T5 or Halides on my new tank

[algblenny]

I just bought a 120 gal (4' x 2' x 2'). I have an 8 bulb T5 fixture and I also have a couple of DE halide pendants. The 8 bulb fixture would be putting a total of 436 watts of light on the tank while the two halides would put 500. What do you think would be a better way to go and why? I am going to be keeping a mixed reef. Thanks in advance.

 

[Anonymous]

Depends on a variety of things really.

What type of T5 fixture is it? Not all T5 fixtures are born equal.

Also, what matters most to you? The glimmer lines of a metal halide fixture, or the light of a T5 fixture which might give you light coverage which reaches the nooks and crannies of your tank better (one thing people who have T5 lit tanks claim is that SPS color up better as the light reaches every bit of the coral, including the underside, which the point lighting of a MH fixture might not).

Personally, I'm probably likely to go for the glimmer lines and something that's closer to a natural look when I set up my new tank next month.

 

[algblenny]

I have a sunlight supply fixture. It's not an aquarium one though. It's a horticulture one. I bought it off of a co-worker for $100. Pretty good deal right? The bulbs are individually reflected.

 

[algblenny]

http://sunlightsupply.com/hort/products ... pe=product
It's the 4 ft 8 bulb one. It also has all the bulbs for plants. I would love to know what combo of bulbs I should use. Could I get away with using any of the 6,500K bulbs that are in there?

 

[Anonymous]

That you Matt?

 

[algblenny]

Yup. What's up Gresham? I figured I'd get better advice on here than on RC. I am so torn between the two options. What would you do?

 

[Anonymous]

Cost of replacement bulbs will run much higher with the T5 set-up I've found.

I have the exact same tank I am setting up. I am doing 2x 250w MH and 2x Reef Brite actinic 48" LED strip lights.

Come out to BAYMAC (www.TheBAYMAC.com) May 8th @ Chabot. Reef Brite and many other lighting companies will be on hand It would be good to see you as well

 

[Ben1]

I went T5 and really like them. I just replaced my bulbs for the first time after 14 months and spent $220 on 12 replacement 54 watters, this was on my sfiligoi fixture. I probably could have gone 18 months easy on my T5's. I ran a 8 bulb Tek for some time also and loved it also, bulb replacement was a bit less than since the fixture was 36" and only 8 bulbs. I always struggled with heat issues with MH's and my chiller ran like nuts, either way my electric bill is still out of this world. I switched to T5, had good SPS growth, nice color-look to the tank, less heat issues and saw no reason to go back. I didn't care one way or the other for glitter lines. Personally I'll most likely not ever go back to MH. If LED was more affordable I'd like to explore that route though since they seem to be making lots of headway, and the long bulb life is really attractive.

 

[Davids1]

Hello everybody,
Ben! is your really good achievement. Good work, keep it up

I went T5 and really like them. I just replaced my bulbs for the first time after 14 months and spent $220 on 12 replacement 54 watters, this was on my sfiligoi fixture. I probably could have gone 18 months easy on my T5's. I ran a 8 bulb Tek for some time also and loved it also, bulb replacement was a bit less than since the fixture was 36" and only 8 bulbs. I always struggled with heat issues with MH's and my chiller ran like nuts, either way my electric bill is still out of this world. I switched to T5, had good SPS growth, nice color-look to the tank, less heat issues and saw no reason to go back. I didn't care one way or the other for glitter lines. Personally I'll most likely not ever go back to MH. If LED was more affordable I'd like to explore that route though since they seem to be making lots of headway, and the long bulb life is really attractive.