Halide Q & A
- Thread starter BlueCorn
- Start date
hi guys...im currently running a 72 inch 3x 250HQI giesemann fixture over my 300G mainly SPS tank...also have leds for supplemental.
-> use Ushio 14k bulbs
-> planning a switch to 400W mogul with again 14k Ushios
->any suggestions on what I should be looking for? There are such a range of options from DIY ( which my wife is not keen on since she has seen the quality of my DIY projects lol) to Hamilton bali sun pendants to reef brites to giesemann spectra ( which I think would be top of my list so far.)
The ballasts Im also not sure on whether I need magnetic or electronic or which is better
thanks for your help
-> use Ushio 14k bulbs
-> planning a switch to 400W mogul with again 14k Ushios
->any suggestions on what I should be looking for? There are such a range of options from DIY ( which my wife is not keen on since she has seen the quality of my DIY projects lol) to Hamilton bali sun pendants to reef brites to giesemann spectra ( which I think would be top of my list so far.)
The ballasts Im also not sure on whether I need magnetic or electronic or which is better
thanks for your help
Last edited:
I am looking at switching from my LEDs to MH or T5 or Combo. I have a standard 125: 72x18x22. Ideally I would keep the lighting ~12" off the water. I want to be able to support almost anything I might come across and like the look of.
1. Would 3x150 MH + 4x80 T5 be enough, if I kept the SPS to the upper half of the tank or would I need to run 250W MH?
2. Since there isn't specifically a T5 advice thread, that I could find, ill ask this here. Would 6x80W T5 be enough for the same tank if I went T5 only?
1. Would 3x150 MH + 4x80 T5 be enough, if I kept the SPS to the upper half of the tank or would I need to run 250W MH?
2. Since there isn't specifically a T5 advice thread, that I could find, ill ask this here. Would 6x80W T5 be enough for the same tank if I went T5 only?
It will depend on the bulb, higher par bulbs make it easy to keep clams and SPS anywhere in the tank, lower par bulbs will make it so the SPS have to be higher up. Stick with 10k bulbs and use the T5 to make the color you want and you can keep anything you want in the tank, any where you want.
AZRippster
Diver & Reef Aquarium Nut
Lower K lamps grow coral faster, however they sometimes grow other things you don't want fast as well. In the '80s I was using 6500 lamps (Venture) and they ROCKED, but there were trade offs. Personally now, unless you're going solely for very quick growth, consider the 14K lamps. They are a nice tradeoff between growth and growth you may not want. Sirreal63 knows what he is talking about, but kicking it to the 14K might help you avoid some problems with a young tank. You didn't say how old your tank was, so I'm assuming. I apologize if I assumed incorrectly.
The Tank is about 2.5 years old, but I haven't had much really good growth in that time besides my RBTA and a few LPS and Mushrooms. In the past year a purple Stylo has grown out pretty decently too, but I haven't had much other luck with SPS overall.
To be clear, I could get away with the 3x150W in a 10-14k color because of the extra punch from the T5's?
Are the reflectors in the Giesemann combo fixtures pretty good? They are expensive, but its all visible in my formal living room, and they doo look good.
Does it matter much if I go with SE or DE?
To be clear, I could get away with the 3x150W in a 10-14k color because of the extra punch from the T5's?
Are the reflectors in the Giesemann combo fixtures pretty good? They are expensive, but its all visible in my formal living room, and they doo look good.
Does it matter much if I go with SE or DE?
AZRippster
Diver & Reef Aquarium Nut
I've always been a SE guy who built his own retrofit fixtures until I recently bought the Hamilton Cebu Suns, so in good faith, I need to differ this to others with real world experience.
If you are going 150's, it will be DE. The reflector is important, and the G-man is a good one. The T5's will add a lot of par as well so you can go with a weaker halide if you want, but I wouldn't. I have a soft spot for the classic 125, my old one was one of my favorite tanks. Back when I had this one running, conventional wisdom was you couldn't keep SPS growing and happy under 150's, obviously that was wrong. No T5's on this but it did have a single 160 watt VHO.
greengeco82
Reefer
Thinking of buying icecap 250w hqi ballast. I have seen reflectors and want to run Hamilton 14k bulbs. Is the "hqi" going to shorten the life of the bulb? Are all of the icecap 250w ballast hqi? Please help. I don't want t to buy ballasts for a de bulb when I have mogul. Too much research has left me brain dead, and confused. Hamiltons web site says to run an electric 250w ballast. Icecaps site says it will fire any bulb except 1 (can't remember). Again, is this the right icecap ballast for the bulb?
Sorry, the statement is a little bit ambiguous. "When you said with T5's you could go with weaker Halides but you wouldn't personally", did you mean you could get away with less than 150W Halides, or did you mean that you would stick to the 250W Halides rather than 150W?
Its just that I'm looking at doing a bunch of work on the system, and possibly spending a bunch of money to make this happen. I don't want to do it in such a way that would cost me even more money/work to fix it later
By weaker I mean lower par 150's, like 20k instead of 10 or 14k bulbs. 150's are more than adequate on a standard 125. I would still stick with 10 or 14k bulbs, the T5's are helping greatly with the par but having the most you can get from the 150's is still needed.
Bah. Ok so I guess the upgrade would have to remain the same depth and only change width front to back in this case. Ok, thanks for all the info.
Now to decide between this and straight T5.
Edit: I guess the G-Mans only come in 250W for the longer units. So they would likely be fine with a slightly large 150/180 in the future. I would have to go with Hamiltons if I wanted a 150W setup it seems.
Now to decide between this and straight T5.
Edit: I guess the G-Mans only come in 250W for the longer units. So they would likely be fine with a slightly large 150/180 in the future. I would have to go with Hamiltons if I wanted a 150W setup it seems.
reefanatik
Member
I am about to order a custom 48x36x24 planet aquarium tank next week. I currently have a 93 cube with radion XR30w led. I am very happy with coloration but i do have shadowing...... Growth is what I am the least happiest with. I was going to buy another radion and supplement with either 4 or 6 retrofit T5s but I am really interested in MH. My question is on my upgrade what would u recommend for a MH fixture. I'm not sure if I would need the 250 or 400W MH. I am planning on mixed reef but deff mainly SPS. So please help on brand, Watt, ballast and bulb that you think would b best. Thank u in advance for your help. I hope I am in the right thread.
DavidinGA
Active member
I'd go with 250w mh plus supplemental T5's.
Hamilton 14000k or radium 2000k
Hamilton 14000k or radium 2000k
Hi all I'm picking up a Hamilton Cebu sun 2 x 250w soon and am torn between the Hamilton 14000k on electronic ballast or the radium 20000k on the m80 ballast.I know this is a personal choice but what do you like about one over the other? In terms of growth ,color and energy use,thanks.
Hamilton 14000k or radium 2000k
Hi all I'm picking up a Hamilton Cebu sun 2 x 250w soon and am torn between the Hamilton 14000k on electronic ballast or the radium 20000k on the m80 ballast.I know this is a personal choice but what do you like about one over the other? In terms of growth ,color and energy use,thanks.
ormet
Just one more frag
Hello! I am planning to use mh for my new build, 72x36x26.
Focus will be Acropora.
I am thinking 2x400w ushio or radiums in lumenarc or similar reflectors. Should be golden for this tank right?
I have never used mh before and feel somewhat lost in the talk of ballast and such. Is there a good beginners guide somewhere?
Focus will be Acropora.
I am thinking 2x400w ushio or radiums in lumenarc or similar reflectors. Should be golden for this tank right?
I have never used mh before and feel somewhat lost in the talk of ballast and such. Is there a good beginners guide somewhere?
DavidinGA
Active member
I would run 3 250w's instead. With the right ballast and bulb combo that will be plenty for an sps tank.
Similar threads
- Sticky
