Let show your metal halide only sps tank

[Jar*Head]

Beside Mr. Sanjay's 500g reefer tank i have not seen another SPS dominate tank that run Metal Halide only.

Beside the cost of electricity, the bulbs replacement also pretty expensive especially with those who have a large tank which require quite a few VHO or T-5 to be able to notice something. With that said, i decided to follow Mr. Sanjay's foot step and ditch the T-5 and run 4 Ushio 400w only in my 480g (96x48x24) SPS only tank.

Here is how my tank look with T-5 and MH

And here is without the T-5. I don't notice much different in brightness but i do notice my tank run a lot cooler since i have to raise the light rack 6" higher.

By doing this i will save a few bucks on my electricity bill as well as annually bulbs replacement for the 8 T-5.

I did thought about adding VHO and run it couple hours before the MH and couple hrs after the MH but i am not sure yet.

Please share your thought and tank photo.

Thanks
Steve

 

[Cantonesefish]

I think It looks more natural with just the MH; I like the look.

Most people like the t5 look better though.

 

[chessmanmark]

First of all, that is a spectacular tank. Wow! Great job. Do you have a build thread to read about how it all came together?

I actually like the combo lighting better. The colors stand out more IMO.

I focus more on corals than fish, but your fish display is really terrific. I can only imagine how it looks in person with all the fish swimming around your tank.

Here is a picture of my 90 gallon tank with only MH lighting. I have 2 x 250 DE Reeflux 12K in 2 LumenBright reflectors. I find it difficult to take a full tank shot of my tank as the corals at the top get washed out. They look great in person but digitally they just don't photograph well.

 

[Jar*Head]

Hello Mark, thank you for sharing your pic. I do have a build thread in Large Reeftank forum. I was thinking about doing 8 MH in my tank but that would cost too much to run and the lighting pendant aren't cheap either

 

[d-man]

I like the combe lighting better.
What would be the point of adding back VHO's if you just took down the t-5's?

 

[ryshark]

Your tank looks great. It looks like the first pic brings a little more pop to the coral with the T5, however, with the Radiums you have I'm sure the corals still look great without the supplemental light. I have a few questions:
1. What kind of anthias are those?
2. Do the Pyramids aggrivate the sps?
3. Are those paper towels on the rack in the background? If so, I know exactly about that, I feel like I go through a ton of those.

 

[spleify]

Outstanding tank Jarheaed!

 

[Boyman]

That is a sweet tank Jarhead

I have a SPS dominated tank that is lit only by 1 250W MH

I like it!

 

[JonWu61]

Amazing tank. Base on your picture the look of the live rock is brown, I'm wondering are you dosing something in your tank.

 

[luther1200]

I think it looks great either way. I am partial to the MH only look though I think. The combo picture looks a little pinkish or something.

 

[IFbettas]

Here's a picture of my 180 under 3-250 watt Reeflux 12k's in lumenbrights. My sps are all still small but growing rapidly.

The white balance is a bit off but it is fairly close to what it really looks like.

 

[IFbettas]

*BTW, Jar*Head... How many pyramid butterflies do you have in your tank? I only have 2, but want to get a couple more. I think the large school looks amazing.

 

[MN. Reef crzy]

On my 210 for the first 8 months of it running i used only 3 400 watt 20k radiums in luminarc reflectors. I really liked it, i didnt like not being able to view my tank for more than 8 hours a day and i decided to put two vhos on icecap ballast to view an extra four hours a day but i turn them off when the halides are on. I will not have to change these bulbs very often at 4 hours a day. I guess maybe every two years. I do think personally the vho's make the coral colors pop more, but that could just be me looking way to much at it.

 

[Jar*Head]

I like the combe lighting better.
What would be the point of adding back VHO's if you just took down the t-5's?[/QUOTE

I thought about adding VHO super atinic because it will add color to my corals and nothing beat VHO Super Atinic even the T-5. I took down the T-5 because it doesn't do much for my tank because i have the light up to high above the tank...

Adding color supplement to help with the color but don't expect par value out of it...

 

[Jar*Head]

Your tank looks great. It looks like the first pic brings a little more pop to the coral with the T5, however, with the Radiums you have I'm sure the corals still look great without the supplemental light. I have a few questions:
1. What kind of anthias are those?
2. Do the Pyramids aggrivate the sps?
3. Are those paper towels on the rack in the background? If so, I know exactly about that, I feel like I go through a ton of those.

Hello, thank you for the compliment. That is the Hawaiian Bicolor Athias. The Pyramid never touch my corals and they do eat pellets so i feed 3x's daily with pellets and 1 meal of frozen.. As for the background yes that is my paper towel but not for my tank. My tank is acrylic therefore i use the special cloth that i order from an acrylic shop..

 

[Jar*Head]

Outstanding tank Jarheaed!

Thank you...

 

[Jar*Head]

That is a sweet tank Jarhead

I have a SPS dominated tank that is lit only by 1 250W MH

I like it!

Thank you... Let share some pic

 

[Jar*Head]

Amazing tank. Base on your picture the look of the live rock is brown, I'm wondering are you dosing something in your tank.

John, i used to dose Zeovit, and Brightwell product but i stop because i don't have the time for it plus for the tank that size dosing is not a practical way as far as long term cost concern. .. Beside the rock, some corals also look brown :lol:

 

[Jar*Head]

I think it looks great either way. I am partial to the MH only look though I think. The combo picture looks a little pinkish or something.

The combo pic look pinkish cuz i run 4 fiji purple T-5

 

[Jar*Head]

Here's a picture of my 180 under 3-250 watt Reeflux 12k's in lumenbrights. My sps are all still small but growing rapidly.

The white balance is a bit off but it is fairly close to what it really looks like.

Thank you for sharing the tank look very clean.