Overcoming MH paranoia.

[aquaman67]

I switched to T5's from MH.

One of the factors was I didn't like how hot the MH got. Especially when no one was home. I was afraid my house would burn down.

Well, I think I figured out a way to use the MH light and keep the T5s too.

My tank (an Ocean 50 gallon) is 18 inches wide. I'm using two nova extremes (two bulbs each)

There is enough room in between them to rig up my coralife tank mounted MH light (minus the "mount".)

What I think I'm going to do is only turn on the MH light when I'm home. That way I can hopefully smell disaster before it happens.

I don't think the random light schedule will hurt anything. And I'd only keep it on for a few hours at a time.

What do you think...am I just paranoid?

 

[SWINGRRRR]

I like slacker too

I think your just paranoid, but I dont know you. I run my MH for 6 hours each a day. My temps only gets up to 79.5. Any higher and the controller shuts it down. And thats without a chiller.

Are the T5's not doing it for you? Or you just want something different?

 

[Rich D]

I think your just paranoid, but I dont know you. I run my MH for 6 hours each a day. My temps only gets up to 79.5. Any higher and the controller shuts it down. And thats without a chiller.

thats exactly how my system runs, I do have a skimmer but it has not yet been hooked up because evaporation and AC seem to keep the temp below 82. My lights turn off if the temp is too high

I think you are worried about the wrong thing with metal halides, If there is nothing combustible under them or near them then they shouldnt light your house on fire.

On the other hand, my Metal halides once had an electrical issue and were arcing pretty close to the wall. Luckily my dad was home soon after and fixed the problem without much damage.

I do not know if this arcing is more common with MH or if any bulb or ballast is at the same risk.

You should probably be more worried about cooking your corals than lighting your house on fire IMO

 

[jmann]

T5's

T5's

I have a mostly sps 240 gal tank and am using T5's, no need to use MH's if you don't want them or have heat issues.

 

[Rich D]

I think that T5 tanks are much more manageable and easier to control than MH. A friend of my fathers has a beautiful fully established SPS tank with huge colonies that is doing great.

Many people think that its impossible to grow SPS with T5 when it is definitely possible.
What I have found is that certain corals grown in T5 have a more brown appearance and may not show certain colors.
as an example, these pictures are of a Tyree tri color that came out of the same T5 tank mentioned earlier. It is about a 3 month time period between the 1st and 3rd picture.

The first is it first entering the tank, second is it bleaching because its not used to 400w 10k, and 3rd is it beginning to grow and gain new color.

<a href="http://s731.photobucket.com/albums/ww312/rdenton07/Tyree%20Tri%20Color/?action=view&current=20090630_growth6_0281.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i731.photobucket.com/albums/ww312/rdenton07/Tyree%20Tri%20Color/20090630_growth6_0281.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[aquaman67]

Another reason I switched was a single MH light is a single point of failure.

What if my ballast dies? How many days is it going to take to find a new one and get it shipped?

The reason I want to try to use it again is because it's a $300 light that's sitting on my workbench. Plus I can't sit still. I'm always tinkering with something. You know, the "Tim Taylor syndrome".

"I bet I can tie all those lights together and make it work!" kinda thing....

 

[Stanley-Reefer]

I think it would be easier to retrofit a SE MH and simple reflector along with your T5s that way you get the shimmer and more light of MH along with the flexibility to change T5s to make the colors pop.

 

[Rich D]

I think it would be easier to retrofit a SE MH and simple reflector along with your T5s that way you get the shimmer and more light of MH along with the flexibility to change T5s to make the colors pop.

that would be pretty sick!