Halide Lighting

[ducatimikep]

Hi All. I am trying to (re)decide on my lighting.
I currently have 6 T5 over a standard 90g mixed reef.
Looking to get more pop. The t5's seem to give a washed
out color. Just how warm will a tank get running a pair
of halides (suspended) without a chiller?
Thanks for any advice &/or personal experiences.

 

[casademurphy]

Our halides are about 6.5" from the top of our tank. Definitely necessary to run a chiller.

We run 2-250 watt bulbs in a 90 gallon.

 

[BHAMR6]

I run 2x 250 watt metal halide in my 65g the lights are in the canopy whicjh is 13 in from the water i have a small fan from target mounted in there and the temp stays at 78 i have to run my heater for the nights

 

[BHAMR6]

AND I HAVE NEVER HAD A CHILLER!!!!!!

 

[gflat65]

Have you checked into different bulbs? What kinds of reflector do you have on the T5 fixture (W shape, or one flat reflector for all 6 bulbs)?

Most corals I've got pop more under T5's than under anything else (exceptions have been a Turbinaria peltata and an electric blue Cespitularia (flashlights and sunlight give you best color on these guys). I still run MH over my SPS, but I have some under T5's and the colors are quite different from MH's in many cases (and crazier colors, if not unnatural since they pop so much). I run mostly Geismann bulbs in my T5 fixtures.

I am running a 175W over a 40B with no heat issues. Without my skimmer pump running on the SPS tank (Pan World 200), I don't have too many problems with heat (with the pump running, the tank temp runs about 5 degrees warmer-soon to be remedied). I've also got (2)-175W's over a 120 softies/LPS with minimal heat issues. I do run a chiller on the SPS tank, due to the chiller pump (and in the summer). I do keep my house at 69-71F year round, though (Norwegian and Swedish blood )

 

[ducatimikep]

I have a Tek 6 bulb fixture.
I have ordered all new ATI bulbs from ReefGeek
& they are to be delivered tomorrow. I am planning an upgrade & until my visit to the LFS Friday, I thought I had it all figured out.
I was planning to buy a 6 bulb ATI Powermodule or Aquactinics Constellation. I bought some frags when I was there. Under the 14K Radium 150's the colors were awesome. Here at home its kinda blah. I am using the stock, noname bulbs though.
Now I am really reconsidering MH. I have stayed away from them mainly due to the heating problems. Here in Carolina summers are warm, kinda like there. The house stays 72' year round.
I have my 6 T5's on the Tek legs on the tank. I bought a tubing bender & 30' of aluminum conduit to get bending for my ATI fixture. Now I am wondering if I need to bend for a couple of pendants that would hang ~ 8 inches from the tank top.

 

[RUGDOG]

I run 2 400's over my 110 and it gets pretty warm but I run a fan in canopy that kicks on when the second bulb turns on and I have never ran a chiller. I would not trade my halide shimmer for any kind of light. Of course I have just found out that coral colors differ greatly depending on the K of the bulb...I liked the colors under 20k but am not happy with color under 10k with actinic supplement. I am fixing to try 14k with my new actinic....In search of the right combo of growth and appearance.

 

[casademurphy]

Rugdog, let me know how you like the color using 14k.

 

[ducatimikep]

I run tank temp of 78 nights
& the lights heat things up to 81 daylight.

 

[troyman]

there is no other natural light then from the halides i like seeing my reef looking like the sun is shinning in it not like a black light is over it

 

[brandon2432]

I have a 48" t-5 4 bulb fixture and a 72" 6 bulb fixture and the 48" is actually brighter than the 72" just because of the bulbs. I am looking to buy new bulbs for the 72" fixture it has 60" bulbs staggered with individual reflectors. my temp is also 78 at night and 81 during the day about 6" from the surface.

 

[BLEEDSALT]

My 75 has a 400 watt halide. and 2 65 watt blue actinics, I've got 2 CPU power fans on either side, 2 on right suck out heat and moister, and 2 on left bring in cold air, my tank never really gets over 78, Like BHam I have to run a heater to keep the water temp up. My fans are on the same timer as my lights so actincs come one so does the exhaust and when the Halide comes on so does the intake. My bulbs are 9 1/2 inches on the Halide and 13 inches on the actinics to surface. I have the 14K coralvue single mogul base. So far I'm happy with it.
Chris

 

[Crazyfist]

I have a 250w over a 24G and I have to run a small fan on the light to remove the heat. I keep the fan on my day switched socket, so when the light cuts off, the fan cuts off. My heater keeps it about 80 24/7.

 

[ducatimikep]

does the hailde raise the powerbill significantly?

 

[atlantisaquari]

actually, all the tanks i personally have seen in that size range keep a decent temperature with just a fan or two blowing air around behind the canopy.
as far as energy efficiency , i read an article once saying that halides were more efficient than flourecents. kinda makes sence if you think about it

 

[BLEEDSALT]

That's what I read. I was worried when I hooked up Halide, I was talking to my father in law on the phone one day and he looked it up. Example a 1500 watt heater running 24/7 for 30 days was something like 80 dollars or so, crap I can't remember, but halides don't run constantly. You can do a wattage breakdown if you search for a calculator. I haven't noticed a big enough increase in my bill to stop the lighting. Halides use the most energy when start up, the arch it takes to fire up is pretty amazing, the inner core can reach temps of 2000 degrees. After that they don't use too much energy.
Chris
P.S. I'm not really that dorky just was curious one day about what my bill was going to be.

 

[8BALL_99]

Watts are watts. Doesn't matter if its T5s or MH. They will add the same amount of heat to the room and they cost just as much to run. Where T5s have a slight advantage is the heat goes into the room more then the tank. People that brag how much less power they use with T5s infact are getting less light. If you stick 250 watts of T5s beside 250 watts of MH with similar color you will have very similar par readings. Of course the bulbs can make a huge difference. In general though if you use good bulbs for both types they should be pretty close. T5s do a better job of spreading out the light even more so on shallow tanks. Where as Mh has much better penetration. On most tanks the price difference between the two are very slim. People that really stand to save is the ones that have to run a chiller with MH but don't with T5s. Or those that have shallow narrow tanks.

BTW I use to keep a 72 Gallon with a canopy that had 2x250 watt Mh over it and a pretty small sump. I just had a couple of small fans in the canopy and one over the sump. My temp would push 81 or so in the summer But I never needed a chiller. I would say though that I was pretty close to the line.

 

[ducatimikep]

Do you guy recommend hanging pendants or
a top mount (all in one) fixture?

 

[8BALL_99]

If your going to be using 250s I'd say either way you will need to hang the fixture. 500 watts over a 90 is alot of light. The advantage of hanging them is you can raise and lower your lights as needed for either temp or to adjust for the lights output. IE when you put new bulbs in you will want to raise the fixture up then lower as the tank adapts to the stronger light.. As far as the choice between two single pendants vs one single fixture.. I don't know. A single fixture is easier to hang and would be easier to adjust. But If you decide to get a 6 foot tank a year from now you will have to replace your whole fixture. If you just have pendants you can simply just buy another.. Same goes if you downgrade to a smaller tank. If you plan on using a canopy I'd get Retro fits or the single pendants. If your not using a canopy and don't plan on getting a longer tank I'd probably get a single fixture and hang it.

 

[ducatimikep]

First of all, Thanks Y'all. There is no activity in the Carolina
forums so I had to look to you. I hope that I will be able to come down this spring & hang out at one of your club meets. I might even bring some nice frags .
Here is my tank; about a year ago when I was still cycling.

I now have a Sailfin & Yellow Tang, & mated pair of Ocellaris
Clowns. 90 gallon tank with a 40 gallon breeder as a sump,
custom baffles & fuge. 2 Vortech MP40w's for flow.
I just ordered a MSX250 skimmer (will be here Tuesday).
My ReefGeek lights came today! I do not want to put these
into my TEK fixture. I wanted to buy something new first,
something with atleast 1 fan.
I have bought a 3/4" conduit bender & 20' of aluminum conduit.
I plan to bend something similar to this.....

So either way (T5 or hailde fixture) I will hang the next light.
I do agree with 8Ball, 500watts is ALOT of light for a 24" deep
90 gallon.
Even if I use halide, T5 or some antinic suppliment is needed?