Anyone Thinking of Dumping LEDS and going back to Halides

[SPotter]

Thoughts on this dirt cheap setup...


http://www.ebay.com/itm/MH-72-Metal-Halide-T5-LED-Aquarium-Light-Marine-Coral-Reef-6-ft-3x-250W-Bulbs-/111449285835?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19f2e524cb

It reminds me of the very first mh fixture I had 4 yrs ago that came with a cadlights tank I bought. The fans could be heard from outside the house. You stated a concern about going with a single unit and if something goes wrong with it how will that impact the rest of the light. Well I would be really concerned about buying this unit for that reason....who is the manufacaturer? what kind of reputation do they have? what will it cost to ship it back for repair?

 

[ptreef]

I have seen those....not bad, but come with junk ballast & bulbs.

Great for a non sps dominate setup!

These are like a no name chinese product...

 

[DavidinGA]

It reminds me of the very first mh fixture I had 4 yrs ago that came with a cadlights tank I bought. The fans could be heard from outside the house. You stated a concern about going with a single unit and if something goes wrong with it how will that impact the rest of the light. Well I would be really concerned about buying this unit for that reason....who is the manufacaturer? what kind of reputation do they have? what will it cost to ship it back for repair?

Figured but was bored and saw them lol

 

[d2mini]

You can run any of them. Color will shift and life might go down.

Well that's kinda what I meant.
Are there any others that would run close to color and lifespan as running on another ballast?

 

[d2mini]

About the T5 bulb discussion that preceded this... right now I am running 4 80w blue plus bulbs that came from Hamilton (made in Germany but not sure by who). I tried two Giesemann pure actinics and hated them. The color is a very pale purple UV look and they are so much dimmer than the blue plus. I have quite a bit of stuff with a lot of actinic pop and they did little for it. I'm back to 4 blue plus and they are much brighter and really make things pop. The color and output just seem so much more like VHO actinics.

That's strange. I don't find the blue+ to be very blue at all (in fact they have a weird green tint, which is why I prefer the kz superblue), but i have them because the do have a blue tint and they are par monsters. If I run just the blue+ i get that washed out windex look without the pop. That's why I like the pure actinics paired with the blue+ (and KZ).

 

[JPMagyar]

I tried two Giesemann pure actinics and hated them. The color is a very pale purple UV look and they are so much dimmer than the blue plus. I have quite a bit of stuff with a lot of actinic pop and they did little for it. I'm back to 4 blue plus and they are much brighter and really make things pop. The color and output just seem so much more like VHO actinics.

I totally agree the Giesemann Pure Actinic bulb is VERY dim to look at, but that's funny you don't think it looks like the old UVL Super Actinic because I still use that bulb in my basement tank and I really feel that the Giesemann Pure Actinic is the closest T5 to that old venerable T12. As for the dim light that's what I love about it because it provides a dawn/dusk effect. Anyways thats what makes this hobby so great. . . plenty of choices to satisfy everyone!

Here's a pic with just the Giesemann Pure Actinics on. Its REALLY purple and REALLY dim, but I think you can get a feel for how the greens really glow (Careful observers might note a tiny bit of rearranging- just felt the 'nem was too high and blocking the view in the back so I lowered it slightly AND I moved the green stylo and replaced it with a pink poci on the left)

Funny thing I should also mention . . . after 7 years and thinking I totally lost the colony my acans are finally growing like crazy. Don't know if it's the return to Radiums or what but they are definitely growing fast!

 

[SPotter]

I totally agree the Giesemann Pure Actinic bulb is VERY dim to look at, but that's funny you don't think it looks like the old UVL Super Actinic because I still use that bulb in my basement tank and I really feel that the Giesemann Pure Actinic is the closest T5 to that old venerable T12. As for the dim light that's what I love about it because it provides a dawn/dusk effect. Anyways thats what makes this hobby so great. . . plenty of choices to satisfy everyone!

Here's a pic with just the Giesemann Pure Actinics on. Its REALLY purple and REALLY dim, but I think you can get a feel for how the greens really glow (Careful observers might note a tiny bit of rearranging- just felt the 'nem was too high and blocking the view in the back so I lowered it slightly AND I moved the green stylo and replaced it with a pink poci on the left)

Funny thing I should also mention . . . after 7 years and thinking I totally lost the colony my acans are finally growing like crazy. Don't know if it's the return to Radiums or what but they are definitely growing fast!

How many bulbs do you have on there joe?

 

[GroktheCube]

That's strange. I don't find the blue+ to be very blue at all (in fact they have a weird green tint, which is why I prefer the kz superblue), but i have them because the do have a blue tint and they are par monsters. If I run just the blue+ i get that washed out windex look without the pop. That's why I like the pure actinics paired with the blue+ (and KZ).

That's funny. To my eye the KZ bulbs actually appear slightly more green! Though the difference is pretty slight. Every eye is different I guess?

 

[SPotter]

That's strange. I don't find the blue+ to be very blue at all (in fact they have a weird green tint, which is why I prefer the kz superblue), but i have them because the do have a blue tint and they are par monsters. If I run just the blue+ i get that washed out windex look without the pop. That's why I like the pure actinics paired with the blue+ (and KZ).

Dennis is KZ ending production on t5 bulbs? Seems like all of the online vendors are clearing them out. I agree about the blue + having a little washed out look to them.

 

[JPMagyar]

How many bulbs do you have on there joe?

Total of 4 bulbs. I had the camera set on ISO 1600 and 1/50 and 5.6 on the F-Stop so it let in one heck of a lot of light.

That's funny. To my eye the KZ bulbs actually appear slightly more green! Though the difference is pretty slight. Every eye is different I guess?

Totally agree! It is amazing how two reefers can look at the same light and one goes "yuck" and one goes "far out dude"

 

[d2mini]

Dennis is KZ ending production on t5 bulbs? Seems like all of the online vendors are clearing them out. I agree about the blue + having a little washed out look to them.

Crap, really??? I hadn't noticed! I hope not.

 

[SPotter]

i think premium and aquarium specialty are running clearance sales on them. could be a good chance to stock up.

Edit....Premium only has the 24w 50/50 left and Aquarium specialty has 4 of the 80w super blues left at a great price.

http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/korallen-zucht-super-blue-t5-lamp

 

[d2mini]

Here's my tank with just the two Blue+ on....

And here's my tank with the one blue+, one KZ Super Blue and two G pure actinics.

 

[SPotter]

Has anyone read anything about these bulbs coming out from gisesemann?

http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/giesemann-aquablue-azure-t5-lamps

 

[SPotter]

Here's my tank with just the two Blue+ on....

And here's my tank with the one blue+, one KZ Super Blue and two G pure actinics.

i need to get some of those super blues before they're all gone!!!!

 

[JPMagyar]

Here's my tank with just the two Blue+ on....

And here's my tank with the one blue+, one KZ Super Blue and two G pure actinics.

I LOVE that look!

 

[d2mini]

I LOVE that look!

haha, that's funny cause I much prefer the second pic with the pure actinic combo.
The first feels washed out to me.
But I've since swapped one pure actinic for a second blue+ just for more par.
So i currently have two blue+, one pure actinic and one kz superblue.

 

[Tweaked]

haha, that's funny cause I much prefer the second pic with the pure actinic combo.
The first feels washed out to me.
But I've since swapped one pure actinic for a second blue+ just for more par.
So i currently have two blue+, one pure actinic and one kz superblue.

Agreed, I run 3 true actinics and one purple plus to achieve that actinic blue look. Will be messing with the geisman bulbs next after some of the reviews I've read.

 

[DavidinGA]

So preliminary researching leads me to conclude these setups would be good....?


All in one route:

72" Cebu Sun 3x250w 10k plus 4 T5 actinics ~$1k

What brand/type mh ballast does this use?
How's the longterm quality on the T5/MH ballasts?
Are the reflectors as good as the individual pendants?
The big downside to this to me is the selling point - its an all-in-one which probably limits its flexibility and if something fails it hampers the whole unit as opposed to having three completely separate units....




Individual route:

Hamilton 250w HQI M80 ballasts $150/each ~ $450
Phoenix 14k 250w DE bulbs $45/ea ~$135
Sunlight Supply LumenMax 3 DE 250W HQI Reflector $150/ea ~$450
Did I miss anything there? Need any other cords/cables?

Total ~$1035

($885 if the reflectors are $100/ea instead of $150/ea)



From what I have read it sounds like I would get better performance from the individual route; true?

Is the Sunlight Supply LumenMax 3 DE 250W HQI Reflector worth the money over some other $100 reflector - Say a PFO 250 Watt Double Ended HQI Metal Halide Pendant for $96?

It would be a smig'n cheaper on the electric bill to not run the T5's (320w savings there), except that a M80 ballast actually over drives the bulbs meaning they run higher watts right?



As I consider MH I would add with my current setup (two Reefbreeder Photon 32's) I really don't like the bluish strong purple hue it gives (only fixed by running the whites higher than the blues which is not advisable they say). So I don't want to end up with a MH setup that gives that windex look; which is why I'm not really interested in running MH + Actinic T5's (as the T5's will just add to the purple hue, right?).



Thanks

Anyone?

 

[03sonicstang]

Just ordered a Hamilton 3 x 250 14K with T5 and Electric Ballast, for future Radium if wanted.

I'm so excited to be back in MH! Hopefully next week.