's, and 36w of supplemental leds AND 1/2hp chiller....which i consider to be an integral part of my halides system.
love the look/growth/colors but hate the electricity bill....in the summer, it's in the 900 range!!! also during sandy, i wasn't able to fire up the halides since the generator wasn't big enough for both the halides and the chiller. that lead me to this dilemma of switching to leds.
just got 8x ai's sol blue's, will be switching in the next few days/week. we shall see if i can live with the leds. i had experimented with leds for the past few years and never really found any to be what i'm looking for....even the ai sol blue i currently have over my "refugium/frag tank". i'm going to be experimenting with t5 supplementation after the acclimation period of a few months.
i hope i don't have to switch back to the halides but i'm gonna hold on to them and not ridding them off anytime soon.
love the look/growth/colors but hate the electricity bill....in the summer, it's in the 900 range!!! also during sandy, i wasn't able to fire up the halides since the generator wasn't big enough for both the halides and the chiller. that lead me to this dilemma of switching to leds.
just got 8x ai's sol blue's, will be switching in the next few days/week. we shall see if i can live with the leds. i had experimented with leds for the past few years and never really found any to be what i'm looking for....even the ai sol blue i currently have over my "refugium/frag tank". i'm going to be experimenting with t5 supplementation after the acclimation period of a few months.
i hope i don't have to switch back to the halides but i'm gonna hold on to them and not ridding them off anytime soon.
- Location
- Clifton, NJ
look at my signature...
LOL ok I see some peeps feel like I do I this led talk is making me sick and they usually go like this dubs those zoas sick under my LEDs and dubs next q is how much they grow Ohh dubs they still small or I only grew a baby polyp then I reply yo the colony that frag came from grew back times four lol ...
m'akoyPINOY
El filibusterismo
Still running MH here since '06!
Last edited:
Awesome! Thanks bro. I can come anytime just LMK what's best for you.
- Location
- Long Island-east suffolk
I kind of wish my AI sol has more and better colors, but I'm okay with that..
I bought rainbow acan it has sick colors in my friends tank with T5 and then in my tank it slowed turn "normal colors"
Just wish they have a t5 in 20" for my biocube 29
If I'm getting big tank I will get ati t5 for sure...
Jake
I bought rainbow acan it has sick colors in my friends tank with T5 and then in my tank it slowed turn "normal colors"
Just wish they have a t5 in 20" for my biocube 29
If I'm getting big tank I will get ati t5 for sure...
Jake
Started the hobby with MH, switched to t5 and then upgraded to led (bad move)
After about a year with led, I did not get the color that I expect to see out of my corals even though they had good growth . I went back to my lovely t5 and could be much happier.
I think a new set of new t5 bulbs or a new MH bulb once a year in this hobby is nothing.
I have not seen any led tank with corals look as colorful as those with t5/mh
Due to technology, i noticed that most new hobbyst likes new technology
T5 is the best
After about a year with led, I did not get the color that I expect to see out of my corals even though they had good growth . I went back to my lovely t5 and could be much happier.
I think a new set of new t5 bulbs or a new MH bulb once a year in this hobby is nothing.
I have not seen any led tank with corals look as colorful as those with t5/mh
Due to technology, i noticed that most new hobbyst likes new technology
T5 is the best
- Location
- astoria,new york
Hey dubs you seen my tank, running LEDs for almost 3 years...
Sponsor Reefs
We're a FREE website, and we exist because of hobbyists like YOU who help us run this community.
Click here to sponsor $10:
