Am I the only reefer still running metal halides ??

[allenjj]

Reflectors

In upgrading to my new 180 display, I switched from 2 250w MH and went with 4 radions. I like the look although still ramping up the lights so animals adjust.

 

[Awibrandy]

Too soon for me to really remark on my LEDs, but here goes.
Coral colors are great, growth don't know since I didn't have them all that long before Sandy came rolling through my house taking with it my tank inhabitants. I do have the shimmer effects. As to it being to blue, I don't find this at all with my 4 Cree Bricks on my 6' 155 gal. tank.
I started out in the hobby with VHO, then MH with PC, first SE bulbs, then DE HQI bulbs. The heat, and the electric bill was outrages not to mention the $300 every 8 months for replacement bulbs. Hubby never complained, but I felt guilty so I switched.
What matters the most to me is health, followed by color of my corals. How fast they grow is of little consequence to me. I'm not in a race.

 

[Alfredo De La Fe]

My 180 did GREAT with MH, but it was VERY expensive to run. Right now the 180 is in shambles after two black-outs wiped out pretty much everything in my tank.

I have set-up a 40 breeder and just added Pharos LED after running MH on it. Gotta say that I am very happy with the LED so far, no added heat to the room, no expensive bulbs to change... Color of the tank looks the same as MH. My only issue is that it shimmers too much on the left side of my tank where my return is sending water back into the tank...

Alfred

 

[polywise]

400w MH's & VHO's for me

need the punch for SPS

 

[tomtoothdoc]

400w MH's & VHO's for me

need the punch for SPS

another old school like me huh? you're the first i've seen on this thread that's still running vho's....lol.
i am in the process of switching to leds though....we'll see how that will work out.

 

[marrone]

I still run VHO, though just for Actinic. The problem is that stop making the Actinic bulbs that I used, so I've had to use different bulbs, which are more bluer than I would like. The main lighting I use is 2-250Watt MH.

 

[tomtoothdoc]

ahhh another old school. i run 2x110w uvl super actinics in addition to 2x400w radiums.

what bulbs are you talking about that are no longer produced?

 

[Paul B]

I am as old school as you can get but I switched to LEDs and will never go back

 

[marrone]

ahhh another old school. i run 2x110w uvl super actinics in addition to 2x400w radiums.

what bulbs are you talking about that are no longer produced?

I used to run Coralife VHO Actinic, which were a very light blue, and not a true actinic color. My corals really like it and usually were open fully when they were on. They stop making it a number of years ago and I brought as many of them as I could find, though I only have 1 left at the moment.

As some point I'm probably going to have to go to LEDs, as if my PFO ballast goes again I'm not going to be able to get a replacement for it, at which point it will be cheaper to get a new LED setup.

 

[polywise]

old school results

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJMaUdeyYnk

 

[dubs]

ok the proof is in the vid thanks for sharing polywise ... were them leds at ??lol

 

[Awibrandy]

ok the proof is in the vid thanks for sharing polywise ... were them leds at ??lol

You can drop by, and see for yourself. You owe me a visit anyway.lol

I couldn't take decent pix before the LEDs, and it's even worse with the LEDs.:frown:

 

[Chihuahua6]

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).

What he/she said!

I keep my halides because I am on a tight budget but it doesn't bother me at all because I like my halides. Almost all of my equipment is purchased second hand. My Aqua Medic Ocean light is brand new and gotten through a trade for a large pump I had laying around. The bulbs were purchased from fellow reefers, also new and half the price of retail.

So I got my light running for $60. How many years would it take to break even on the electric savings had I purchased LEDs? It's all relative to which LEDs and their upfront cost but I imagine it would be roughly 6-8 years.

So now I like my halides even more : ) I never had to run a chiller with mine either, suspended 12" + over the tank, no heat issues.

 

[Silverni2]

Halides to LEDs for a year plus now back to halides 2 150wde 20 k radiums 2 96w compacts + 1 (4'reefbrite).

 

[brunoboarder2444]

alot of people still run halides and have great coloration growth etc but ive seen the same with LEDs as well it all depends on whos running them and knowing how to fine tune everything to make them apealing

also a lot of people buy cheap LEDs and dont like them...its kind of the same as buying cheap bulbs for t5 or MH you just wont get the same appearance as if you were running high end stuff or make it yourself no matter the lighting source and those are some reasons for people switching back

a lot of people also say the coloration isnt as nice but they dont factor certain things in:

1-LEDs tend to have much higher par then even MHs so if you dont run them at the same comparible outputs it can have ill effects on your corals

2-corals have been grown under MHs and T5s for generations, 6 months to a year might just not be enough time for them to fully acclimate to the different lighting and spectrums being hit

3- if the wrong optics are used on LEDs you may not get the coverage you would expect etc

4- this is something that needs to be researched into a bit more....Par isnt actually that important for lighting, Pur is what is important and there really isnt a whole lot of research going into Pur for just about any lighting system....for all we know MH could have highest Pur or it could be LEDs so that is also something that needs to be explored into

i have seen great tanks with all lighting systems on it....2 out of my top 5 tanks ive seen run LEDs....one runs Radions and the other Ai Vegas.

fact of the matter is different stuff work for different people depending on how well you can tune your coloration through lighting....LEDs are starting to take over by storm with vendors and coral farmers so they have to be doiing something right, i feel like i see kessils popping up everywhere with vendors and are doing a great job from what we see and buy

 

[dubs]

Bruno that a good right up on LEDs but go away with them LEDs LOL u know u MY hommie but ill be running mh till they stop making the bulbs I can afford 180 $$ to change out all my bulbs my 2x250+my 8 t5 as far as heath my chiller only running very limited in July/Aug so I think the cost affect is equal and like I said I like the way corals looks on mh/t5or mh/vho I guess that what I got used to

 

[strgazr27]

IF LEDs are so great why Re so many being listed for sale lately? And I'm not talking Chinese imports. Bruno is correct about the PAR output from LEDs and far too many people run them at too high an output. I also think that even when done "right" led tanks do not have the saturation and warm colors Mh/T5 tanks do. Unless they are dosed heavily. I will say growth is as good as halide if not better but at the cost of true color. I've seen my share of tanks and there are 2 tanks I think have very coloring. That's out of all that I have seen. They may be the light of the future but I'm reefing now. And the future could be far away....

 

[brunoboarder2444]

IF LEDs are so great why Re so many being listed for sale lately? And I'm not talking Chinese imports. Bruno is correct about the PAR output from LEDs and far too many people run them at too high an output. I also think that even when done "right" led tanks do not have the saturation and warm colors Mh/T5 tanks do. Unless they are dosed heavily. I will say growth is as good as halide if not better but at the cost of true color. I've seen my share of tanks and there are 2 tanks I think have very coloring. That's out of all that I have seen. They may be the light of the future but I'm reefing now. And the future could be far away....

newer LED models came out :p lol

everyone has their own little niche and LEDs arent for everyone

 

[vio]

Mh + T5 for last 4 years. I will try one day the LED.

 

[strgazr27]

newer LED models came out :p lol

everyone has their own little niche and LEDs arent for everyone

That would make sense if you had the same number of people selling them posting that they were looking for a "Newer" version of what they had or posting they love their new upgraded lights.

The truth is I bet 9/10 are selling because the reality of running them hasn't lived up to the pre purchase fantasy.