MH or T5?

[jayfl77]

First time stepping into SPS here, adding a new 75 gallon tank to become dominated by SPS. I was looking at purchasing a 6 x 54W T5 Retrofit Kit. Will this be enough or should I switch to a 2 x 175 Watt (or higher) MH retrofit kit? Thanks for the help

 

[StarF]

i prefere t5.

the t5 light should be fine

 

[shifty51008]

the 6x54 watt t5's will be plenty. i prefer MH's for the shimmer look though. and I ould go with 2 - 250's rather than the 175's

 

[Rosh]

I use both, one can't always be better than the other.
Why not have the best of both worlds.

 

[sedorusc]

really just comes down to personal preference. the t5's will cost less to operate and grow the corals just fine. the t5 q&a thread in the equipment forum can give you an idea of what bulbs to use to get the look you want. alot of people like MH for the shimmer. just costs a little more to run and bulbs don't have to be replaced as often (1 year as opposed to 6 months).

 

[cjs3055]

I have had both fixtures.. I have an all in one fixture and really like it.. but the t5's alone should be fine. I would run 4 10k and 2 antinic bulbs though

 

[power boat jim]

Using both gives you far more adjustment in how you want the tank to look. You also can have kind of a sun up sun down effect if you get the proper mix of bulbs and timers. Having two lighting systems is a bit more costly, but its well worth it in the long run.

 

[oscar.millan]

Will T5's grow SPS corals, absolutely. Take a look at a "Reef in the Sky," thread in this forum. T5's only with amazing results.

 

[celebrityovernight]

the only downside i see to having a dual mh/t5 system is the heat generated by the MH will reduce the output/lifespan of the t5 significantly

 

[oscar.millan]

You can see some growth pictures here using T5's (reefinthesky)

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1767159&page=30

 

[SunnyX]

No doubt about it, T5 can grow SPS. Here is my old Rimless, 13 months apart:

And 5 months after that:

 

[allsps40]

I am a MH user myself and prefer halides. Not trashing T5 at all. I have seen nice sps tanks with only T5 or only LED.

 

[Amphiprion]

I like T5s and the various possibilities that can be configured with them (as well as the effect on corals), but in terms of the aesthetic quality of the light itself, I prefer MH.

 

[sfboarders]

I currently have 6x54W T5's and I'm getting good growth and color. I'm switching to 2 x 250W MH w/ blue LED Reef Brite's just to try out. I'll let you know which I like after a few months after I setup the MH.

 

[nanonubey]

I run both and love it, but some of the nicest tanks I've seen are t-5 only tanks.

 

[wmilas]

I started out with 24 bulbs of t5 over my tank... I ended up switching to 4 400watt Mh's after about 24 months. It wasn't that the t5's were bad color wise, it had more to do with the cost and the maintenance.

I was getting color shifting and reduced par (I have a par meter) at about 7.5 to 8 months with my t5's. I don't get that till 12 months with my MH's. $65*4 every 12 months is ALOT better than $22*24 every 8 months.

That and I had to lower my t5's close to the water to get penetration. Because of this I had to run with glass shields so as to not foul the reflectors with salt spray. Cleaning that spray every week made me scream. I now run lumenbrights high enough up that I don't have to clean them

I also like the sparklies that the MH's put off. On the other hand I miss the sunrise and sunset effect that I could generate with my t5's. I added some VHO Actinics to help with that.

So, moral of the story, its personal preference. Both will grown and color coral just fine. You might prefer one over the other for other reasons.

 

[reefWW96]

t5's are great, the bring out colors in corals that you have never seen before. mh's are great too though and i personally think they look more natural cause of the shimmer. Both are great though.

 

[OneReef]

I think it goes past which light to get. What you do to your tank beyond the lights is what makes it successful. Many people claim T5's pales out their corals and made them pastel looking, while others have tanks that look gorgeous under them. Probably doesn't matter what lights you get as much as how your flow, feedings, parameters, etc are. As far as physical difference, T5 can be less heat and less energy. Some people also claim they could not get good colors with T5's and went back to MH. So it is all individual. Just take care of your tank and keep it stable and it will look good. :0)

 

[solitude127]

If you do go with a T5 Retro, make sure you get quality individual reflectors. Also, cool the endcaps to maximize performance.

 

[B Mack]

I prefer MH