The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
Consider the source. You see any streetlights running halides latley?
T5 capabilities- reality or hype?
- Thread starter jmaneyapanda
- Start date
Consider the source. You see any streetlights running halides latley?
RobbyG
Active member
Grim if you measured them right under then on a Watt for Par basis the T5's beat the MH's all the time. Now if I get you right your saying that the only advantage of an MH bulb is that you can get higher wattages that are useful for penetrating deeper tanks.
BTW I still think all of these solutions end up being overkill and that most people are slow cooking there corals.
BTW I still think all of these solutions end up being overkill and that most people are slow cooking there corals.
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
My BTA stayed in its spot for like a year and then one day decided to go for a walkabout, RIP Bubble coral. It hung out on the glass for a couple days and then moved back where it started. Didn't change flow or lighting. I think it just wanted to annoy me
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
In my situation the T5's put more light into the tank using less wattage. There is no best lighting, just best ways to utalize what you've got.
I agree about overkill. I have a 105 that is 60x18x22 tall. When I set that one up I think it will be LPS. I plan to use Ice Cap reflectors on Normal output T5's for that tank. My current tank is a 60 gallon uniquarium with a display area that is 48x10x18 tall. The canopy was set up for halides so it is 12" tall, I have 4 T5's mounted to the lid of the canopy so they are about 10 inches above the water and you wouldn't believe how bright this thing looks. It is an SPS tank so I will lower the lights but I could raise most corals how ity sits/
dvanacker
DID I SOUNDS SMRT??
wow this has turned into quite the thread.
It would be nice to get some definative information on T5's. When or when will sanjay explore the world of T5.??
I find alot of Rich's comments closed minded in this thread. He is making claims with no research or data to back it up.
Also he mentioned that when it comes to lumens per watt T5 and MH are neck and neck. Well that may be but take into consideration that T5's are placed closer to the water's surface.
I see T5's effiecency coming from the fact that they can be placed closer to the waters surface then MH. Most people are realizing the importance of a good reflector with T5 as well, where alot of people with MH have no idea that a good reflector can increase effiecency incredibly.
Also two things make T5 a cooler choice in most cases. The ability to use less wattage and the linear aspect of T5. Its the same idea as a heat sink.....if you have a larger surface area producing the heat the more effiecently that area can be cooled. That part is just science.
But of course I'm not a scientist and most of this stuff is just my wacky opinions.
It would be nice to get some definative information on T5's. When or when will sanjay explore the world of T5.??
I find alot of Rich's comments closed minded in this thread. He is making claims with no research or data to back it up.
Also he mentioned that when it comes to lumens per watt T5 and MH are neck and neck. Well that may be but take into consideration that T5's are placed closer to the water's surface.
I see T5's effiecency coming from the fact that they can be placed closer to the waters surface then MH. Most people are realizing the importance of a good reflector with T5 as well, where alot of people with MH have no idea that a good reflector can increase effiecency incredibly.
Also two things make T5 a cooler choice in most cases. The ability to use less wattage and the linear aspect of T5. Its the same idea as a heat sink.....if you have a larger surface area producing the heat the more effiecently that area can be cooled. That part is just science.
But of course I'm not a scientist and most of this stuff is just my wacky opinions.
PrangeWay
Duke of Monte Fisto
Odd thing on heat for the tank...
My t5's (w/o a shield) heated my tank at 6" more than my MH did at 10".... UNTIL my acrylic shield from Tek finally arrived. Once I installed that on the Tek fixture tank temperature dropped to less than what it was under the halide.
PW
My t5's (w/o a shield) heated my tank at 6" more than my MH did at 10".... UNTIL my acrylic shield from Tek finally arrived. Once I installed that on the Tek fixture tank temperature dropped to less than what it was under the halide.
PW
nyvp
Active member
Why can't you have your cake and eat it?
Thats why I'm going to go with both MH and T5's on my 560g
120x36x30 3 side viewable.
2 -- Hamilton Metal Halide Ballast 250k
4 -- SLS Lumen Max 2 Needed to go smaller ones
4 250's xm 10k's and 8 t5 54's
l ________54's ________ l__________54's_________
l ________ 54's________ l__________54's_________
l Halides ---- ---- Halides l Halides--------Halides
l ________ 54's________ l__________54's_________
l ________ 54's________ l__________54's_________
Grims Info given to me
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=741281&perpage=25&pagenumber=17
Thats why I'm going to go with both MH and T5's on my 560g
120x36x30 3 side viewable.
2 -- Hamilton Metal Halide Ballast 250k
4 -- SLS Lumen Max 2 Needed to go smaller ones
4 250's xm 10k's and 8 t5 54's
l ________54's ________ l__________54's_________
l ________ 54's________ l__________54's_________
l Halides ---- ---- Halides l Halides--------Halides
l ________ 54's________ l__________54's_________
l ________ 54's________ l__________54's_________
Grims Info given to me
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=741281&perpage=25&pagenumber=17
RichConley
New member
Grim, I explained this earlier. Its simply Linear dropoff vs exponential. The Deeper you get, the better the T5s are going to do. You're going to have more bulbs overlapping each other.
The whole MH penetrate thing is just so ingrained into people, and is really a product of the fact that PC and VHO basically suck. Its also completely untrue.
RichConley
New member
How close they are to the water only matters because of reflector design.
Also, go look over the whole thing about linear vs exponential decay. Being close to the water would affect T5s a lot less than MHs.
"Most people are realizing the importance of a good reflector with T5 as well, where alot of people with MH have no idea that a good reflector can increase effiecency incredibly. "
I 100% agree with you here. I can not emphasize how much it ****es me off when I see someone running a 400w MH in a hood line with tinfoil, and no reflector. It just burns me. You'd get more light from a 175 with a decent reflector.
RobbyG
Active member
If I add more MH bulbs to get the same overlapping effect, I would be burning tons more power so its all really pointless.
I get your point but what does it matter, at the end of the day its how much PAR you are getting per watt burned and the more penetration the better, IN all theses cases the T5's come out on top.
I get your point but what does it matter, at the end of the day its how much PAR you are getting per watt burned and the more penetration the better, IN all theses cases the T5's come out on top.
Darth Wader
New member
It looks like guitar tab for lighting.
l ________54's ________ l__________54's_________
l ________ 54's________ l__________54's_________
l Halides ---- ---- Halides l Halides--------Halides
l ________ 54's________ l__________54's_________
l ________ 54's________ l__________54's_________
l ________54's ________ l__________54's_________
l ________ 54's________ l__________54's_________
l Halides ---- ---- Halides l Halides--------Halides
l ________ 54's________ l__________54's_________
l ________ 54's________ l__________54's_________
joedirt54
New member
IMHO, t5's will end up just like all the rest of the tubes. Sure, if you have money to burn, you can switch out t5's every six months and get good results...But, I think most will let them go for way too long and end up growing more hair algae than coral.
Wait a year and we'll all be talking about the new LED hoods and how much better they are than t5's. The quiet majority of well-lit reefs will still be running MH of some kind.
Dirt
Wait a year and we'll all be talking about the new LED hoods and how much better they are than t5's. The quiet majority of well-lit reefs will still be running MH of some kind.
Dirt
Reef_bones
New member
did you just jump right in to grace us with your vast knowledge on the subject or did you actually read the thread?
If you had read the thread you would realize you get 2 yrs out of a t-5 bulb. And acording to the rest of RC bad water quality grows hair algae not lights..
At least make an attempt to know something about a subject before you make claims...
