adding metal halide to t5 fixture

[saintsnsinners]

I have an ati 8x54w t5 fixture and i'd like to take out a couple t5s and add 2 or 3 150w metal halides. anyone have a build thread on how to do this? or any general advice? thanks.

 

[uncleof6]

Not a good idea at all. Taking apart the best T5/HO rig on the market is a bit "out there" in the first place, but the heat from the metal halides will make short work of the temperature sensitive T5/HO lamps.... Replacing T5/HO lamps with MH is a downgrade as well.

 

[saintsnsinners]

I was worried about the temperature aspect as well. so you think just t5 will do the job? mixed reef, sps and lps. switching from led.

 

[uncleof6]

I was worried about the temperature aspect as well. so you think just t5 will do the job? mixed reef, sps and lps. switching from led.

Absolutely. Switching to T5/HO from LED is an upgrade, regardless of any anecdote to the contrary. LED is not quite there yet, and I really don't see it producing the results that T5/HO is capable of. I would not however, make the change quickly. I would sneak up on it. The increase in light, and spectral quality, will possibly cause some issues with your light sensitive critters, and you don't want to make a sudden change. The ATI 8 lamp 54 watt fixture is very "bright light" when using aqua blue and blue plus lamps. Both visually, as well as PAR wise. I run these lamps (and Geisseman equivalents) exclusively. Running 1 to 1 can washout the tank, so 1 more blue plus than aqua blue is more aesthetic without harming the output.

The only time I really see an advantage to MH lighting is if you have a rather deep tank, and want to keep clams in the sand. Beyond that, a light "gradient" is a very natural thing, and the anecdotal light requirements for our critters are within the mythical realm, as our critters are found at all depths of the photic zone. You can also achieve very excellent results with T12VHO lighting, so there is a bit more to it than the light.